Frequently asked questions.
General
Are you a fiduciary?
Yes. Our role as your Financial Planner is to advocate for your best interests and represent you with your goals and objectives in mind. Every client engagement will involve a financial planning agreement that states that we are legally obligated to operate within your best interests.
When should I get a financial planner?
It is important to consult with a Financial Planner to determine that you are on the right track. The impact of financial decisions can sometimes take years to manifest so you want to plan accordingly. The level of engagement will depend on your circumstances and your needs.
Similar to your routine visit with your doctor, it is important to avoid any looming financial illnesses and implement steps toward being financially healthy.
What should I consider when choosing a financial planner?
Choose a Planner who listens to you, explains things clearly, and is comfortable telling you what you need to hear. Your Financial Planner should also have expertise in the areas you are seeking help.
It is wise to interview more than one Planner!
How do I get started working with you?
We give two hours of complimentary advice to all potential clients. The first step is our Strategy Meeting. This is an opportunity for us to learn more about you and for you to gain clarity on the areas we anticipate adding value.
What is your investment philosophy?
We believe all investments should have a purpose. When we make your investments align with your objectives, we can increase the success of our financial planning partnership.
We view investments as a tool intended to be exchanged for more vacations, memories, time with family, the ability to spend more, buy more, retire earlier, pursue hobbies, impact other people’s lives, leave a legacy, etc.
Do you have account minimums?
No. We do not have account minimums. We can provide Financial Planning advice for a flat fee. We also offer traditional investment management services. We have found that this flexibility has helped clients find a home in our practice.
How are your fees structured?
We charge a fee based on a flat rate for our Planning advice. For our Investment Management service, we assess a management fee ranging from 0.0% to 1.2%.
Service
Do you file taxes?
We do not file taxes in-house. However, we have several trusted financial professionals and CPAs that we can refer. If you have an existing relationship with a CPA we encourage that we collaborate with them to ensure we are collectively working towards your objectives.
Do you write wills or trusts?
We have partnered with Trust&Will, an Estate Planning Software company, to provide free
Estate Plan Essential documents to all of our Financial Plan clients. This includes:
Will
Power of Attorney
HIPAA Authorization
Revocable Trusts
What happens to your engagement if I move to another state?
Moving to another state will not impact our engagement.
How many times will we meet?
As many times as we need. The first year of a Financial Planning relationship can have multiple moving parts. To ensure we make the most of our service we will meet as many times as necessary to create our Financial Planning recommendations. We will then have three scheduled trimester meetings. We understand that life is not static so we may proactively contact you to meet in addition to the three scheduled trimester meetings. you will have the ability to reach out to us if things change for you. we encourage our families to do this.