FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions, answered clearly.
The things prospective clients most want to understand about how we work, where their money sits, and how we are paid. If your question isn't here, just ask.
Where your assets sit, and why they're safe
YOUR MONEY AND ITS SAFETY
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All client assets are held at Interactive Brokers, a large global brokerage. Your account is in your own name, with your own login and access. We design the strategy and execute it for you, but at no point do your assets come under our custody.
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Your investments are held with our third-party custodian, Interactive Brokers, a large, well-established global broker with a strong capital position. We never hold your assets. As your fiduciary, we place trades in your account and bill you for our services, and nothing more. We can never transfer or withdraw your investments. You receive statements directly from Interactive Brokers, so you can always verify your account independently.
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A fair question to ask of any small firm, and the structure is built so your assets are never at risk. Because your account is held in your own name at Interactive Brokers, and we only ever have authority to trade, never to withdraw or move your money, your investments remain entirely yours and fully accessible no matter what. At any time, you keep full control of your account and can appoint another manager or take the reins yourself.
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Yes. You have your own login to Interactive Brokers and can view your holdings, activity, and statements at any time, entirely independent of us.
Fees, incentives, and where we stand
HOW WE ARE PAID, AND ALIGNED
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As a fiduciary, we are required to act solely in our clients' interests. It is the highest standard of care in the investment industry. We take the responsibility seriously, because the trust of our clients is the cornerstone of the business.
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Fee-only means the only compensation we earn comes from the fees our clients pay us. No commission-based products, no trailing commissions, no referral fees. That removes layers of potential conflict and keeps what we earn transparent and pointed in the same direction as your returns.
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We charge a fixed percentage of the assets we manage for you. We don't sell products or do commission-based business. You may pay transaction fees charged by Interactive Brokers, but because our portfolio turnover is low and we trade sparingly, these have little impact over the long term.
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Yes. Our founder, Robert Gignac, invests his own money in the same securities as our clients, so we share in the same outcomes. Combined with our fee-only structure, that keeps our incentive pointed at one thing: investing well for you over the long term.
What the relationship looks like
WORKING WITH US
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You'll receive monthly and quarterly statements directly from Interactive Brokers, and a quarterly commentary from us on the markets and the strategy. We'll review your portfolio together at least once a year, and more often depending on your arrangement.
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Your account is your own. Because it's held in your name at Interactive Brokers, you're free to end our arrangement and keep or transfer your account whenever you wish. We don't lock anyone in. We would far rather earn your continued trust than rely on a contract to keep it.
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It begins with a conversation, with no obligation, to understand your situation and see whether we're a good fit. From there we'd walk you through opening your own Interactive Brokers account and putting the strategy in place. Get in touch whenever you’re ready.