Investment Philosophy
We believe that your investments should align with and support your financial objectives. Understanding investment risks and how they correlate to potential returns is fundamental to being able to stick to your investment plan over time. By understanding what your investments need to do to provide for your goals we can develop a plan that takes only the type of risk you need to achieve those objectives. Whether you’re an aggressive investor, or one that wants less risk with a safe and steady income, a well planned and executed investment strategy is essential.
Our Process
We are not product salesmen. For those looking for a singular investment recommendation, we are not for you. We start with getting to know you, exploring the things that are important to you, and the things that worry you most about your future. We develop a blueprint of how to achieve your goals while addressing the worries and stress that the future can sometimes bring. Having a well crafted plan, turning the unknowns into knowns, and continually checking your progress will help reduce or eliminate the financial concerns you may have as to what to do, and how to do it. All of your accounts stay in your name and you have access to them 24/7 We have chosen Charles Schwab and Company as our custodian and your money is held by them. Schwab offers our clients the piece of mind in knowing that your money is in strong hands with a leader in the financial services industry.
What About Costs
A financial advisor does not have to be expensive, and in many cases provides far more benefit than expense. However, most investors aren’t even sure what “normal fee’s are. Most advisors will charge a fee as a percentage of assets under management (AUM).
These rates are generally tiered based on the amount of money you invest with them and how they choose to invest. For instance, many (if not most) advisors simply plug the investor into a pre-determined model based on risk tolerance. These fee’s should be lower because the work to select the investments has already been done. A typical fee should range from somewhere between .75% to 1.50% per year, on an account value of more that $1,000,000. depending on whether you’re getting a “model” portfolio, or a custom built portfolio specifically for you.
If you have a portfolio value of more than $1,000,000. and are paying more than 1.50%, you’re on the high side of a reasonable fee
For portfolios less $1,000,000. in value, fee’s typically range from 1.25% to 1.75% of AUM.
At Guardian Wealth Management, we charge a fee of .80% on portfolios of greater than $1,000,000. AUM, and .90% on portfolios of less than $1,000,000. We don’t invest client assets in pre-made models, each portfolio is designed to be client specific.
Is a financial advisor right for you?
Whether or not an advisor is right for you depends on many factors. There is a misconception that financial/investment advice is only for the wealthy. Not true, in fact getting advice, or at least formulating a plan early on in life can make a huge long term difference in what your future looks like.
Here’s why many choose to work with an advisor.
It could save you time.
Assuming you could invest your money for 5 years or more and are prepared to accept a degree of risk, how do you actually go about doing it?
You could learn how to choose your own investments. But building up the knowledge to make an informed decision on what to do with your money isn’t always a quick task. By delegating the research to an adviser, it could free up your time and energy to spend on something else.
There is a cost involved with instructing a professional to do some work for you. But if you have other things you’d rather do with your time than spend hours researching online, an advice fee could be a fee worth paying.
It could simplify things.
If you’ve never invested before, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the size of the task. It can feel like a whole other world. It certainly speaks another language. So if you’re not sure where to even start, an advisor could help to cut through the noise.
An advisor can help to reduce the task of investing to a manageable size. An advisor will take the time to understand your objectives, your thoughts about risk, and identify what is really relevant to achieving your goals. Then you will be in a position to know what is needed to streamline your investing approach.
It could help you take action.
Ever struggle to decide what to watch on T.V. or what movie to see? The modern world offers us a huge amount of choice. But while choice can be amazing, it can also be stressful. The more options we have, the harder it can be for our brains to process, the higher the potential for anxiety and – often – the slower our decision making.
Working with an advisor can be a great way to sidestep this ‘decision paralysis’ and take action. And why’s that important? Because when it comes to investing in your future, time is money. The sooner you start investing, the longer you could potentially leave your money and therefore the greater its potential to grow.
It could increase your confidence.
When you research something yourself, you may doubt whether you’ve come to the right conclusion. You know, that ‘what-if-I-missed-something?’ feeling.
Yet when you receive a professional investment recommendation, you can feel reassured that the investment decision you’re taking is a well-informed one that’s right for you.
It could help you feel supported.
Financial decisions can be difficult to make on your own. And they’re rarely just about you. Either directly or indirectly, they can also affect your partner or family – which can add to the pressure.
The pace of modern life means our brains are constantly being pulled into short-term activities, which creates short-term thinking. And that makes it difficult to focus on what you want your future to look like – and what it will take to get you there.
By consulting a an advisor about those longer-term decisions and discussing with them the risk and time commitments involved, it can feel like someone’s got your back. And not just anyone. Our professional and objective advice means you’re benefiting from their years of knowledge and experience.