10 Questions you should ask any financial advisor

1) Are you a fiduciary and what does that mean for me as your client?

Yes, our firm operates by the fiduciary standard."Fiduciary" means that an individual acts on behalf of someone else in a way that puts other's best interests before their own. This means we act in good faith by disclosing all relevant facts about risks and return, avoid and disclose all conflicts of interest that may exist, act truthfully and thoroughly, and maintain plans appropriately. As our client it means we take care of your needs to the highest moral standard.

2) Do you have any disclosures on your record?

Neither Lee nor Jared Hall have any disclosures on their record U4. This can be verified on FINRA's BrokerCheck website.

3) What services do you provide?

We provide the following services: investment management in advisory accounts, investment management in brokerage accounts, insurance analysis and sales, financial planning via Moneyguide Pro, portfolio risk analysis utilizing Riskalyze, covered call options strategies, some tax planning strategies (in tandem with outside attorneys), Social Security income planning, fixed and variable annuity planning/sales, retirement income solutions, 401k plans and small business solutions.

4) What types of clients do you specialize in servicing?

1- people in their working years who are saving, investing, and planning for retirement or maintaining a certain financial lifestyle.

2- individuals who have accumulated enough savings to live safely on the income stream that can be provided through various guaranteed and investment products. (Safely being a distribution rate of 5% maximum annually.)

5) Do you require a specific minimum investment?

Our investment minimums vary depending upon age and time horizon. In certain scenarios we will accept minimums as low as $10,000 and in others as high as $500,000

6) What advisory certifications do you have?

Our team does not have the CFP, however; we all have the Series 7 and 66 securities licenses along with 10 (30 years by our founder) years or more of industry experience.

7)  How do you make money as an advisor?

Our team is paid on an annual fee percentage basis based upon clients total assets under management. We do not charge additional fees for planning services or portal access. In certain cases we can be compensated on a commission basis for insurance and annuity products which will all be fully disclosed. Please see our 'Asset Management' tab for more information on fee schedules. 

8) What extra costs should I be made aware of?

For any clients where a brokerage account is appropriate, commissions can be charged for processing trade recommendations (more rare). For clients who want to receive a physical paper statement on their account there are charges monthly of $1.50 per account. (Paperless options are free) Mutual fund 12-b1 fees are generally rebated inside of advisory accounts but can be charged in more rare brokerage accounts.  

9) What is your investment philosophy?

Our investment philosophy is that clients should have a risk appropriate and strategically optimized portfolio customized to their unique situations.  We utilize great investment tools such as Riskalyze to standardize portfolio risk and return trade offs, yCharts, and our unique philosophy called Strategic Portfolio Optimization (please inquire for a demonstration).

10) How often do you communicate with your clients?

Our initial onboarding process requires the most interaction as we educate, undergo discovery, research, and create plans.  Upon implementation after the first year our touch points become less frequent.  We have an obligation to touch base at least semiannually, but we find that most clients appreciate a quarterly touch base.  In more advanced cases we communicate monthly.  All of our clients have the option to subscribe to our blog and email newsletters that go out monthly in addition to monthly statements and quarterly performance reporting.