Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on what you want to accomplish in your estate plan. Many think you need to have “tons” of money. In the past you would have had to pay federal estate tax over 45% if you died with over $625,000 in assets. As of 2017, that is over $5,400,000 in assets per person. Today, many people have Trusts because they went to a seminar and were told they needed one to avoid probate, which may not be applicable to your circumstances. We do not offer legal advice and suggest consulting a legal professional for your own situation.

People come to us with needs such as: providing for their family if they were to pass early, protecting children due to a second marriage, making sure their children don’t spend through all of the money from bad habits, or planning for a child with special needs.

We sit down with each family to decipher their goals and wishes and work with their attorney, who will prepare their estate plan.

As our Mission Statement says, we “seek out clients who desire to put us at the center of their financial plan”. We have found that the issue of serving you best is clients don’t know what they don’t know. This is the whole reason they are seeking our expertise.

We stand with you, as a partner, and guide you through the process of constructing a financial plan, estate plan, trust utilization if appropriate, retirement plan, insurance plan and asset management.

While we are independent, our custodians, who hold assets, are LPL Financial, Charles Schwab & Co, or Fidelity. They provide statements, tax documents, internal research and online access.

We provide comprehensive financial planning and wealth management services. Financial planning is the development of a plan for evaluating a client’s current financial situation, identifying areas of need, and planning for future life events. Wealth management is a comprehensive approach including advice on investment management, estate planning, and asset protection.

Our specialty is uncovering what goals are important to you, developing a plan to pursue them, getting you the resources such as a partner in a CPA or attorney or asset management or vehicle like a trust or product that best helps you pursue your goal(s).

We believe strongly, and take very personally, the responsibility you have given us to use all of our resources at our disposal to help you work toward your financial goals. Not only are we experienced at what we do but we also value you and your families as friends and not just clients.

This is a very personal decision. We take great pains to discover with you what you are comfortable with and how those feelings fit with your financial goals, employment status, other income and resources, cash flow, short-term and long-term needs.

We start with an initial consultation to determine if this will be a good working relationship for both parties. Just like you, we have expectations too. We seek clients who desire to put us at the center of their financial plan. That also means that you will be accessible and engaged in this process. Once we decide to work together, we create a plan and transition the management of your financial affairs in accordance with a timeline that makes sense.

We are affiliated with Stratos Wealth Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.

Financial planning is the development of a plan for evaluating a client’s current financial situation, identifying areas of need, and planning for future life events. Wealth management is a comprehensive approach including advice on investment management, estate planning, and asset protection. Our wealth management approach is driven by the desire to provide the highest level of client service.

We have at our disposal low cost Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), institutional no load Mutual Funds, Stocks and Bonds, encompassing the major world asset classes including US equities, International bonds/fixed income, preferred equities, and cash.

We have access to a variety of assets within the universe of investment alternatives.

We continuously review changes in market, industry sector and asset class conditions. If we find it appropriate to make a tactical change to your asset allocation model, that change will be reflected in your portfolio. If any security strays from the desired result, it is sold or other risk management strategies are implemented.

Our communications occur on a regular basis with our clients however, we require 2 review meetings a year, at a minimum. Depending on the complexity of your situation and your needs, we may be meeting more often. We encourage open communication to our clients and from our clients.

This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax or legal advice. We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with a qualified tax or legal advisor. Asset allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.