Financial Services

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Fiduciary vs. Suitability

Today’s current financial services landscape can be daunting to navigate. The financial professionals that you encounter are not all created equal and the motivation behind the recommendations they make is an important piece of the retirement puzzle.

What may be “suitable” to your situation may not always be the best solution for you personally.
Our firm adheres to the fiduciary model of disclosure and transparency.

It is important that you understand the difference between fiduciary & suitability to fully appreciate the level of care you receive from a trusted financial advisor.

Fiduciary vs. Suitability

Advisor

(The Fiduciary Standard):

Offers “best advice” taking into account the needs of each individual client

Is paid a quarterly fee calculated as a percentage of the assets under advisement

Broker

(The Suitability Standard):

Offers products for sale from a range of products carried by the company he or she represents.

Is paid commissions calculated as a percentage of the amount of money invested into the product

The fiduciary standard requires advice to be provided in the best interests of the client including the disclosure of possible conflicts of interest.

The suitability standard states that a broker only needs to check the suitability of a prospective buyer, based primarily upon financial objectives, current income level and age, in order to complete a commissionable sale of a financial product. In a way, when a broker checks the suitability of a potential buyer, he or she is measuring how much financial product can be sold, not the needs of the investor. No disclosure of possible conflicts of interest is required. Common differences between the two standards involve trading commissions.

What Does it Mean to You?

The total return that your investment receives may be lessened by hidden costs. Undisclosed commissions and internal costs are commonly deducted from the amount an investor allocates to a financial product. When these commissions and fees are unclear it is much harder to understand what benefit your investment is receiving and what it is costing you.

Elevated Financial Management

manages assets for individuals and families, providing investment management, and financial planning services

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Email

info@efmnw.com

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(253) 342-7142

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