We are all used to advertisers telling us they are bigger, faster, smarter, better looking or able to produce higher rates of return than their competition. We do not claim any of those things because they are all open to question. No, we only do one thing that is dramatically different from others in our field. We continue to build our business by asking clients and prospective clients this question:

“As you think about retirement, what are you concerned about that nobody else is helping you with?”

For over 23 years we have taken the responses to that question as our marching orders to do extensive research to find the best retirement solutions for those concerns. We have then taken those answers and built them into our S-T-A-R-S System for Retirement Success^SM for our educational programs and financial plans for clients.

Our proprietary approach called the S-T-A-R-S System for Retirement Success^SM is the basis for our educational workshops, written materials as well as personal and business financial plans. Because of the increasing complexity of the issues involved in retirement planning, we have found a strong demand for specialized educational materials and seminars on specific topics in addition to our comprehensive system.

It’s All about You - WE PUT YOU IN CHARGE!

You are unique. We know that no other family’s circumstances are identical to yours. Also, we recognize that you are the only expert on the most important subject affecting your family’s financial future. That is what you want for your family’s future and what actions you are willing to take to achieve those goals. That is why our planning approach is custom-tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals. Our job is to help you define those goals clearly and to help you develop a realistic, no baloney, plan to achieve as much as possible.

You are a Person, Not an Account Number

You will work directly with members of our team of experienced, credentialed advisors you can look right in the eye. You will not be dealing with some disembodied voice on an 800 number or a mega-firm where you are one of thousands of clients serviced by your representative’s assistants whose job is to sell you the firm’s products.

You Choose the Type and Level of Services You Want

You get to decide what type and level of service you want. We have no “average” clients, no “standard” plan and no generic solutions to investment and retirement problems. We recognize that each person is unique and has individual needs and preferences. Our Client Service Team Members take the time to listen to exactly what it is you want and to determine whether or not we can reasonably meet your expectations. We will give you an honest opinion as to whether or not we are right for you. Yes, we have a systematic way of working, but we let you decide what you need:

• Simple retirement screening with financial projections (at no cost)
• Target retirement plan with alternative strategies
• Help in improving your current retirement income strategy
• Help in deciding between pensions, an IRA rollover or employer stock with Net Unrealized Appreciation
• Free objective risk management and insurance analysis including long term care
• College education funding strategies for children or grandchildren
• Comprehensive financial plans including success and legacy planning with income and estate tax strategies
• Investment Policy Statement with a customized asset and strategy allocation
• Three Dimensional Asset Allocation with Adaptive Value Investing Strategies
• Separately Managed Accounts with individual stocks, ETFs or alternative strategies
• Professional management for 401(k) and 403(b) accounts held at employer’s custodian
• Tools and techniques to improve your personal and financial management system
• Help in deciding what financial documents you need to keep and what you can throw out

Special Services for High Net Worth Clients

Clients with substantial assets and high incomes have a greater need for help in building a comprehensive plan and a system to stay on top of everything to manage effectively and prepare for tax-efficient transfers. We recognize that it is not what you make, but what you keep that is important. We have a suite of services handled by our Chief Strategists personally to interface with CPAs, attorneys and other advisers to assure success:

• Guidance on when and how and when to exercise employee stock options
• Personal Values-Based Estate Planning (succession and legacy plans)
• Advanced strategies for tax saving family and charitable giving
• Tax-managed investment strategies
• Tax-efficient diversification of low cost basis securities
• Business succession planning
• Strategies for maximizing tax savings from employer retirement plans
• Account Aggregation for you to see online reports of all assets and liabilities updated daily
• Unified Supervised Account (USA) ongoing coordinated advice on all investments regardless of where held

You Decide How You Want to Pay

There is no right or wrong way to charge for financial services. We believe you should decide what works best for you.

For financial planning services:

• Straight hourly rate for specific services
• Hourly rate with a defined maximum cap
• Fixed fee for a completed project or financial plan

For investment advisory services:

• Standard fees per Separately Managed Accounts
• Straight fees only - no commissions ever
• Negotiated annual retainer (with or without other financial planning advice)
• Annual fee with partial commission offset
• Straight commission (where cost-effective for smaller accounts)

How Do We Deal with Conflicts of Interest

No financial adviser is free from conflicts of interest. We try to be upfront about ours and we have done our best to reduce them:

• We have no proprietary products to sell; unlike many large firms, you will not see our brand name on any investments.
• We are neither owned by nor a subsidiary of any investment or insurance company so we have no products to sell or quotas to meet.
• We are independent financial advisors and work only for our clients.
• We buy our extensive research materials and account management software from many sources so we cannot be coerced to make only “approved” positive recommendations.
• We do not originate investment products; we only help clients select those that are appropriate.
• We do not underwrite stocks or bonds (so we are not obligated to recommend them).
• We are not investment bankers; so we are not beholden to any corporations.
• We do not make markets in any securities; we have no “inventory” to unload.