About Riverbend Wealth Management

Yes — and it’s a big one. Fee-only advisors (like us) only earn money through the fees clients pay, ensuring the advice you receive from us is always in your best interest. Fee-based advisors make money from client fees as well as commissions and brokerage fees — which presents potential conflicts of interest.

Those who have earned CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional certification (CFP® certification) have met extensive training and experience requirements, and commit to the CFP Board’s ethical standards that require them to put their clients’ interests first. In addition, a CFP has advanced training in retirement, estate and tax planning. Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) certification is the highest level of advanced investment education for client-facing advisors.

Less than 3 percent of U.S. financial planners hold both certifications.

We will work in conjunction with your CPA to ensure you are following the most tax-efficient strategy possible.

We will create a comprehensive financial plan and schedule regular communications to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. You will be able to see your assets and goals using the latest technology available — and will have access to resources like Fidelity and other institutions anytime. We will serve as your financial concierge, helping you live your life easier and without worry.

We start by talking about whatever it is that inspired you to call. After that subject has been covered, we’ll share with you the top one to three things we think you should be thinking about. You are under no-obligation whatsoever to have any further communication with us.

Our ideal client has as least $500K in investable assets, and fits in one of the following buckets:

• I'm a Business Owner Nearing Retirement
  Your path to retirement has a lot more moving pieces than someone who’s an employee. Do you have a succession plan? Will you be selling the business or passing the reins to someone else? Have you made plans to successfully retire? And more.
• I am Getting Ready to Transition Into Retirement
  This is when you’ll be making decisions that will tremendously affect your life in retirement. When should you begin Social Security? Do you have a cash cushion for emergencies? Will you have enough for your possible life expectancy? And more.
• I’m Already Retired or I Relocated to the Carolinas
  Your move could result in added complexity when it comes to your retirement, since state laws vary. Is your will updated? Do you need a doctor recommendation? Do you prefer dealing with someone local — who can be there if one spouse passes? And more.

As an independent fee-based advisor, we work for you as a fiduciary and are obligated to put your interest first. 

Riverbend is a company that helps people make good financial decisions. Since we don’t have old legacy systems and bureaucracy, we are able to utilize industry leading technology in risk management, financial planning, tax planning, and communication. In addition, we have the resources from some of the largest and most respected financial institutions in the world today, for example Morningstar, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, just to name a few.   

We can work with your bank, your CPA, your attorney, or anyone else that may benefit you and your family.  We are here to help you reach your goals. 

We have freedom and flexibility in choosing products and services that benefit you. We make decisions based on where you are now, and to guide you to where you want to go. Our goal is always for you to live your best life possible.

Fidelity Investments.  The protection of your portfolio and personal information is the foundation of our relationship. That is why we have chosen Fidelity Investments to custody client assets as they offer the latest technology to help give you the ultimate benefit—peace of mind. Providing you with the knowledge that your money is safe is one of the many ways we support your ability to live your best life. It is why we have chosen to partner with Fidelity as the custodian of your investments.

As an independent fee-based advisor, we can work for you as a fiduciary and obligated to put the client’s interest first. In a fiduciary relationship, the person who must prioritize their clients’ interests over their own is called the fiduciary.

You have a customized plan to help you and your family to live your best life.  We update your plan regularly and as needs arise.  Delivering an exceptional experience along your unique journey is our first priority. To ensure that happens, we will: 

Pair you with an onboarding concierge to ensure a seamless transition for the administrative aspects of our journey. 

Provide regular reviews delivering advice, planning and investment strategies from our credentialed professionals. 

Provide technology that delivers security and insight to your financial situation so that you are never left in the dark. 

Deliver timely and informative educational content and events to enrich your financial wellbeing.

First, we look to understand you and your concerns and what you would like to accomplish, both near and long term.  Many people are unsure of exactly what they want, and we walk them through our F.L.O.W. process to help bring clarity to their situation.  If we mutually agree that working together makes sense, we start implementing the next steps.  Our intention is to help you live your best life.  

Yes.  With today’s technology we have learned to work around in person meetings, and to hold face to face conferences via Zoom, where we can share our screens to provide a seamless experience for the client.

Yes and Yes. Helping you realize your goals means creating a plan for all your assets, not just the ones inside of your portfolio.  We track your goals and your financial information with industry leading planning software that also has a portal for you to see all of your information in one place.

We start by understanding your values, concerns, and goals as a starting point.  If it makes sense for us to proceed, we may need income, expenses, financial, insurance, and/or tax statements.

We use industry leading technology from RightCapital for our financial planning services and research and allocation tools from leading providers like Blackrock, Morningstar, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs to name a few.

Click here to see an example of a statement.

We collaborate with your CPA to coordinate specific tax strategies as part of our planning process to make sure we implement the best plan for you.  If you do not have a CPA, we can recommend one, or share with you tax planning options if you do your own tax work. 

Our initial consultation is always free.  We typically charge a fee based only on assets we help manage or sometimes we charge a one time planning fee. We work with you to decide what is best for your needs.  We are always upfront and clear about any fee BEFORE you bare any expense.

We will continue to work together for as long as you feel we are providing value to you and your financial situation.  There are no long-term contracts.

Delivering an exceptional experience along your journey is our priority. Through regular reviews, you will experience customized planning and investment strategies along with advice from our credentialed professionals. We ask that you communicate any changes to your situation, as well as any concerns you may have about life’s unexpected ups and downs.

IA stands for investment advisor. Investment advisors charge a fee for advice.  This reduces the potential of conflicts of interest.  To that point, IA are not brokers that charge commissions.  For that reason, IA falls outside FINRA and instead are under the guidance of the Security Exchange Commission or SEC.   

Our advisors have, on average, over 25 years of experience and all have the Certified Financial Planner designation.   

BrokerCheck is a free tool to research the background and experience of financial brokers, advisers, and firms. Visit IAPD for more information on investment advisor records. 

BrokerCheck helps you make informed choices about brokers, brokerage firms and Investment adviser information. Visit FINRA for more information.

First and foremost, your assets are held at Fidelity Investments, one of the leading financial services firms in the U.S. with over 180 office locations as well as 24/7 customer service. Secondly, there are over 30 independent Stratos Wealth Advisors, who would be in a position to work with you in the event something happened to our team.