What are your credentials and experience in working with people like me?
Chris Toadvine is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), has a Master of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning and is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF). In addition, Chris has been helping clients simplify financial complexities for over 20 years. He is also a recognized leader in his community having served on numerous non-profit boards and committees.
How do I know your recommendations are really in my best interest?
Chris takes very seriously his Fiduciary duty to always act in the client’s best interest (vs. just trying to sell you a product). In addition to a legal obligation, our firm has been built on a foundation of placing the client’s interests first. Our commitment to honest and ethical practices and behavior has allowed us to build a very successful firm.
In addition, to eliminate the potential conflicts of interest Chris does not earn commissions on the sale of any investment nor insurance products. The fee charged is fully transparent and agreed to in advance so our clients can have confidence that there is no hidden agenda and that their best interests are being served.
Is your advice mainly focused on investments or do you consider other things also? In other words, can you help me with all my personal finance needs or will I need other advisors?
For our clients, we serve as the single point of contact for all their financial needs. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ this includes coordinating each component of their financial needs. As needed, planning action items my be coordinated with other professionals like Accountants, Estate Planning Attorneys, mortgage lenders, and insurance professionals.
How often will I hear from you?
Chris typically meets with clients twice per year. In addition to these meetings, we are in frequent communication by email with updates related to changes in the legal, tax, investment or retirement planning landscape. Additionally, clients are encouraged to call or email with questions or concerns much as they would with their doctor.
What will be my total investment expense, how much will you charge and where can I see that in writing?
Most investors do not realize there are two components to investment expense: the advisor’s fee and the fund fees. These two must be added together to arrive at the total cost. Chris uses an evidence-based approach to investing and deliberately uses investments that have some of the lowest cost investments available – most just a fraction of the average mutual fund.
As detailed in our client agreement, each quarter the fee is deducted directly from the accounts under our management. The quarterly fee starts at 0.375%, but can be less depending on the funds managed. This deduction is detailed in the statement that TD Ameritrade provides to every client as well as on each client’s quarterly performance report that goes into their secure electronic vault.
Will you help me with other financial issues that come up during the course of our relationship?
Yes. Chris endeavors to be at the nucleus of client’s financial lives. As such, he has helped with things ranging from tax issues, cash-flow planning, insurance issues, unexpected loss of a loved one, buying a car, charitable giving, finding a trustee, and even picking up the cremains of a beloved client. The issues are too numerous to list, but when it comes to getting answers, Chris is a problem-solver at heart and may not have all the answers but will leave no stone unturned until the solution is found.
Where do you keep my money and how will I be able to see it?
For your convenience and safety, we use TD Ameritrade Institutional as the custodian for client accounts. After their recent acquisition by Charles Schwab, the combined company administers approximately $6 Trillion in assets. As custodian, TD Ameritrade holds your funds and provides independent reporting to you and the IRS. Your accounts can be viewed any time at their website or at our investment portal. Both sites have archived monthly statements for your convenience so you always have access to historical statements.