Are you fee-only or fee-based advisors? No, we’re not. We have a flexible pay structure so that we can offer the widest range of solutions for our clients in a way that we feel is fair for everyone. That means that some of our clients pay us a fee for advice, others pay an advisory fee, and others purchase commission-based products. It depends on what is appropriate to the situation. We are committed to price transparency, and let you know ahead of time what the cost of your investment or the advice we render will be.
What are your credentials? Andrew earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Saint John’s University and has been a financial advisor for 20 years. He is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®). Hannah earned her bachelor’s degree in business with a certificate in personal finance from University of Phoenix and has been working in banking and financial advising for 12 years. She is a Certified Financial Planner™ Professional as well as a Chartered Special Needs Consultant.
How do you get paid? It depends on what your needs and preferences are. Some of our clients put us on retainer to access advice. These clients either do not need investment management or prefer to do it themselves with our input. Our fee in this case is $1250/year/per person or entity. Other people want us to manage their investments, and we charge up to 1% per year for account management. Still others pay us a commission when we buy or sell a security. We will discuss each of these options with you based on your individual situation.
Do you have a minimum account size? Nope. We work with nice people who want to put their resources in line with their life’s goals. We find that standard keeps us much happier than chasing after “big fish”. Our first meeting is a great opportunity for us to mutually determine whether it makes sense to work together - we do not charge for our initial consultation.
What is your investment philosophy? We obsess over the knowable and waste no time on the unknowable. You will find that we spend a lot of time gathering details about your life, your goals, your past experiences, and the resources available to you. We look closely at tax tables and time frames. We focus on diversification and keeping costs reasonable. We don’t try to predict the future. Maybe one day we will find a crystal ball and that will change, but for now we’re sticking with the past and the present.
Who do you work for? We work for ourselves, our families and our clients. As independent financial advisors, we have selected Osaic Wealth, Inc. as our business partner. They help us stay current with all applicable regulations and professional standards.
Do you have any specialties? Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of North Country families. This has gotten us very familiar with certain retirement systems including (but not limited to) Georgia Pacific, New York Teachers Retirement System, New York State and Local Retirement System, and more. We also have a specialty working with families that include a person with a disability. Please see the page “Planning for the 15%” to learn more.
What questions do you have? We would love to hear from you.
