It's our way of saying that all our advisors go above and beyond. Every single one is both a Certified Financial Planner® professional and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary®. Plus, our firm has earned certification for fiduciary excellence from CEFEX, a distinction held by fewer than 2% of firms worldwide. Think of it as our fiduciary commitment to always put your interests first.
It's written right into our Investment Management Agreement—a legal commitment, not just a marketing promise. We also make a formal Fiduciary Pledge because your trust deserves that level of transparency.
Freedom. We can choose what we genuinely believe are the best investments for your portfolio without pressure to push "house" products. You'll never see our name on a mutual fund or ETF—because we're working for you, not a product manufacturer.
Simple: CFP® professionals are legally required to act as fiduciaries, meaning they must always put your interests ahead of their own. It's not just good practice - it's the law.
Becoming a CFP® isn't easy (which is why you want one on your side!). Here's what's required:
- Education: CFP Board-approved coursework covering financial planning, insurance, tax, retirement, and estate planning, plus at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
- Exam: Pass a comprehensive 170-question exam covering investment planning,
tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning, and risk management. - Experience: Complete 6,000 hours of professional financial planning experience (or 4,000 hours through an approved apprenticeship program).
- Ethics: Pass a thorough background check and commit to the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct.
Look for "CFP®" on their business card or website, then double-check at the CFP Board of Standards. Trust, but verify—your financial future deserves that extra step.
An AIF® is a professional certified in fiduciary investment management, guided by 21 comprehensive best practices developed by the American National Standards Institute and reviewed by the AICPA. It's another layer of fiduciary care ensuring your investments are managed with the highest ethical standards.
CEFEX (Centre for Fiduciary Excellence) puts firms through rigorous annual assessments to ensure we're truly walking the fiduciary walk. They review our business practices, conduct on-site visits, interview senior management, and measure us against detailed industry standards. It's like a yearly report card that we're happy to share—because we consistently earn high marks.
We work on a transparent fee-for-service basis in providing financial planning and investment management through Certified Advisory Corp, our registered investment adviser. No hidden commissions, no surprise fees—just straightforward compensation that aligns our success with yours.
Financial Planning: Ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on your situation's complexity. We offer a no-obligation consultation to determine the scope and see if we're a good fit.
Investment Management: Our annual fees are tired and start at 1.5% and decrease to 0.2%. For example, a million-dollar portfolio is managed at 1.2%/yr, paid over 4 quarters, or three tenths of 1% per quarter. When your portfolio grows, we do better too—perfect alignment.
Access to institutional share classes that usually require higher minimums (often around $1 million or more) but offer lower internal expense - sometimes up to 50% less than retail share classes. Plus, you're hiring a financial sherpa to guide you through your retirement journey - one who's met the industry's highest standards and is part of a local team with over 450 years of combined experience. Here's a comprehensive list of the 50 things CFP can do for you.
Absolutely not. Your funds are held with major qualified custodians (Fidelity or Schwab), not with us. You'll receive monthly statements directly from them, plus our quarterly reports, and you have 24/7 online access to your accounts.
Your data security is as important to us as your financial security. We employ bank-level encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular third-party security audits. We can provide detailed information about our cybersecurity measures during your consultation.
Not at all. You can part ways anytime, and we'll refund your remaining quarterly fees. No penalties, no hassles—though we hope our service makes you want to stay!
You absolutely can. The question isn't whether you can, but whether you should.
Here's the reality: financial planning today means navigating constantly changing tax laws, thousands of investment options, and retirement rules that would make a tax attorney weep. Most people spend more time researching their next vacation than planning their retirement.
The real question is: what's your time worth, and what's the cost of getting it wrong?
Great question!
Your account information, financial plan, and investment strategy are all documented and accessible to our entire advisory team. If your primary advisor becomes unavailable for any reason, another qualified CFP® professional steps in seamlessly. Plus, since your accounts are held at major custodians like Fidelity or Schwab—not with us—your assets remain completely secure and accessible.
We also maintain comprehensive succession planning and professional liability coverage. Your financial journey doesn't skip a beat, even if life throws us a curveball.
Our onboarding team makes it surprisingly easy—just sign a release form and we handle the rest. We even have a tactfully-worded "going another direction" letter that either you or we can send to your former advisors. No bridges burned, no awkward conversations required.
