If you’re looking for a financial advisor there’s a possibility we could be a good fit. Below you will find a short description of who I typically serve and how I work. If you think there’s a possibility we’d be a good fit then feel free to get in touch via phone or email for a complimentary, no-obligation, introductory Strategy Session.
Who I serve:
I consider myself to be one of the luckiest advisors out there. I have had the good fortune to work with a wonderful group of clients for many years. While each client is unique there are a few commonalities that might help you determine if you would also benefit from my services.
- The vast majority of people I serve from across the country believe time is their most precious and valuable commodity. Because of this belief, they hire me so they can focus their time on the things in their life that matter the most: family, career, friends, charity, travel, hobbies, to name a small handful. The last thing they want to worry about, they have shared, is their investments. Assisting them with this stuff is how I make their lives’ easier.
- Most clients are fairly conservative investors that place high value in the safety of their investment strategy and less emphasis on taking high risk in effort to generate maximum return.
- My clients are patient, long term investors committed to having a custom asset management strategy with the aim of working and growing with them for the rest of their lives – not short term trading that may or may not work.
- Most clients are successful, family oriented, community involved people, as mentioned above, with life purpose that far exceeds just money and personal belongings.
- About half of my clients are either retired or within 5 years of retirement.
- The other half are physicians, business owners, CRNA’s, engineers, corporate executives, air traffic controllers, dentists and a variety of other professions.
How I work:
Each client receives a custom financial and investment management strategy (blueprint) geared towards their unique financial goals and objectives. We build these blueprints around life events such as retirement, wealth transfer, business succession planning, estate planning and asset protection*.
My specific area of expertise and passion is in retirement accumulation and retirement income strategies. Most specifically, Income-for-Life strategies.
All clients have 24/7 secure online access to their accounts.
I communicate regularly with clients via email (which is my preferred communication medium), video conferencing and phone. Each client has a custom meeting schedule we develop together when starting our relationship. Some people prefer to meet 2 to 3 times a year. Others prefer not to meet regularly but chat on the phone, email and video conference when the need arises. Every situation is different and unique; there are no cookie cutter models that I use. Some of my clients are local but many are from all over the United States and we work together virtually. Under this arrangement we use web conferencing, phone, and email to regularly communicate, as mentioned above.
Having said all that I only think it is fair to describe who may not be the best fit for my services. If you’re the type of person that likes to talk frequently about “the market(s)” then we probably are not a good fit. My experience is that frequent telephone conversations without prearranged objectives is counter productive from helping clients do the best they can with the resources they have – which is one of my primary objectives in my work. Scheduled appointments, however, are highly productive and always welcome. Especially when a clearly communicated objective is at hand. Having said all of that, I do enjoy getting random calls to hear about how a trip went, or the birth of a new child/grandchild and other fun stuff like that.
Lastly, if you are not truly serious about bettering your financial situation or are looking for the next best thing or hot investment we probably won’t be a good fit.
What I Charge:
As stated before, every situation is unique and every person is unique. I have some families that pay me an annual specialized planning fee – minimum starts at $600 (or $200/hour) . Some folks hire me to do a financial plan, which may be more specialized (i.e. focused specifically on retirement planning). For that, I typically charge a lower fixed fee of around $600. Full financial plans that cover many areas start at about $1800 and go up from there – based on the overall complexity of the case. If you are not satisfied with my work, we can discontinue the planning arrangement at any time, and you may request unearned fees to be returned to you.
When a client needs a product – insurance, securities or an annuity for example – I am paid a commission.
For clients that want ongoing help managing their investments, a fee is charged based on a percentage of assets under management. I work with new clients that have an account size of $500,000 or greater. An exception can be made for younger savers who are saving aggressively and truly want to grow their portfolios and better their situation.
Separate from the financial plan and my role as financial planner, I may recommend the purchase of specific investment or insurance products or accounts. These product recommendations are not part of the financial plan and you are under no obligation to follow them.
What I Do For Clients (all over the USA):
Comprehensive financial planning and investment management doesn’t work overnight. It takes time, patience, and trust. We have to work together as a team and have open communication.
I’ve done the best I can at structuring my work and services in a manner that gives clients personal attention and financial management support. I know there is always room for improvement and I always strive to get better at what I do each day. My uncompromising promise is to take the hundreds of hours of research I do each year and leverage it to benefit those who place their trust with me and my firm.
Due to advancements in technology I’m happy to work with investors all over the United States (as briefly mentioned above). We have a wonderful web-based virtual meeting program that allows me to work with clients in a very personal manner despite being hundreds or even thousands of miles apart. If you’ve never thought about working with an advisor virtually – I think you’d be pleasantly surprised how easy, efficient, and enjoyable it can be. In fact, I have clients who live locally that prefer to meet virtually so they don’t have to drive, sit in traffic, clean snow off the car, etc. If you live in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota I’m more than happy to meet you at one of our locations personally as well.
Could we work Together?
If after reading above you’d like to have a conversation about working together I’d be happy to invest 25 minutes of my time, at no cost or obligation to you, getting to know you better, your financial goals, and help determine if there’s value I can provide in your life. I do all of my initial appointments via the phone and/or web conference. To set up an initial meeting, have your questions answered, and to see if we could be a good fit – just click here: Schedule Online or you can use the “Contact Me” tab above. Or email me at: larry@midwestwealthadvisors.com