FAQ
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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.
We sit at the intersection of investment management and tax planning. Our specific expertise in both fields, such as our ability to construct diversified and inexpensive portfolios, and at the same time engage in deeply detailed tax planning, allows Main Street Investments to provide better insights to investors. Many places offer tax advice, but very few enact the strategies and sign tax returns. The difference in knowledge is vast.
We’ve found that attitude rather than current wealth and income is a more reliable predictor of client fit. We work with motivated self-starters who are serious about their money and financial plan. Our ideal clients are searching for a partner not only to map possible financial paths forward but also to help hold everyone accountable. We have no required minimum asset level, and indeed have helped many clients start their first financial plan. We are vested in our clients’ long-term successes.
Our fees are not inexpensive, due to the breadth and depth of our services and expertise. We price our services based on the complexity of the relationship, the number of services provided, and the risks involved.
We operate in a “fee-only” fiduciary capacity. Fee-only means that Main Street Investments never earns a commission on any investment recommendation. We only sell insight gained through experienced knowledge of financial markets, the Internal Revenue Code, and our understanding of our clients’ lives and trust.
No. We calculate the real dollar costs and both employer and employee tax benefits of offering a plan, while taking on most of the administrative burden. Our thinking is always long term in nature, and our goal is to be a long-term partner.
Our clients enjoy user-friendly access to top personal financial planning software that includes free online cloud storage of confidential documents, a secure way to share documents with their advisors, and access to in-depth market research.
It’s a fair question, and it’s not an impossible feat. In our experience, however, the reality is that it’s usually viewed as another household chore that either just slips through the cracks month after month, quarter after quarter, or is simply ignored. When the “chore” in question involves multi-variate issues, multiple deadlines and changing rules, it is our steadfast belief that “I don’t know what I don’t know” ends up costing YOU money.
The pillars of Main Street’s portfolio management are diversification and a long-term (i.e. multi-decade) view, at the most inexpensive total costs. We consider ourselves caretakers of our clients’ futures and act accordingly and with prudence. Every client has their own individualized Investment Policy Statement detailing the portfolio objectives, constraints and client wishes. We are serious about client capital and understand that we only succeed through our clients’ triumphs.
Absolutely. Giving someone access to your financial situation and tax information is one of the deepest forms of trust which in some cases can take a long time to cement. We enjoy meeting people on their terms but also understand that although not every meeting may lead to a mutually profitable relationship, they are very seldom unrewarding. We love talking investments and taxes (not a misprint) and love getting to know our unique, individual Americans, regardless of background.
We grew up in America’s Heartland and are proud of the values, diversity and balance that it represents. Main Street America’s values are hard work, optimism, grit, curiosity, and, above all, independence.
A fiduciary must act according to the “Prudent Man” standard when handling your investments. At it simplest this means that Main Street Investments must treat your investments as a prudent person would, i.e., act as any prudent person would in a like position, given their skill level in the context of the economic backdrop at that time.
Our primary custodian is TD Ameritrade Institutional. Through our platform, you will have the benefits of institutional access to your investment accounts. Our partnership with TD Ameritrade Institutional (soon to be Charles Schwab Institutional) offers our clientele:
- 24/7 online access to view your account(s)
- Regular statements (mailed or emailed)
- Institutional account reporting
Having TDA/Charles Schwab as a trusted partner provides our clients transparency on investment performance, fees, and when transactions occur.
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- Our Values:
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- Calculable Value Add
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- Service
- Calculable Value Add
- Professionalism
- Opportunity
At Main Street, we know that choosing a financial advisor is an important decision. Our cross-expertise of investment management and income taxes allows us to evaluate actual dollar savings based on your unique household. We invite you to let us calculate those savings for you. Every wealth management path we create begins with a conversation.
Ready to see if Main Street is a good fit for you or your business? Let’s talk.