Fiduciary Approach To Wealth Management
Your best interest always comes first at Halpern Financial. Our clients benefit from the sum of our team’s talents in financial consulting, portfolio management, and personal finance education over a lifetime, from optimizing retirement saving to creating a legacy for generations to come.
Build a Bridge to a Better Tomorrow
The first step of the journey is listening. While everyone’s destination is different, we have the expertise and tools to chart an individualized path to achieve your goals. Our specialty is providing unbiased advice for the large and small financial decisions faced by high net worth individuals and families.
We are a fiduciary. That means we always put our clients’ best interest first, and we work to make sure that you have what you need for your financial future. That’s why we are:
Fee-Only
We receive no compensation from any product provider or transaction. Rather, we charge on a “fee-only” basis (a percentage of assets managed). We are paid solely by our clients to give advice and manage their portfolio.
Independent
We have no affiliation with any bank, broker, or insurer, and we avoid all conflicts of interest. Our loyalty is firmly to our clients.
A Registered Investment Advisor
We are subject to regulatory standards set by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Institutional Access
Our clients benefit from the same exclusive access and cost savings as institutional investors. This access is typically not available to individual investors.
Great Listeners and Explainers
Our clients share their financial hopes, dreams, and fears with us. They trust us not only to handle the financial complexities of their lives, but also to understand what is important to them and provide guidance on the path to achieve financial goals.
Transparent
Our independence allows total transparency about our offering. You wouldn’t hire any other professional without understanding what you get in exchange for the cost. Why should financial advice be different?
Becoming a client
We believe clients deserve a long-term advisory relationship based on integrity and trust, which fosters open communication, encourages candid advice, and promotes innovative strategies. Here’s the path we follow to achieve this.
Step 1: Discovery
Our complimentary discovery meeting will center on learning about your financial needs and goals, while giving you the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the values, philosophy, and capabilities of Halpern Financial.
Step 2: Wealth Profile
We continue the data gathering process using the Wealth Profile. This provides an overview of your current financial situation, helping us become more aware of your concerns and objectives, and organize and prioritize your goals.
Step 3: Review and Recommendation (R&R)
After gathering your information, we will develop a comprehensive review and recommendation report. This report provides a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of your current financial situation and presents strategies to help reach your financial goals and objectives.
Step 4: Engagement and Establishment
We will then begin establishing accounts and initiating the transfer process. During the establishment process we keep you informed of progress through proactive communication making it a simplified and seamless experience.
Step 5: Portfolio Development
This report details your customized target portfolio allocation based on your objectives and risk propensity and includes specific steps to reach your target portfolio. We use a number of techniques to ensure your portfolio is implemented prudently, including "in-kind" transfers, value-based dollar-cost-averaging and downside protection measures.
Step 6: Monitor and Review
By its definition wealth management is an ever-changing process and the approach needs to be flexible to adapt to life events, changes in the markets and economy, as well as new regulatory legislation. In addition to regular portfolio rebalancing and performance reviews, we believe it is essential to regularly assess progress towards your goals and objectives.
Find Out what It's Like To Be A Client
Investment Methodology
We use a disciplined, scientific investment process that focuses on each client’s unique objectives. Our portfolios are designed to mitigate controllable risks and maximize after tax returns.
Our investment philosophy is influenced by economist Eugene Fama’s Nobel Prize-award-winning research on Modern Portfolio Theory and Efficient Markets. This helps us to find the optimal balance asset mix for each client’s needs, balancing potential risk and returns.
Focus
We focus on the factors that are within our control (as opposed to trying to predict the fickle moves of the market).
Regular Rebalancing
Rebalancing is the only way to improve your probability of consistently buying low and selling high. However, it feels very counterintuitive to buy “losers” and sell “winners,” so very few individual investors actually do rebalance.
Tax Efficiency
Our portfolios for tax-deferred and after-tax accounts are designed to ensure that various investments are in the correct type of account to limit taxes. In addition to the broad portfolio design, we take tax efficiency into account on a variety of levels, taking specific investments, cash flow needs, and the individual’s tax situation into account. This includes holding the right securities in the right type of accounts, and monitoring the tax implications of gains against losses.
Low Institutional Costs
The funds and ETFs we select for our portfolios have extremely low expense ratios, which keeps more money “in your pocket” to grow through the power of compounding. Because of our size and institutional access, we are also able to trade free of cost, and we only use products free from commissions and other hidden fees.
Transparency
We perform regular performance reporting, use independent third party custodians, and present no hidden fees.
Management Fees
Halpern Financial is strictly fee-only. Our fee consists of an annual percentage of assets managed plus an initial one-time client establishment fee. This covers all-inclusive, holistic wealth management. We do not assess separate fees for financial consulting services; this is all included. This structure places advisor and client on the same side of the table. The only way we are compensated is to grow your assets under management—not to sell you proprietary products laden with fees and commissions!
Advisory Fees are automatically deducted on a quarterly basis from your accounts. The fee is assessed in arrears on the first day of each calendar quarter—in January, April, July and October. (Example: 1% annual fee/0.25% per quarter) If preferred, you can request to pay the fees manually and will receive an invoice each quarter.
Our tiered fee schedule provides discounted rates as your assets grow. (For assets under $1 million, see "Minimums" section below.)
Minimums
The minimum size for beginning an investment advisory relationship with Halpern Financial is $1 million, except for existing clients and their families. Accounts may be aggregated to meet the $1 million minimum relationship size. We will assess a 1.2% annual fee and a one-time client establishment fee of $1,500 on any accounts accepted for management that do not meet our $1 million minimum. Halpern Financial may waive its 1.2% minimum fee or charge a lesser investment advisory fee or Client Establishment Fee based upon certain criteria (i.e. anticipated future earning capacity, anticipated future additional assets, dollar amount of assets to be managed, related accounts, account composition, negotiations with client, etc.).
Client Establishment Fee
The Client Establishment Fee covers the preliminary work done during the initial stages of the client relationship. This includes the Review and Recommendation report, establishing accounts, and any other. The CEF is a one-time flat fee payable within 30 days of signing the Investment Advisory Agreement.
Fee range is shown below. The CEF may be debited from the client's account or paid separately. (For accounts under $1 million, see "Minimums" section above.)
Fidelity Transaction Fees
The majority of mutual funds and specific ETFs we use are traded free of charge. Fidelity assesses a transaction fee for the purchase and sale of stocks and certain Exchange Traded Funds (ETF). Halpern Financial, Inc. does not participate in this fee in any way.
Please review Important Disclosure Information set forth in the last section of this web site.
A: As a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), we are committed to aligning our interests with those of our clients. We can remain unbiased in our relationship with you because we accept no commissions or referral fees. Our compensation comes directly from our clients. Our independence from the broker-dealer and wirehouse world allows us to offer unbiased advice in an objective manner.
A: A Registered Investment Advisor is any person that meets the definition of Investment Advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and is registered with either their state or the SEC. In general a Registered Investment Advisor with more than $100 million under management must register with the SEC, and those managing less than $110 million may register at the state level.
A: It indicates that a financial planner adheres to the industry's most demanding practice requirements, including Fee-Only compensation, and meets NAPFA's rigorous standards. Click here to learn more.
A: Absolutely not. Our sole compensation is management fees paid directly to Halpern Financial from our clients.
A: Halpern Financial believes an advisor should always act in good faith and in the best interest of each client. As such, we all abide by a Fiduciary Oath and disclose any potential conflicts of interest to our clients. We strive to build relationships based on integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism, and diligence.
A: We subject to regulations set forth by the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission. Client assets are held at an independent third-party custodian. We avoid conflicts of interests by not accepting commissions or referral fees. We report performance on a quarterly basis, inclusive of any fees.
A: Halpern Financial has relationships with a wide range of clients, including professionals and business executives, small business owners, widows, individuals, families, retirees, and those with sudden wealth via an inheritance. We best serve clients looking for exceptional client service and that value a long-term partnership.
A: Our current minimum portfolio size is $1,000,000. If you have unique circumstances that you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to give us a call.
A: Fees include a one-time establishment fee and quarterly advisory fees based on the level of assets under Halpern Financial's direct management. Advisory fees range up to 1.20% per year, billed quarterly in arrears. The overwhelming majority of mutual funds we use are traded free of charge. Fidelity assesses a transaction fee for the purchase and sale of certain individual stocks and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).
A: There is no cost for our initial discovery meetings. This meeting gives us the opportunity to get to know one another. We seek a mutual agreement before we begin assessing any fee.
A: Using a team approach you will have access to the expertise of all of Halpern Financial's professionals. The reputation of the Halpern Financial team, the breadth and depth of our experience will provide you with sound and unbiased advice.
A: While we serve as an Authorized Advisor to execute transactions on your behalf, you remain in control of your assets. Accounts are held in your name through the institutional platform of Fidelity Investments, an independent third party custodian.
A: In addition to quarterly investment reviews and regular performance reporting, clients can access their accounts via a private client login 24 hours a day.
A: You can find a guide in our blog post below:8 Questions You Should Ask Before and After Hiring a Financial Advisor
A: Please contact us to schedule your complimentary consultation. During this consultation we will take time to understand your goals and objectives and explain our investment methodology and philosophy on wealth management.
Please review Important Disclosure Information set forth in the last section of this web site.
Virginia Office