A Guide to Working with Windsor Wealth Management
Q: Are you accepting new clients?
A: Yes, we’re currently accepting new clients. While most of our clients come through referrals, we also welcome inquiries from individuals who have discovered us through other means.
Q: With thousands of financial advisors, why choose us?
A: There are 3 key reasons to choose us:
#1—Personalized Financial Guidance
As a boutique firm, we offer one-on-one financial guidance focused on your retirement readiness. Our priority is helping you prolong your retirement income. Download our Prolonging Retirement Income Checklist for immediate ideas.
You’ll work directly with an experienced financial advisor throughout your relationship.
We’ll work together to determine how much you can spend each month during retirement. This monthly “paycheck” is based on your lifestyle, investment goals and risk tolerance.
How you structure and draw upon your assets are critical components to help ensure your money outlives you.
Our expertise is making your money last. We guide each client individually through this process.
Interestingly, many clients tend to underestimate how much their assets can grow during retirement, often resulting in a pleasant surprise—having more wealth than expected. This opens the door to turning dreams like a safari, volunteering abroad, or other passions into reality.
#2—Licensed Fiduciary
Financial advisor David Bunker is a licensed fiduciary. He’s passed the Series 65 securities exam, qualifying him to provide financial and investment advice.
As a licensed fiduciary, David is legally bound to prioritize your interests above his own. However, David’s commitment to your financial well-being goes beyond legal requirements—it’s the foundation of our business, reflected by our 98% client retention rate.
#3—Responsive
The top reason people switch advisors is due to a lack of communication. At Windsor Wealth Management, we prioritize staying connected. We answer the phone and respond to all client inquiries promptly, generally the same day.
Our clients also receive a monthly briefing (written by us), keeping you informed about important financial developments.
Also, you can call, email or meet with us as much as you want; there’s no added charge. All client outreach is welcome.
Q: How much do you charge?
A: We are a fee-only wealth management firm. The only payments we receive are from clients. We don’t sell products or receive commissions—ever.
Our fees are based on a percentage of your assets under management and are 22% below industry average.
There are no hidden fees, and all fees are disclosed ahead of time.
Important:
There are financial firms that describe themselves as fee-based. (We’re fee-only.)
Financial advisors using the term fee-based often receive commissions and are pressured to sell certain products and services of the firms they work for, creating conflicts of interests. Also, these individuals will often use the term “fiduciary” but in many cases, they’re not licensed fiduciaries.
To know if an advisor is a licensed fiduciary with no conflicts of interest, visit BrokerCheck by FINRA and look for the term Investment Adviser (IA). If the advisor is just that, an IA exclusively, then they’re likely working in your best interest. But, if the advisor is both an IA and Broker (B), then conflicts of interest are possible.
Q: What is your investment philosophy?
A: Our motto is: Have a plan. Play your plan.
Our investment selection is based on your individual situation, including where you are in the retirement planning lifecycle, your risk tolerance and key objectives.
We control what we can control, including choosing low-cost and tax-efficient investment funds, and we also control how much risk we take, driven by your plan.
We take a long-term approach to investing. We invest in funds containing businesses that have solid fundamentals, strong competitive advantages and sustainable business models.
We continuously seek opportunities when the market overreacts, often buying quality investments at a discount.
Overall, it’s our job to grow and safeguard your retirement funds, while navigating stock market swings and the world economy.
We have eyes on your financial portfolio every day, so you don’t have to.
For more details regarding our investing philosophy, read our Statement of Core Investment Beliefs.
Q: What happens during a complimentary consultation?
A: We offer two complimentary financial consultations, available in-person, phone or video.
It’s common to have follow-up questions after our first meeting and, therefore, we offer two meetings to help ensure all your questions get answered so you can make informed decisions.
Initial consultations are about getting to know each other, explaining our investing philosophy, and answering your questions.
It’s also a chance for you to see if we’re the right fit. With over 200 clients, we’ve helped many people achieve their financial goals. We’re not for everyone, so we’ll be honest if we think we’re not the best solution for your needs.
We encourage you to ask any and all questions; the only ones that go unanswered are those not asked.
The more financial information you share, the deeper our answers to your specific situation.
Examples of items to share include:
- Tax Returns
- Retirement Plan Statements
- Life Insurance Policies
- Executive Bonus Plans
- Company Valuations
- Estate Plans
Sharing your goals is also critical. The latter drives the financial plan we build for you.
Overall, share what makes you most comfortable.
Finally, we’re not here to pressure you into anything. Our goal is to provide you with the guidance you need to make informed financial decisions without any high-pressure sales tactics.
We’ll follow up on any outstanding items from our consultations, but we’ll never pressure you. Our culture is relaxed and respectful, and we believe in building long-lasting relationships with our clients.
Q: I’m working with a financial advisor; do you provide second opinions?
A: Yes, and we welcome your outreach.
However, if we discover your advisor is doing an effective job (which may happen), we’re proactive in letting you know.
Q: How much money do I need to do business with your firm?
A: Typically, our clients have at least $500,000 in investable assets, with many ranging between $1-$5 million, and others with much more.
However, the most important factor is ensuring we’re a good fit for each other.
Q: When should I hire a financial advisor?
A: Great question! The timing can be crucial when it comes to seeking professional financial advice.
There are several key life events or financial needs that often signal the need for expert guidance. To help you determine if now is the right time, we’ve put together a detailed article that explores the “when” of hiring a financial advisor.
Here it is: When should you hire a financial advisor?
Q: Can you tell me the ideal time to claim Social Security?
A: Yes. We use sophisticated software to help determine the most optimal timeline for claiming your benefits.
Key considerations when claiming Social Security include your goals, health, taxes and how your decisions will impact your spouse.
There are a few surprising situations where claiming Social Security early, even if you don’t need the money, can make sense. In these cases, tax considerations often play a key role.
For Example (name alternated for confidentiality)
John, a 65-year-old retiree and widower with a healthy retirement portfolio, initially planned to delay claiming Social Security until age 70 to maximize his benefits.
However, after analyzing his tax situation with us, he decided to claim benefits earlier.
Why?
Because after reviewing John’s situation, it was likely that his Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) would push him into a higher tax bracket, making his Social Security benefits more taxable. Claiming Social Security now can help spread income more evenly over time, potentially keeping John in a lower tax bracket.
Q: How do we begin working together?
A: It’s easy to start doing business with us. Once we’ve answered all your questions, we’ll ask you to complete some forms via a secure online portal, including an Investment Management Agreement and forms sent via Fidelity to be e-signed, so we can begin managing your assets using Fidelity’s platform.
Our goal is to make your investment experience as seamless as possible. Once the paperwork is behind us, we’ll do the heavy lifting so you can concentrate on other things, like planning for your dream vacation, exploring new hobbies and spending quality time with loved ones.
Q: Are you affiliated with other financial firms?
A: Yes. We have aligned our wealth management practice with two key business partners:
Bay Colony Advisors
Bay Colony Advisors (BCA) is an independently owned SEC Registered Investment Advisor, and we are an affiliated independent Investment Advisor Representative. BCA supports Windsor Wealth Management’s compliance, regulatory and operational infrastructure, freeing us to spend more time with clients.
Additionally, our affiliation creates economies of scale, enabling us to pass these savings on to you through lower fees.
Fidelity
Founded in 1946, Fidelity is one of the most respected financial institutions in the world, known for its strong regulatory compliance and robust security measures. Fidelity is the custodian of our clients’ assets, helping to ensure your assets are held securely and with the utmost integrity.
Receive help retiring to the life you want.
Schedule a complimentary financial planning consultation.