Frequently Asked Questions
That you should have answers to
What services do you offer?
Vector provides a wide variety of financial, tax, planning, investment and risk management guidance. Clients of Vector Wealth Management can benefit from the following defining characteristics:
Fiduciary approach – acting only and solely in the clients’ interest
Proprietary wealth planning software application, SOJOURN™
Strategic, customized, tax efficient financial planning
Collaborative team approach with strong client relationships as a centerpiece
Disciplined investment process focusing on providing long-term liquidity, stability, and growth while managing volatility
Nearly three decades of guiding clients through life events with understanding knowledge and, importantly the collective wisdom gained from its clients
Ultimately, the firm seeks, through its proprietary application SOJOURN™, to help clients have an understanding and confidence around their financial lives that they have not experienced before.
What is your approach to financial planning?
Vector Wealth Management adopts a team-based approach to financial services, recognizing that the best way to solve unique, complex financial challenges is to utilize multiple perspectives, resources, and areas of expertise. You will receives services from:
an advisor
a portfolio manager
an advanced planning specialist
Your relationship begins by the Vector team listening and developing a SOJOURN wealth plan, a proprietary application and process which serves as your financial foundation for refined decision making.
What financial institutions do you represent?
None. Vector Wealth Management strives to be free of conflicts of interest and does not represent products or services from any financial institution or product company. We do not receive commissions on any products or services we provide to our clients. Vector as a firm does not receive any commissions or revenue streams from any of the investment products we utilize. Our core philosophy is to be free of conflicts of interest for individuals and free of conflicts of interest for our firm. We have custodial relationships for the safeguarding of our clients’ assets with Schwab and formerly TD Ameritrade.
What is your experience?
Members of the team at Vector Wealth Management hold a vast array of professional designations, qualifying them to address a wide range of wealth planning issues and life event financial decisions.
These designations include:
CFP®—Certified Financial Planner
CFA – Chartered Financial Analyst
CPA—Certified Public Accountant
Masters in Financial Planning
ChFC®—Chartered Financial Consultant
AIF®—Accredited Investment Fiduciary
AAMS®—Accredited Asset Management Specialist
CRPC – Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor
Registered Paraplanner™
CDFA® – Certified Divorce Financial Analyst
See our attribution statement for more about these designations.
How are you compensated?
Vector team members are all paid on salary, with a potential modest discretionary year-end bonus based significantly on client satisfaction. We do not receive commissions on any products or services we provide to you. Vector as a firm does not receive any commissions or revenue streams from any of the investment products we utilize. Our core philosophy is to be free of conflicts of interest for individuals and free of conflicts of interest for our firm. As a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), Vector Wealth Management has adopted the fiduciary standard, acting only and solely in our clients interest. Of all RIAs in the United States approximately only 1.5% are true fiduciaries.
How do you charge for your services?
In keeping with our commitment to supporting trust between Vector Wealth Management and our clients, we maintain a transparent fee structure. Vector provides investment management services for an annual fee based on a percentage of the market value of the assets being managed. The fees are charged on assets under management and are tiered. As an example, the first $500,000 of assets managed are billed at 1.2%, the next $500,000 at 1%, and the next $2,000,000 at .85%.
For Vector clients, the annual fee is generally prorated and billed quarterly, in arrears, based upon the market value of the assets being managed by Vector on the last day of the quarter.
Vector ID: V19086272. Subject to updates.
If you are going to manage my account, will you obtain my permission every time you buy or sell something?
When you join us, we collaborate with you in building your SOJOURN™ wealth plan, which is fully integrated with the specific investment policy for the plan. Our approach is to develop the long term strategy prior to making any investment decisions. Once this strategy is in place and approved by you, Vector has the discretion to implement and execute the strategy going forward. That said, some of our clients desire ongoing communications regarding portfolio changes – and we gladly do this for them.
How do you measure client satisfaction?
We believe our client retention gauges customer satisfaction. We are very proud to have a retention ratio of over 95% and, prior to merging with a smaller firm in 2017, our average client tenure was 10.4 years. The majority of Vector’s original client base continues to trust Vector as their primary Wealth Advisor and virtually all have offered to be references.
How much risk should I be willing to take?
Vector’s philosophy is that risk and reward should be managed through our SOJOURN™ wealth planning process. We believe you must first have an understanding of what you want your assets to do for you in the short-term (avoid risk) and what you want your asset to do for you in the long-term (growth). Too often risk and volatility are seen as the same; our process will help you separate these and place each where they belong and in a more precise (based on your financial life) amount.
Why should I choose you as my financial advisor?
Trust of our clients. Prior to merging with a younger firm this year, our average client tenure was 10.4 years, perhaps the most telling statistic there may be – along with the point that virtually every client asked has offered to be a reference. The Vector team members are diverse in their areas of expertise, and also have a common value shared by all – the desire and passion to serve. Vector has established written core values that are not something they aspire to, but rather, are a reflection of how they approach their work each day in serving the clients. Vector’s core values are:
Commitment to clients and each other
Never compromise ethics and integrity
Prepare relentlessly
Continue to raise the bar
Humbly confident
Vector keeps an empty chair in the corner of their conference room to represent the clients’ presence in every internal meeting – a reminder of who they serve.
Do you provide a free initial consultation?
Yes. Get started.