Frequently Asked Questions
First of all, most of our clients come to us because they are seeking advisors that don’t work on commission, work in a fiduciary capacity and give individualized advice. We do require a financial plan to start working with clients, this allows us to better understand your situation and help provide the best advice we can. Many of our clients are either approaching retirement or have had a life event or transition that requires some guidance. If you are feeling stuck in one place and need someone to help guide you through the next steps, we are the advisor for you. We also work with your family as much as possible to enhance the planning experience.
When we work with clients and manage their money, we want to make sure our programs work with the client. Many times smaller accounts may be set up elsewhere until a client is in need of an advisor to manage it. We work with people that don’t want to deal with the constant monitoring and re-balancing that it takes to manage a portfolio. We evaluate each client based on their needs and determine what’s in your best interest.
Our services work best for those that do not want to manage a portfolio and want a professional to help them understand and keep them on track. We do request that the accounts are managed by us for the best long-term outcome.
Yes, all independent advisors that have a Registered Investment Advisory Firm are required to provide all clients with the ADV Part 2 which outlines the practice, background of advisors and fee structure, this also explains our fiduciary duty to clients. If you would like a copy send us an email and we will send it to you.
Currently we use TD Ameritrade as our custodian. TD Ameritrade is a member of SIPC, insurance coverage to protect client assets. Using a third party custodian protects a clients assets and ensures that the assets are owned by the client, not us. It does not protect your assets from the volatility of the stock market. Above and beyond SIPC coverage, both custodians maintain additional insurance coverage, currently through the Customer Asset Protection Company.
This depends on the client’s situation and whether we can accommodate it. We can sometimes rearrange appointments if needed but prefer to keep appointments on the weekdays.
Business hours are Monday through Thursday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and Friday is 8:30 am to 1 pm. This is when the office is staffed and can immediately answer your phone calls. We do encourage you to set appointments ahead of time. You are welcome to drop off items needed by us and if we’re not in an appointment we will try to visit. Again, always call first to find out if we’re available. Your phone call is important to us and we try to answer emails and phone calls within a 24 hour time-frame.
We prefer to work with clients that are looking for more financial planning needs beyond the asset allocation. If you are looking for a long-term relationship with planning advice then we could be the advisor you are looking for. Basically we want to work with clients that value the advice as well as clients that appreciate the accountability and help.
If you are just looking for a second opinion or want to manage your own assets then we may not be a good fit.
