FAQs

Most people simply don’t have the time, the expertise or the desire to manage their own investments. They would rather spend their time with family, friends, traveling, volunteering, fishing, etc. More importantly, a knowledgeable and experienced financial planner is a trusted counselor who can help you make good decisions, not emotional ones. This is an important factor in today’s fast paced and complicated financial world. Well rounded financial planners will help you navigate life’s financial journey. They will educate you, not confuse you with industry techno babble. 

No, there is no business model that is “right” for every advisor or every client. Because we view financial planning as encompassing more than just what investments you hold, we choose to offer a wide of solutions to fit your needs. 

We believe a person’s moral compass is based on their upbringing not on their manner of compensation. The proper application of one’s knowledge, experience and expertise are also not determined by how they are paid. The fee-only concept markets well, but the reality can be very different.
 

No, we do not discriminate. We will not turn anyone away who needs our help. 

You will continue to work with Joyce and Rob. This is one of the major benefits of working with a smaller firm than ours. You aren’t just a number to us.

The majority of our new clients are at or near retirement with the general topic of interest being retirement. Given our proximity to Washington DC, many of our clients are Federal Government employees or employees of the various government contractors. We also serve a number of local business and non-profits.

The Certified Financial Planner Board lists 72 “Principle Knowledge Topics” needed to be a financial planner; “Investment strategies” is only one. 

Before becoming a client, most people will meet with us two or three times. The initial meeting is for fact finding and determining if we are a good fit for each other. The second meeting is for presentation and discussion of our recommendations. The third meeting is to implement the recommendations that you select.
 

There is no charge for an initial appointment. Should we mutually decide to move forward, a planning fee, advisory, or commission may be charged depending on the services.

We offer a full range of products and services and compensation methods including: asset management fee, hourly fee for advice, flat fees for financial planning or helping an organization create an Investment Policy Statement (3rd party managers) and commissions. This makes us very different from “fee only firms”. We can offer solutions that fit a broader array of your needs like life insurance or help your children with their first investment accounts.