• DO I NEED A FINANCIAL ADVISOR?

    To start, please review the list below, which should help you answer this question.  Eustace Advisors will reference these topics during our initial client discussions to understand if there is a good fit between the client’s needs and our expertise.  We’ve also included a couple of public articles below which you may find helpful.

    Life situations that may warrant the use of a financial planner:

    1. You recently entered the work force, and need help establishing a budget, understanding employee retirement benefits, and building a financial plan.
    2. You're not confident enough to manage your own investments and want to do so in collaboration with a professional advisor.
    3. You are managing your own finances and want a professional advisor’s insight into your plan.
    4. You're saving for the future and need help building an asset allocation strategy and future savings projections to plan for major purchases and retirement.
    5. You've recently gotten married and need help integrating your assets and managing your finances as a couple.
    6. You've recently had a child and want to learn about education savings, life insurance, and estate planning as a new parent.
    7. You're recently divorced or widowed and need help managing your financial situation as a single person again.
    8. You are a small-business owner with limited time to focus on personal finances.
    9. You've recently received a windfall, such as an inheritance, and aren't sure how to make the most of it.
    10. You're nearing retirement age and want to confirm that your assets will sustain your desired lifestyle in retirement and make asset allocation and investment adjustments as warranted.
    11. You’re in retirement and want an independent assessment of your asset allocation, income vs. expenses, and assistance with mandatory distributions and tax planning.
    12. You are responsible for helping others (aging parents, children, extended family or friends) manage their financial affairs and want professional help.

    Investment experience and focus factors that may warrant the use of a financial planner:

    1. Do you already have a financial plan in place, which is used to guide your investment and asset allocation decisions?
    2. Do you have the time to execute your plan, evaluate your investments on a regular basis, and make periodic changes to your portfolio?
    3. Do you have a fair knowledge of investments and expertise in financial instruments and securities?
    4. Do you make time on a regular basis to learn about investing, budgeting, tax policies, insurance and estate planning?

    If you answered yes to the four questions above, you may not need a financial advisor.  However, even if you answered yes to the four questions above, you may still want a second opinion on your financial plan and to collaborate with a financial advisor.

    For further independent guidance on whether a financial advisor is right for you, see:

    Should I Use a Financial Advisor or Do It Myself? - SmartAsset

    Should You Use a Financial Advisor? (investopedia.com)

  • IS EUSTACE ADVISORS A GOOD FIT FOR ME?

    Most Eustace Advisor clients have the following characteristics:

    1. They understand the significant financial benefits that can be gained over time by partnering with an advisor who has the clients’ best interests in mind.
    2. They have life and financial circumstances that warrant the ongoing need for professional financial advice.
    3. They are willing to share important personal information, define their goals and concerns, and communicate important changes in their situation in a timely manner.
    4. They are willing to act upon the guidance provided by a professional advisor.

    Eustace Advisors helps our clients assess their complete financial picture, create long-term financial plans, execute the plan, and make adjustments to the plan as needed over time.  This allows our clients to face their financial futures with confidence.

  • WHO WOULD NOT BE A GOOD FIT FOR EUSTACE ADVISORS?

    In general, we will not be a good fit for you if:

    1. You’re not ready to put effort into your financial future. Your financial planning and investment management process will require work on your part and will be a partnership with your Advisor. The heavy lifting is in the first few months of our engagement, when we need to gather information, discuss goals and concerns, develop a plan, and open accounts.   Once that preliminary work is complete, the process shifts to more of a monitor-and-adjust focus. 
    2. You’re not comfortable using technology to manage your financial life.  If this is the case, you may struggle to take advantage of the tools we offer.   While we can help you with setting up accounts and data entry, we have found that our most-satisfied clients need to have basic familiarity with PC usage, videoconferencing software, secure website access, and using softcopy files.
    3. You want your advisor to pick stocks or predict short-term market trends.  
    4. You are looking for an Advisor specializing in alternate investments (hedge funds, private equity), cryptocurrency, derivatives or commodity trading.  These areas are outside of our expertise.

  • WHAT DOES FEE-ONLY MEAN, AND HOW DO YOU GET PAID?

    Eustace Advisors is a fee-only financial advisory firm, which is uncommon in the financial services industry.  When a firm is fee-only, it means that we only receive compensation directly from our clients.   We do NOT accept commissions for selling products, referral fees or any other form of kickback from other companies, EVER.  We intentionally chose this business model to allow our clients to know that our advice is in their best interest.  We encourage all consumers to understand how their advisors are being compensated.

  • IS EUSTACE ADVISORS A FIDUCIARY?

    Yes. Advisors that adhere to the fiduciary standard must place the best interests of the client before their own interests. Not all advisors adhere to the fiduciary standard, but Eustace Advisors does. We believe operating in this manner offers the best value to our clients. 

  • WHAT IS YOUR ACCOUNT MINIMUM?

    We do not require a minimum account value to take advantage of our services.  However, we do require the establishment of a Financial Plan and use of our Ongoing Financial Planning Service as a requirement to use our Investment Management service. 

  • WHAT IS YOUR INVESTMENT PHILOSOPHY?

    Eustace Advisors typically recommends a long-term, buy-and-hold, investing philosophy leveraging the Strategic Asset Allocation and Passive Investment Management strategies.  We don’t try to make short-term predictions and believe that a low-cost, risk-adjusted asset allocation plan coupled with investor self-discipline works best in the long run.

  • DO YOU OFFER OTHER SERVICES, SUCH AS INSURANCE, ESTATE PLANNING OR TAX RETURN PREPARATION?

    We do not offer such services.   We can help our clients understand how these tasks fit into your overall financial plan and provide guidance on available options.  If requested by our clients, we may recommend third-party professionals such as attorneys, accountants, tax advisors, insurance agents, or other financial professionals. Clients are never obligated to utilize any third-party professional we recommend. EA is not affiliated with, nor does EA receive any compensation from, third-party professionals we may recommend. 

  • ONCE I DECIDE I WANT TO WORK WITH EUSTACE ADVISORS, WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?

    Once you have decided to hire us, we will provide a Client Advisory Agreement for your review and signature.  This Agreement will include a summary of the service or services to be offered, fees for the services, and terms related to cancellation and refunds.  Once this Agreement is in place, we will follow our defined processes for the Eustace Advisors services you have selected.