For several decades, we have occupied a very distinct niche within the larger financial landscape.
Financial advisors 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. Such differences carry implications for the type of guidance that their clients receive and the way it is provided.
With that in mind, here is where we stand.
Structure. In today’s world, financial advice is often commoditized and delivered by large firms who scale their offerings to serve thousands and thousands of clients. By contrast, we are independent and will never work for any brokerage firms, insurance companies, banks, or other financial intermediaries.
Duty. As a registered investment advisory firm, we have a fiduciary duty to always work in our clients’ best interests. Not every advisory firm chooses to function under a fiduciary standard, but it has been our foundational commitment to clients from day one, and always will be.
Professionalism. We also have a fiduciary obligation as defined by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. By some industry estimates, only a minority 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. At the same time, we are also committed to our own ongoing education, and if asked to name one thing that might really differentiate us from others, it’s probably the depth and breadth of our reading. So go ahead and ask us what we are reading and learning about – that is a conversation we look forward to having.