Frequently Asked Questions

What do you do exactly?
Regal Wealth Group is an SEC-Registered Investment Advisor specializing in advising corporate professionals and business owners. Our bread and butter is helping you roll over and invest your IRA(s), 401(k) and pension plans.  Our typical client is close to or in retirement and looks to us for investment advice and wealth management.  

We start the process by understanding your needs and goals as well as what assets and income you have to meet your investment objectives.  We develop a plan that considers your tolerance to risk by creating a diversified portfolio to meet your current income needs and future goals.  Every action we take is done in conjunction with your estate plan and tax reduction-strategy.  If you do not have an estate plan, we can help you create one.  If you have your estate plan in place, we look forward to working with your estate planning professional. 

After the initial plan is complete, our work has just started.  We meet with you regularly.  We provide monthly statements and quarterly performance reports, and your daily balances are always available on-line.  Between meetings, we continuously monitor your investment portfolio to ensure we are meeting your investment objectives.

What type of services do you provide for your clients?
We offer traditional, fee-only investment advice and wealth management. We do not charge commissions nor do we charge extra to meet in-person or talk on the phone.  Our core competency is providing objective financial advice and investment management throughout your retirement.  We employ best-of-class institutional money managers and trust companies on your behalf, monitor them, and report to you regularly.  In addition to investing your retirement assets, we assist with goal planning, estate planning and tax reduction strategies.

Why should I choose you over another advisory firm?
First, our services should match what you are looking for in a financial advisor.  We specialize in comprehensive wealth management for those in retirement or about to retire.  Most of our clients place a tremendous value on their time.  They prefer having us manage their financial affairs, keep abreast of current tax and estate planning rules and regulations and be available for the inevitable problem-solving issues that arise. 

Second, with our firm you have access to a sophisticated investment management process using premier institutional money managers that have traditionally been reserved for only the world's largest investors.  The goal of our investment process is to provide valuable advantages for investors seeking risk management and consistent performance.  It's a disciplined approach that has been tested over time by some of the world's largest pension plans and private investors.

Third, it is crucial that you trust us and feel comfortable working with us as your advisor.  The advantage you gain by working with our company is you will get to know us as well as we will get to know you.  Our clients are like our family.  Because we are a relative large Registered Investment Advisor firm, we have access to the best and brightest resources in the financial business; but as an independent, small company, we are structured to individually serve you and your family.

Who is your typical client?
Most of our clients are long-time corporate professionals or business owners with significant savings in retirement accounts such as 401(k)s and IRA(s), pension(s), stock options, restricted stock and personal investments.  We work best with individuals and families who are near or in retirement and who are looking for an advisor to help them plan for retirement, preserve their wealth and strategies how best to pass on a legacy to their heirs.  

What is the minimum amount I must investment to work with you?
$500,000.  In certain circumstances this minimum may be waived.  Our ideal client will typically have an investable net-worth of $1 to $25 million dollars. 

How are you paid?
We are paid strictly on a fee basis. We do not receive any commissions or “kickbacks” from third-parties.  Our fee is calculated based on the assets under management at the end of each quarter, charged in arrears. We have an incentive for your account to grow.  We believe this compensation arrangement allows us to sit on the same side of the table with you, allowing us to give unbiased advice and to objectively monitor the managers we hire to invest your portfolio.  We do not charge a fee, commission or penalty to open or close an account at any time.  There are no annual fees or inactivity fees.

Do you have a financial incentive to offer certain investment products?
As a fee-only advisor, we offer clients unbiased and objective advice. We have no financial incentive to push any financial products and we have no proprietary products.  We have a fiduciary obligation to act in the best interests of our clients.

Are there any fees, other than your management fees, if we work together?
In addition to our quarterly management fee, there may be a fixed charge for buying or selling stocks, bonds and some funds, which is paid directly to the custodian.  If you purchase exchange-traded index funds, traditional mutual funds or closed-end funds, you will have ongoing management fees payable to the fund management companies. These fees and any other fees are outlined in each fund’s prospectus.  We only purchase "no-load" funds.

What is the process for opening an account with your firm?
After one or two meetings, we will generally provide an overview of your present financial portfolio along with a summary of our recommendations.  Once you are completely comfortable with our program and recommendations, we will fill out paperwork to open a new account.  Opening the new account(s) is just the beginning of our relationship.  We will map out a program to ensure we tackle your wealth management concerns in a logical and methodical way.

Where are my assets actually held if I work with you? Who has access to my account?
Your assets will be held at the custodian. Two examples of custodians we use are Fidelity (Fidelity Registered Investment Advisor Group) and SEI Investments.  As your advisor, we are authorized to give instructions to the custodian with respect to all investment decisions regarding your portfolio in accordance with your investment objectives.  You can always give us instructions to act on your behalf.

Are you able to make withdrawals from my account without my permission?
No. We are only able to instruct the custodian to send you money from your account, when you instruct us to do so. We can direct Non-IRA funds wherever you instruct us if we have the bank information on file.  If we do not have it on file, we will require your signature with a letter of instruction.  Depending on your needs, you may also choose to have checking privileges or a debit card on an investment account.  IRA fund distributions always require your signature.  You can always set up a systematic deposit program where distributions are automatically deposited in your bank account.  This only requires a signature at the time we set it up.  Our support staff is available to help you facilitate such transactions.

How do you decide what my overall asset allocation should be?
Your overall asset allocation will depend on several factors: 1) Your tolerance for risk 2) Your financial objectives 3) Your investment time horizon. Once we identify these factors, we will draft your personal Investment Policy Statement and a proposal that will determine your initial asset allocation and direct any future transactions in your account.

How often do you make changes to my portfolio?
We may advise changing your portfolio’s allocation if your financial situation changes or if the financial markets warrant making a change. We generally rebalance portfolios (if warranted) on a quarterly basis.  We are careful not make portfolio changes too often and of course transaction fees and taxes must always be considered beforehand.

How often do we talk and / or meet?
This really is up to you. We typically like to do an account review with clients no less than  annually.  We find some clients like to touch base each quarter, while others prefer only on request.  In general, we meet quite a bit in the beginning of the relationship as we get affairs in order.  We are always available to meet at times when something arises that requires immediate attention, such as the purchase of a large asset.  We also commonly find it necessary to meet after the death of a spouse or loved one.  We frequently interact in person, by phone or via e-mail or a combination thereof on an ongoing basis.  

What sort of portfolio reporting do you provide clients?

We provide clients with detailed portfolio statements on a monthly basis. We also provide quarterly reports on performance, and annual tax reporting statements.  Your account information is always available on-line 24 hours a day.

Do you help me with tax reporting or estate planning issues?
Yes. As mentioned earlier, we provide you with detailed tax reporting information that should be reviewed along with the 1099 from your custodian. We also have relationships with many CPAs and estate planning attorneys who can help with your tax and estate planning needs, if you are in need of a referral.