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1. How are you compensated?
Our compensation comes exclusively from investment consulting and financial planning fees. We sell no products, receive no commissions and operate only on our clients' behalf with no bias or conflict of interest. Pillar Financial Advisors does not receive any direct or indirect compensation from any product providers we recommend.
Pillar Financial Advisors is "fee-only" while many financial advisors are "fee-based," which means that in addition to fees, they may sell products and accept commissions.
2. What is your investment performance?
Pillar Financial Advisors is an investment consultant, not a money manager; thus, we do not have an AIMR-compliant (industry standard) composite. However, in the absence of a composite, we can show the performance of the investment sub-managers and mutual funds we use in client accounts.
As investment consultants, our goal is to structure diversified portfolios that provide clients with the optimum risk-adjusted rate of return possible, given their specific goals and objectives.
3. Why should I hire Pillar Financial Advisors when I can hire these same managers on my own?
Often it is not possible, because of account minimums or restricted institutional access. But more importantly, hiring a separate account manager or buying a specific mutual fund is only one aspect of the investment consulting process. We help clients decide which managers to hire and how much to invest with each. We negotiate lower fees and account minimums. And if managers don't perform as they should, we alert you and find another manager.
4. Can you help me with my taxes?
Although tax considerations permeate all of our analyses and recommendations and we have a great deal of individual tax experience, Pillar Financial Advisors does not prepare tax returns. However, we routinely work with our clients' CPAs to ensure a two-way exchange of information and an accurate view of our clients' tax situation. We also provide investment information to facilitate the calculation of quarterly estimates and the preparation of tax returns.
5. What are your minimum requirements for accepting new clients?
To ensure that we remain able to provide the level of service that our existing and new clients deserve, Pillar Financial Advisors has certain minimum thresholds for new individual clients. These thresholds are:
- A minimum $5 million of liquid assets; or
- A minimum fee of $25,000.
As our goal is to develop and maintain a long-term partnership with our clients, new clients should be seeking an ongoing relationship with a financial advisor.
6. How are your fees calculated?
Fees for Pillar Financial Advisors investment consulting and financial planning services are calculated, in most cases, as a percentage of assets under advisement. Where circumstances warrant, services are subject to retainer fees, which would be clearly specified at the beginning of the engagement.
7. Are references available?
Yes, references are available upon request. Due to our concern for client privacy and confidentiality, we provide client references only after qualified prospects have agreed verbally to all terms of the Pillar Financial Advisors engagement. Professional references are also available.
8. How do I get started with Pillar Financial Advisors?
Call us at 781-290-4900 to arrange an initial meeting to discuss your unique situation. There is no charge for this initial meeting.
9. How do you safeguard private information?
Pillar Financial Advisors is committed to preventing the theft of private client data and information. All company facilities and computer systems are protected and security measures are in place.
For more information, please consult our Privacy Policy.
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