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How Our Fiduciary Standards Protect You

 

The fiduciary standard has always been at the core of our firm's mission.


A “fiduciary” who manages an investor’s assets has a legal and ethical obligation to put the investor’s interests first. That means helping the investor make decisions in his or her best interests. 


Here’s how we protect you and your investments:

    • We always put your needs first. We are committed to the highest professional and personal standards, and this commitment remains as strong as ever. Our sole focus is on your financial needs and goals and how we can best help you pursue them.
    • We always act in your best interests. We are committed to putting your needs and goals before those of our firm. We strive to avoid any conflicts of interest, and if they arise and are unavoidable, we disclose these to you immediately. We provide a high level of transparency around any fees or expenses associated with your accounts, so that you always know what you own and what you’re paying for it, so there are never any surprises.
    • We are an independent and objective resource. As an independent firm, we provide you with objective, unbiased advice based solely on your needs and goals. We provide guidance that is truly objective, unencumbered by any potential conflicts of interest. We have no vested interest in promoting a particular product or service. Our only interest is that your financial objectives are met.


UNDERSTANDING THE FIDUCIARY STANDARD

In financial services, there have traditionally been two types of standards: the suitability standard and the fiduciary standard.  

The suitability standard is defined as determining whether an investment product or strategy is “suitable” for the investor based on his or her financial objectives and risk comfort level. Many advisors operate under the suitability standard where the advisor simply determines whether a recommended product or strategy is suitable for the client. The fiduciary standard is a higher level of responsibility for the advisor.  

The fiduciary standard goes beyond suitability and requires that any advice on products and strategies be provided in the best interests of the investor. The fiduciary standard of care requires that the advisor take into consideration whether the fees are reasonable, whether there are any conflicts of interest, and whether the investments are adequately diversified.


OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU

As your advisor, we adhere to the fiduciary standard, and we believe this model of disclosure and transparency is in your best interests. In our view, you deserve to have your needs put first and the strategies and investment products we recommend should align according to those needs.
Our fiduciary standard mandates that every single recommendation we make must be based on your best interests, and there is no circumstance when we can place our interests above yours. By adhering to the fiduciary standard, we believe we can provide you with the highest standard of care for all your investment and retirement needs.

 

SAFEGUARDING YOUR FINANCIAL DREAMS

When it comes to managing your money, your financial relationships should be built on a foundation of trust, integrity and transparency. Not all firms and advisors adhere to the same legal and regulatory standards. We remain committed to earning and maintaining your trust through expert advice and effective strategies custom tailored to your unique needs. We define our success by seeing you succeed in achieving your financial goals. And our focus remains on serving your interests first and foremost.

This award was issued on 01/01/2024 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 04/10/2023 through 10/31/2023. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 1,897 Kansas City-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 136 (7% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2023: 1,843, 138, 7%, 1/1/23, 4/18/22 - 10/21/22; 2022: 1,670, 128, 8%, 1/1/22, 4/20/21 - 10/15/21; 2021: 1,678, 118, 7%, 1/1/21, 4/20/20 - 10/23/20; 2020: 1,579, 115, 7%, 1/1/20, 4/1/19 - 11/13/19; 2019: 1,574, 134, 9%, 1/1/19, 5/11/18 - 11/27/18; 2018: 1,387, 119, 9%, 1/1/18, 5/17/17 - 11/30/17; 2017: 952, 212, 22%, 12/1/16, 3/26/16 - 11/28/16; 2016: 880, 216, 25%, 11/1/15, 5/20/15 - 10/15/15; 2015: 1,572, 201, 13%, 12/1/14, 5/20/14 - 10/15/14; 2014: 785, 176, 22%, 12/1/13, 5/20/13 - 10/15/13; 2013: 766, 203, 27%, 12/1/12, 5/20/12 - 10/15/12; 2012: 676, 200, 30%, 11/1/11, 5/20/11 - 10/15/11.
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*Winners appearing on this page do not pay a fee to be considered or to win the Five Star Award. Professionals with a digital profile have paid a promotional fee.
Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria – required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria – considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.