What "fiduciary" actually means, and how we are paid
A fiduciary is legally obliged to act in your best interest. Many advisors only have to recommend something "suitable" - a standard that can be met by a product that pays them more, even if a cheaper or simpler option would have served you better. We are a fiduciary at all times, not only during a financial plan. Ask any advisor you talk to how they are paid, and be wary of an answer that is not immediate and specific.
Here is exactly how we are paid: a flat planning fee for a one-time plan, or an annual fee charged as a percentage of the assets we manage for ongoing clients. We take no commissions and sell no products - there is nothing behind the desk that pays us differently depending on what we recommend.
Our advisors hold standard industry credentials and are registered as required; we keep that stated modestly rather than as a wall of letters. There is no account minimum to have a first conversation, and any minimum for ongoing management is stated plainly before you commit to anything. Client assets are always held at an independent custodian - never by our firm - so we are never the ones holding your money.
