Your bank probably claims that they put you first and that they want what’s best for your personal finances and investments. But is this really the case? Is your bank actually trying to help you grow your investments and make smart financial choices, or are they just trying to make you take out more debt and keep your money locked in at their institution with meager returns?
Although relying on a big bank for your basic checking and savings accounts can’t hurt, there are some key differentiators between how these institutions operate and how your independent wealth manager does things.
- We don’t have product quotas—This lets us freely use your financial plan and your personalized risk assessment to guide your financial future. We’ll never try to guide you into a product that isn’t the perfect fit, and our advisors never push the same cookie cutter “solution” for customers across the board.
- Debt can be necessary, but it shouldn’t be forever—Borrowing is necessary at key junctures in your life, and this is perfectly okay. However, we will not advise strategies that keep you in debt for any longer than absolutely necessary. We’ll factor in the cost of interest and inform you how to account for this. We also recognize that different products have different payment rules, so the goal of paying down principal along with interest should always be the main goal.
- We offer a variety of fund options—We ask all our clients to take (and periodically review) our DNA risk assessment questionnaires for a specific reason: it helps us make the best possible decisions about how to manage their funds. There are so many types of funds available, so why not work with someone who is going to find the right one based on your future goals and risk tolerance?
- Your savings should be working for you—Many people keep their money in savings accounts that offer a pittance in interest. Why this continues to happen is beyond us, but the bottom line is that your savings account interest rate should not start with a decimal. Risk averse doesn’t mean accepting low value for your savings accounts.
- We’re transparent about how things work—Financial institutions that offer an “all-under-one-roof” approach try to make it simple for people to just roll into the next renewal or loan as life marches on. The fact that they don’t tend to be flexible about their fee structure or what happens if something changes is another area in which we excel. At BlueRock Wealth Management, by creating and monitoring your financial plan, we can advise on related matters that mean a lot to your determined financial and life goals. Over time, you will see that all of your choices, be they financial or lifestyle, will be reflected in your financial plan. For example, variable vs. fixed mortgages (and the penalties that each carries if you need to break your mortgage) can lend flexibility to you overall by helping you make informed decisions.
- We are regulated and compliant—We are proudly CEFEX certified and believe that this voluntary and hard-earned certification means better service to you and our valued clients. This certification better enables us to realize your investment objectives in a safe, trusted environment. It also keeps our firm continually striving to improve our internal processes and procedures to better serve the interests of our clients.
If you are still relying on your bank to manage your investments and securing loans through them, it’s probably time to explore other options. Contact us at BlueRock Wealth Management today to set up an appointment with an independent wealth advisor and to learn more about how we can change the way you manage your investments and debt for the better.