Who do Lucas Group Financial Advisors serve?
We provide our services to individuals, families, businesses, trusts, partnerships, not-for-profit organizations and retirement plans who wish to pursue long-term goals based on our strategic approach to financial goal planning.
What services do you provide?
At Lucas Group Financial Advisors, we take a comprehensive approach to wealth management, and managing investments represents only part of the picture. We focus on each client receiving the following services:
- Getting the PROPER ASSET ALLOCATION in place, and thus making sure that our clients do not take more risk than they have the ability, willingness or need to take. This is the most important investment decision made.
- Providing the DISCIPLINE needed to adhere to the plan so investors do not get caught up in the greed and envy of bull markets, nor the fear and panic of bear markets.
- Ensuring that REBLANCING is done regularly and in the most cost- and tax-effective manner.
- Ensuring that TAX-LOSS HARVESTING is done appropriately.
- Determining proper DRAWDOWN STRATEGIES in retirement.
- Determining how to OPTIMIZE SOCIAL SECURITY benefits.
- Helping provide LONGEVITY INSURANCE against running out of money in retirement.
How much does it cost to hold initial planning meetings with your firm?
There is NO COST for our initial Discovery and Investment Plan meetings. We feel it's time well spent to first get to know one another -- before we seek mutual commitment and before we begin charging a fee.
How do you charge for your services?
We are a fee-based advisor, meaning that our fees are typically based on a percentage of your assets that we manage. However, we also offer fee-only financial plans for individuals who want a "financial check-up" but do not desire ongoing portfolio management.
We operate in a fiduciary capacity and will always act in your best interest; in some cases, this means offering a solution that pays a commission instead of an asset-based fee. If we feel that a particular investment product is the best fit for your financial plan, we will fully disclose this commission to you and the reasons for our recommendation. Some solutions are only available in commission-based products, and we feel that we would be doing a disservice to you if we did not examine these as part of our analysis.
Do you have a minimum portfolio size?
Our minimum portfolio size is $200,000. However, if your asset level does not currently meet our minimum requirements, but you have unique circumstances you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact us. We do also offer fee-only financial plans separate from any portfolio management.
What happens to my current holdings if I become a client?
Before any changes are made, we first analyze your existing portfolio and discuss our recommendations with you. Our overall goal is for your portfolio to make sense for you and your lifetime objectives, in the most cost-effective way possible.
Ways we achieve this goal are to:
- Capture your unique willingness, ability and need to take on market risk via appropriate (often global) diversification
- To minimize the expenses involved in investing
- To manage for appropriate asset location between taxable and tax-sheltered accounts
- To eliminate any unnecessary complexity within the collection of accounts within your portfolio
If existing holdings lend themselves to these objectives, we leave them in place. If changes are warranted, we work with you to ensure any transitions occur as smoothly and cost-effectively as possible.
Do you trade and hold my assets for me?
While you grant us Limited Power of Attorney (LPOA) to execute transactions on your behalf, you remain in control of your assets. Accounts are held in your name at a quality custodian such as Schwab, TD Ameritrade, or Fidelity.
What if I need a bond (fixed income) portfolio or other special holdings?
Our philosophy is that equity investments are for growth; fixed income investing has a vital mission all its own: to control overall volatility in a portfolio and provide a stable financial base. It should act as the vehicle for steady, reliable income and contingency reserves. We address your fixed income needs as an integral part of your overall portfolio as well as by considering the special needs, characteristics and (often hidden) costs inherent in the bond market. If a custom bond portfolio makes sense for you, we build one for you based on analysis of each bond's full range of characteristics (sector, maturity, credit rating and more).
Through our relationship with Buckingham Strategic Partners LLC, we have access to strategic fixed income resources and a network of local and national bond dealers that help ensure a wide range of security availability as well as fair and competitive institutional level pricing for you.
