Question 1

How is Waymark different?

Accepted Answer

We are holistic financial planners first and foremost and investment managers second. In other words, we want to know you and your family comprehensively before we even begin discussing investments. Many “financial planners” simply sell investment products and seek to invest your money knowing only minimal information about you.
We have over 30 years of combined experience and advanced degrees from some of the top schools in the country.
We maintain a relatively low client to advisor ratio to provide a high level of service to all of our clients. This also allows us to address your emails and calls usually on the same day. 
We have a highly qualified group of financial professionals in our network. From accountants to attorneys to insurance agents to mortgage brokers, we have vetted our excellence-oriented professionals to help you pursue your financial goals - so you don’t have to.
Some clients are very interested in investing in companies and industries that support and advance their personal beliefs. We welcome those clients and have helped them over the years implement Socially Responsible/ESG investment strategies.
We appreciate that money is an emotional topic and use behavioral finance in addition to traditional, black and white financial planning to help you make the most thoughtful decisions with your money.
 
Third-party financial professional and legal services are neither provided nor endorsed by Waymark Wealth Management or LPL Financial. 
 
Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)/Environmental Social Governance (ESG) investing has certain risks based on the fact that the criteria excludes securities of certain issuers for non-financial reasons and, therefore, investors may forgo some market opportunities and the universe of investments available will be smaller.

Question 2

How do you charge (i.e. are you commission-based, fee-based and/or fee only)?"

Accepted Answer

All of the above. The vast majority of our clients are charged an annual, 12 month, fixed retainer fee based on the complexity of their situation and the amount of time we estimate we will spend on each engagement over that 365-day period. This fee is agreed upon after we meet and better understand your needs and goals. Most annual retainer fees fall between $2,000 and $3,500 per year, with some as low as $1,500 and some as high as $7,500. Each year, you have the option to hire us for another 1-year engagement.
 
If you choose to invest with us, there is an additional investment management fee that typically is a percentage of the assets you ask us to manage. Some investment and insurance products, however, are commission-based only, so we can only offer them as such. Regardless of the investment or insurance product, we are happy to explicitly disclose the respective fees or commissions so you can make informed decisions about your investments.

Question 3

Do you have a minimum investment or net worth requirement for new clients?

Accepted Answer

Technically no – we neither have investment nor net worth requirements. In fact, a handful of do-it-yourself clients hire us on a fee-only basis, manage their own investments, and do not pay any investment fees. With that said, most of our clients have investable assets between $500k - $4 million and a net worth (total assets including the value of your house minus liabilities) between $1MM and $7MM.

Question 4

What type of clients do you specialize in?

Accepted Answer

We work best with clients between the ages of 40 and 65. They typically have managed their own finances to this point, but are busy people who have come to the realization they are now earning significant incomes and are not giving their personal finances the attention needed. They now are willing to outsource some of this responsibility to someone they can trust. They are easygoing and open to sharing details about their personal life and family. They tend to be analytic, have good follow-through, and are comfortable with technology.
 
From an investment standpoint, they are willing to commit to an investment strategy and stick with it during good times and bad. They are not gamblers, and although they are not risk-averse, they will not commit large parts of their portfolio to the next big investment idea or hot stock tip. Oftentimes, they are attracted to socially responsible investing strategies and ultimately would like to increase their charitable giving over time. Personally, they tend to be fitness/goal-oriented and appreciate the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

Question 5

I’m retired. Will you also work with me?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Our retired clients are between the ages of 60 and 80. They typically have managed their own finances all their lives but are focused on balancing the following priorities in their later years:
 
Making sure their nest egg does not outlive them even with rising medical and potential long-term care costs,
Ensuring their spouse is protected if they pass away prematurely,
Transferring as tax-efficiently as possible whatever assets remain to their children and/or to the charities of their choice.
 
To ensure they can successfully achieve these sometimes-conflicting priorities and to have someone their surviving spouse can rely on when they are gone, they now are willing to outsource some of these responsibilities to someone they can trust. Like the clients described above, they also are easygoing and open to sharing details about their personal life and family. They have good follow-through and are not afraid of technology.
 
From an investment standpoint, they are willing to commit to an investment strategy and stick with it during good times and bad. They are not gamblers, and although they are not risk-averse, they will not commit large parts of their portfolio to the next big investment idea or hot stock tip. Oftentimes, they are attracted to socially responsible investing strategies and charitable giving as they want to leave the world a better place when they are gone. Personally, they love to travel, are family-oriented, and appreciate the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

Question 6

How many clients do you serve?

Accepted Answer

We serve about 100 ongoing comprehensive financial planning clients at the moment. We are accepting new clients, but only accept one to two new clients per month to ensure we have a personal relationship with all of our clients and can provide them with the value for which they pay us.

Question 7

What are some of the topics you review with your clients?

Accepted Answer

Retirement planning: Calculating your required rate of return and savings rate and illustrating “what if” scenarios
Cash flow: Addressing spending habits and your budget and building an emergency fund
Education planning: Analyzing cost, savings needs, and funding strategies
Tax planning: Partnering with a tax advisor/CPA to build tax savings strategies, reviewing your annual tax returns, and harvesting tax losses within your investment portfolio
Insurance: Reviewing current policies to identify any gaps in coverage and/or over-coverage, and, if necessary, helping you apply for additional/alternative coverage
Legacy/Estate planning: Partnering with an estate planning attorney to construct strategies to efficiently pass your estate to your loved ones and/or charities
Investments including Socially Responsible/ESG investing: Ensuring your investments are properly positioned to help pursue your goals
 
Third-party financial professional and legal services are neither provided nor endorsed by Waymark Wealth Management or LPL Financial. 
 
Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) / Environmental Social Governance (ESG) investing has certain risks based on the fact that the criteria excludes securities of certain issuers for non-financial reasons and, therefore, investors may forgo some market opportunities and the universe of investments available will be smaller.

Question 8

Do you offer clients access to a network of other financial professionals? If so, is it purely on a recommendation basis without a referral fee from those professionals?

Accepted Answer

We connect you with other tax, legal, insurance, and banking professionals in our network, and they charge you separately for their services. As CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING™ professionals, our advisors are investment fiduciaries and are required to act in the best interests of our clients. As such, we do not receive any commission or compensation for these referrals.
 
Third-party financial professional and legal services are neither provided nor endorsed by Waymark Wealth Management or LPL Financial.

Question 9

How often do you typically interact with clients?

Accepted Answer

During our first year, we will talk often. Then we meet every three to four months unless there’s a major life change. We offer unlimited email and phone support as well, and we encourage our clients to reach out as their situations change. We usually do a year-end check-in and touch base around tax time and open enrollment time, so clients hear from us often throughout the year.

Question 10

Who works for Waymark Wealth Management?

Accepted Answer

Financial planning clients work directly with Brendan, Brandon, and our Client Services Manager, Hanifa. Our Administrative Assistant, Jennifer, manages most day-to-day administrative tasks. We’re supported by a talented marketing team, MacNeil Marketing Solutions, and finally we lean on a skilled group of professionals—including a Chief Financial Officer, an accountant, and a bookkeeper—who help support our operations.

MacNeil Marketing Solutions, Waymark Wealth Management and LPL Financial are separate entities.

Question 11

What do you think are Waymark’s biggest strengths?

Accepted Answer

We have a knack for taking complex financial concepts and topics and explaining them in a way that makes sense to our clients. In addition, one of our core values is “innovation,” so we are constantly trying to improve our systems and scour the investment universe for new investment ideas that can help clients pursue their financial goals with optimal risk/return ratios. Finally, money touches everything, and we are not afraid to engage in very deep, personal conversations with our clients. Sometimes having a psychology degree and using behavioral finance concepts is more effective than simply having a financial planning degree and using traditional financial planning concepts.

Question 12

What do you think is Waymark’s biggest weakness?

Accepted Answer

Of course, we don’t see it as a weakness, but getting to thoroughly know a new client takes time. Some busy clients underestimate the time commitment involved. Because we never take lightly the fact that we are making decisions with our client’s life savings, we are not willing to shortcut our process.

Question 13

What are your core values?

Accepted Answer

Integrity
Helping others
Innovation
Excellence
Family

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