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FAQs

WHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT RIA?

As an independent, state Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) we are a financial services firm whose advisors are licensed and legally required to act as fiduciaries, putting the best interests of their clients first at all times. As an independent firm, we answer only to our clients, not to a parent company with sales quotas, proprietary products, or profit goals.

WHAT IS A FIDUCIARY?

A fiduciary is someone sworn to act in their clients’ best interest at all times who must avoid or clearly disclose any conflict of interest.  Doctors and lawyers are fiduciaries and, as an RIA, our financial advisors are also licensed fiduciaries.  The majority of financial advisors are not held to the fiduciary standard in everything they do, but rather to a much looser “suitability” standard, requiring a less stringent level of client care.

WHERE IS MY MONEY KEPT?

We have partnered with Charles Schwab to hold our clients' funds and provide brokerage services including trading, statements and online account access.  

HOW DO YOU ADD VALUE TO MY LIFE?

Working with a financial advisor at our firm will help you to become intentional about your financial decisions, so you can have confidence that you will achieve your financial goals.  We help you with comprehensive financial planning and investment strategies customized to your unique situation, freeing you to spend your valuable time and attention on the things that are important to you.  Our disciplined, risk-based approach will also help you avoid costly mistakes and keep you on track to the satisfying future you envision.

DO I NEED A FINANCIAL ADVISOR?

Many people feel they can manage their own investments, financial planning, and insurance needs, and that is certainly a possibility.  However, your odds of success can be greatly improved by working with a professional with:

  1. The experience and expertise to set up an investment portfolio matched to your risk tolerance and time horizon
  2. The time and interest to monitor and update your investments on a regular basis
  3. The discipline to help you avoid common emotion-based mistakes
  4. Knowledge of how to minimize your investing-related taxes and expenses
  5. Understanding of the role of insurance in protecting you and your loved ones and what coverage options are most appropriate to each situation
  6. A second set of eyes to make sure you haven’t overlooked or misunderstood anything

If any of these seem valuable to you, then working with a financial advisor could make sense for you.

HOW MUCH MONEY DO I NEED TO WORK WITH YOU?

At Intentional Finance we have no set investment, income, or net worth minimums to engage with clients. We will propose the services and fee that we believe provides the best value for each client’s unique situation.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU MEET WITH CLIENTS?

This will depend on the level of services we are providing and the complexity of the client’s situation, but we meet at least once a year with ongoing clients to review their financial plans and/or investments. During the initial planning or portfolio design process we will meet more often, and also if the client is going through a major life transition.  We are always available by phone or in person if a client has questions.

WHAT IS YOUR INVESTMENT APPROACH?

At Intentional Finance, we believe in long-term investing and straightforward, time-tested strategies, rather than following the latest investing fad or 24/7 media hype.  Because each of our clients is different, we create an investment strategy tailored to their unique situation, goals, preferences, and core beliefs. We follow the principals of Modern Portfolio Theory, which describes the relationship between risk and return in securities and the effect of diversification on a portfolio.  We allocate investments across different asset classes, such as stocks and bonds, US and foreign markets, and large and small size companies, to achieve the optimal balance between the risk the client can tolerate and the return they need to be successful.  We offer a range of investment options, including passively managed and actively managed strategies and combinations of the two.  We also have options for targeted investment styles such as socially responsible investments (SRI), also known as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, and investments that support particular goals such as the advancement of women in business, or green energy. We pay particular attention to costs, both fund expenses and transaction fees, to make sure our clients always get the best value solutions.