Fees

I believe that financial planning is integral to investment management. The recommendation of any financial solution or product requires the full understanding of a client’s financial universe. Therefore full financial planning is included in the fees I charge. The complexity of financial planning increases with wealth but only to a certain point. Thereafter additional assets require no additional planning but still require management. With this in mind my fees are reduced substantially at this point to reflect the degree of management required.

I strive to make the fees as fair, straightforward and transparent as possible. 

Asset Under Management (AUM). This is the standard method I use to charge fees. I charge 1% annually for the assets I manage. For incremental assets over $3 million I offer a reduced fee of 0.75%, and for assets over $5 million the fee is reduced further to 0.5% For small accounts I charge a minimum annual fee of $5,000 per annum.

The first meeting is always free. You don’t know me and I don’t know what you want. During the first meeting I will see if I can be of assistance and you can assess whether you would like my help.

What you get for the fees you pay

In addition to asset allocation and investment recommendations, I provide many other services for the same AUM fee to help ensure the success of your financial plan. I do not charge extra for the additional services offered, they are all necessary to ensure the best outcome for my clients and the only way I can truly get to understand my clients. (Please see my Services for a full list of what I offer).

There are a number of studies that attempt to quantify the benefit of working with a financial advisor. Vanguard calculates an advisors 'alpha', the added benefit of working with a financial advisor. Their research shows an advisor adding 4% a year, therefore after fees of 1% this is a net gain of 3%. Morningstar calculates a 'gamma'. This figure takes into account more areas that an advisor has impact and compares the outcome to what a 'naive' investor would do. Morningstar's gamma calculates that an investor using an advisor would have a higher income of between 22% and 31% depending on the extent of the advice given.

I am completely transparent about the fees I charge. There are no hidden fees or spreads that you will be unaware of. I explain all fees and how they work.