Why EP Wealth Advisors?

Comprehensive Financial Advice – The Purpose of Financial Planning

Portfolio performance is only one piece of the wealth puzzle, because the decisions you make on social security, your mortgage, your insurance, your taxes, etc. have just as large of an impact on your wealth as your investment decisions. The purpose of financial planning is to make sure you have all your finances integrated and organized so you make prudent decisions throughout the course of your life.

Fee-Only, And Not Fee-Based

It’s easy to confuse the two terms, but a quick way to remember the difference is fee-only is where fees to the firm ends, and fee-based is where those fees start. As a fee-only firm, the only fees you’ll be charged are advisory fees and nothing else. And as a fiduciary, we have a legal obligation to provide advice in your best interest.

However, at a fee-based firm you may be charged an advisory fee on your money, and also pay hidden commissions to them on products they sell.

Highly Qualified Professionals

At EP Wealth Advisors, you will have the support of a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ for your financial planning and multiple Chartered Financial Analysts managing your investment portfolio.

The CFP® Certification Examination is designed to assess advisors/planners’ ability to integrate and apply a broad base of financial planning knowledge in the context of real life financial planning situations. CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS™ must go through extensive training and are tested on 8 general financial planning areas, including:

  • Investment Planning
  • Tax Planning
  • Retirement Savings and Income Planning
  • Estate Planning
  • Risk Management and Insurance Planning
  • Education Planning
  • General Planning Principles
  • Professional Conduct and Regulation

Once certified, they’re held to high ethical standards. And because they understand the complexities of an ever-changing financial landscape, they’ll make financial planning recommendations that are in your best interest.

The Chartered Financial Analysts examination is broken down into 3 levels. The recommended study time for each exam level is 300 hours:

  • Level I exams consist of basic knowledge and comprehension questions focused on investment tools; some questions will require analysis.
  • Level II exams emphasize more complex analysis, along with a focus on valuing assets.
  • Level III exams require synthesis of all the concepts and analytical methods in a variety of applications for effective portfolio management and wealth planning.
Performance That Matters

If you’ve ever wondered “Why use a financial advisor?” the people with the Dalbar Study have done the research for you. According to the Study, investors underperformed the market by more than 3% annually. What’s most interesting is that it wasn’t due to investment selection, the study reveals the number one cause of underperformance is investor behavior.

Working with an EP Wealth Advisor who knows you and understands your goals, means that they will create a financial plan which prepares you to invest in the markets, and gives the proper context for your investments so you can make prudent decisions no matter where you are in the market cycle.

The Principles of Our Wealth Management

The Principles of Our Wealth Management

The kind of portfolio performance that matters most isn’t measured only against a market index. It’s measured by how well it enables you to achieve your goals while minimizing uncertainty and risk. EP Wealth Advisors has distilled this definition of performance into three guiding principles:

SIMPLICITY: Our goal is to simplify your financial life.

Achieving your financial objectives can involve numerous components. Bringing them all together through a team that understands the big picture can significantly simplify your life. We’ve built our Peace of Mind (POM) Planning Model to serve as a comprehensive approach to managing all of your financial needs. This includes the way different life stages can change your goals and needs. So when new issues arise in your life, we’re well prepared to address them.

TRANSPARENCY: Seeing is believing.

That’s why EP Wealth’s POM Planning Model is so valuable: you’ll see the steps in the process beforehand so you know what to expect. And you’ll receive quarterly reports and participate in an annual review so you have a clear understanding of your progress and will address any changes in objectives. Our own approach to business is transparent as well. We’re fee-only advisors—with no products to sell. Because your success is our success, you can be confident that our recommendations are always in your best interest.

PURPOSE: It’s the why of wealth that ultimately matters.

We’re here to help you focus on the “whys” that matter most to you, and arrange your financial resources to achieve them. Whatever your priorities—from financial security to philanthropic causes—we’ll align our capabilities with your goals. The result is performance with a purpose: empowering you to live a more meaningful life.

Financial Planning for Every Stage of Life

Financial Planning for Every Stage of Life

It’s been said many times, change is the only constant in life. Chances are your financial goals may shift over time due to changes in career, marriage, housing, a growing family or an inheritance. The benefit of financial planning is to help you successfully manage any changes in life you might encounter.  We’re prepared to help you through any changes life my bring.  Make sure your advisor is someone you’d be comfortable with in times of transition.

Emerging
  • Tax planning
  • Children’s education / financial aid
  • Insurance analysis
  • Mortgage analysis
Accumulation
  • Business and financial planning
  • 401K / company retirement plans
  • Tactical management
  • Individual securities
  • Stock option analysis
  • Real estate analysis
Pre-Retirement
  • Business succession planning
  • Divorce planning
  • Social security maximization strategies
  • Philanthropy
  • Monte Carlo Financial probability analysis
Retirement and Legacy
  • Estate planning
  • Roth conversions
  • Insurance analysis (including health)
  • Widowed and in transition
  • Roles and responsibilities of heirs
How to Choose a Financial Advisor?

How to Choose a Financial Advisor?

Here Are 27 Suggestions for Finding the Right Fit

At EP Wealth Advisors, we understand the need to an advisor who fits you and your situation. And to help with that process, we’ve created a worksheet to help you compare services as you select the right financial advisor for you. CLICK HERE FOR PDF

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