What is Due Diligence?
Due diligence is an investigative process that investors use to determine the competence and trustworthiness of financial planners, financial advisors, and money managers. The due diligence process focuses on advisor credentials, ethics, business practices, performance, risk management, investment expenses, and financial services.
We provide FREE online services and paid consulting services when our professional staff does the due diligence work for investors.
Free Due Diligence (Online)
Our research tools gather important facts from financial advisors and produce a free report that includes a quality rating of None to Five Stars. This service level does not validate the accuracy of data that is provided to us by financial professionals.
In most cases, the reports provide the facts you need to make the right decisions when you select, retain, and replace financial planners, financial advisors, and money managers. Plus, you have a permanent record of all advisor responses
Consulting Services (Our Professional Staff)
We also provide consulting services that includes our professional staff. If you select this service the due diligence is more comprehensive and includes background checks for financial professionals. This due diligence service has the following characteristics:
Why Use our Consulting Service?
You do not need this service if all advisors are the competent, ethical professionals they say they are. Unfortunately, all advisors make these claims, but only a small percentage are real experts. Our consulting fees are usually a few tenths of one percent of the assets you will be placing with these professionals. Why take a chance?
Less than 2% of investor losses are due to scams. 98% of losses are impacted by bad advice, bad products, excessive risk exposure, and high expenses.
Who Uses Our Consulting Services?
Our clients have one or more of the following characteristics:
- They are placing a million dollars or more with financial professionals and firms
- They are dependent on the assets for income and financial security
- They have been damaged by previous advisors
- They are first-time users of advisor services
- They are suddenly responsible for a large sum of money (widows, divorcees, inheritances)
Consulting Services
We provide a menu of consulting and due diligence services that are delivered one-time or with annual reviews. You select the services you need.
- Comprehensive due diligence for financial professionals and firms
- Validation for key advisor and firm information
- Background checks for professionals and firms
- Compliance checks at FINRA, SEC, and state securities and insurance commissioners
- A review of service contracts and agreements
- An analysis of advisor track records
- A review of fee schedules
- A review of all investment expenses
What Does It Cost?
Our consulting fees vary based on the services you select, our ability to access data in a timely manner, and the complexity of the data. Fees are quoted for normal and customary amounts of work. Any additional fees must be approved by you before any work is initiated. Contact us to obtain a fee quote. 50% of the fee is payable before any work is initiated. The remainder is due prior to our submission of your Findings Report. Our minimum fee is $500. A typical fee for a professional is $875. A typical fee for a small firm of professionals is $1,950.
