Certified Financial Planner
What Does A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Mean For You?
Why Choose HSC Wealth Advisors?
Because we’re morally and ethically grounded and highly credentialed financial professionals. Of the CFP® professionals in Lynchburg and Forest, 5 work at HSC Wealth Advisors! Clients today have many options when it comes to choosing a financial professional. And financial planners and advisors today have many options when it comes to choosing a professional certification. The fact is, there’s one credential that truly stands on its own…CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.
A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification is by far the most recognized and respected financial planning designation. The marketplace knows that CFP® professionals ask better questions and offer more intelligent solutions. They are thoroughly trained and tested through a rigorous, comprehensive exam.
Don’t settle for any financial planning professional. Tip the balance in your favor by working with a professional, who has earned the one credential that easily outweighs all others.
How Does a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Add Value to Your Financial Portfolio?
Do you need more reasons why you should choose HSC Wealth Advisors?
In 2014, an investment management company that manages approximately $3.0 trillion in assets published a research paper that provides specific evidence about the worth of a financial advisor by evaluating the value advisors could add for their clients. How much value could a financial advisor add? The company says the “potential value-added” is “about 3%”. But the details are important.
Not all advisors adopt the added-value strategy advocated by HSC Wealth Advisors. Having this strategy in place at HSC means that we take the time to evaluate your portfolio, meet with you to discuss your goals, and help you through any rough bumps in the market. We add value to your portfolio by:
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- Diversifying across asset classes such as US stocks, emerging market stocks, government bonds, etc.
- Choosing appropriate, low-expense investments like exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and no-load, no transaction fee mutual funds.
- Rebalancing your portfolio when needed.
- Minimizing the tax impact of investing by locating investments by tax characteristics of account (e.g., taxable vs. tax-deferred vs. Roth).
- Creating a long-term asset allocation strategy and sticking to it.
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Individual investors can be their own worst enemy, reacting to the most recent news, buying into an up-market and selling after a down-market. In his book, The Investor’s Manifesto, William Bernstein devotes 30 pages to a chapter titled “The Enemy in the Mirror.” The evidence shows that an investor who does not stick to a long-term strategy experiences lower returns over time. An advisor could add up to 1.5% in this area.
Mutual fund companies are like any other for-profit business seeking to maximize profit. So they spend their marketing dollars highlighting products that earn them the most profit. Fair enough. That generally means funds with high expense ratios. Unfortunately, the research shows those funds underperform lower-
A fee-only Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), like HSC Wealth Advisors, is required by law to act in the client’s best interest; if low-expense funds perform better over time, they are in the client’s best interest. But many individual investors don’t take the time to research which funds are a strategic fit for their portfolio AND have low expense ratios. An advisor could add up to 0.45% in this area.
The tax implications of investing are complicated, thanks to a byzantine tax code written by Congress over decades. Understanding where to place an investment, when to sell an investment, and choosing an investment with a light tax footprint could add up to 0.75% of return. That’s an average number, and we’ve seen situations where it is much more, typically for high-income individuals. Most clients are not aware of the full value of tax-sensitive investing.
In Investing, No Risk Means No Return
So does working with an advisor eliminate investment risk? No. The whole reason there is investment return is because money was put at-risk. In today’s low-interest-rate environment, “no risk” literally means “no return” or, more accurately, no risk means an after-inflation loss. The most important question is: What is the appropriate risk for this investor? A good advisor, like HSC Wealth Advisors, will work with an investor to construct a risk-appropriate portfolio. That’s an important part of sticking to the strategy, which the research paper says provides the most benefit.
Can an individual investor do all these things him- or herself? Yes. But—because they lead busy lives with other interests—very few actually do. Considering the size and importance of investments, for most people, it makes sense to hire a professional.
HSC Wealth Advisors Cares about You
HSC Wealth Advisors (HSC) is an independent fee-only wealth management firm comprised of a team of EXPERIENCED financial advisors and investment managers. When you are seeking professional, dedicated experts to help you plan a secure retirement strategy, start your financial portfolio as a young investor, or create a comprehensive financial plan, the team members at HSC are experienced and eager to help you achieve your goals.
Located in view of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, we serve individuals and families across America. You are at the center of all we do. As you share your goals and plans for the future, we listen and work with you to develop your personalized financial management and investment strategies.
You can count on HSC to always act in your best interest and be there to fine-tune and adjust your financial plans as your life changes and you face challenges—both good and bad. You may need help with understanding and planning for:
- Social Security Benefits
- Pension Options
- 401K Savings
- Insurance Recommendations
- Tax and Estate Planning
You will have confidence in us knowing that as of 02/28/2019, HSC Wealth Advisors had over $250 million in regulatory assets under management. For nearly 350 households and for over 35 years, we have served everyone from young professionals to older individuals in retirement. We provide peace of mind to those we serve as they successfully flourish in their careers, start their families, or retire.
As you choose an experienced firm to guide you through the complex world of financial planning and investment management, remember the advantages of working with independent fee-only advisors: our only incentive is to provide you with sound advice and a stable financial future. We look forward to partnering with you to meet your financial and life goals.
Considering fee-only financial planning? Contact the experienced fee-only financial advisors at HSC and let us help you secure a financial future.
