Are you a fiduciary? What does that actually mean?
Yes — registered investment advisor (RIA) with the SEC, fiduciary duty under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. In practice: we are legally required to put your interest above ours. We sign a written fiduciary pledge in every engagement letter, and you have a private right of action if we breach it. This is different from a "best interest" standard, which brokers use and which has more wiggle room.
How are you paid? Do you earn commissions?
Fee-only. We earn money from two sources: a percentage of assets under management (0.85%, declining tiers) for ongoing wealth management, or flat fees for project / hourly work. We do not earn commissions on any product — insurance, annuities, mutual funds, mortgages, none of it. Our Form ADV Part 2 discloses every revenue source.
What's the minimum to work with you?
For Comprehensive Wealth Management, $500,000 in investable assets. For Project-Based Planning, no minimum — $3,500 flat fee. For Hourly Advisory, no minimum — $350/hour, 2-hour minimum. We turn away about 30% of inquiries because the client doesn't need us yet; we'll tell you honestly if that's the case.
Where are my assets held? Can you take them?
Your assets are held at Charles Schwab Institutional or Fidelity Institutional — your choice. You are the only authorized party on the account. We have discretionary trading authority only with your written permission, only within parameters you set, and we cannot withdraw funds to anywhere except your bank accounts on file. SIPC insurance covers up to $500,000 per account.
Do you work with clients in all 50 states?
We're registered in 32 states currently (we add a few each year). If you're in a state where we're not registered, we'll tell you on the first call and refer you to a fiduciary advisor we trust in your state. We don't take clients we can't legally serve.
I already have an advisor. Can I get a second opinion?
Yes — that's about 20% of our practice. Book an hourly session. Bring your most recent statements and your last tax return. We'll review, tell you what's working, what isn't, and what we'd do differently. You take that back to your current advisor, or you don't. No pressure to switch.
What's included in the written financial plan?
30–50 pages, plain English. Sections: net worth and cash flow analysis, debt structure review, investment allocation with rationale, retirement projection (Monte Carlo, 1,000 runs), tax analysis with current-year and projected brackets, insurance gap analysis, estate document review, and a prioritized action list. Updated annually for ongoing clients.
How often do we meet?
Ongoing clients: four scheduled review meetings per year — Q1 (tax planning), Q2 (mid-year check), Q3 (investment review), Q4 (year-end planning). Plus ad-hoc meetings when life happens — job change, inheritance, divorce, birth, death, business sale. We respond to emails within one business day; urgent phone calls same day.
Can you help with mortgages and personal loans even though you don't lend?
Yes. We're not a lender, but we run the numbers — buy vs rent, refinance breakeven, payoff acceleration, debt consolidation sequencing — and refer you to a lender we don't earn a dime from. The value is in the analysis, not the loan. Many clients save more on one refi decision than they pay us all year.
What happens if Wealth World Hub goes out of business?
Your assets are at Schwab or Fidelity — they're yours, not ours. If we shut down, you'd still have full access to your accounts. You'd hire a new advisor, or manage the accounts yourself. We maintain professional liability insurance and a succession plan with another RIA in case of incapacity.
