Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a selection of the questions that are most often posed to us and our answers. If you have a question please don't hesitate to contact us and we'd be happy to help.

You may not have the time, expertise, or the desire to plan and manage certain financial portions of your life.  You may want help simply getting started.  You may benefit from an objective perspective on what are often emotional, difficult decisions.  We find that our clients are commonly busy people that appreciate, and find it beneficial to have a financial professional double-checking their efforts.

Focus.  Retirement planning is not a sideline business for us.  Our practice is primarily centered upon providing continued Family Wealth Management services for  clients that seek a full service relationship on a long-term basis.  We are not all things to all people.

Comprehensive Retirement Planning.  All of our work, including investment strategies, is integrated with each client’s financial plan.  It is designed to help clients remain in control of their financial freedom and independence. 

Reputation.  We are recognized by our clients, peers and other professionals as one of the premier providers of wealth management services for retirees and pre-retirees in the Portland, OR area. 

 

Your initial meeting with us is an opportunity for us to discuss your financial goals and concerns.  There is no fee or obligation with this consultation.  We focus on how we can help answer your financial questions by getting to know you.  The objective of this initial consultation is for you to become comfortable with us.

Individuals come to us for help understanding their finances.   Some feel overwhelmed by too many investment options, want to maintain their current lifestyle in retirement, or are uncertain how to reach their financial objectives.  For these reasons, we find it necessary to understand your goals and background in order to help you sustain your ideal lifestyle without depleting your resources. 

If you have specific questions, you are welcome to bring some of your financial information.  This information will help us understand from a comprehensive perspective your current situation.  To more effectively answer your questions, we ask that you bring:

    • Most recent investment statements
    • Most recent income tax returns
    • Estate planning documents (if applicable)
    • Existing Life Insurance and Long Term Care Insurance policy information

We will then review, discuss and fully address your questions with this information in a subsequent meeting.

Independent Financial Group, LLC is our broker/dealer based out of San Diego, CA.  Independent Financial Group, LLC has a clearing and custodial relationship with Pershing LLC, providing access to publicly traded stocks, bonds, and options plus a broad universe of mutual funds, exchange traded funds, unit investment trusts, and variable life and annuities. Pershing is a subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon, the nation’s oldest continuously operating bank, and has provided securities brokerage services since 1939.

No.  We will never take direct custody over client assets.

What separates a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) professional from other financial advisors is that CFP® professionals are trained and evaluated in six specialty areas to provide a comprehensive approach to financial planning. 

    • Retirement
    • Estate Planning
    • Tax
    • Investments
    • Budgeting
    • Insurance

Individuals that hold the CFP® mark have fulfilled the certification and renewal requirements of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board), demonstrating a high level of competency, ethics, and professionalism. To become a CFP®, an individual must complete a rigorous educational curriculum at an approved college or university, pass the comprehensive CFP® exam, and have a minimum of three years of experience in the financial planning process.

Because they are held to a fiduciary standard of care, a CFP® professional is required to act in your best interests.

Your information will be used for compliance documentation and to build out the appropriate investment portfolio. 

True Path Capital Strategies does not sell client data.  All consultations and meetings are strictly confidential.

The frequency of meetings and conversations varies from client to client, according to individual preferences and circumstances. 

True Path Capital Strategies can meet or speak as often as needed.  We setup a customized schedule based on your preferred method and frequency of communication.  We are able to communicate with clients via e-mail, phone, video conferencing, or face-to-face. 

Meetings can be held in-person or online.  If your meeting is online, we prefer that web cameras are turned on to improve the effectiveness of our meetings.

We do not have an in-house accountant or attorney and do not provide tax or legal advice. 

We do have great relationships with several in the Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA area in the event you would need a referral for legal or tax services. 

Note: We do not accept any referral fees or “kick-backs” from any referral partners.

Our clients tend to be hard-working individuals who appreciate our “lean” business model.  We do not work out of expensive 22nd floor office towers.  Ultimately, real estate lease costs are passed along to clients.  Our clients are often independent thinkers that are open to new ideas and strategies.  We have designed our firm to cater to this niche and created a fee structure that adequately reflects the value we bring to the table. 

In order to deliver our high-touch and high-service model, we do cap our client relationships.  The minimum initial asset value for new client accounts is $500,000, which may be lowered by TPCS at our discretion.

Yes.  We work predominantly with retired and semi-retired clients who frequently have both winter and summer homes or may actually take up residence in “warm and sunny” places throughout the United States.

Assets under management – We will use Pershing as a custodian and help you open and fund your accounts with contributions, transfers, rollovers and deposits.  We will also assist you with any withdrawals, distributions, and account maintenance.  Finally, we trade and rebalance your accounts to implement your portfolio strategy or when your plan changes.

External Accounts – We can help your manage your company retirement plans, 529 plans, and other accounts that are not directly under our control.  Within this service, we help you research and select from a core list of investment options that are available in your plan.  Once recommendations are available, our team can help you understand and implement these changes through a teleconference or online meeting.

The first step is to meet and discuss your objectives, concerns and goals.  This is a no-obligation, no-cost consultation.  From there we can mutually decide on appropriate next steps.

To get started, please either complete the contact form or give us a call.

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