Your financial future deserves expert guidance—no matter where your advisor lives. Whether your ideal relationship is face-to-face in a local office or comfortably virtual, Strateon Intelligent Wealth offers personalized financial planning designed around you, your goals, and your lifestyle.

Your financial future deserves expert guidance—no matter where your advisor lives. Whether your ideal relationship is face-to-face in a local office or comfortably virtual, Strateon Intelligent Wealth offers personalized financial planning designed around you, your goals, and your lifestyle.

Your financial future deserves expert guidance—no matter where your advisor lives. Whether your ideal relationship is face-to-face in a local office or comfortably virtual, Strateon Intelligent Wealth offers personalized financial planning designed around you, your goals, and your lifestyle.

When selecting a financial advisor to help you achieve your financial goals, there are many factors to consider. Credentials, experience, trustworthiness, and service offerings all play a role. However, one of the most important aspects is the advisor’s fee structure, as it can significantly impact your long-term financial success.

Financial advisors use various fee structures to charge for their services. The most common are:

• Assets Under Management (AUM) Fees: Advisors charge a percentage of the assets they manage for you, typically around 1% annually.

• Flat Fees: Advisors charge a fixed fee—monthly, quarterly, or annually—for their services, regardless of the size of your investment portfolio.

Flat fee structures provide an alternative to traditional AUM fees, allowing investors to receive high-quality financial advice without their costs increasing as their assets grow.

A key consideration when choosing between an AUM fee and a flat fee advisor is the long-term cost. While a flat fee may seem more expensive in the short term, over time, AUM fees can result in significantly higher total costs.

Here’s a comparison of how investment growth and fees differ between the two models. Assumptions include:

• 8% average annual investment return

• 1% AUM fee

• Flat fee starting at $2,400 annually, increasing by 2% annually

• $10,000 in additional contributions per year

For the first 10–15 years, the total fees paid to a flat fee advisor may be higher. However, beyond 20 years, the savings are clear—leading to hundreds of thousands more in net assets.

Do you happen to have around $1 million in assets that you're looking to invest? If so, after 40 years with a flat fee advice-only financial advisor you would spend about $2.19 million less in fees and end up with about $6.9 million in assets more than with an AUM financial advisor.

There are situations where an AUM financial advisor may be the right choice, particularly if you prefer to have someone actively manage your investments. If you are unwilling or unable to manage your own investments, paying for an advisor to oversee your portfolio may be worth the additional cost. Some advisors also engage in active management, though studies show that passive investing strategies tend to outperform active management over the long term.

That said, even many AUM advisors primarily use passive investment strategies while still charging a 1% AUM fee, making it important to weigh whether the extra cost is justified.

Flat fee financial planning is an excellent choice for those who can manage their own investments but still want professional financial guidance. Key benefits include:

• Lower long-term costs: Fees don’t scale with your portfolio size, allowing you to keep more of your investment returns.

• Greater control over your investments: You maintain direct oversight of your portfolio while still receiving expert advice.

• Fewer conflicts of interest: Since fees aren’t tied to investment products, advisors don’t have an incentive to recommend high-fee funds or unnecessary transactions.

If you’re considering flat fee financial planning, Strateon Intelligent Wealth offers comprehensive financial planning without the high costs of AUM fees. Schedule a free introductory meeting today to learn how Strateon Intelligent Wealth can help you achieve your financial goals.

Navigating personal finance can be overwhelming, and many individuals seek expert guidance to make informed decisions about their financial future. While many financial advisors bundle financial planning with investment management, there is another model that is growing in popularity: advice-only financial planning. This approach provides expert financial advice without managing investments or selling financial products, ensuring that recommendations remain unbiased and client-focused.

Advice-only financial planning is a service where advisors provide guidance on various aspects of a client’s financial life without implementing or managing investments or financial products. This model allows clients to receive expert advice while maintaining control over their assets.

Many traditional financial planning models combine financial advice with investment management, often leading to conflicts of interest. Below are key comparisons highlighting the benefits of advice-only planning:

Strateon Intelligent Wealth specializes in advice-only financial planning that is transparent, client-focused, and tailored to your unique financial situation. Strateon Intelligent Wealth's approach ensures you receive high-quality financial guidance without the conflicts of interest associated with traditional financial planning models.

If you’re ready to explore how advice-only financial planning can benefit you, schedule a free introductory meeting today.

• Goal Setting – The first step is to establish clear and measurable financial goals. These goals can include saving for retirement, buying a house, paying off debt, funding education, starting a business, or any other specific financial objective.
• Financial Assessment – A thorough evaluation of your current financial situation is conducted. This includes analyzing income, expenses, assets, liabilities, investments, insurance coverage, and any other relevant personal and financial information.
• Risk Analysis – An assessment of potential risks and uncertainties that may affect your financial well-being, such as health emergencies, disability, job loss, or market fluctuations, is performed. This helps determine the need for insurance or contingency plans.
• Investment Planning – Based on your goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon, an investment strategy is developed to help grow your wealth. This includes asset allocation, diversification, and selecting suitable investment vehicles like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or real estate.
• Retirement Planning – If retirement is a goal, a plan is created to determine how much you need to save, what investment vehicles to use, and how to optimize tax advantages (i.e. retirement accounts such as 401(k), IRA, and even HSA).
• Tax Planning – Strategies are implemented to minimize tax liabilities and optimize your overall tax position in the short-term as well as over the long-term. This may involve taking advantage of deductions, tax credits, tax-efficient investments, and strategic timing of income and expenses.
• Estate Planning – If applicable, arrangements are made to manage the transfer of assets and wealth to future generations or beneficiaries in a tax-efficient manner. This includes drafting wills and/or establishing trusts with the help of an estate attorney or estate planning service, as well as naming beneficiaries for insurance policies, retirement accounts, investment accounts, and even cash accounts.
• Insurance Planning and Risk Management – Evaluating and managing various types of risk, such as insurance coverage for life, health, disability, or property, is essential to protect against unforeseen events that may negatively impact your finances.
• Regular Monitoring and Adjustments – Financial plans should be reviewed periodically to track progress, adapt to changing circumstances, and make necessary adjustments to keep the plan aligned with your goals.

You've determined that having a financial advisor assist you with your investments and financial goals is essential. During your research, you likely encountered the title Certified Financial Planner (CFP). Understanding why you should specifically seek out a CFP rather than settling for an advisor without this designation is crucial.

A Certified Financial Planner (CFP) is a financial advisor who has completed rigorous education, passed a comprehensive certification exam, and accumulated significant professional experience, all while adhering to strict ethical standards set by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board).

To become a CFP, professionals must complete extensive coursework covering key areas such as investment planning, retirement strategies, tax management, estate planning, and risk management. Additionally, CFPs are required to engage in ongoing education to ensure they remain informed of industry developments and maintain their certification.

Choosing a CFP as your financial advisor ensures you're working with someone who has demonstrated substantial expertise, a high ethical standard, and an obligation to act in your best interests.

Here are key reasons you should insist on working with a CFP:

• Proven Competency and Expertise: CFP professionals undergo extensive and standardized education, training, and testing, guaranteeing a high level of financial planning competency. Their comprehensive training ensures they are equipped to handle complex financial matters efficiently.

• Fiduciary Responsibility: CFPs must adhere to a fiduciary standard, requiring them always to prioritize your interests above their own. Unlike advisors who operate under a suitability standard, CFPs must avoid conflicts of interest and make recommendations solely for your benefit.

• Comprehensive Financial Planning: CFPs provide holistic financial guidance covering a wide range of services. From investment management and retirement planning to tax strategies, estate planning, and risk mitigation, their advice integrates all facets of your financial life.

• Continuous Education and Professionalism: CFPs are mandated to pursue ongoing education, which ensures they stay abreast of regulatory changes, economic trends, and best practices in financial planning. This commitment guarantees you receive up-to-date and informed advice.

While not all non-CFP financial advisors are unqualified, choosing one poses several potential risks, including:

• Lack of standardized and rigorous education.

• Potential conflicts of interest due to lower fiduciary standards.

• Narrower scope of financial planning services.

• No requirement for continuing education, potentially leaving them behind in industry developments.

For these reasons, selecting a CFP is a prudent choice to safeguard your financial future.

Hiring a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) provides you with the confidence that your financial advisor is highly qualified, ethically committed, and genuinely prioritizes your financial well-being.

Strateon Intelligent Wealth’s Mike Halper, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, possesses the necessary expertise and dedication to place your financial goals firmly on the path toward prosperity, both before and during retirement.

Your financial advisor is an integral part of your team to help you manage your wealth and grow your future. Unfortunately, you may not be sharing with them everything that you should be. Whether you're not communicating things because you feel they are unimportant or you're a private person who wishes to keep certain information to themselves, not sharing what you need to with your financial advisor could result in problems with your financial future. Below are five things that you should always share with your advisor.

You can have all types of goals in your life from charitable giving, to buying a vacation home, to planning for retirement. Whether these goals involve finances or not, it is important that your financial advisor knows them so that they can provide you with the best advice on how to achieve these goals. You may be concerned about caring for a family member or protecting your family against possible interruptions in income. While these may fall outside of what is considered traditional goals, your advisor may find certain solutions that can help these goals be obtained as well. Also, as your life changes so may your goals. Be sure to let your financial advisor know if a previous goal is no longer important or if you have found a new goal that you've set your sights on. The sooner you let your financial advisor know, the sooner you can begin achieving your goals.

You may be under the impression that being confident and under control at all times is necessary to portray strength. But putting on a bravado that you feel everything is ok when you're panicking inside will not improve your situation, and could make it worse. If an investment makes you nervous, or you have a financial concern that has been worrying you, your financial advisor is there to help you work through it. They also can help explain occurrences in the market that can put your mind at ease. Remember it is their job to guide you through your wealth journey and handle any concerns that may arise. 

Whether it is a big change such as losing a job or switching careers, or even small changes, such as adjustments to your benefits, you should alert your financial advisor right away. You might need to adjust your retirement allotment to account for other possible expenses, or need additional insurance coverage to fill in the gaps for lowered benefits. If you embark on a side job, you should also consult with them to determine the best ways for tax planning, and possible investment opportunities for any surplus of income.

There are some aspects of your personal life that are prudent to share with your advisor. Such things as separations or impending divorces can greatly affect your finances as well as deciding to get married or having children. Your advisor can help you plan for the loss of assets in your divorce, help you invest properly to plan for children's college education, or advise you on changes to your life insurance and other assets to protect your family.

In the event your personal information has been comprised, or you suspect your identity has been used by someone else, you should alert your financial advisor immediately, even if it is as simple as you have lost a credit card. Your financial advisor will have the ability to place additional restrictions on your account and provide added security to protect your financial information and wealth. Your advisor can also provide you with advice on how to protect yourself from future breaches.

You and your financial advisor will both have the same goal in mind, which is making you more money, growing your wealth, and protecting it. Remember to treat your advisor as part of your team and trust them with all the changes in your life can affect your financial future.

In the wake of unprecedented high inflation, rising interest rates, and market volatility, 96% of investors who work with a financial advisor are satisfied with their financial advisor. That's a pretty clear overwhelming majority, according to a survey of 1,000 retail investors by Broadridge.

The same study found that although 33% of investors are familiar with robo-advisors, only 6% use a robo-advisor. Robo-advisors are frequently used by investors who want to make their own decisions with their investments, but don't want to handle the tasks of actually trading and rebalancing their portfolios.

When it comes to millennials, 65% of millennial investors currently use self-directed investing and do not work with a financial advisor. They could be completely handling their own investments themselves, or they could be utilizing a robo-advisor. Additionally, 65% of those millennial investors not already working with a financial advisor said they are likely to begin working with a human financial advisor.

With the high satisfaction of investors with their financial advisor, it's clear that investors see a high value in a human advisor when looking for a service to plan and manage their investments and tailor a financial plan and investment choices to their unique situation and needs. It's a recognition that investors know the importance of a real financial planner and having better control of when and how their money is invested.

What is driving that value and recognition?

In the survey, 53% (over half) of investors who plan to turn to human financial advisors were concerned they won’t be able to achieve their financial goals. You may have a number of goals, such as funding a college education for your children, an annual vacation, a new car, and first home purchase or vacation home purchase, retiring at a certain age, and of course being able to financially support yourself during your retirement. Those are common goals, and you may have a number of additional goals that are personal to you. A robo-advisor won't know your goals and how to invest your money to specifically help you achieve those goals. If you're not using a robo-advisor and are instead investing all on your own, you may not know how to figure out how much money you need in the future for those goals and how much to invest now to achieve those goals by a certain date. That's where a real human financial advisor can help.

Also in the survey, 46% of investors want to work with a financial advisor to reduce financial stress. That demonstrates that working with a financial advisor can help investors feel more confident about their financial goals and provide them with peace of mind. A human financial advisor can monitor your investments and how they are affecting your ability to achieve your goals, and recommend adjustments to your financial plan when necessary, so you don't have to.

A human financial advisor can offer a larger array of services, including retirement planning, insurance planning, tax planning, education savings and planning, and more, in addition to investment advice and management. With a robo-advisor, the investments are in a standard model portfolio that is used for all of their investors. The allocation of those investments may based on a projected retirement date, life expectancy, and risk tolerance. However, there are many more factors that could and should be taken into account when deciding on the appropriate investments and allocation for an investment portfolio. That includes taking into consideration other investments inside accounts that the robo-advisor doesn't have access to, including 401(k) and other employer-sponsored retirement accounts or other accounts at different financial institutions.

If you want to avoid outliving your money, investing can be a great way to continue to grow your nest egg as you approach — and enter — your retirement years. While there may be many robo-advisors out there that will do the investing for you, the one-on-one, hands-on approach and personal advice and guidance you get when working with a real-life financial advisor oftentimes will offer better insight and clarity into the investment process.

According to a recent survey, financial advisors have become more important over the course of the past decade. An increasing lifespan could be one of the many reasons people are more interested in professional help when it comes to effectively managing their money. The survey found that “consumer use of financial advisors has increased from 28 percent in 2010 to 40 percent in 2015,” signifying a potential shift in attitude toward financial professionals. While approximately 30 percent of households have a financial advisor, investors who are nearing retirement are more likely to hire one. About 40 percent of individuals in their 60s have a financial advisor.

From your needs and objectives to your risk tolerance and timeframe, there are a variety of factors your financial advisor will consider when designing your customized investment strategy. However, before you hire a financial advisor to help you grow your assets, it’s important to ask yourself these five key questions first.

While a financial advisor can be helpful in any situation, hiring one is usually more necessary when you have complex issues and questions to sort out. Things like inherited stock, investing the assets of your small business, or retirement distribution strategies require more in-depth insight. Even if you’re simply looking for straightforward advice that you can apply on your own, a financial advisor could save you some time and money in the long-run. If you’re about to experience a transition — such as the birth of a child, a divorce, or retirement — teaming up with a financial advisor can help guide your decisions as you enter new financial territory.

Before deciding to engage with a financial advisor it’s important to first consider how much money you have to invest. Some financial advisory firms require you to have a minimum amount of "assets under management" (also referred to as AUM) before they will take you on as a client. Fortunately, with Strateon Intelligent Wealth there are no minimum amounts of assets that you need to be a client.

When looking for someone who can help you invest your money, you can either hire someone who purely specializes in investment management, or you can find someone who offers comprehensive financial planning services. Because comprehensive financial planning involves investing, some may argue that finding a professional who provides this comprehensive style will give you more value for your money. This is the kind of service that Strateon Intelligent Wealth provides - full comprehensive financial planning and personalized investment management if you want or need it..

This may seem like an obvious question, but some people overlook this critical question and end up in an undesirable situation. Not having set goals is like hopping in the car and just driving with no destination in mind and no sense of direction. The best way to determine how much to invest where t invest, and how to invest is to figure out your goals first. Sometimes your goals may not be obvious or even seem like goals. A financial advisor who has a focus on financial planning can help you determine and set your goals, and then develop a strategy for achieving them with your investments.

In addition to the potential of losing money in the stock market, you will also incur fees from your financial advisor. Some advisors charge a percentage of your assets under management (AUM), so it’s important to consider how much you’re willing to pay someone to professionally manage your investments. Some people would rather save the money and do it themselves. However, a financial advisor is valuable in that they can educate you, as well as apply their knowledge, to help you make smarter investment decisions. At the end of the day, a financial advisor is an investment in itself, so you’ll want to think carefully about what you’re willing to pay for the value they can provide you.

Once you have the answers to all of these questions, or if you need help understanding and answering them, feel free to reach out to Strateon Intelligent Wealth for a complimentary introductory meeting.

If you're unsure about the hidden costs of your investments, you're certainly not alone. Investment costs are rarely obvious, often buried deep in fine print or disguised behind marketing hype. Understanding these costs is essential, as every dollar spent on fees is a dollar less growing towards your financial future.

Part of Strateon Intelligent Wealth's mission is to illuminate these hidden expenses and help you keep more of your money working for you.

Investment costs primarily fall into two major categories:

• Fund Management Fees

• Custodian and Brokerage (Trading) Costs

Let’s dive deeply into each.

When you invest, you typically use mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). These funds pool investor money to efficiently buy thousands of individual securities, saving you the hassle of managing investments individually.

The primary fee charged by funds is known as an expense ratio, an annual percentage of your invested assets. Expense ratios can range dramatically:

• Low-cost, broad-market index funds: typically around 0.05% or less (5 basis points).

• High-cost, actively managed funds: often near or above 1% (100 basis points).

Higher fees do not necessarily translate to better returns—in fact, they frequently erode your earnings over time.

Some funds charge extra fees, including:

• Front-end loads: Charged when you buy fund shares.

• Back-end loads (Redemption fees): Charged when you sell shares.

• Contingent deferred sales charges (CDSCs): Additional fees upon selling within certain periods.

Always carefully review fund prospectuses for these fees.

Fund management fees are not directly billed to you. Instead, they're subtly deducted from fund returns, making them easy to overlook—but they still reduce your overall investment performance significantly.

A revealing study, "Obfuscation in Mutual Funds" by leading academics, highlighted how fees affect returns dramatically. Two nearly identical S&P 500 index funds showed gross returns of about 31.47%. However, one fund charged just 0.02%, while another levied a staggering 5.08%. Clearly, lower-cost funds leave more money in your pocket.

Moreover, higher-cost funds often obscure their fees in complex documents, while low-cost funds usually provide transparent and easy-to-understand fee disclosures.

• Identify your goals and select relevant funds.

• Compare expense ratios among similar funds.

• Avoid funds charging loads or excessive fees.

• Favor simplicity and transparency.

Your investment accounts are held by custodians (like Schwab, Fidelity, Robinhood, or Wealthfront). Custodians execute trades through brokers—another potential source of hidden expenses.

• Robinhood was fined $65 million by the SEC for failing to disclose true trading costs linked to payment for order flow practices.

• Bank sweep accounts historically offer lower interest rates than market alternatives, quietly boosting custodian profits.

You could manage these complexities yourself, but Strateon Intelligent Wealth offers something far greater: comprehensive fiduciary financial advice and transparent fees.

• Independent and Fee-only: No hidden incentives or commissions.

• Holistic Wealth Advice: Comprehensive financial planning beyond mere investments.

• Clear, Transparent Fees: Always know exactly what you're paying.

• Tailored investment portfolios matching your goals and risk tolerance.

• Strategic use of insurance to protect your wealth.

• Retirement spending strategies, including tax-efficient withdrawal planning.

• Optimizing Social Security benefits.

• Comprehensive estate planning and beneficiary reviews.

• Business wealth integration, including corporate stock options.

• Tax-efficient charitable giving.

We align entirely with your best interests, not hidden agendas. Our approach minimizes unnecessary costs, optimizes returns, and diligently manages risks—providing measurable value far beyond mere "investment management."

When you choose Strateon Intelligent Wealth, you're selecting a partner dedicated to clarity, efficiency, and your financial well-being. Let us help illuminate and eliminate unnecessary investment costs, freeing you to achieve your most important financial goals.