Empowering financial clarity: Your questions answered
What is wealth management, and how is it different from traditional banking services?
Wealth management involves comprehensive financial planning and personalized investment strategies tailored to individual needs. Unlike traditional banking, it focuses on a holistic approach to growing and preserving wealth.
What services do you offer as a wealth management firm?
We offer a range of services including financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, estate planning, tax optimization, and risk management.
How do you customize your services to meet individual needs?
Our team works closely with each client to understand their financial goals, risk tolerance, time horizon, and unique circumstances. We tailor our strategies and recommendations accordingly.
Are your recommendations in my best interest?
Imagine going to your doctor with a concern about your heart, and before running any tests, the doctor tries to sell you a pacemaker. The doctor then explains that you must act today before prices increase. You later learn that the doctor is paid extra to promote this particular brand of pacemaker. While absurd for the medical profession, this scenario happens in finance far too often. At Vincere, we are a fee-only firm, which means the only way we get paid is from our clients, and they know exactly how we are paid. As a firm, we take our Fiduciary duty very seriously to always act in the client’s best interest (vs. just trying to sell you a product). In addition to a legal obligation, our firm has been built on a foundation of placing the client’s interest before any thoughts of our own compensation. We recommend for clients the same investment strategies used in our own personal accounts and the accounts of our immediate family members. Our commitment to honest and ethical behavior has allowed us to build a successful firm.
Will your recommendations be primarily focused in one area, or will they be comprehensive in nature? Will I need to find another advisor for advice in other areas?
For our clients, we serve as a single point of contact for all their financial needs. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, this includes coordinating every aspect of their financial needs. Each of our clients has a financial plan and Financial Action Checklist detailing all the actions needed to achieve their financial goals. These action items are coordinated with accountants, attorneys, and other professionals as needed.
Do you have the knowledge and experience necessary to successfully navigate the complicated financial planning and tax world to achieve my financial goals?
Our team includes: CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) professionals, enrolled agents with the IRS. An extensive alphabet soup of other specialty designations. We study more than 8,000 pages of financial text each year and get mentored by the country’s top minds in financial, legal, and tax planning. We also attend numerous seminars on various financial planning tactics to ensure they stay up-to-date.
What will be my total investment expense, how much will you be compensated, and where can I see this in writing?
We charge based on the complexity of your financial situation and/or the assets we’re investing on your behalf. As detailed in our client agreements, we deduct a fee starting at 0.1875% for clients we invest in each quarter. This deduction is detailed in the quarterly statement we provide to every client. To put this fee in perspective, most days, the stock markets move more than 0.25%. The majority of the investment funds we use have an internal expense of less than 0.3% annually. The combined expense is almost half the industry average. It only makes sense to hire a financial advisor or professional if their services exceed the fees. In other words, the time and effort saved, plus the tax savings and potentially increased investment returns, must exceed 0.1875% quarterly (.75% annually). The financial plan we present will quantify the benefits you will receive. We believe investments are only one small piece of the puzzle, and we try to add value to our clients in every aspect of their financial picture.
Will you help me solve any and all financial problems I may encounter?
Yes. We have assisted clients in solving various financial issues such as 401k plans, IRS audits, family deaths, disability, tax issues, real estate, debt, Social Security, Medicare, health insurance, college, gifting, and almost any other financial issue imaginable. While we certainly don’t have all the answers, we will not stop until a solution has been found through our network of resources.
Where do you keep my money and how can I see it?
For your convenience and safety, we use Schwab, Axos, and Altruist as the custodians for our client assets. Schwab administers more than $2 Trillion in assets. As custodians, Schwab, Axos, or Altruist hold your funds and provide reporting to you and the IRS. Your accounts can be viewed at any time on their respective sites. You will be provided access to these sites and our performance reporting software. You’ll always have the ability to see how your money is doing.
How do I know you are good at what you do?
This is one of our personal favorite questions! We measure ourselves by the results we accomplish when helping our clients improve their lives. During onboarding and our financial planning, we focus on your ideal lifestyle and goals and then work to accomplish them. A good advisor is helping you achieve those objectives while protecting your interests, proactively communicating, and educating you.
Who are your typical clients?
We work with various clients and designed our services model to accommodate those looking for sound financial advice. Our ideal client values professional guidance, wants efficiency, and envisions a better future for them and their family. Our team has specializations and focuses on specific niche knowledge. For example, we have advisors who specialize in working with dentists and veterinarians. In contrast, others have retirement planning, divorce, student loans, and college funding expertise. When new potential clients interview us, we ask many questions to help us determine the best advice and make the proper pairing. If we find out we are not the best fit, we’ll happily suggest a firm or advisor who can care for you.
What sets your firm apart from others in the industry?
We differentiate ourselves through our personalized approach, experienced team, commitment to transparency, and access to a wide range of investment opportunities and resources.
How often do you review and adjust investment strategies?
We regularly review and adjust investment strategies based on market conditions, changes in client goals, and other relevant factors. We believe in ongoing monitoring to ensure strategies remain aligned with objectives.
How do I get started with your firm?
To get started, simply reach out to us via phone, email, or through our website to schedule an initial consultation. During this meeting, we'll discuss your goals and how we can assist you in achieving them.