It's about strong, trusted relationships
Strong, trusted relationships are vital -- in life and in financial planning. At Milestones Financial Planning, we are in this business because we sincerely care about each of our clients. To ensure that you are completely satisfied with our relationship, we take the time to fully understand your needs and why you are here. This understanding takes more than filling out a questionnaire. It takes time. It takes attention. It takes communication. And it takes our personal interest in you.
It's about working toward your best interests
Financial advisors have three basic fee structures: Fee Only, Commission Only, and Fee Plus Commission. Milestones Financial Planning operates under a Fee-Only structure. Why? We believe that decisions about your finances should be unbiased by commissions of any kind. To qualify for membership in NAPFA , we must pledge to offer no "commission-based" services, and we must demonstrate a deep level of knowledge in all areas of financial planning. Learn more about NAPFA and the benefits of using a Fee-Only Planner on NAPFA's Consumer Services FAQ page.
It's about security
Knowing your financial data is secure is critical. At Milestones Financial Planning, we take every precaution to protect your information. We take pride in the fact that we're a 'paperless' office, which ensures your confidential information is never visible to other visitors to our offices. We also utilize secure, off-site data backup and secure data shredding services. And because our respect for your privacy goes well beyond protecting your data, we never 'name drop'. Our business relationship will be held in complete confidence. Learn more here.
It's about creativity
In financial planning, creativity doesn't mean playing fast and loose with your numbers and daring Uncle Sam to push back. At Milestones Financial Planning, we take the time to ask "What if?" and "Is there a better way?" We believe that while taking the time to color outside the lines may take a little while longer, it pays off with satisfied, successful, loyal clients. And we believe that these satisfied clients will refer other clients who are also looking for a better way.
It's about ethics
Ethics should be a given in our industry. Unfortunately, they are not. Yet, statistically, over 2/3 of investors do not complete a background check before handing over their life's savings to a broker or financial advisor. At Milestones Financial Planning, we take pride in our commitment to ethical practices, and we urge you to do the research - on us or any other financial advisors you may be working with. You can find this information, including disciplinary action, at the SEC State Regulation site and the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards website. You can also download the excellent Consumer Guide to Financial Self-Defense at the CFP site.
It's about knowledge
We put a lot of time into continuing education - much more than the 30 annual hours required by the CFP (R) Board. How does this help you? You will have personal attention from a Certified Financial Planner® who is actively involved in financial markets and in a wide range of areas, from taxes to estates planning to retirement planning to health insurance.
It's about transparency
We want you to feel 100% comfortable working with our firm. To learn even more about us, we invite you to look closely at our Code of Ethics, our Privacy Policy, and our published Fee Schedule. And if you have any additional questions, we're happy to answer them without hesitation. It's what we mean by total transparency.
- Form ADV, Part II: Also called our 'Brochure', you can find this online at the IAPD. Every registered advisor must give a copy of Part II of their ADV to all clients and must update it annually. You can find more useful information about choosing an Investment Advisor at the SEC website.
- Our Code of Ethics: At a minimum, this is what you can expect from us.
- Privacy Policy: Like the ADV Part II, we are required to give a copy of this to all clients.
- Fee Schedule, including company-sponsored plans. We are a Fee-Only Investment Advisory firm. Our Fee Schedule describes and explains the fees we charge and lists the cost of investment advice for individual investors, company-sponsored plans, financial life planning, and hourly rates.
- Our e-packet is available to send to anyone who requests information by email. It contains most of the above, plus a few other pieces of information.
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