Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
YES—As investment advisory representatives (IARs) we owe our clients a duty of loyalty, care, and to avoid & disclose conflicts of interest. This means putting our clients’ interest above our own, providing informed advice, and fully disclosing or avoiding conflicts of interests. We are true fiduciaries to our clients.
As CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS®, our code of ethics and standards of conduct also require us to act a fiduciaries at all times when providing financial advice in addition to what is required of IARs under federal law.
Our team is fee-based, not fee-only. That means, in addition to the flat fees or the assets under management (AUM) based fees we collect, our team is also licensed to sell insurance products and can earn commissions in that manner as well.
Those products include life insurance, disability insurance, long-term care (LTC) insurance, and annuities. If you have an independent insurance professional you prefer to use, we are happy to coordinate with them instead.
Our approach has always been, “Would you rather buy your insurance from a random salesperson, or your financial planner who intimately knows your finances and has your best interest in mind?”. This decision is ultimately yours to make.
Traditional Financial Advisors (FAs)—engagements are typically transactional in nature, whether that is selling investments or insurance products. Advice tends to be reactionary and typically limited to investment management or insurance related services.
Modern Financial Planners (US)—offer comprehensive financial planning services, for almost anything that impacts your finances. Advice tends to be proactive in nature with regular communication to stay in tune with your finances as they evolve.
NO—That is what separates from other registered investment advisory firms. We recognize that high-earning professionals and entrepreneurs have the cash flow to work with credentialed financial planners and need more planning help than low-cost, robo-advisor offerings can provide.
Instead of just offering AUM fees, we can work with young professionals on a flat fee basis as well.
Have you Met Your DIY Expiration?
Do you know your personal finances deserve more attention than you can give them? Stillwater helps high-earners, pre-retirees, and retirees plan intentionally to achieve their financial goals at all stages of life.