What can I expect when I reach out to your firm?
After an introductory call to share with us your priorities and learn how we work with clients, we’ll set up an initial meeting in-person at our office or over Zoom. You won’t need to bring any documents and you will not be asked to make any decisions. The purpose is for us to begin to understand your goals and for you to get to know us better. Within a few days, we will send you a written proposal explaining how we can work together and specifically what areas of your financial life we will be addressing.
What types of clients do you typically work with?
We are selective with whom we work and only take on clients that we believe we can add significant value for and build a productive relationship with. By limiting our number of clients, we have the capacity to provide customized, consistent service to the families we serve.
We work with individuals and families – professionals and business owners within five years of retirement (or recently retired), and describe themselves as hard-working savers. Most are between the ages of 50-70, and typically have investable assets over $500,000, and/or household income over $250,000.
This could be someone retired or approaching retirement who has saved diligently and paid down debt but wonders if they’ve truly saved enough and where they will source income from. They are seeking a partner to advise them through the shift to retirement.
We also work with executives & professionals who are high earners and are building their savings and long-term investment strategy. We specialize in working with clients who have executive and equity compensation plans that need to be properly managed.
Self-employed business owners who want to build a financial plan outside of their business and are looking for tax-advantaged investing opportunities to diversify risk from their business also partner with us.
How do you charge?
Depending on the scope and complexity of your plan, the cost typically ranges from $4,000 to $6,000 for individuals or $5,000 to $7,000 for couples. Some new clients may benefit from a scaled down analysis and action plan. These “strategy sessions” are billed between $250-$375/hour, with a $2,500 minimum per engagement.
For clients we work with in an ongoing investment management and planning capacity, we charge an advisory fee based on the value of the accounts we manage. Advisory fees are 1% or less annually based upon portfolio value (minimum of $750,000) and cover all investment management & financial planning services.
Our fee schedule is:
- $750,000 to $1,499,999 – 1.0%
- $1,500,000 to $2,999,999 – 0.90%
- $3,000,000 to $4,999,999 – 0.80%
- $5,000,000 to $9,999,999 – 0.70%
- $10,000,000+ – 0.50%
Are you a fiduciary?
Yes. Also, because we are Certified Financial Planners, we are held to a strict standard of fiduciary duties. CFP professional’s fiduciary duty may be higher than what is required by regulation, and as defined by the CFP Board this includes: duty of loyalty, a duty of care, and a duty to follow client instructions. You can read more about the CFP Board’s Standards of Conduct here:
What asset allocation and investment products do you use?
We are independent and loyal only to our clients, so we have no investment or insurance companies that we are restricted to working with.
In our core strategies, we use a mix of ETFs & mutual funds as we believe in a blend of active and passive management that each fulfill. When choosing investments, we consult with outside investment partners, third-party research software, and complete our own in-house due diligence.
We create customized allocations based on their goals and interests. This can include individual stocks and alternative investments.
For conservative investors we offer principal-protected banking and insurance products including CDs, government treasury bonds, and fixed annuities to complement their market investments.
How do you communicate with your clients?
During the introduction & onboarding phase, we may speak with you weekly. After you become a client, we will continue to reach out to handle any questions you have, make sure you are comfortable with the account set up, and establish an ongoing communication frequency that you are comfortable with.
We pride ourselves on proactive communication and never leaving a client wondering when or if they will hear from us. We handle this through:
- Periodic email updates on impactful financial events (tax code changes, economic updates)
- Check-in calls quarterly (or on scheduled cadence)
- Comprehensive planning meetings once or twice annually
- Proposed portfolio allocation changes & rebalance as needed
- Collaboration and coordination with your other advisors (attorneys, tax preparers, etc.) as needed