Independent

As independent financial advisors we work for our clients rather than a corporate entity. We have no pressure from managers or sales quotas. We understand that our primary responsibility is to serve our clients well by providing them with excellent service.

Wide range of solutions

Since we are a network of fee-only advisors, we have the freedom to recommend a broad range of solutions to help you achieve your goals. We are not limited to a specific list of investments or insurance products like many commissioned advisors. This is especially important over a long term relationship because some financial tools are best used during different times of the economic cycle.

This freedom results in better advice and outcomes for clients.

Dedicated service with less burnout

There is a tremendous amount of burnout and turnover with advisors that work at large corporate firms. These advisors receive limited sales training and are sent out to work with their “natural network,” which tends to be their family and friends. Only the advisors who generate enough revenue survive. Many of them leave the industry entirely.

If you decide to stay with a firm after your advisor leaves, you’ll have to go through the hassle of being assigned to a new advisor that you do not know and will likely have to sign stacks of paperwork to move your accounts.

Independent advisors at smaller firms tend to receive rigorous training and continuing education opportunities which leads to less turnover. This training leads to more effective service for you and provides an opportunity to develop deeper relationships with your independent financial planner and create greater trust.

Flexibility in how we serve clients

Financial advisors at large firms are provided with specific proprietary tools and software to run their office and serve clients. They often have strict policies against advisors using unapproved outside tools because the firm pays for (or develops their own) software that needs to, work well with other parts of their operation and be applicable to the wide range of client types that large firms have. Unfortunately, these tools are often built on far outdated technology, or not well-suited for the specific types of clients that an advisor may want to work with.

Small independent financial planning firms have the ability to be more flexible in the ways in which they serve their clients. Independent advisors select their own modern technology tools they believe will best serve their clients. Some advisors create processes to match the needs of a particular type of client. We care about operating our businesses with efficiency, care, and adapting to the specific needs of our clients.