Why Fee Only?
Fee-Only and Fiduciary
Many people think all financial planners are “certified,” but that is not the case. Only the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification represents the highest level of competency, ethics, and professionalism in the industry. We are held to a fiduciary standard, meaning we only act in your best interest when giving advice.
As a fee-only CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, the only compensation I receive is from my client. I do not sell products, nor do I accept commissions, referral fees, or any other compensation from third parties.
It is commonplace in the financial industry for advisors to recommend financial products that may not be in your best interest because they offer commissions paid to the advisor. This may create a conflict of interest, as an advisor may recommend products such as high-load mutual funds, annuities with unreasonable fees, or unnecessary insurance products that don’t fit your needs.
At Indie Financial Planning, all fees will be outlined and agreed upon before services begin.
As a CFP® and registered investment advisor, I am proud to commit to the following five fiduciary principles:
- I will always put your best interests first.
- I will act with prudence; that is, with the skill, care, diligence, and good judgement of a professional.
- I will not mislead you, and I will provide conspicuous, full and fair disclosure of all important facts.
- I will avoid conflicts of interest.
- I will fully disclose and fairly manage, in your favor, any unavoidable conflicts.
Technology
Finding the right financial advisor is no longer limited by location. You want to work with someone who understands how you live and earn. Technology allows us to be in regular contact through e-mail, text, phone or virtual meeting.
We work with cutting-edge technology to make the financial planning process as painless as possible, from online data gathering to a secure online platform and a robust mobile app. Besides allowing easy access to your accounts at any time, the platform features an analytics tool which allows us to run dynamic financial models together. We can change variables in order to see the effect of anticipated changes to your situation, all without needing to be in the same room.
Our platform also give you access to a secure vault where we can share important financial documents without fear of unwanted eyes getting a view.
We also help educate our clients along the way by providing ongoing resources and information in the form of news and blog postings.
