We are often asked about the cost of our advisory services:  how we charge, what services are covered and how do our fees compare to other advisors.  Prospective clients of our firm should understand not only what they will pay, but what to expect from the fee so paid, and the value added from our services.

Here are several points about the value proposition behind our fee arrangement that we would be happy to expand on when we meet:

• Investment returns are directly related to the risk of the investment. The primary focus of our investment process is to control the risk of our client's investment portfolio in such a way that the client's willingness, ability and need to take risk is appropriately considered. While many people evaluate investment returns, most cannot understand the related risk they take in an investment.

• Investment performance, while important, should not be the sole factor in assessing the value of an advisor's fee. When looking at performance, an extended time period should be used because the investment process is designed to meet your personal financial goals which are typically long-term .

• Many long time clients have remarked that the single most important aspect of our service is that we helped them avoid bad investment decisions when markets undergo a downturn; that left to their own discretion they would probably have taken action that would have damaged their investment portfolio. We call that the "piece-of-mind" value factor.

• If we make your financial planning safer, more reliable, more comfortable and less burdensome than it was before, we have added value.

• Beyond investment returns, there are many value-added opportunities that we routinely provide: income tax savings, estate planning, asset protection, insurance products, retirement cash flow enhancement, and financial counseling on many issues that arise daily.

• We believe in educating our clients as part of our ongoing service and by providing articles, web-based information, and recommended publications. We believe that a well informed client is a better client.