Financial Alternatives provides fee-only fiduciary wealth management, financial planning, retirement planning, investment management, and coordination with your CPA and estate attorney to help successful families and professionals make informed financial decisions.
Our EXPERT Advisory Process® will empower you and your family to reach your financial goals and dreams.
We review key areas of your finances and deliver personalized advice and investment management that are coordinated with your CPA, attorney, and the rest of your professional team – giving you the clarity and confidence to focus on everything else you care about.
Through a series of meetings, financial tools, and ongoing services that we call our EXPERT Advisory Process®, we help you make Better Wealth Choices℠ for today and tomorrow.
Our EXPERT Process and corresponding Financial Tools can help you:
Stay on track to achieve your goals.
Manage risks by coordinating with insurance and legal professionals.
Communicate better with family on estate planning and other financial issues.
Properly manage your investments and other resources such as pensions and real estate.
Have a plan for life’s unexpected challenges.
Investment Approach
We design and maintain your investment portfolio to balance your needs for principal protection, income, and growth.
We strive to ensure investments will be tax efficient, low cost, and properly diversified to reduce risk and maximize return.
Using a disciplined and systematic investment process over multiple market cycles has lead us to favor investments from Vanguard and Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), as well as mortgage backed investments, commonly called private Trust Deeds.
We choose to work with investment firms that believe that avoiding unnecessary trading, management, sales, and tax costs is critical to preserving and growing your portfolio.
Book an appointment to discuss our portfolio management services or to receive a second opinion on your portfolio.
Have questions about how we work?
Find answers to common questions about our services, fees, process, and client experience.
Advisory Fees
Our fees are simple and transparent.
We ordinarily charge based on a percentage of the value of your investment portfolio starting at 1% per year (please see the tiered rate table below). Based on the scope of services or other circumstances in your case, a minimum annual fee or customized arrangement may apply.
| Asset Value | Annual Rate |
|---|---|
| $0.00 – $2,000,000.00 | 1.00% |
| $2,000,000.01 – $5,000,000.00 | 0.80% |
| $5,000,000.01 – $10,000,000.00 | 0.60% |
| $10,000,000.01 and up | 0.40% |
Ready to discuss your current planning?
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Services
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Our services are tailored to the needs of each client. Depending on your circumstances and agreed-upon scope of work, we may provide investment management, financial planning, retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning coordination, risk management discussions, and other forms of ongoing financial guidance. Most new clients engage us for a more holistic approach to financial planning and advisory services, while others primarily seek investment management services.
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Yes. While our office is located in La Jolla, we work with clients throughout San Diego County, across California, and throughout the United States using virtual meetings, phone calls, and secure online collaboration tools. Roughly one-third of our clients live outside of California.
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We regularly collaborate with CPAs, estate planning attorneys, and other professionals to help ensure your investment, tax, and estate strategies remain aligned. While we do not prepare tax returns or legal documents, we help facilitate communication and coordinated decision-making.
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Our investment philosophy emphasizes tax efficiency, diversification, evidence-based decision making, and cost-conscious implementation. Rather than attempting to predict short-term market movements, we focus on building portfolios designed to support each client's goals, risk tolerance, income needs, and broader financial strategy.
We are not limited to a single investment methodology or platform and remain open to a variety of investment approaches when appropriate for a client's circumstances and objectives.
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Our fees are generally based on a tiered percentage of assets under management, as shown in the fee schedule above. Depending on the scope and complexity of services provided, minimum annual fees or customized arrangements may apply. We believe transparency is important, which is why our advisory fees are clearly disclosed and reflected on your quarterly billing statements.
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We believe the best advisory relationships begin with a clear understanding of a client's goals, circumstances, opportunities, and concerns. The Financial Assessment provides a structured framework for evaluating your financial situation while giving both you and our firm an opportunity to determine whether an ongoing advisory relationship would be beneficial. Many prospective clients find the process valuable regardless of whether they ultimately establish an ongoing advisory relationship.
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We primarily serve successful individuals and families seeking objective advice regarding investments, retirement, taxes, estate planning, and other important financial decisions. Many clients come to us looking for greater coordination, clarity, and confidence in managing significant financial resources.