FAQs

A wealth planner is someone who uses the wealth planning process to help you determine how to meet your life goals. The key function of a wealth planner is to help people identify their wealth planning needs, their present priorities and the products that are most suitable to meet their needs. He or she normally possesses detailed knowledge of a wide range of wealth planning tools and products, but his primary role is to help clients choose the best products for each need. The planner can take a “big picture” view of your financial situation and make wealth planning recommendations that are right for you.

We don’t have account minimums. You may be a professional growing your life, family, and career with a lot of investable assets in a company retirement plan, or a business owner with assets tied up in the company. There are a number of reasons why a minimum investment may not work for you. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have access to professional advice.

If you’re not ready to put some effort into your financial future, we may not be the right fit for you. We work together. Although the first few months are a lot of work on our part (and yours!), it will help us in creating strides in your planning efforts in the long term. We’ll need to have regular communication and progress to set up a path for success.

Some personal finance software packages, magazines or self-help books can help you do your own wealth planning. However, you may decide to seek help from a professional wealth planner if:

• You need expertise you don’t possess in certain areas of your finances. For example, a planner can help you evaluate the level of risk in your investment portfolio and revise your asset allocation;
  
• You don’t feel you have the time to spare to do your own wealth planning;
  
• You recognize that you need insurance to protect yourself and your family, but are unsure of the type or amount you need
  
• You know that you need to improve your current financial situation but don’t know where to start;
  
• You feel that a professional advisor could help you improve on how you are currently managing your finances;
  
• You have an immediate need or unexpected life event such as an inheritance or major illness;
  
• You want to get a professional opinion about the financial plan you developed for yourself.

A wealth planner works for you. His or her loyalty should be to the client, not the product(s) he or she is trying to sell.

The best plan is useless unless it is put into action. Your wealth planner will assist you completely in implementing the plan, if and when you desire.

It is good to review the plan when there is a lifestyle change such as marriage, birth, death or divorce. Any change in financial position should be evaluated as well. Most people have an annual update that reviews how the plan is being implemented. The review also considers changing goals and circumstances.

A wealth plan should include a review of your net worth, goals and objectives, investment portfolio, cash flow, investments, retirement planning, tax planning and insurance needs, as well as a plan for implementing your goals.

Evaluating your insurance needs is part of personal wealth planning. Insurance takes care of your unpredictable needs, and because these needs can arise at any time, insurance is extremely important. Investments take care of your predictable needs and ideally should follow after your unpredictable needs are addressed.

We don’t believe anyone can consistently time or “beat” the market. Research has demonstrated time and time again that those who chase returns fare worse over the long run than those who develop a sound investment strategy and impose discipline over their investment decisions.

As such, our investment philosophy is one that believes in creating globally diversified portfolios taking into consideration market research and taking advantage of potential market opportunities.

Our fees depend on the type of client you are:

• Investment management clients are charged on a quarterly basis on a percent of assets under management.
  
• Our insurance clients do not pay us a fee directly. We are remunerated by the insurance companies we represent in providing the insurance policies to our clients. Since we work with a variety of highly-ranked carriers we get paid the same as to minimize any potential conflict of interest.
  
• Wealth planning clients are charged per project depending on the complexity of their needs.