Financial advisors who are fiduciaries work from firm ethical ground to optimize their client’s financial resources.
Financial advisors and investment managers are from diverse professions that combine finance, economics, psychology, law, communications, and so much more to help bring balance and security to people’s financial plans.
But, not all financial advisors are built alike. With so many different fee structures and advertisements out there, it may be unclear what you are getting with each company. In the financial advisor industry, most of the confusion rests on how the business operates and the way the financial advisors get paid for their services. These things are important because they influence your experience and the quality of advice given to you.
The financial world as a whole may not be known for its clarity and transparency, but we work to change that narrative here at Platt Wealth Management. Once you get to know us, you will find that we operate to serve our clients in the best way we know how: by being a fee-only fiduciary firm.
How does this impact your financial plan? Let’s take a look and find out.
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What does it mean if a financial advisor is a “fiduciary”?
Fiduciary has been a buzzword in the financial community for some time now, but few people outside of the industry have a clear idea of what it means. In general, a fiduciary is a legal agreement to act in the best interest of another person.
From a financial lens, this translates to a legal and ethical obligation to act in the best interests of clients, placing the client’s interest above the advisor at all times. This fiduciary relationship establishes a baseline of trust and transparency, key components for a successful financial plan.
While this idea may seem like a given, unfortunately, it isn’t. The Department of Labor worked to create the fiduciary rule in 2017 that would apply to all financial advisors working on retirement accounts. The rule stated that these financial advisors would need to provide conflict-free advice, putting the client’s interests first above any potential income from product sales of third party commissions. It also stipulated that the advice has to be fully transparent.
But in March of 2018, the rule was put to rest. This decision makes it even more crucial for consumers to ask the hard questions of their financial advisors to understand the type of advice they are getting and if it benefits them.
Fiduciary advisors often have far fewer conflicts of interest and are obligated to disclose any that they might have, offering full transparency to the client.
Remember, not all financial advisors are a fiduciary. As you are searching for an advisor, take the time to ask them if they are a fiduciary. Find out what that means to them and their business. Knowing how a financial advisor operates and how they receive compensation are two areas that can help you decide if they are a good fit for you and your needs.
10 Questions You Need to Ask
Figuring out if your financial advisor is a fiduciary can be difficult. Banks, investment brokers and insurance companies might call themselves financial planners, but do they have your best interests at heart? If they are offering financial planning or investment management for “free”, you have the right to know how they are getting paid and how that affects the advice they give you.
How a fee-only advisor is a fiduciary.
One way that we uphold our fiduciary status is through our fee-only compensation. This means that we receive payment through client services. This fee structure sounds pretty simple, and it is. Our pricing reflects the services we offer, and that is the only way we make money. We aren’t paid through third-party commissions or the sales of products, services, or tools.
This conflict-free model allows us to invest in you and help you make the best decisions for your financial future, which is what financial planning is really all about. Looking through a fiduciary’s wide lens, we are also able to develop long-term relationships with our clients, shifting our strategy and approach for their plan as it changes.
Understanding your full picture: goals, values, personal dreams, and ambitions all fit into your financial plan and can help us give you advice to best suit the life you want to live.
We want to empower you to make the best financial decisions. Knowing that your advice is coming from a financial advisor who has your back and is looking out for you will help you be more confident.
The right financial advisor for you.
Your best interest should be at the heart of your financial advisor. As a fee-only fiduciary firm, we work our best every day to help you reach your goals. Creating a dynamic of trust and transparency is crucial to who we are as a financial advisor, and we want to help educate and inspire our clients every day.
Your financial plan is yours. Get your financial advice tailored to your unique needs with your goals at the center. Give us a call if you would like to learn more about how this type of financial advice and financial planning.
Dream. Plan. Do.
Platt Wealth Management offers financial plans to answer your important financial questions. Where are you? Where do you want to be? How can you get there? Our four-step financial planning process is designed to be a road map to get you where you want to go while providing flexibility to adapt to changes along the route. We offer stand alone plans or full wealth management plans that include our investment management services. Give us a call today to set up a complimentary review. 619-255-9554.