Why shouldn’t I just use a broker?
Brokerage firms are commission based and make their revenue from transactions which may not be in your best interest. See more here. We, however, charge a small percent of the assets under our management, which means that if your portfolio increases in size we make more; if it gets smaller, we make less. As we are in the same boat as you, we want to see your assets grow!
In addition to this, we provide ongoing planning to our clients. We are part of your long-term strategic estate planning, and work with your tax advisor and attorney to ensure that you are on track to financial success.
Do you only use certain mutual funds?
No. We have available the full range of investments, including ETFs, individual stocks, individual bonds, as well as all mutual fund families. We are not tied to any specific firm or brand, therefore the investment choices that we make are in your best interest, not ours.
Do you provide tax advice?
No, but we do work with your tax advisor and make a conscious effort to ensure that the investment decisions that we make are in your best benefit from a tax standpoint. Many times, the tax benefits that you receive from the decisions that we make more than outweigh our fees.
Do I have access to my money?
Most of our clients have a bank-link tied to their checking account. If you need money, you simply call or e-mail us and then we transfer funds to your checking account, and they will be there the next business day. If there are not enough funds available, we will liquidate enough assets, in a prudent manner, in order to give you the funds that you need. This will take 1-3 days to settle, depending on the assets being liquidated.
Where are my investments held?
We have chosen Charles Schwab & Company as our custodian, and Pentegra Retirement Services for Texas A&M Faculty and Staff’s retirement accounts. Through us, you will have an institutional account with Schwab or Pentegra and then we make the investment decisions in your account(s). You will receive statements as well as online access to your accounts.