This is our chance to get acquainted and for us to begin to understand what is important to you. It also gives you a chance to get to know the team and our process and mutually decide if we are a good fit for one another. We know time is your most precious commodity so we will do our best to cover as much as we can in our 60-90 minutes initial meeting. Otherwise, it is like drinking from a fire hydrant and can feel overwhelming.

In preparing for our first meeting it is helpful to do thinking about your goals, what you want to accomplish. Write those down. Bring account statements or other documents that will assist us to get a picture of where you are. If possible, complete the Financial Planning Questionnaire. (It is not mandatory, but we will be asking questions related to that content.) 

In general, we will be asking for copies of financial statements. As far as employer benefits are concerned we are familiar and have copies of Summary Plan Descriptions for area most employers. If not we will ask for some additional information or documents about benefits, insurance and estate plans. However, we will take that one step at a time, as needed.

 Clients seeking Investment Portfolio Management in addition to planning are considered on a case-by-case basis.  We provide the best fit and value for clients with $1 million or more in investable assets.  If you are looking for Financial Planning or Divorce Planning services, we do not require you to place assets with us and thus do not have a minimum asset requirement. 

Absolutely! Part of our job is to help you learn what you need to know to feel confident about the decisions you will need to make.

In the initial stages of our relationships, you’ll hear from our team as often as weekly. Once your plan (and in some cases investments) is in place, you’ll generally get a phone call, email, or snail mail every other month. One of us is always just a phone call or email away.

Our goal is to respond to all incoming messages and calls on the same day where possible, and always within 24 hours.

Sometimes. When we provide Advisory Services and programs to our clients and their Advisory Accounts, we act as a fiduciary. Clients who select an Advisory Service or Program typically pay a periodic ongoing fee based upon the assets in the applicable Advisory Accounts and, with some exceptions, do not pay commissions on trades executed by Baird. Visit our Unpacking what it means to be a Fiduciary piece.  

Because Baird is dually registered as a broker-dealer and investment advisor we are able to offer a client both brokerage (transaction based) and investment advisory (advice) services. Brokerage accounts and advisory programs have different structures, administration, types and levels of service, fees and expenses. They are designed to address different client needs, and advisory programs may not be appropriate for clients who tend to direct their own investment strategies and execute transactions without the recommendation or advice of their Financial Advisor, prefer a buy and hold strategy that is not actively monitored Baird or their Financial Advisor, value low fees and expenses over ongoing professional investment advice and/or maintain high levels of cash and cash equivalents.

That depends on the client and the client's needs. In general our team uses individual stocks, individual bonds, mutual funds, exchange traded funds and annuities in our investment strategies.  When selecting a combination to recommend we consider client fit factors like cost, time horizon, risk, ease of use and the client’s level of comfort with the particular investment type.