Grounded Gus™
A guide,
not a feature.
Gus is the warm, plain-spoken guide inside Grounded Wealth. He reads the fine print, surfaces what deserves attention, and answers the questions you'd never bring up in a meeting. The advisor decides. You decide. Gus just makes sure nothing important gets missed.
For the questions
you'd never ask out loud.
Most people have a folder of questions they never ask their advisor — the “is this normal,” the “am I doing this wrong,” the “remind me how this works again.”
Gus answers them. In plain English. With the full picture of your finances already loaded. Then, if it's a real decision, he hands the moment back to your advisor — with context, not from scratch.
We just sold our rental. Should I be worried about taxes?
Gus
Worth a quick look. The IRS will treat about $280,000 as long-term capital gain. Three things matter before April: depreciation recapture, your bracket this year, and whether a 1031 exchange is still on the table.
Want me to walk through each, or send this to Mark for the tax meeting?
Your practice briefing
Tuesday, June 11
Quiet morning. Three things worth a look before your 10am.
On your calendar
- 10:00amAnderson household — Q2 review (rebalance prepped)
- 2:30pmSarah K. — equity comp planning (vesting July 1)
Worth a look
Sarah K's vesting cliff is 19 days out. Tax projection still flagged.
Anderson 60/40 drifted to 67/33 — within tolerance, but worth raising with the rebalance.
Three clients haven't opened your last note. Gentle follow-up worth it.
Gus drafted this. You decide what matters.
For the practice
that already holds enough.
Advisors don't need more dashboards. They need fewer, better mornings. Gus drafts your daily briefing — calendar, client alerts, the rebalance that drifted, the note that hasn't been opened — and edits the firehose down to the three things worth your time today.
You decide what matters. Gus just makes sure nothing slips.
A careful eye
on the fine print.
The annuity, the old 401(k), the life insurance no one remembers buying, the fee schedule buried on page 42 of the prospectus. Gus reads what nobody else is reading — and tells you what it actually means.
Your M&E fee
1.42%
Industry average
1.00%
What that means
About $2,016 a year on your $480,000 contract — above the average for products like yours.
Could be reasonable if you're using the rider features. Could be money walking out the door. Worth a conversation before the next anniversary date.
How we're bringing Gus into the world
Slowly, on purpose.
01
Patience.
We are not racing anyone. Gus ships the way a fiduciary practice ships — when the work is right, not when the calendar says so.
02
A high bar.
If Gus can't say it accurately and in plain English, Gus doesn't say it. Confidence comes from getting things right, not from sounding clever.
03
Restraint.
Gus says less than he could. The best answer is often the one that points back to your advisor, your spouse, or a quiet evening with the document.
A clear scope
Gus is a guide.
Not a decision-maker.
What Gus does
- Answer your questions in plain English, with full context.
- Read the fine print on annuities, life insurance, fee schedules.
- Draft your advisor’s daily briefing.
- Connect you back to your advisor at the moments that matter.
What Gus does not do
- Give personalized financial advice.
- Bypass your advisor relationship.
- Make trades or commitments on your behalf.
- Expose your private data to anyone outside Grounded.
Inside Grounded Wealth
Gus is in beta.
We're bringing him into the world carefully.
Members meet Gus inside Grounded Wealth. If you're curious about the practice he lives in, the Academy is the front door.
How is Gus doing? Tell us.