Frequently Asked Questions

Being a true Fee-Only Fiduciary means that I have a strict legal and ethical obligation to put your financial interests above my own at all times. I am compensated exclusively by you, my client. I do not sell commission-based insurance products, I do not earn commissions on mutual funds, and Prudent Harbor never accepts kickbacks or 12b-1 trailing fees from third parties.

Unlike traditional commission-based brokerages that operate under dual-hat or Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) standards—which may allow brokers to recommend products that pay them commissions—my fee-only structure is designed for complete alignment. When your wealth grows, my firm grows. When your wealth is carefully stewarded, I am doing my job.

Your assets and your security are my highest priority. Prudent Harbor Advisors will never take direct possession or custody of your money.

All client accounts are held safely in your own name at my designated institutional custodian, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. You will receive statements, trade confirmations, and tax documents directly from Schwab. Prudent Harbor is simply granted a Limited Power of Attorney (LPOA) to actively manage and trade the investments within your account on your behalf, and to deduct the agreed-upon advisory fee.

No, I do not enforce a strict minimum account size to establish an advisory relationship. I believe in helping families build wealth, not just manage it once it's already built.

My standard Core Wealth Management tiered pricing applies to portfolios of $250,000 or more. However, for clients who are actively building their nest eggs, I offer an Accumulation Wealth Management option for portfolios under $250k. This provides the exact same high-level active management and financial planning for a simple flat fee of $2,500 per year ($208.33/month) until your account crosses the $250,000 threshold.

No. Many investors who transfer to Prudent Harbor from traditional broker-dealers are shocked to realize they may have been paying 5.75% front-end sales loads just to buy a mutual fund, plus embedded internal marketing fees. At Prudent Harbor, you pay $0.00 in upfront commissions.

I charge a single, transparent advisory fee based on a percentage of the assets managed for you. This fee scales down automatically as your wealth grows. I also utilize institutional-grade Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) that frequently cost a fraction of what retail mutual funds charge, striving to keep more of your capital working for your future.

No, I do not sell insurance products or annuities, and Prudent Harbor receives no compensation from insurance companies. Because I operate a fee-only firm, my advice is entirely objective.

However, risk management is a core part of my comprehensive financial planning. I will thoroughly review your existing life, health, disability, and long-term care policies to help ensure your family is properly covered. If I determine you have a gap in coverage, I will happily connect you with a trusted, independent insurance agent to secure a policy, but we will never take a cut of the sale.

I believe true wealth management requires far more than just picking stocks. My ongoing fee integrates both active portfolio management and continuous, comprehensive financial planning.

For my clients, this means I handle retirement cash flow modeling, Social Security optimization, healthcare and Medicare navigation, proactive tax sequencing (like planning for RMDs and Roth conversions), and estate and beneficiary audits. Instead of being charged extra hourly fees for every financial question that arises, you receive comprehensive organization and management of your entire financial life under one unified fee.

Yes. Even if your funds are currently held in an active employer-sponsored retirement plan, I incorporate those balances into your comprehensive financial plan. I will review your 401(k) investment options and advise you on exactly how to allocate those funds to synchronize with the Three-Bucket strategy.

Once you retire or change employers, I can then help you seamlessly roll those assets over into an IRA under our direct management at Charles Schwab.

I utilize a flexible, tailored Three-Bucket Architecture designed to help preserve your purchasing power from inflation, monetary debasement, and stock market volatility.

Instead of relying solely on the traditional "60/40" stock-and-bond model—which can be vulnerable to rising interest rates and inflation—I anchor your wealth across Global Equities (for productive growth), a Debasement Defense (real assets like gold, silver, energy, and real estate), and Defensive Liquidity (short-term U.S. Treasuries intended to stabilize principal and act as "dry powder" during market corrections). This structure is designed to support reliable income today while striving to preserve your real wealth for tomorrow.

It starts with a simple, zero-obligation 30-minute consultation to review your financial posture and determine if my fiduciary model is the right fit for your family.

If we decide to partner together, we move into the data-gathering phase to build your Master Plan Roadmap. From there, I handle the heavy lifting: Prudent Harbor electronically opens your new accounts at Charles Schwab, initiates the secure transfer of your existing assets, and begins executing your customized Three-Bucket portfolio strategy. I walk you through every step of the transition so you never feel out of the loop.

No. I believe in earning my relationship with you every single month. Prudent Harbor does not require long-term lockups, and never charges prepayment penalties. Advisory fees are billed transparently in arrears.

If you ever decide that my firm is no longer the right fit for your family, your advisory contract can be terminated at any time with a simple 30-day written notice, without any cancellation fees.

Yes. While my physical roots and local community are based in Broadway, North Carolina—proudly serving families throughout Lee, Harnett, Moore, and Wake Counties—my fiduciary practice is built to serve clients nationally.

Through secure virtual meeting platforms, digital document signing, and a custodial partnership with Charles Schwab, I seamlessly provide the exact same high-touch, comprehensive wealth management to families across the United States.