About.

Whether you are considering us or any other firm to help manage your financial affairs, you should recognize that advisers can differ widely according to their potential affiliation with third-party institutions, how they are compensated, their professional credentials, and even the legal and regulatory environments under which they operate. These and other differences carry potential implications for the type of guidance that their clients receive and the manner in which it is provided. With that in mind, here is where we stand.

Structure. In industry parlance, we have always worked in what is known as a fee-only capacity. That means we do not earn any commissions for our advice and we are not affiliated with or employed by any brokerage firms, insurance companies, or banks. We work independently and our professional fees are based directly on the work that we do for clients. This allows us to work directly by their side to find the best of what the larger financial services community has to offer on a case-by-case basis.

Duty. As a registered investment advisory firm, we have a fiduciary duty to work in our clients’ best interests. Not every advisory firm chooses to function this way, but it has been our foundational commitment to clients from day one.

Professionalism. We also have a fiduciary obligation as defined by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. By some industry estimates, only a fraction of those who call themselves planners, advisors, or wealth managers have met the education, exam, and work experience criteria for CFP® certification.

Education. We like to think we provide you with the financial counsel you would arrive at on your own, if only you had the time and expertise. But you can only judge that counsel if you understand the research and learning that are behind it. So go ahead and ask us what we are reading or the developments that we are following – that is a conversation we always welcome having.