FAQ

You can expect the "Golden Rule." We place a high premium on treating others like we would want to be treated. This is embedded in our personal approach to knowing our clients, our communication, our service, and our advice.

You can expect a client-specific approach. We love cookies but we don't do cookie-cutter solutions around here. Each plan and investment strategy we develop is crafted to the specific goals and needs of our clients.

You can expect proactive communication. At a minimum, we meet with our clients once a year to review their plan and investment strategies to ensure they are still on track and to make any needed adjustments. Our clients expect us to be accessible to them when they need us and proactive in our communication to keep them informed about what's on the horizon. Our ongoing advice requires ongoing communication and we work with our clients to develop a regular review and update schedule that fits their preferences.

You can expect consistency. Our firm boasts over 130 years of expertise helping clients achieve their financial goals. That expertise and decades of experience in our office mean you can expect an approach that helps you navigate your journey with consistency.

Our experience is wide-ranging and full suite of wealth management services for individuals, multi-generational families, businesses, and non-profits. For more information on the scope of our services, visit our SERVICES page. 

• Financial planning
• Investment management
• Retirement income planning
• Life insurance strategies
• Estate planning strategies*
• Corporate trustee services
• Social Security strategies
• College savings planning
• Tax planning strategies*
• Long-term care planning
• Philanthropic giving & wealth transfer
• Seamless coordination with your tax and legal professionals

_{*Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. does not provide tax or legal advice. It is important to consult with your tax or legal professionals for guidance that is specific to your circumstances.}

We believe planning and peace of mind are strongly related. We know from our experience with clients that they feel better when they are able to truly understand not only where they are now but where they are headed.

We have the technology and planning power we need. Our easy-to-understand planning platform, Money Guide Pro, allows us to see your entire financial picture and give you ongoing advice throughout your financial journey. For more about how we plan for our clients, visit our PLANNING page.

It's an up-front and transparent conversation. The industry standard for the cost of ongoing financial advice is 1% of the assets under care and we generally track that standard. Depending on your specific needs and the scope of work we agree on, that number can shift up or down. Also, as the total amount of assets grows, we reduce your costs. This provides an advice and fee structure that keeps your costs aligned with the value we bring to our relationship.

Your costs are derived from ongoing advice fees and/or trading activity inside your investment accounts. All costs associated with our services are paid from your accounts rather than getting a recurring bill that you have to pay. Further, we break our ongoing advice fees into quarterly costs rather than assessing the account(s) all at once which breaks up your costs over the course of a year.

We don't have one but we want to help you understand why the question is important. Our best version of a relationship with you is one in which we provide you with ongoing advice that truly moves the needle. In that best version is the development of a long-term, goals-based, financial plan and corresponding investment strategy that adjusts with you throughout your life. We recognize that not everyone needs this type of ongoing advice due the size of your accounts and the nature of your goals and needs. We commit to having a great conversation up front about how we help clients of all types and whether our services will be a fit for you. 

Absolutely! Our mobile app and desktop experience give you access to all of your accounts and your plan at the tip of your fingers.

Yes! We are able to work with you regardless of what State or US Territory you live in.

Great question! We've got all the tools you'll need!

My client meetings generally take place in three forms:

• In-person (at our BFE office or another convenient location)
• Microsoft Teams (video call with screen-sharing capabilities)
• Phone

Other ways we communicate*:

• Email and business text message
• Document Vault (a secure document-sharing folder in your online account
• Secure email

_{*Industry rules prohibit us from communicating through social media or other messaging applications. This includes texting from personal cellular devices or email from personal email accounts.}

Yes, our relationships are based on trust and our conversations stay between us…always.