Granite Wealth Management

Frequently Asked Questions

You have questions, we have answers
A Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) is a firm engaged in the investment advisory business and registered either with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities authorities. As an RIA, we have a fiduciary duty to our clients, which means we have a fundamental obligation to provide suitable investment advice and always act in our clients’ best interests.
By paying a set fee based on the amount of assets under management, you can be assured that the investments and advice that we provide is conflict-free and always in the best interest of our clients. Also, our interests are aligned: we do better as your account grows.
Fees are tailored to each client but are generally based on both a percentage of your total investable assets and your preferred method of account management. See our pricing page (link to pricing page) for more information. To get a better understanding of what kind of fee structure would apply to your account, start by connecting with a planner for a portfolio review call (link to calendly).
We do not take custody of client assets. We believe it is important to keep client assets with a most reputable third party institution, which is why we have a custodial partnership with Charles Schwab. If Granite Wealth closed its doors tomorrow, your assets would be perfectly safe at the 2nd largest brokerage firm in America.
Well, you shouldn’t trust just anyone to actively manage your account, and here’s why: about 20 years ago, Wall Street underwent a major shift. Most wirehouses trained their brokers to be asset gatherers — salesmen — rather than knowledgeable stock pickers. “Just get in and stay in” at all times became the mantra, decreasing the time brokers needed to spend following markets on behalf of clients and increasing their time available to sell and gather new accounts. Admit it: you probably know some Merrill Lynch stock broker who, when you talk to him or her, just isn’t that impressive with regard to economic and market insights. That is by design, unfortunately. Read about our process (link to Wealth Management page) to learn how our experience can benefit your portfolio.
Correct answer: it depends. If you’re 32 and in the asset accumulation phase, then being fully invested at most, or all, times makes sense. But if you’re 72 and tilted more toward wealth preservation, sidestepping big drawdowns becomes vital. The ideal allocation differs for everyone depending on their specific circumstances. Also, see ‘Why active management?’ above on this page.
We can work with you to create a sustainable distribution strategy by sensibly using your accumulated investment capital.
Absolutely, and you’ve come to the right place. Creating an estate plan can be unnecessarily expensive, which is why we have partnered with the leading national provider. We can not only help you create your will and/or trust, but can generally save you a lot of time and money in the process.
It’s okay if you’re currently working with an advisor. Many people work with different advisors or firms throughout their lives in order to find one that is the right fit for them. We suggest connecting with us so you can discuss your needs and discover if our approach might be right for you. The planner/client relationship is based on an intimate understanding of your goals, matched with the services and expertise to meet them.
We understand that not everyone is comfortable entering detailed financial information into a questionnaire so to schedule an initial meeting, we only request that you answer a few questions. A deeper dive into your specific circumstances will be necessary but let’s go through that process during a live phone call or meeting (either online or in-person).
A relationship with a wealth planner is an important one – especially as your finances get more complex. Your planner provides value far beyond what shows up on a financial statement. He or she understands your overall goals and gets to know what keeps you up at night. A planner can look at the facets of your financial life to help you understand what’s happening in the short term — and help guide you so you can be well positioned for the long-term.

Have other questions you don’t see above? We’re here to help.