How many people will I be communicating with at Otium?
Otium Advisory is a boutique planning and advisory firm. We are not a multi-national bank, brokerage house, nor insurance company. In other words, you are not a number to us. You are family. Deciding to unveil and share your financial concern and imperfection requires a leap of faith. And in turn, we want to acknowledge the act of trust and get to know you on a deeper level. We strongly believe that you deserve to be treated equitably regardless of your net worth or financial status. This means you’ll have one-point in contact at all times. No shuffling around from one representative to another. And we plan on keeping our firm small enough, where we do not compromise quality and the relationship.
What if I am not considered Gen X or Y, can you still help me?
Without a doubt. Our firm was originally designed to focus on the baby boomer generation, delivering services such as social security and medicare benefits consultation, retirement distribution strategies, and retirement housing options. However, the focus shifted the moment we realized that the younger generation was not receiving proper attention nor quality advice. Unfortunately, the high barrier to entry for good advice is still predicated on net worth and minimum asset balance thresholds. Our mission is to disrupt that trend. We want to share our expertise with all who need solid and sound advice regardless of your wealth, or the lack thereof.
How much does your financial services cost?
Depends on the service. We provide an array of services from comprehensive financial planning to investment management with fees ranging from $750 to $4200. We are truly dedicated to being fee only planners and advisors. The fees are based on the number of hours spent working on your plan or your portfolio – nothing more, nothing less. Our service models caters to all walks of life without you breaking the bank. Get in touch with us for more details.
What is your investment philosophy?
Our approach leans toward passive investing and long term strategic investment management using time tested academic research. Our objective is not to beat nor time the market and certainly not to offer stock picks. Our goal is to mitigate risk, expenses, and taxes; preserving more of the principal to compound long term. Overall, this leads to a simpler way of managing your investments while the focus is on meeting your goals.
What is the difference between a Fee-Only Financial Planner and a Fee-Based Financial Advisor?
We are fee-only financial planners in Los Angeles, California. We receive a fixed fee directly from our clients in exchange for a financial plan or investment portfolio management. No commissions nor referral kick-backs play a part in our compensation. Whereas a fee based financial advisor may charge commissions in addition to fees, which may lead to conflicts of interest.
Do I need to have a lot of money to work with you?
There isn’t a minimum asset requirement for getting services from our financial planning advisors. For a reasonable fee, we can create a financial plan, which would be designed by seasoned financial planners to get you out of debt, start saving for a goal, or provide a second opinion on your 401K options. As you can see, these examples do not require a minimum asset threshold.
What payment options do you offer?
We use a third-party company by the name of “ADVICEPAY”, an industry leading provider of payment management solutions. The company will send you an e-bill to collect the fees. Payment options include, but are not limited to all major credit cards, or electronic check processing.
Do I have to use your referrals to complete the financial plan?
If you are already working with a company or financial professional who offers the products and/or services recommended, you have the choice to retain your existing relationship. As a Fiduciary financial planning firm, our mission is to get you to the finish line whether you use our resources or your own.
What do you mean by “Scope of Engagement”?
This term defines the process of selecting one or more financial planning subject areas. Topics include, but are not limited to budgeting, debt management, credit management, education planning, investment management and planning, tax planning, estate planning, insurance planning, pension planning, retirement planning, and social security benefits planning.
Why should I hire a Financial Planner?
We believe that anyone and everyone can benefit from speaking and working with a financial planner at least once in your lifetime, regardless of your age, income level or net worth. The value that a financial planner brings to the table is more than just their education, credentials, or employment history. The value added comes from the fact that we have seen and studied hundreds of cases that deal with ‘run of the mill’ life events to unprecedented circumstances unique to the 21st century. And to make it even more challenging, the solutions evolve with the changing times, so we have to perpetually sharpen our tools through continuing education. It’s tough to go at it alone, especially if your bandwidth is stretched thin juggling life, family, and work.