FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

There are many great financial advisors out there! You should talk with several to understand their 1) philosophy, 2) areas of expertise, and 3) fee structure. I am a fee-only advisor, who emphasizes advice-centric, comprehensive hourly planning (as opposed to managing your assets for a percentage of their value). As an independent, fee only financial services firm, I am here to serve you without any conflicts of interest. I don't sell products or earn commissions, and certainly don't accept any kickbacks from outside sources. My fee structure is transparent and based solely on services I provide to you - regardless of how much you own or owe. Finally, as a fiduciary, I have both a legal and ethical duty to consistently offer unbiased and objective advice that is solely in your best interest , aligned with your personal values and goals.

As a fiduciary and Certified Financial Planner candidate, I have taken a Fiduciary Oath and am bound to operate under the following guiding principles:

I will always put your best interests first.

I will act with prudence; that is, with the skill, care, diligence, and good judgment of a professional.

I will not mislead you, and I will provide conspicuous, full and fair disclosure of all important facts.

I will avoid conflicts of interest.

I will fully disclose and fairly manage, in your favor, any unavoidable conflicts.

No, I am neither, nor am I affiliated with any, so I have no financial products to sell nor commissions to earn. My job is to inform and educate my clients, however depending on your need I may have colleagues I can recommend.

I can advise on matters of insurance, and will make recommendations on the most appropriate forms of risk management based on your risk profile

A typical client is a few years away from retirement, considering early retirement or is newly retired and looking for confirmation that their retirement goals are on track and for help navigating their options. They’ve been able to keep an eye on their financial matters throughout their lives and prefer managing their own money instead of handing it to an investment manager, but would like guidance along the way

Following our initial meeting and a mutual determination to move forward, I will provide you with a copy of my Form ADV and Privacy Policy (legal documents on my firm as well as terms and conditions of service), along with a written Scope of Engagement outlining our agreed upon services and fees. In addition, depending on the service requested, you will be provided login access to a client portal for uploading various financial documents (ie..bank, retirement and investment statements, tax information, insurance documents) and for viewing your personal financial results during the extent of our engagement

I utilize a 7 Step Financial Planning approach at Arcadian Financial Services which begins following our Right Fit meeting and a signed letter of engagement: Step 1 - You will be asked to provide a series of financial documents which will be used to determine a financial assessment of your current financial situation. Step 2 - I will review in depth, then select and prioritize your goals and money values. Step 3 - Based on your goals and specific areas of need, a thorough analysis of your options, key findings and recommendations will be defined Step 4 - A detailed report will be constructed reflecting both the recommendations and any potential changes to your current trajectory Step 5 - The Financial Health Plan will be documented via written or electronic report and reviewed with you in detail, ensuring your understanding and agreement with the recommendations in support of your stated financial goals and objectives Step 6 - Unless you decline in advance, a detailed implementation plan with agreed upon responsibilities will be developed whereby I will assist you where needed in completing or training you to complete the tasks. Step 7 - With inclusion of step 6, I will monitor your plan as required during the first year with at least one follow up meeting set following implementation of the plan to track your financial situation and goals

Following our initial Right Fit meeting, the frequency and length of meetings will vary based on the services needed.

For a CheckUp Plan we will typically meet 3 times for 1-2 hours each over the course of a 3-4 week plan development period, in order to identify current goals, values and to collect data, to review investments and finally present recommendations including your current financial health status. We may meet at least once more during the 1 month period of implementation and follow up on the plan.

For a Comprehensive Health Plan we will typically meet 4 times for 1-2 hours each over the course of 4-6 weeks prior to implementation. Following our initial meeting similar to that of a CheckUp plan, we will meet a second time for an in-depth discussion of your risk profile, goals, money values, and priorities. During the third meeting we will review in detail my recommendations and other considerations, allowing time to make any adjustments before the fourth meeting to complete our final review and agree on a detailed implementation and monitoring plan. This process will include at least 1 follow up meeting to occur within 3 mo following completion of the Financial Plan

In addition to online access to your financial results, you will recieve a written plan which includes your prioritized goals or stated financial concern, assumptions, detailed recommendations, other considerations, specific implementation plan with responsibilities, and due dates as well as defined monitoring plan with scheduled follow up meeting(s) as applicable to your particular engagement

Of course! Even if you’re already working with a financial advisor, I’m happy to offer my perspective on your finances, help you assess your risk tolerance, or take a look at your current portfolio. If you’re just looking for a one-time consultation, that’s totally fine too. My main goal is to help you understand your finances and get you on the right track to managing your money effectively.

In addition to full transparency of my fees up front when you sign the Scope of Engagement, I believe you should not pay me unless and until you are satisfied that I fulfilled my obligations and more importantly meet your needs. As such, I will invoice 30 days after satisfactory conclusion of plan development and delivery. If 3 month implementation and monitoring support is undertaken for a Financial Health plan, then 80% of our agreed upon fee will be due 30 days following delivery of the plan and satisfactory approval of my services with the remaining 20% to be collected at the conclusion of implementation and monitoring.

For Financial Wellness, fees are due quarterly with a minimum of a 1 year engagement and for hourly projects, 100% of fees are due within 30 days following satisfactory conclusion of the project

I accept cash, check or Venmo upon invoicing