Frequently Asked Questions

Are you a fiduciary?

Yes- both by law and by philosophy. What this means is that I need to put your needs ahead of my own. Non-fiduciaries only need to make sure that whatever products you buy are suitable for you, even if they are not the best or lowest cost.

How do you get paid?

There are 3 ways that I can get paid and each one depends on client needs:

  1. For a full financial plan, I charge 1% of household income.

  2. Assets Under Management, meaning money that I invest for each client, is charged 1.25% annually, but on a monthly basis (this come out to .1042% per month). The money is deducted directly from each client’s brokerage account.

  3. Hourly cost of $100. This, generally, is for specific projects such as 401(k) analysis.

What do I actually receive for a financial plan?

This can depend on what your specific needs are. However, generally speaking, you will get:

  • An answer to your questions, such as, “When can I retire?” or “Am I saving enough?”

  • A sequential list of recommendations. This list will comer everything from ways to protect yourself, to which debts to pay off first, to how much to save and in what types of accounts.

  • Access to planning software that will allow you to explore different scenarios, as well as the ability to update information as things change.

  • Meetings with me on at least a semi-annual basis, but often more. This depends on each client’s needs, as well as what they are comfortable with. These meetings will be to update information, monitor progress, and adjust what needs to happen moving forward.

What is your investment philosophy?

I build your portfolio based on many factors. For example: timeline, risk profile, tax situation, investing experience, to name a few. But generally, I favor certain principles:

  • Funds instead of individual securities;

  • Buy and hold instead of timing the market;

  • Rebalancing every two months;

  • Reviewing and updating as necessary.

What type of products do you sell?

None. I do planning (think: putting the pieces of your financial life together) and advising (think: investments). Included in that are recommendations for products- life insurance, annuities, etc.- but I do not sell any of them. I want as few conflicts of interest as possible. By running my business this way, you know that the only incentive I have to recommend a product, is my belief that it is the best thing for you.