Our ideal client is a family or individual investor who understands that financial gains can be amplified by effective planning.  Of course, investments are a primary focus of our work.  In addition, our clients know that expert planning can improve results well beyond investment performance alone.  Our clients appreciate technology-enabled services and communications as well as online access to nifty tools and real-time information.  While we enthusiastically embrace technology, we also value real conservations and know that, sometimes, traditional paper can be the simplest way to get things done.  

We welcome the opportunity to learn as much as possible about you, your family, experiences with money, hopes and goals, career path, and anything else you’d like to share to help inform our work.  Of course, this is an iterative process over time.

Initially, a recent tax return and statements from your investment accounts are helpful to get started.   In our client portal, you can link accounts, upload documents, and provide basic information about other household assets and family members.  Overall, we tend to follow your lead to set a pace comfortable for you.  

Yes, absolutely.  BroadWealth’s services are completely location independent. Given our clients’ very busy lives, meetings nearly always are virtual or via phone with lots of email and phone calls for follow-up in between.   At least once, though, we do ask to meet with you/your partner in person at your location or ours. 

No, BroadWealth does not have a minimum account size.  Fees are based on this fee schedule and the size of the portfolio to be managed. Regardless of the size of your portfolio, we do have a minimum fee of $20,000 annually, billed quarterly, which covers all the wealth management services for our work together.

For many reasons, you may be seeking expert planning advice even if your portfolio is not huge yet or perhaps is mostly illiquid.  We still want to be able to help you manage complicated circumstances and build your wealth wisely.   As long as your income can support the fee, you’re all set.

Our goal always:  Bring enough benefit to your life so that you don’t think twice about continuing our work together.

BroadWealth does not invest clients into a set of cookie-cutter investment models which then could be used to report generic historical performance.  Clients, of course, have varied account values, risk tolerances, time horizons, and goals, so each has a unique portfolio tailored to specific needs.  There is no “sample” performance history to report.  

Bottom line, BroadWealth does not place bets on “winner stocks” nor try to hit performance “out of the ballpark.”  If you’re looking for an active manager to pursue “alpha,” beware:  Research has long shown that, over any 10-year period, 90% of managers who try to beat their benchmark fail.   Rather, we try to ensure you get your piece of the global economic pie which grows at about the same rate as the mix of indices for the asset classes in which you’re invested.

What really drives results:  We believe in low-cost, tax-efficient investments combined with suitable asset allocation to generate the greatest after-tax investment returns.  Just as important, much of BroadWealth’s value-add will be driven by effective planning for your taxes, estate, career plans, employee benefits, savings rate, investment behavior, debt management, and insurance.  

Our investment approach plus expert, broad financial planning forms a powerful combination to build your wealth.

Three things.

Most importantly, choose an advisor who eliminates or minimizes all possible conflicts of interest – that is, ways to charge you excessive or hidden fees or sell you expensive products.  Astonishingly, advisors still can claim to be a fiduciary as long as they disclose their conflicts of interests with you. Yet, the risk to you remains.

The SEC makes it easy for you to learn if an advisor operates under conflicts of interest.  Search here for the name of the adviser’s company. In the middle of the company’s page, click the blue button to download their Part 2 Brochure.  Skim it for the words “disclosures” or “conflicts.” Simple concept:  Don’t put yourself in a vulnerable situation.

At BroadWealth, we don’t have or sell any proprietary funds, products, or insurance. We never take commissions or payments from anyone other than you.  We operate as a fiduciary by eliminating all possible conflicts of interest and minimizing any that remain. See our Part 2 Brochure here – you’ll find no conflicts to disclose.

Next, just as you would choose a professional for your physical health, look for an advisor with the knowledge, experience, and proper credentials (typically a CFA or CFP®) to steward your financial health.

Last, go to this FINRA public website to check the advisor’s history.  Use the first box to search for the advisor’s name.  If currently registered as a Broker-Dealer, be aware that he or she will be operating under conflicts of interest, even if he/she is also a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA).   Also use the middle box to search for the advisor’s company name.  A “yes” in the “Disclosures” field indicates 1 or more regulatory issues, infractions, fines, or lost arbitration cases.  Click through for official details to help inform your decision.

Absolutely, 100% of the time.   When giving expert investment and financial planning advice, Jennifer puts your interests first and backs it up by signing a fiduciary oath. Is your current broker or advisor willing to put that commitment in writing?   

As a firm, BroadWealth LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor which, by definition and law, operates as a fiduciary.  See the promise we make to be your best financial advocate.  As a CFA Charterholder, Jennifer also must adhere to the CFA Code of Ethics  which includes placing ”the interests of clients above [her] own personal interests.”  

Our over-arching goal is to bring enough benefit to your life so that you don’t think twice about continuing our work together.  Nonetheless, you may, of course, cancel at any time.  Fees are billed quarterly in advance.  If you cancel mid-quarter, you will receive a refund for whatever portion of the quarter remains. 

BroadWealth takes very seriously the responsibility, indeed obligation, to ensure our clients and their assets are well cared for at all times.  We have a written Business Continuity Plan to state specifically the steps we shall take to recover from a potential emergency.  We review this plan at least annually and update it as needed.

BroadWealth does not hold client funds directly.  Client assets are held at well-established custodians, such as Fidelity, that also maintain Business Continuity Plans which they update regularly.

In taxable accounts, we’re cautious about selling highly-appreciated “legacy” securities.  A sale could trigger significant capital gains taxes.  Instead, legacy holdings can be excluded entirely from the portfolio’s asset allocation, substituted for a portion of the investment plan, or sold gradually over time to reduce concentration risk.   If together we agree a liquidation is desired, we typically develop a 3- to 5-year plan (or longer, if needed) to unravel legacy positions and revisit the plan every 6-12 months.

Effective planning can add significant value to your financial picture, and it’s a huge part of what we do.  But impact requires action.  That’s why we also define exactly how to implement your decisions and then help you get it done.  For each of the planning topics described below, we also ensure your investments are aligned with each decision you make.

Of course, we don’t try to do all these things all at once.  Together, we prioritize the issues with greatest impact and follow your lead to set a pace comfortable for you.

• Tax Planning: Help you minimize current and future income taxes. Review prior year tax return.  Invest to maximize after-tax returns.   Take charge of tax planning with your CPA and ensure implementation of your decisions.
• Goal Planning:  Help you get clear about your resources now and what you are aiming for in the future.  Use state-of-the art software to create interactive, comprehensive models.  Establish projections and explore scenarios together real-time to frame decision-making.

• Retirement Planning: Help clarify when you would like to achieve financial independence.  Determine a savings plans to get there.  If you’ve already stopped working, develop or refine a plan to optimize the amount and duration of income from each available source.
• Education Funding: Explore different savings strategies for education of your children and perhaps the next generation. Automate contributions and construct investment portfolios for these funds.
• Investment Analysis and Coaching: Help you develop a strategic, overall investment plan for all your accounts – you and your spouse’s 401(k)’s, 529 plans, CDs, brokerage accounts, and so on.  Teach you about different types of accounts and how to best use each in your plan.  Help you corral and consolidate old, stray accounts – e.g., the 401(k) account from your first real job. Provide ongoing investment education. Coach financial behaviors to help you stick to your investment plans through the dips and noise so you ultimately achieve your goals.
• Your Employee Benefits: Each fall, review the options available and help maximize the value to your household.  For business owners, analyze and recommend benefit plans to meet both business and personal goals.
• Equity Compensation: Employer stock, options, RSUs, employee stock purchase plan – all have lots of potential value and lots of rules, too.  Analyze what you have, develop a multi-year strategy aligned with your goals, and then help you stay on track to implement it.
• Risk Management: Evaluate your risk exposure broadly. Evaluate your insurance and review proposals for any new insurance. Determine an appropriate cash safety net or line of credit.  Explore with you and your attorney potential legal entities (LLCs, trusts) to reduce specific risk exposure. Ensure estate planning and guardianship documents to care for your family.
• Real Estate Planning: Help you evaluate real estate as part of your overall wealth – whether a primary home, vacation home, investment property, or rental business. Assist with determining debt-levels and funding strategies, benefits vs. risks, and strategies to address risk exposure.
• Estate & Inter-Generational Guidance: Ensure you have the estate and guardianship documents in place to care for your family and reduce your exposure to estate taxes.  Help identify issues which may need to be addressed with your attorney.  Collaborate with you and your attorney as new issues or opportunities arise.  Ensure your asset titling and beneficiaries are consistent with your estate plans.  Help you determine an approach for charitable or life-time gifting. Raise and explore topics such as financial literacy, launching young adults, or helping aging parents.
• Cash Flow & Debt Management: Bring clarity to income & expenses and then savings & withdrawals. Determine strategy to obtain or pay down debt, as well as to maintain a financial safety net.  Provide a portal where you can easily access a full view of your financial life.
• Reporting & Records Management: Provide real-time, self-serve investment performance reporting covering any time-period.  Store and provide access to all your key documents in our online, secure document vault.
• Business Planning: Consulting services for clients who are operating their own business, considering starting a business, or planning for an exit. Assess the current situation, collaboratively identify objectives, and develop a plan aimed to achieve goals.