Client LOGIN

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions Answered

For clarity and transparency, Piton has two agreements (you can think of these agreements as contracts) with clients, one for Financial Planning and one for Investment Management. The Financial Planning service, however, is comprehensive and incorporates components that other firms might list as separate services (estate planning, retirement planning, tax planning and so on). In our experience, having these two services enables us to provide the most comprehensive and rewarding service to clients.
At Piton Wealth, comprehensive financial planning means that, right from the start, we learn as much as possible about our clients and then work to continually become better informed and update plans as clients move through changes in their lives. Your Piton team will collect financial data that other firms do, but very likely you will find that they will collect a great deal more, too. In addition, and critically, new clients work through specialized processes like a values exercise and the Wheel of Wellness. Our process focuses on building wealth and financial security, but incorporates much more (for example, new or improved homes, health needs, education needs, vacations, supporting family, charitable goals, and more). Piton has developed its own trademarked process, the Navigated Journey™, based on the team’s decades of experience, so that clients receive a truly robust, comprehensive financial planning service.
This service entails managing client assets in one or more investment portfolios (these portfolios were designed by Piton, and their success is measured against established professional benchmarks). Piton has its own Investment Committee that meets weekly to update strategy and make specific updates as appropriate. The Piton Investment Committee has a blog where they share tidbits of their weekly deliberations. Piton clients also receive written quarterly statements and updates about these portfolios, and can attend live presentations with more detailed information.
The Piton team is committed to these two services because, in our advisors’ experience, Piton can serve clients best by focusing and committing to these two services. In some cases, what might appear as separate services (tax strategy, estate planning, protection planning, retirement planning) are, at Piton, components of your financial planning service. This is because those components can impact each other (planning in one area can have tax consequences, for example), so Piton’s advisors work to have all those components align in a client’s best interests. When effective financial planning calls for specific professionals in other area, the Piton team works with clients to coordinate with those professionals (such as tax specialists, attorneys, CPA’s, insurance specialists, and so on).
As fiduciaries, Piton Wealth Advisors always make recommendations in the best financial interest of a client. If one service is a better fit for a particular client, then that will be the Advisor’s recommendation. Wealth Advisors at Piton have, in their experience, found that a majority of clients benefit from having both services.
Each service has its own legal agreement and its own billing structure. Piton has been able to keep the fee structure for its Investment Management service stable for many years. Fees for Financial Planning are typically $1,500 per year, but this can vary depending on the complexity of client’s financial situation (and so the annual amount can vary over the years, as that situation changes). As part of Piton’s commitment to a purely fiduciary service, meaning that the team operates fully for the advantage of the client and earns fees for the quality and success of their work, the Piton team strives to make the fees as transparent as possible.
Piton collects fees separately for each of its two services: Financial Planning and Investment Management. Financial Planning fees are per year (typically $1,500 per year). Investment Management fees are keyed to a set, structured, percentage of the value of assets managed , so Piton earns more fees as these assets grow (putting us on the same side of the table as our clients).
Piton does not sell insurance policies, although some Piton team members have previously sold insurance policies or held insurance licenses. Because selling insurance policies involves receiving a commission for a sale, Piton decided as a firm no longer to sell policies, so that there is no potential or apparent conflict of interest. Piton team members do, however, incorporate insurance knowledge, including analyzing and recommending policies, as part of the Financial Planning process (a component known as “Protection Planning”).
The Piton team does not file taxes for clients. Piton team members, along with Thrivent and its financial professionals, do not provide legal, accounting or tax advice, so consult an attorney or tax professional. Tax planning, however, is a regular component of Piton’s Financial Planning service. This can include reviewing tax returns before they are submitted and collaborating with tax professionals with the goal of seeking the most tax-efficient opportunities for clients.
Piton Wealth Advisors can recommend collaboration with various tax professionals, depending on the complexity and specifics of a client’s needs. Piton’s team works to recommend professionals who will best serve Piton clients.
Estate planning is one component of Piton’s Financial Planning service and the Piton team will plan and coordinate estate plans for clients. For specific documents like wills, Piton typically partners with other trusted professionals, such as specialized attorneys, to make sure the documents are in order and consistent with the best interests of clients.
Piton Wealth Advisors can recommend collaboration with various attorneys, depending on the complexity and specifics of a client’s needs.. The network of the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils (https://www.naepc.org/), for which Piton advisors have served as President of regional chapters, provides a means for Piton to connect with attorneys across the country in order to serve a full range of client needs.

YES! This is a favorite part of the Piton team’s work and also one of the most fulfilling. Piton team members are committed to lives of generous service both personally and professionally. Piton is proud to facilitate charitable giving so that gifts have the maximum impact for causes about which our clients are passionate. As one part of our celebration of this activity, we regularly measure and post the charitable giving totals of our clients.

Financial planning is like planting a tree. When is the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. What is the next best time? NOW!
Absolutely the best way is for them to sign up for an alignment call at . This will be a complimentary 15-minute phone call with a Piton team member to assess the next steps for them!

A spike, wedge, or peg that is driven into a rock or ice surface as a support (as for a mountain climber)” (Merriam-Webster). We think of it as support as you climb to ever higher financial and life goals!

/ˈpēˌtän/ or “PEEtahn” Check out our video, too!

Submit a Question

Please fill in the form below to ask a question that is not answered above.

Social Media

We invite you to follow us on social media by clicking on the icons below.

You can also follow our hashtags: #ServeWell #PitonWealth #LiveGenerously

Instagram Facebook-f Linkedin-in