Are We a Good Fit?

While there are some advisors who specialize in the accumulation phase of life, we focus on helping clients cross the finish line and transition to work optional. Sometimes that means clients come to us 10 years from retirement, and sometimes it’s 10 days. But the common thread is that they are starting to seriously prepare for that transition.

 

We don’t have an account minimum, but most of our clients have portfolios in excess of $1M.

 

We’ve helped many individuals and couples gain clarity about their financial picture and then make decisions on retirement timing and execution. That’s our bread and butter.

While many financial advisors focus primarily on investments, we take a more holistic approach. In fact, the primary motivation for charging a flat fee, rather than a % of client accounts, is to foster an environment of collaboration and trust. While investment advice is an important component of what we provide, it is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Our clients are looking for more general guidance on decisions like when they can retire, how much and which accounts to draw from in retirement, social security timing, tax planning, and much more.

 

Every client has unique needs, but each of our clients views us as more than a portfolio manager. We are a trusted financial partner.

We implement evidence-based investment portfolios focused on capturing returns generated by financial markets, not outguessing them. We refuse to time the market, pick stocks or in any way speculate about the short-term prospects of a specific investment, asset class or strategy. Mountains of evidence, as well as our experience, show that investors almost never benefit from this approach in the long run.

 

We understand, however, that this approach sells. And because it sells, many financial institutions and the media relentlessly promote it. A big part of our job is to help clients stay the course when outside influences attempt to derail them. You should know up front, that while we are constantly learning, our general approach will not change based on recent performance, fads, or other enticing ideas.

 

Our approach is founded on a belief that capitalism works and markets reward long-term investors for taking risks and providing capital.

 

We implement our portfolios primarily using mutual funds and ETFs from Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA). While we also utilize Vanguard and other low-cost index funds, we feel DFA best implements the type of portfolios we believe give investors the best chance of success in the long run.

 

If you hold private investments (real estate, private equity, hedge funds, etc.) we will consider them as part of your portfolio and advise on them, however, we do not proactively recommend these types of investments to clients.

 

Each client portfolio is built to suit their unique needs and circumstances; however, we believe strongly in these principles and encourage you to find an advisor whose philosophy aligns with yours.

Compared to many firms, we are incredibly collaborative and transparent. This is your life and your money, after all. Our job is to help design and implement a plan that works for you, and to make sure you understand what we are doing and why.

 

Many of our clients have previously worked with a financial advisor and value the advice and ability to delegate. They come to us looking for a fairer fee or more comprehensive and unbiased advice than they have found in the past.

 

We have also successfully worked with many former DIY investors as well. Often, they were only DIY because they didn’t feel they could trust outside advice or because they thought the fees were unreasonable.

 

If you like the idea of finally being able to delegate many of the financial decisions and implementation to a trusted advisor, we may be a good fit. If you have strong opinions about selecting specific investments or trading your portfolio, we probably wouldn’t be a good fit.