Frequently Asked Questions

First and foremost, we are fiduciary financial advisors at Branning Wealth Management. A fiduciary’s responsibilities are both ethical and legal - we are required to always act in the best interest of our clients. This is the highest legal and ethical standard for financial advisors.

A fiduciary is expected to manage the assets for the benefit of the client rather than for his or her own profit and cannot benefit personally from their management of assets. This is what is known as a prudent person standard of care.

Individually, we cannot be everything to everyone, but as a team, we are surely going to try. We have deliberately assembled an experienced team of advisors, each having their own areas of expertise to help ensure we can meet your planning needs no matter what stage of life you are in.

Initial Consultation

An initial complimentary 30-minute phone call will give us both a chance to make sure your advisory needs match our expertise. If we are not positioned to help, we will offer guidance to the right expert for your unique needs. You can find the link to get started below. 

Data Gathering 

Although everyone is at a different place, our first step will always be the same. Once you determine you would like to move forward we will do a deep dive into YOU. We will have a series of data gathering meetings until we feel we have all the pieces of your personal puzzle - feelings, resources, goals, etc.

Comprehensive Financial Plan

Major life decisions deserve more than hope and guesswork. Using a goals-based approach rooted in Modern Retirement Theory, we create a stress-tested income strategy that's secure, stable, and built to last your lifetime. You will continue to meet and collaborate with your advisor regarding our findings until you are left with your own highly customized roadmap forward.

Ongoing Wealth Management

After your plan is complete, you can choose ongoing investment management and continuous planning support. Rather than hoping for the best with a one-size-fits-all investment allocation, we'll build your personalized investment strategy that coordinates the timing of your future financial goals with the best use of your investments and resources.

Ongoing  monitoring means your financial plan isn't a one-time document gathering dust—it's a living strategy that adapts as your life changes. Through regular check-ins, we'll adjust for market conditions, life transitions, and evolving goals, ensuring you stay confident and on track no matter what the future brings.

How do you get paid?

At BWM, we are a fiduciary, fee-only financial planning firm. That means the only money we receive comes directly from our clients - not from banks, brokers, or insurance companies. We don’t accept commissions. We believe this is the best model for putting our clients’ interests at the forefront of our business practices.

What are your fees?

Comprehensive planning packages start at $3,000 and go up to $10,000 based on complexity. This initial fee provides the thorough analysis and strategic framework you need to make informed decisions about your financial future.

Ongoing investment management and planning: For clients with at least $1 million invested with us, we charge 1% of assets under management (AUM) per year.

That’s it. No commissions, no hidden costs.

Do you offer a free consultation?

Yes. We provide a free consultation to help you see what benefits BWM can provide and to decide if we’re the right fit for your goals.

We use a liability-driven investing (LDI) process where we first match up cash flows to projected liabilities for stability while investing the balance in a diversified, low-cost, global allocation for long-term growth.

Since each investor has different financial goals, this approach requires a completely customized allocation that we refer to as your “Critical Path”. This focus on reducing your initial risk exposure differs from the traditional "total return" model most advisors use where they invest everyone in one of their model allocations and hope for the best.

We approach each of our clients with the goal of developing a Stable, Secure, Sustainable Plan. It is our belief that regardless of your situation, you cannot achieve your goals without a solid plan in place.

Just like our investments, our plans are 100% tailored to meet your unique needs and goals. To create a true comprehensive wealth plan, it will require a commitment from you on the front-end to provide us the data and personal input we will need to evaluate your full financial picture.

Absolutely, our clients are spread out across the country! In fact, almost half of our clients are not local to one of our offices. The conveniences that technology has provided in recent years allows us to service clients just as effectively remotely as in-person. We even have local clients that prefer to meet from the comfort of their own home or office.

Asset Dedication is our exclusive strategic partner. They help us with compliance, day-to-day operations, and portfolio management.