Frequently Asked Questions
If you're like me, you like doing a little online research before making an appointment with someone you've never met. That's why I've created this FAQ page to answer the most commonly asked questions I receive.
How do you get paid?
There are three ways we get paid:
1. Financial planning fees- we offer Holistic Financial Plans, helping you make financial decisions in light of your full financial life, rather than one piece at a time. We set a fee for the work we will do based on complexity and the amount of time we expect to spend on your plan.
2. Advisory fees on assets we manage for you- we charge an annual fee (which is listed transparently on our website) based on the balance of your account, charged quarterly. For example, if your account value is $100,000, our 1.3% annual fee would come out to $1,300/year, or $325/quarter. (This fee includes platform fees, sponsor fees, account fees, trading fees, and what we get paid to manage your account- no surprise fees here!)
3. Commissions- we occasionally offer investments that charge an upfront commission, which we will disclose. We also earn commissions for helping you purchase things like life insurance. In these instances, the insurance company pays us directly, and you do not pay anything extra for our help.
Do you have an investment minimum?
For new clients, we have an investment minimum of $250,000, this applies to investment management only, not to our Holistic Financial Planning services. There is no investment minimum to engage in Financial Planning.
We wish we were able to serve everyone who wants our help, but we simply cannot provide the service levels we're committed to for smaller accounts. We do provide free education via our blog, email newsletter, and social media presence.
Do you sell insurance?
We do offer insurance solutions such as life, disability, and long-term care, but only for clients who engage in our Holistic Financial Planning services. We cannot confidently recommend what type and level of insurance you should buy without fully understanding your financial situation. However, we would be happy to help you find another professional if insurance is all you are looking for at this time.
What are your qualifications?
Nicole has been serving clients as a Financial Advisor since 2015 and earned her CFP® designation in 2026. She holds her Series 7 and Series 66 Registrations through Savvy Advisors, allowing her access to a large range of investments. She also holds her life and disability insurance license.
Our planning services are supported by a team of experienced professionals within Savvy Advisors, including CFP® holders. Our investment models are managed by teams of experienced professionals, allowing us to spend more of our time with our clients on their plans.
How do you communicate with your clients?
I meet with clients in person or via Zoom based on what works best for the client. Clients receive a scheduling link so they can schedule a call or full session with me anytime they need.
Are you a fiduciary?
Yes! This means that not only are we committed to doing our best to do what's best for you, we are also legally held to that standard. The standards for the Certified Financial Planner® designation (which Nicole holds) further defines the fiduciary standard and how to apply that standard to our everyday work.