How are we different?

Mostly because we really help our clients with comprehensive wealth management. Though most advisors use those words to describe their service, fewer than 10% really do comprehensive, consultative wealth management.

The following table depicts the differences between “Fee Only” advisors and most other financial advisors including those who call themselves “Fee-Based”.


Independent, Fiduciary, Client-Centered Advice	Our firm charges fixed fees quoted in advance so there is no hidden conflict of interest between you and your advisor. We also do not accept referral fees or “free trips to Hawaii”. 100% of our compensation comes from our clients rather than brokerages, hedge funds, insurance companies and other product pushers. This is recognized as the consumer friendly “fee-only” business model.	Whether they admit it or not, most advisors have an agenda to sell a product that makes the firm the most money. Most fees are hidden from the client so he or she is unaware. This allows the advisor to steer the advice so that his compensation is greatest rather than what is best for the client. Many of these firms use the term “fee-based” to confuse the public who thinks they are getting “fee-only” advice.

Qualified Advisors Providing Comprehensive Advice	CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS (CFP®) are the only professionals trained to integrate knowledge of estate planning, tax, investments, asset protection, and charitable giving into advice driven by your goals.	The typical advisor who is still in the business after 5 years has sufficient investment expertise and great sales training, but lacks any true professional credentials. This advisor rarely is able to integrate estate planning, tax, insurance, and investments.

High-Touch, Boutique Service	Our clients share their goals and needs with us. We, in turn, use our expertise to seek out the most appropriate solutions for them. We don’t work with everybody. We limit the number of clients we work so we can know them better. This allows us to be more attentive and provide better service.	Clients seen as a “distribution channel” by large financial services firms for their products. Their advisor changes firms or leaves the business and the client is assigned to the newest crop of salesmen. Industry veterans may work with 200-500 customers.

Reasonable Fees	Our standard fee schedule for all clients is typically much less than that of traditional advisors once the hidden costs are exposed.	Once fees for directed brokerage, commissions, 12b-1, proprietary products, bid-ask spreads, and markups are exposed, our claim is frequently true. Many charge management fees between 1.25%-3.25% (for investments only!).

Comprehensive	Offering true wealth management meaning advanced estate planning, tax planning, asset protection, and charitable giving using our expert team.	Focuses on asset management.

If you are comparison shopping among advisors, it is very important to ask each of them the same questions. We find the following interview questionnaire to be the best available. It was produced by NAPFA, a trade organization for financial advisors.