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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

WHY DID YOU BECOME A FEE-ONLY FINANCIAL ADVISOR?
I chose to be a financial advisor to educate and help others do their best financially and live better lives, and at the same time do something I enjoy. I became a financial advisor after a 15-year career as a Professional Civil and Environmental Engineer. This profession served me well, but I knew it wouldn’t be my last. During this time, I created my own financial plan to extricate myself from my first career through goal-setting, investing, real-estate investment, and creativity. I feel like I gained valuable insight during this time that ultimately led me toward financial advising.
IS FRONTIER FINANCIAL PLANNING A GOOD FIT FOR ME?
We work with financial planning clients who are motivated to save and work to achieve their financial goals.
WHO WOULD NOT BE A GOOD FIT FOR YOUR FIRM?
This process is intended to be cooperative. The first few months will require time and effort on both our parts so that we can work toward developing your personal financial plan. Regular communication and participation is essential if we are to realize your financial goals.

We probably aren’t a good fit if you’re not comfortable using technology or if you’re looking for a grand office with lots of suits and jargon. If you’re looking to beat the market or want an adviser to provide the latest hot stock tip or talk about daily stock returns, then we’re not that outfit.

WHY IS CFP® IMPORTANT?
The CFP® is recognized for its stringent code of conduct and standards of practice, and ethical requirements that govern professional engagements with clients. CFP professionals hold a college degree, after which they complete an advance multi-year college-level program in financial planning and maintain 30-hours of continued education bi-annually. They have completed at least three years of financial planning-related experience or two years while working with another CFP® professional full-time.

Most people in the financial services industry are not held to the CFP standard.

DO I HAVE TO COME TO YOUR OFFICE?
I am happy to meet with you at my office located in north Fairbanks or in a professional space downtown. Time is precious, though, and it can be difficult to get away from your commitments. Our services and systems are designed that all the information you need for understanding your finances can be accessed through your phone or computer. We are able to have impactful virtual meetings at any place that is convenient for you and without disrupting your routine.
HOW DO YOU GET PAID?
Frontier Financial Planning is a fee-only firm, which means that we get paid by our clients, not by selling any products or making any referrals to other providers. As a fiduciary, I have an ethical and legal responsibility to put your interests first. For instance, if I recommend an insurance policy or specific mutual fund, you know that I’ve done so because I believe that it best serves your needs, not because I am making money from it. To learn more about our services and pricing click here.
DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE FIRST MEETING?
No, the introductory meeting is free. This meeting provides us with an opportunity to get to know one another and see if we can work together. We will talk broadly about your finances and goals, discover areas of opportunity, and discuss how we can move forward together.
I’M NOT IN FAIRBANKS (OR ALASKA). CAN WE STILL WORK TOGETHER?
Yes. Frontier Financial Planning is a location-independent firm. Our services and systems are designed so that clients can easily work with us from any location that has an internet connection.
WHAT IS YOUR INVESTMENT PHILOSOPHY?

We believe that efficient markets, diversification, risk-adjusted asset allocation, low-cost funds, and self-discipline provides the best investment results.

We prescribe to Market Efficiency, a theory that markets are efficient, but not always rational, and that prices reflect all available public information. It is impossible to know ahead of time when the market will move, or what direction it will take. As a result, we do not apply active management strategies like ‘timing-the-market’ and ‘stock-picking’.

We believe that having a diversified portfolio, which means holding a different number and types of investments, will help to reduce risk.

‘Asset allocation’ refers to the relationship or blend of cash, stocks and bonds in a portfolio. Our strategy aims to create a variety of asset classes to match the investor’s risk tolerance.

We believe in the importance minimizing expenses and reducing taxes in your portfolio.

Self-discipline requires you to recognize and maintain course on the timeline of your investment horizon. We believe that short-term goals should focus on the safety of the principal investment, whereas long-term goals require careful adjustments and patience.

We believe in providing clients with sophisticated but reliable investment strategies based on research, experience, and sound rationale rather than speculation. Although we believe you are best served when your investments are tied to a comprehensive financial plan, we do offer investment management services on a standalone basis.

WHY DO I NEED A FINANCIAL PLANNER?
For most clients, there are two main reasons for hiring a financial planner. First, I have the expertise and experience to identify areas of weakness in your finances. Second, I develop your plan and help you to follow it. Also, it may be to your advantage to have an objective third-party review your situation periodically and help you review your goals and decisions.
HOW DO YOU KEEP MY INFORMATION SAFE?

I do not send any sensitive information in emails and encourage clients to similarly avoid that practice. I operate almost exclusively with web-based software, which avoids local data storage (on my computer system). The data I do store locally is synced with a cloud-based file-syncing tool, and the computer is protected with a strong password. The vast majority of my business and client data is held by the following providers (click the name to view their security policies).

RightCapital (financial planning)
XY Investment Solutions(investment management)
First Ascent(investment management)
Docusign and Hellosign (digital signature)
Wealthbox (client relationship management)
LastPass (password security)
Google’s G Suite (email, calendar, online forms, etc.)
Dropbox (document storage)
AdvicePay (monthly payment processing)
SmartRIA (compliance)
Calendly (meeting scheduling)
Process Street (workflow management)