Frequently Asked Questions

1 .   Do you charge additional for quarterly meetings?     Back to FAQS
       
No. Our annual management fee gives you access to us full time including all the quarterly meetings, any other meetings you may request or phone calls.

2 .   Why is Peak Financial Fee Only? Why is that important?     Back to FAQS
       
Peak is a fee only financial planning and wealth management firm—we do not sell any products that earn commission for us. We don't work for a bank, brokerage house, or an insurance company. Therefore, we are not beholden to any financial institution and our sole aim is to look after the interests of our clients. At Peak our compensation is solely derived from either an hourly or flat fee charged for developing a financial plan or an investment management fee that is based on percentage of assets managed. All fees are fully and completely disclosed upfront and there are no hidden fees or loads or charges.

3 .   Can I keep my assets where they are and make the changes myself?     Back to FAQS
       
Yes, but we strongly urge against it, as it can be very impractical or inefficient. Peak Financial Management will handle all documentation, transfers and transactions related to your new account. An account will be established, in your name, at Charles Schwab or Fidelity Institutional to hold all your newly transferred assets. This arrangement allows us access to individual stocks, bonds, mutual funds etc. while keeping transaction costs low and allowing us ease of trading as well as research using the latest technology tools. These accounts also make it possible for you to have up-to-date and direct access to you accounts.

4 .   How often will you review my account?     Back to FAQS
       
Your portfolio is monitored and reviewed on a regular basis. If conditions warrant, Peak Financial Management will make changes to your portfolio, which in our opinion will help you achieve your objectives.

5 .   Why do you review investment accounts so often?     Back to FAQS
       
We watch for market conditions and trends, economic changes and other factors that may ultimately affect the overall performance of your whole portfolio as well as your individual mutual funds and stocks.

6 .   How often will I be updated on my portfolio?     Back to FAQS
       
Every month you will receive reports from the custodian itemizing your investment positions and transactions for the month. Every quarter, Peak Financial Management will provide you with customized reports, which detail overall portfolio performance, holdings and allocation. A quarterly meeting with the advisor is encouraged to discuss and review plans, any change in your particular financial situation or concerns.

7 .   Will you consult me when making changes?     Back to FAQS
       
Our practice is to create custom portfolios based on the client's needs and objectives in terms of investment philosophy, performance, risk profile and value. Extensive and in-depth research evaluates each security—only those securities that in our opinion provide value and superior performance, are selected based on extensive discussions (with the client) and evaluations. Although we are unable to guarantee success or predict future performance of portfolios or investments but each portfolio is custom designed to help you achieve your short-term and long-term goals. Peak Financial will have full discretionary authority to make changes within your portfolio without discussing each trade with you. The reason for this is simple—we want to act on your behalf in an efficient and timely manner in keeping with your goals.

8 .   Do I have to stay with your services for any length of time?     Back to FAQS
       
Our aim is to build long, enduring relationships with our clients and their families. If, however, there is ever a need to terminate the affiliation, the Agreement may be terminated by either party in writing, five business days from the inception date. Once the agreement has been in force for a minimum of one quarter, either party can terminate it by giving a notice of thirty days. Termination of this agreement must be in writing.

9 .   Who will I actually be working with?     Back to FAQS
       
Your primary contact for most portfolio related matters would actually be your financial advisor. On a day-to-day basis, however, any of our team members may be working with you on different issues related to your account. As a new client, you would be given a list of who's who and who to contact for different issues.

10 .   What information will I need to provide?     Back to FAQS
       
As a new client, you will be given a questionnaire to fill out which will provide us with most of the information we need about you and your financial situation. Our Investment Management clients typically will need to provide us copies of their current investment statements or reports.

11 .   Is there a cost for the first meeting?     Back to FAQS
       
No, the first meeting is without charge.

12 .   How many clients does Peak Financial Management have?     Back to FAQS
       
We currently have about 200 clients.

13 .   What is your average size account?     Back to FAQS
       
Our average size account is about $600,000.

14 .   Describe the typical client of Peak Financial.     Back to FAQS
       
Our typical client is an individual investor of close to or of retirement age. The average household income is about $200K and/or their investment assets are about $1,000,000.

15 .   What is you minimum account size?     Back to FAQS
       
Currently it is $500,000

16 .   What is involved in your financial planning process?     Back to FAQS
       
Before managing your portfolio we like to create a detailed financial plan. This addresses your short and long-term goals, your risk tolerance, your retirement income objectives as well as tax, insurance reviews and estate planning. In many cases we coordinate this plan with your other advisors such as your CPA or your estate-planning attorney etc. or consult advisors from our own network. The idea is to create a workable and well thought out solution to your long term and short term needs, and details on how to get there.

17 .   A lot of Advisors sound similar. What makes Peak different?     Back to FAQS
       
We believe we have a unique niche in providing financial planning as well as managing assets for people who are preparing for or currently in retirement. We have been doing this for over ten years for our clients. We were one of the first fee-only investment management firms when we started. We spend a lot of our time getting to know our clients' financial issues before we make any recommendations. We also bring to this process our experience in both up and down financial markets over the years.

18 .   Can I receive my portfolio reports electronically?     Back to FAQS
       
Yes. Peak Financial is one of the few privately owned investment management firms currently offering its clients on-line access to their investment reports. As a Peak Financial client, at your request, you would be assigned an ID code which would give you access to your PFM reports on-line through our website.

19 .   What other on-line resources do I have available?     Back to FAQS
       
Our Web site helps us serve you better by providing: * Another way to work with us—supplement meetings and phone calls with online access, so you can collaborate, conduct business and stay in contact wherever you have a Web connection. * Convenient online access—get 24/7 access to account information, including holdings, unrealized gains and performance, as well as timely updates. * Complete financial picture—view all your accounts in one place, including any that may reside outside our firm. * Research and market insight—get expert perspectives on your investments from leading third-party providers, including: -High-level market overviews and news -Detailed data such as fundamentals, quotes, earnings and charting -In-depth research reports * Timely updates—receive alerts about market movement or events that may affect your portfolio. * Account security—store and access electronic versions of important material, such as account information, performance reports, wills and trusts in confidence; industry-standard protections mean private information will stay that way.

20 .   In whose name will the investments be held? Are they held in the name of your company?     Back to FAQS
       
No. The investments, either at Schwab, Fidelity or other custodian will be held in your name (s) or in your IRA's or Trust's based on your needs or preferences. Peak only has limited power, which gives authority limited to trading in your accounts. You will receive trade confirmations after each trade either electronically or by mail.

21 .   How much do you charge for your services?     Back to FAQS
       
Typically portfolio management fees are about 1% per year. These fees are charged quarterly. The only other fees we charge may be in the beginning for developing a financial plan, which is a one-time flat fee. For full details please request our agreement and Part B of ADV disclosure before considering our services.