Why should I choose Alpine Peaks Consulting to be my financial advisor?
I am especially qualified to provide personalized guidance and discretionary investment management. Considering my significant amount of combined financial management experience and strong academic credentials, I can guide professionals, business executives, and retirees through a myriad of financial challenges. As an independent Registered Investment Advisor, I accept the fiduciary responsibility to place the interests of clients first and foremost at all times.
I’m interested in Alpine Peaks Consulting. Is there a fee for an initial meeting?
I suggest an initial meeting to discuss your needs and objectives. At this meeting we will review your situation, make preliminary recommendations, discuss how I would work with you to achieve your goals, and answer your questions. On the basis of this complimentary hour long session, you can decide whether APC is right for you. Remember, the first initial hour long consultation is absolutely free! Please contact me to set up a meeting.
How will my equity, debt and cash transactions be executed?
I currently do not have discretionary authority or act as a custodian for any client account. Based on a personal assessment of your financial situation, I will furnish you with specific instructions (both orally and in writing) for the orders that you would give to a registered broker/dealer or financial institution. The frequency of such instructions will depend on several factors, such as your financial goals, risk tolerance, tax situation, trading strategies, and available liquidity. Most broker/dealers that also offer investment advisory services will generally charge a “wrap fee” where the entity receives commissions for your order, as well as charging advisory fees.
I can also assist in recommending a suitable broker/dealer for your account based on low commissions, ease of access to an agent for order execution, and availability of free research materials. APC never receives any compensation for referrals of any specific entity, all recommendations are made solely to benefit each client’s best personal interest. It is important for any Investment Advisor to avoid potential conflicts of interest, this arrangement supports avoidance of certain potential conflicts. If any conflict of interest does occur during the course of business, each client would be notified immediately both orally and in writing.
I do not live in California. Does this pose a problem in working with APC?
Your state of residence does not pose a problem, as I am accessible via telephone and the Internet for the convenience of all clients.
What is APC’s investment philosophy?
Working from each client’s individually crafted investment plan, I employ the principles of asset allocation and diversification to construct a portfolio with a selection of assets classes, as dictated by the client’s individual situation. Each portfolio is carefully designed to match the client’s cash flow requirements, stated risk preferences, time horizon, and financial goals. Portfolios are reviewed regularly and updated or rebalanced as required to best suit the client.
How is APC compensated?
For investment advisory services, my fee structure is based on a flat quarterly rate depending on the complexity of your financial goals, tax, and investment situation. To align both of our interests, compensation comes solely from advisory fees paid by our clients, which consists of a fixed fee for a specified time period. APC never receives any other compensation from any other source. I provide a range of advisory services, depending on the size and complexity of the client relationship.
Do you require investment advisory account minimums?
I do not require a specific minimum of assets under management. However, a specific amount of assets to invest will be recommended based on the comprehensive financial questionnaire that you fill out. Based on the questionnaire information and your situation, a suitable recommendation can be made as to an optimal amount of capital to employ.
How can I be sure that my assets will be safeguarded properly?
APC always uses independent custodians (i.e. a brokerage service or commercial banking institution) to house your assets. The independent custodians deliver monthly account statements directly to you, which you can use to check for an updated asset status. Checks for investment deposits are always payable to the custodian and not to APC. APC will never withdraw fund from a client’s account to pay for advisory fees, which are always paid in arrears, as per the contract agreement.