When most people begin to plan for retirement, their goals are usually simple. They want to put aside enough money to live the lifestyle they want and have a little left to pass onto their beneficiaries. They imagine that by saving and investing, they are already well on the path to a successful retirement – but in some cases, covering the basics won’t be enough to secure financial stability later in life.
Too often, people overlook small but crucial details. They might have a substantial savings account and a few investments, but they haven’t realized just how much of their retirement fund they lose to fees each year.
As Anthony and Michael Pellegrino point out in this episode, seemingly small costs can add up quickly. Mutual funds, for example, are positively riddled with small financial demands that run the gamut form 12B-1 costs to sub-account fees and trading expenses. All told, these administrative expenses can claim two percent or more of a person’s investment earnings for the year. To make matters worse, these costs are applied internally, so the client might never realize how much those fees carve out of their profits!
As an institutional fiduciary, Goldstone Financial Group can lessen the impact of administrative costs by bundling them into a single wrap cost – a fee which takes care of advisory costs, covers third-party money manager expenses, and allows for unlimited trading. By packing the fees into one institutionally-managed bundle, Michael explains, Goldstone advisors can lower administrative costs overall by shifting clients out of retail investment and into a more cost-effective institutional setting.
However, avoiding hidden fees is only half of the battle when it comes to savvy investment. Knowing who is managing your money and what their qualifications are, Anthony stresses, is just as crucial to your financial health. While the vast majority of client-facing financial professionals call themselves “advisors,” only registered fiduciaries are legally obligated to put their client’s best investment interests above their own.
Brokers, Anthony goes on to explain, are trying to sell a product. When they convince their clients to invest, they earn a commission. The nature of their occupation incentivizes them to sell more, even when the investment might not be in the client’s best interests.
All of Goldstone’s advisors are registered fiduciaries; as such, they have a legal and moral responsibility to put their clients’ financial interests above their own. Regardless of whether clients choose to sign on with Goldstone or another investment firm, however, Anthony and Michael believe it to be critical that they sift through hidden fees early and find a registered fiduciary to help them plan for retirement. Otherwise, clients run the risk of losing significant portions of their retirement savings to unnecessarily high fees and unscrupulous “advisors.”