ABOUT U.S. ASSET MANAGEMENT
Fiduciary Financial Advisor in Atlanta
Fee Only. No Commissions. Advice That’s only Ever About You.
Why You Want a Fee Only Fiduciary Financial Advisor
Most people have no idea how their financial advisor gets paid. That's not an accident. A lot of advisors earn a commission when you buy a product, which means the advice and the sale are tangled together, and you're left wondering which one you just got.
U.S. Asset Management works differently. David Cross and the advisors at U.S. Asset Management serve as fiduciaries, and the practice is fee only. The only money we make comes from the clients we advise. Nobody here earns a commission, there's nothing to sell you, and the advice you get is the advice we'd give a family member. If you're looking for a fee only fiduciary financial advisor in Atlanta, here's what that means and why it matters.
What Is a Fiduciary Financial Advisor?
A fiduciary is an advisor who has agreed to act in your best interest, and it's a promise backed by law. So what does fiduciary mean for your money? It means the advisor can't recommend something just because it pays them more. Your interest comes first, every time.
That should be the rule for everyone who touches your retirement savings. It isn't. Plenty of advisors are held only to a "suitability" standard, which means a product just has to be reasonable for someone like you. That leaves room for a recommendation that's fine for you and better for them. A fiduciary advisor doesn't leave room for that.
What Is a Fee Only Financial Advisor?
A fee only financial advisor is paid by one person, you. No commissions from insurance companies, no payments from fund companies, no bonus for recommending one product over another. The fee is the fee, you know it up front, and that's the whole relationship.
That's what makes U.S. Asset Management a fee only financial planner in the truest sense of the word, and it's why we can say fiduciary without a footnote.
No Commissions, by Choice.
OCTOBER 2026
David voluntarily gave up his Georgia insurance license. Insurance commissions were a small slice of the business, but a small slice was still a conflict, and he wanted it gone.
He surrendered the license so that no one at U.S. Asset Management could earn a commission on anything, ever.
Fee Only vs Fee Based, What's the Difference?
You may have seen "fee based" and figured it was the same thing. It's not, and the difference is the whole point. When you're comparing fee only vs fee based, this is what you're really comparing.
Fee Only
✓ Paid only by you
✓ Cannot earn a commission on anything
✓ Works for you, full stop
Fee Based
● Charges you a fee
● Can also earn commissions from products
● Works for you, and sometimes for the product
If you ever want to know which kind you’re talking to, just ask one thing. “Can you make a commission on anything you recommend to me?” Anything other than a flat no means fee based. We’re fee only. Nobody at U.S. Asset Management holds a license to sell insurance, and nobody earns a commission, so the answer here is always no.
What You Get From a Fiduciary Advisor
✓ A recommendation is never tied to a sale.
✓ You see exactly what you pay and why.
✓ If you're not sure about something, a second opinion here is just a second opinion. There's no product waiting at the end of it.
✓ You can ask the uncomfortable money questions, because the answer isn't tied to our paycheck.
Fiduciary Services for Retirement, Divorce, and Investing
Being a fiduciary isn't one service on a menu. It's how every service here works. These are the fiduciary services we provide to clients in Atlanta and across the country.
Retirement Income Planning
Turning what you've saved into income that lasts is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make. A fee only fiduciary has no reason to steer you toward a product that pays a commission instead of a plan that pays you.
Retirement Income Planning →
Divorce Financial Planning
Two members of our team hold the CDFA® designation, and both are fiduciaries. During a divorce you need someone looking at the numbers with only your interest in mind.
Divorce Financial Planning →
Fiduciary Wealth Management
As a fiduciary investment advisor, David manages portfolios based on your goals and your comfort with risk, not on what a fund company pays. Fees are transparent and there are no asset minimums.
Investment Management →
Meet David Cross
David Cross is a CFP® professional with 35 years of experience who also holds the CPM®, CDFA®, and CRPC® certifications. He's spent those years helping individuals and families in Metro Atlanta and across the country work through major financial transitions, including retirement, divorce, the sale of a business, and inheritance. CFP® professionals act as fiduciaries when providing financial advice, and David made that standard the foundation of the whole practice. The office is in Duluth, Georgia, and the team serves clients locally in person and nationwide by video.
Fiduciary Financial Advisor Atlanta FAQs
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Yes. U.S. Asset Management is a fiduciary financial advisory practice based in Duluth, Georgia. David Cross and the advisors here serve as fiduciaries in every advisory relationship, which means your interests come ahead of our own.
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Yes, when they're giving financial advice. CFP Board requires every CFP® professional to act as a fiduciary at all times when providing financial advice to a client. David is a CFP® professional, and the practice is built on that standard.
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It depends on how the advisor is paid, which is exactly why the fee only question matters. At U.S. Asset Management, fees are explained in plain terms before you become a client, and you'll always know what you're paying. There are no asset minimums, and the first conversation is free.
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Ask two questions. Are you a fiduciary all the time, and can you earn a commission on anything you recommend? The answers should be yes and no. If you're in Duluth, Gwinnett County, or anywhere in Metro Atlanta, we're close by and happy to be one of the advisors you talk to.
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Yes. The office is in Duluth, Georgia, and we meet with Metro Atlanta clients in person. Clients in other parts of the country meet with us by video.
Talk With a Fee Only Fiduciary Financial Advisor in Atlanta
If you've been wondering whether your advisor is really on your side, that question is worth answering. Schedule a complimentary consultation with U.S. Asset Management and bring every question you have.
Advisory services offered through U.S. Asset Management, a Member of Advisory Services Network, LLC. All information contained herein is derived from sources deemed to be reliable but cannot be guaranteed. All views/opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views/opinions held by Advisory Services Network, LLC.
Our firm does not offer tax or legal advice. Consult your tax or legal advisor regarding your situation.
CFP Board owns the marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the U.S.