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What do you do?
We help our clients enhance their quality of life by getting their entire financial house in order and keeping it that way. Starting during our introductory meeting and continuing for our entire relationship, we want to help you make confident, quality decisions that will help move you toward your financial goals.
What is comprehensive financial planning?
Comprehensive financial planning involves the ongoing, proactive, detailed review and analysis of each area of your financial situation. We have developed and refined a process that allows us to put together the pieces of the wealth-management puzzle, giving our clients the highest probability of reaching their financial goals. Our process includes planning in five critical areas:
- Financial plan
- Investment strategies
- Tax planning and preparation
- Legacy planning
- Insurance planning
Why should I work with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional who is also a CPA?
First, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional holds the highest designation in the investment world. The same is true for CPAs in the tax world. Secondly, taxes play a critical part in wealth accumulation. To achieve the best results, you need to incorporate tax planning as a key part of your financial plan.
What is a fiduciary and how do I find one?
As CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals, our advisors are held to a fiduciary standard. This means that they have a duty to put your interests above their own to preserve good faith and trust. Most financial advisors are not held to that standard.
Are you an independent advisor?
Yes. As a Registered Investment Advisor firm, we are not tied to a larger financial institution. And because we do not sell products or take commissions, you can trust than any advice we give is objective and in your best interest.
What is your investment philosophy?
We follow the guiding principles of Modern Portfolio Theory and the Efficient Market Hypothesis. Essentially, this means that we believe markets are efficient and the optimal strategy is to hold a diversified portfolio of both stock and bond investments, according to your personal risk tolerance, goals, and need for return to reach those goals. We do not do market timing or try to predict the markets. We build all-weather portfolios that are structured to achieve a long-term expected return based on historical data. Think of the third little pig in the children’s story: our goal is to create a brick house for you that can weather the storms of market cycles.
What should I expect if we are working together?
You should expect a relationship of trust and ongoing support and advice. We will meet with you regularly to review your progress toward reaching your financial goals, as well as the performance of your investments. We act as your advocate in working with other professionals as well, to help make sure that different areas of your financial situation are integrated for your overall financial well-being.
How are you compensated?
Great question! As fee-only advisors, we are compensated only by our clients. We do not sell any products or earn commissions. We don’t receive kick-backs or referral fees, or any other compensation. This gives you confidence that our advice is always independent and objective. Other than a one-time planning fee at the inception of our relationship, we charge based on a percentage of the investment assets that we manage for you, so our incentive is aligned with your goal to grow your money.
How are your services priced?
Other than a one-time planning fee at the inception of our relationship, we charge based on a percentage of the investment assets that we manage for you. The schedule is tiered and starts at 1.5% for household assets under $500,000 and goes as low as .75% for larger portfolios.
What do I get for what I am paying?
Many “financial advisors” are no more than stockbrokers or money managers and don’t include comprehensive financial planning as part of their services, because they often ignore important factors such as taxes. In contrast, when you work with us, you’ll receive not only advice, but also a second set of eyes to help detect blind spots so you get clarity in your life.
How do you meet with clients?
We can meet either by telephone, virtually, or in person, depending on your preference and location.
Can you work with people in any state?
Yes! We currently have clients in a number of states and can register in any new state in order to serve clients there.
I have a busy schedule. Are you able to meet remotely?
Absolutely! We can meet with you by phone, Zoom, or Teams meetings, according to your preference. Our favorite option is to see you in person, but we can meet with you in the way that best fits your life. We don’t want meetings to be an obstacle to getting your financial house in order and keeping it there.
Is working with you going to take a lot of my time?
No. We understand that many people have busy lives, so we have developed our process so that we can help you move toward your goals without giving up a lot of your time. Other than our regular meetings, our goal is to let you live your life while we handle the financial details.
How much do I need to save for retirement?
While each person or family has different goals, resources, timelines, and expenses, we can help you develop a plan that is customized for your specific situation. Through our refined process, we combine the pieces of the tax-planning and wealth-management puzzle to give you the highest probability of reaching your financial goals.
Can you help me with Social Security benefits?
Of course! We regularly assist our clients by developing strategies designed to optimize their Social Security benefits. We have amazing software that allows us to analyze your options and help you make the best decisions for your situation.
I like a lot of information about my investments readily available. Do you provide a client portal where I can see how my investments are doing?
Yes. We have a client portal that, in addition to the custodian website, allows you to see all kinds of information about your investments in real time, including performance data. Many advisors do not make performance data readily available for their clients, especially in times of down markets.
How do I know what investments are best for me?
Some factors to consider are expected return, cost, and tax-efficiency. We utilize mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) through Dimensional Fund Advisors to create a customized and diversified asset allocation for you. These funds are a low-cost and tax-efficient way to achieve index-like returns, and are not available to the general public. Once the asset allocation has been set, we re-balance the portfolio periodically using a disciplined approach as necessary to maintain its integrity over time. Our philosophy in a nutshell? Buy low and sell high!
Can you manage my 401k plan through my employer?
Yes. Incorporating all of your investments assets as part of your overall strategy is critical to improving your probability of success. A 401(k) plan is often a large part of your portfolio during the accumulation (savings) phase of your wealth cycle. By not having it professionally managed, you are missing out on some of the benefits of working with us.
Do you manage college plans for children?
Yes. We understand that planning for college is a major goal that requires significant planning. We can help you to understand your options for funding college education for your children and help you develop a plan to meet that goal.
There are a LOT of financial advisors out there. What make you different or better?
We wish everyone was asking this question! In the United States, there are about 343,000 financial advisors1. About 27% are CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) professionals2. NAPFA (the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors) estimates that less than 4% of advisors are fee-only3.
Around 12% of CFP® professionals are also CPAs4. How many are CPAs, CFP® professionals, and are fee-only? Very few. We are among those few.
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I may be getting divorced. What should I do?
Divorce is one of many events in life that we call Critical Financial Events. During any of these events, the decisions you make will have a lasting implication on your future financial security, so it is very important to make the best choices possible. To do so, having the right advice is a must. Your attorney provides the much-needed legal advice, but may not have the financial expertise. At Bridge Divorce Strategies, we are divorce financial-planning experts who will help you navigate the divorce process, providing expert financial advice to ensure that you receive an equitable settlement without any surprises. Visit our website dedicated to these services at www.bridgedivorcestrategies.com.
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BRIDGE FINANCIAL STRATEGIES
11111 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 205
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
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Advisory services are offered through Bridge Financial Strategies, LLC, an Investment Adviser in the State of Arizona and where otherwise legally permitted. Bridge Financial Strategies is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any government agency. All written content is for information purposes only. It is not intended to provide any tax or legal advice or provide the basis for any financial decisions. The information contained herein is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities, products or services mentioned, and no offers or sales will be made in jurisdictions in which the offer or sale of these securities, products or services is not qualified or otherwise exempt from regulation. The information contained in this material have been derived from sources believed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed as to accuracy and completeness and does not purport to be a complete analysis of the materials discussed. Images , photographs, and videos are included for the sole purpose of visually enhancing the website. They should not be construed as an endorsement or testimonial from any of the persons represented. Investment recommendations require a review of an investor's objective, risk tolerance, and time horizons. Investing always involves risk and possible loss of capital.
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