Frequently Asked Questions
Are you a fee-only fiduciary advisor?
Yes. As a fiduciary, we are legally and ethically obligated to put your best interests first in every recommendation we make. Being fee-only means our compensation comes solely from the fees you pay us — we do not receive commissions or incentives from financial product providers. This ensures our advice is transparent, unbiased, and focused entirely on helping you achieve your goals. Learn more about the importance of a
fee-only fiduciary advisor here.
How often will you rebalance my portfolio?
We typically rebalance quarterly (about 4 times per year). Occasionally, if markets move significantly, we may rebalance more often.
How will my account be invested?
We’ll work with you to select a model portfolio tailored to your goals, time horizon, and comfort with risk. Our investment approach emphasizes broad diversification across asset classes, while leaning more toward the sectors and regions we expect to perform well over the next 12–18 months. We primarily use Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) to construct our model portfolios.
Who is the custodian of client investment accounts?
Your accounts are safely held at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., while we remain fully independent — so you benefit from Schwab’s security while knowing our advice is 100% unbiased.
How do I review my account & performance?
You’ll receive monthly statements directly from Schwab, showing your positions, balances, and transactions. You can also log into Schwab’s website or mobile app anytime. Additionally, CFM provides summary reports of your holdings and account performance.
How do you charge for your services?
We charge a transparent fee based on the assets we manage for you. This fee is a percentage of your investment accounts that we oversee, and it covers investment management, financial planning, and tax preparation for our wealth management clients. Because we are fee-only, we do not earn commissions or receive compensation from product providers — our only incentive is to help you reach your financial goals.
What is covered under your AUM (assets under management) fee, and what is not?
At the wealth management level, our relationship is designed to be as comprehensive as possible.
What’s Covered:
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Investment Management: Ongoing portfolio management, rebalancing, and tax-aware trading (such as strategically realizing gains/losses and coordinating across taxable and retirement accounts).
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Financial Planning: Retirement income and RMD planning, cash flow analysis, Roth conversion planning, education funding, and estate planning coordination.
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Tax Strategy: Year-round tax planning (e.g., tax-loss harvesting, optimizing withdrawals across accounts). Full tax preparation and filing are also included.
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Client Support: Proactive outreach 2–3 times per year to review your plan, plus ongoing coordination with our team for administrative needs.
Examples: If you’re considering buying a second home, we would run the cash flow and tax projections, evaluate financing options, and adjust your portfolio as needed — all included. If you’re reviewing your estate plan, we would project how assets will flow to heirs, evaluate tax implications, determine whether trusts may be appropriate, prepare trust tax returns, and coordinate with your attorney to ensure everything is properly executed.
What’s Not Covered:
There are very few exclusions. The main ones are specialized services outside our scope, such as legal document drafting (wills, trusts) or insurance products. In those cases, we’ll coordinate with your attorney or insurance provider, but we don’t draft or sell those products ourselves.
Our Goal: You should never feel “metered” when reaching out — nearly everything related to your finances is included in the AUM fee.