Contact us to set up a 30-minute no-cost, no-obligation Pre-Discovery Meeting by phone or video. Since we are selective about working with new clients just as new clients should be selective about hiring us, this process works best for all.
TCM is an independent, fee-only financial advisory firm providing financial planning, investment management and wealth management. We strive to develop lifetime client relationships through our distinctive approach and uncompromising commitment to help clients with their life planning needs. To achieve this objective, we avoid conflicts of interest, provide objective financial advice and employ proven investment techniques to help our clients reach their long-term financial goals.
The term "fee-only" describes how TCM is compensated. As a fee-only Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) firm, we don’t sell financial products, insurance or anything else that pays a commission. We are committed to a fee-only approach because we are committed to avoiding conflicts of interest. As a fiduciary, we have a responsibility to always act in our clients' best interest. Our firm's revenue is completely transparent and comes from the financial planning and investment advisory fees paid by our clients. These fees may be hourly, a flat fee or retainer, or based on a percentage of your assets under management. Because we are a true fee-only financial planning and investment advisory firm, you can have confidence that our recommendations are in your best interest only. You'll never need to worry that we'll try to "sell you something" in order to be paid for providing financial advice. Our fees and any conflicts of interest are described in our Form ADV Part 2A brochure. For an easier explanation, read What Does Fee-Only Financial Advisor Mean?
Fee-only financial advisory firms (like TCM Wealth Advisors) are paid solely and directly by their clients, without receiving any commissions, referral fees or other compensation from other parties such as brokerage firms or fund companies. We believe this is the best way to remain impartial and avoid conflicts of interest. Fee-based financial advisors, whether at independent firms or large Wall Street firms, may receive commissions on some products they sell, but may also be paid directly by their clients. We believe that you should not work with someone who only benefits when you buy their financial products.
Yes. A fiduciary has a defined, legal obligation to act in a clients’ best interest versus the best interest of the fiduciary. As a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) firm with fiduciary responsibilities, we have a legal obligation to act in the best interest of every client. As an RIA, TCM is held to a fiduciary standard under federal securities law. We have structured our business to ensure that our recommendations are in your best interest, not ours. TCM operates as a fee-only fiduciary firm, which means we receive no commissions for the sale of recommended financial products from brokerage firms, fund companies or other third parties.
The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification is a professional certification that represents a high level of professional education which requires passing a comprehensive examination covering eight principal knowledge domains of financial planning, fulfilling experience and education requirements, and acting in an ethical manner. Because no federal or state law requires financial planners to hold the CFP® certification, anyone can call themselves a financial planner. Individuals who have earned the CFP® mark have passed a rigorous examination and are required by CFP Board's Standards of Conduct to act as fiduciaries when providing financial advice to clients.
A Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) is a firm that is registered with the state in which it does business, or with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, to provide investment advice. An RIA is held to a fiduciary standard, meaning they are expected to act in the best interest of their client at all times. As fiduciaries, an advisor must employ a policy of full disclosure with their clients to help avoid potential conflicts of interest. As a fee-only investment advisor, TCM removes potential conflict by accepting compensation only in the form of client fees.
We are compensated directly by our clients. We do not accept any referral fees, soft dollars or commissions from anyone for anything. Details on our fees and compensation are in our Form ADV Part 2A brochure.
One of the major benefits of working with a fee-only advisor is the freedom from the inherent conflict of interest that can arise when a significant portion of the advisor's income comes from selling you financial products like annuities or life insurance.
No. We are a fee-only Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) firm. We work only on behalf of our clients, not as a licensed insurance agent for an insurance company. We don't collect commissions by selling insurance or annuity products, but upon request, we can provide unbiased advice to our clients about specific products tailored to their unique situation.
No. We do not sell insurance or annuity products for any company. However, we can get quotes on policies for you and work on your behalf to help you choose the right type, amount and features of a life insurance product, as well as help you compare and evaluate products from competing companies.
TCM offers a different value proposition than is typically available through traditional Wall Street firms. Some of those differences include:
Our Responsibility: As an independent Registered Investment Adviser (RIA), we have a fiduciary obligation to always put our clients' needs first. Brokers at brokerage firms are subject to Regulation Best Interest, which requires them to act in a retail customer's best interest when making a recommendation. That standard applies to individual recommendations rather than to the entire relationship, and brokers may still be paid through commissions and product sales, creating conflicts they are required to disclose and mitigate.
Our Fee Structure: TCM relies exclusively on a fee-only model. Our firm does not receive commissions or fees from any source other than our clients. In contrast, many brokers are paid via commissions. They have a strong incentive to invest you in products that carry high commissions or loads so that they will make more money, which may or may not be attractive investments or the best investments for you.
Our Obligation to Disclose: As a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA), we are required to provide clients with our Form ADV, which lists potential conflicts of interest and our compensation practices.
Our Independence: TCM does not have financial relationships with any brokerage firms or money managers and thus we are not obligated to favor, nor are we compensated to recommend, any firm's proprietary investment products.
Yes, absolutely. We are strong proponents of the Fiduciary Standard. We believe in always placing our clients' interests ahead of our own. We believe in doing what is right, especially when no one is watching. Therefore, we are proud to commit to the following five fiduciary principles:
We will always put our clients' best interest first.
We will act with prudence; that is, with the skill, care, diligence and good judgment of a professional.
We will not mislead clients, and we will provide conspicuous, full and fair disclosure of all important facts.
We will avoid conflicts of interest.
We will fully disclose and fairly manage, in our clients' favor, any unavoidable conflicts.
When TCM enters into an advisory relationship with a new client, we provide them with a signed copy of this Fiduciary Oath developed by the Committee for the Fiduciary Standard. If a financial advisor will not provide you with a signed copy of this Fiduciary Oath and commit to a fiduciary standard, you should not entrust your financial future to that person. They certainly will not be acting as a fiduciary on your behalf nor working in your best interest.
Holistic financial planning is a process that involves a detailed review and analysis of your entire financial situation including debt and cash flow management, retirement planning, risk management, investment management, tax management and estate planning. Through our thorough planning process, we work with you to crystallize your financial objectives and to get a clear understanding of your current situation – where you are now and where you want to be in the future.
No. While we believe a financial plan can provide the most benefit for a client, we can limit or tailor our services to meet your specific needs, like cash flow analysis, portfolio analysis, 401(k) allocation review, retirement planning or college planning.
We are delighted to meet with you anywhere in the world by phone or video. We have clients located all over the country who travel around the world, so virtual meetings are convenient for everyone. You can schedule a meeting with us online.
We prefer to work with clients under a discretionary relationship where they give us the authority to make investment decisions. In limited circumstances, we may offer non-discretionary investment management services under which clients could make their own investment management changes.
You will pay transaction fees for securities transactions executed for your account, as specified in the custodian’s transaction fee schedule. Other fees include custodial services fees, account maintenance fees, transactions fees and other fees associated with maintaining your account. TCM does not charge these fees; they are charged by the product sponsor, broker/dealer or account custodian. TCM does not share in any portion of these fees. You may also pay a proportionate share of the fund’s management and administrative fees and sales charges as well as the mutual fund adviser’s fee of any mutual fund they purchase. These advisor fees are compensation to the fund manager and are not shared with TCM.
Our fees are disclosed in writing before you become a client. Depending on the engagement, fees may be hourly, a flat fee or retainer, or a percentage of assets under management. We do not earn commissions. Our fee schedule and how fees are billed are described in our Form ADV Part 2A brochure.
We continually review the underlying securities within TCM managed accounts, Third Party managed accounts and client accounts on at least a quarterly basis.
We request that you meet with us at least once a year. Individual client portfolio reviews may also occur at times of change in your financial and life situation that may require a revision of your investment plan. Reviews may involve analysis of securities, asset allocation, sensitivity to various markets, investment reviews and other factors.
Discretionary investment management means that buy and sell decisions are made by an investment advisor without the prior consent of the client for each transaction. TCM Wealth Advisors manages most client accounts in a discretionary capacity.
No, we do not charge for the first meeting. If we can help you, we'll let you know how. If you would like our help, you can let us know when. It's that simple!
No. We generally seek advisory clients who desire to establish a discretionary investment management relationship with at least $500,000 in assets, which can include company-sponsored retirement plans. Third party managers may require a minimum account size.
We’ve presented numerous retirement and financial planning workshops to many companies in the Northeast Ohio area about the benefits of participating in company sponsored retirement plans. We’re happy to help you and your employees. Please contact us to schedule a meeting.
Your investments are held in accounts in your name at an independent, third-party custodian, not at TCM. You receive account statements directly from the custodian.
Yes. We help you gather your statements, review what you own and what you pay, and coordinate the transfer with the custodian so that the move is handled directly. We work with your CPA on any tax questions that come up along the way.
We work with individuals, families and business owners in Northeast Ohio and across the country who want ongoing, objective, fiduciary advice on retirement, investments and the financial decisions that surround them. Since we are selective about working with new clients, just as new clients should be selective about hiring us, we begin with a conversation to see whether we are a good fit.
Yes. Retirement income planning, including the timing of Social Security, withdrawal strategy, Roth conversions and required minimum distributions, is part of our planning process. We do not provide tax or legal advice, so we coordinate with your CPA and attorney.
You can read our Form ADV Part 2A and 2B brochure online at any time. It describes our services, fees, conflicts of interest and the background of our advisors.
Are you legally obligated to act in my best interests at all times?If so, are you willing to put that in writing? Make sure you understand whether an advisor is a fiduciary at all times, or is instead held to a broker's best-interest standard that applies only when a recommendation is made. Anyone who claims to uphold a fiduciary standard should be able to put it in writing. If not, consider that a red flag.
Will you disclose all potential conflicts of interest? A fiduciary should be willing to disclose any relationship, compensation structure, incentive or other factors that may hamper his or her ability to act impartially in your best interests. If not, consider that a red flag as to future conduct should you proceed with an advisory relationship.
How are you compensated? Ask if the advisor is paid directly by their clients (fee-only) or if they receive commissions, referral fees or other financial incentives. Many financial advisors promote themselves as "fee-based” financial planners, but also accept commissions and other incentives that could impact their objectiveness. Can you afford to trust your financial future to an advisor or firm that won't commit to a fiduciary standard at all times?
Don't leave your financial future to chance. It's your family. It's your money. It's your future. It's your responsibility.
*Any references to TCM Wealth Advisors as a registered investment adviser or its related persons as registered advisory representatives does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
