What is the role of a fiduciary and how is it important to me?
A: A fiduciary is a person who acts in the best interest of another and avoids conflicts of interest. The cornerstone of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct is a CFP® professional’s obligation to the CFP® Board to act as a fiduciary, and therefore, always act in the best interests of the client when providing financial advice. You want a financial advisor who has made a commitment to you to act as a fiduciary. Contact us to learn about our fiduciary services.
How often should I meet with my fiduciary?
A: You should meet with your fiduciary advisor at least once a year to reassess basics like budget, taxes and investment performance. At Washington Crossing Financial Group we suggest quarterly meetings since markets and life change when you least expect it.
What is a CFP®?
A: Becoming a CFP® is one of the most difficult and stringent processes in terms of financial advisors. It requires years of experience, successful completion of standardized exams, a demonstration of ethics, formal education and thirty hours of continuing education every two years. Two of those credits are required in ethics.
What is the difference between a fiduciary and a financial advisor?
A: Not all financial advisors are fiduciaries. A select group of Advisors have gone through the stringent certification process through the Certified Financial Planners Board to earn these credentials. A fiduciary financial advisor makes investment decisions with your best interest in mind, while a financial advisor who is not a fiduciary may recommend products for which they receive a commission or other form of payment.
What are the requirements to become a fiduciary?
A: CFP® professionals must pass a comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination that tests their ability to apply financial planning knowledge in an integrated format. The CFP® exam measures the candidate’s critical thinking and problem-solving ability, with less emphasis on factual recall or recognition. It assesses the candidate’s ability to apply financial planning knowledge in an integrated approach to real-life financial planning situations.
What is a fiduciary advisor?
A: A fiduciary financial advisor makes investment decisions with your best interest in mind, while a financial advisor who is not a fiduciary may recommend products for which they receive a commission or other form of payment. The financial advisors at Washington Crossing Financial Group are fiduciaries that have an ethical duty to recommend the best investments for you and avoid conflicts of interest.
What is the role of a fiduciary for my retirement plan?
A: Washington Crossing Financial Group are Fiduciary Retirement Plan Consultants who provide a scorecard monitoring system, a health check/ benchmarking, and a virtual vault to store important plan documents easing audit requests. In addition, as a fiduciary retirement plan consultant, we also handle asset allocation, investment analysis and Request for Proposal (RFP) services.
