Financial Advisor in Augusta-Richmond County, GA. You work hard for your money, and you need to be confident about how it's expanding and how it's being used. Many Augusta-Richmond County residents do not have the financial literacy to feel like they can handle their investments and finances by themselves, while others are too busy or interest to stay informed on financial markets along with new laws, regulations, and global events. That's when you need a trustworthy, seasoned, and knowledgeable financial advisor. A Correct Capital financial advisor in Augusta-Richmond County, GA will help your finances grow. We employ in-depth analytics along with our extensive expertise to create personalized financial solutions for individuals, families, and businesses in Augusta-Richmond County, GA and beyond. Reach out to us today at 877-930-4015 or contact us through our website to see if Correct Capital is a good fit for you.
Uncertain if you're ready to hire a financial advisor in Augusta-Richmond County, GA? Check out our process page to see how simple we make it to determine if we would make a good team.
A 2018 study by FINRA revealed that 53 percent of American adults are anxious about their finances. A source of that anxiety is commonly just not being sure they're putting their money in the right places. After our Augusta-Richmond County, GA financial advisor team gets to know you, your extant financial situation and your financial goals, we'll design a road map to help you accomplish them. As a fiduciary and an independent firm, your Correct Capital financial advisor is required to act in your best interest and we are not limited in the plans we can endorse. Our financial advisors in Augusta-Richmond County, GA have certifications that can only be acquired through exhaustive testing and by meeting strict education requirements.
What Is a Financial Advisor?
A financial advisor is a specialist who provides advice on managing personal finances and investments. This comprehensive definition includes a wide range of services, from portfolio management and retirement planning to tax planning and estate planning. Financial advisors take a thorough view of your financial situation to recommend strategies that match your goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon. While technically anyone can be called a financial advisor or financial planner, credible and professional advisors will have accreditations from organizations such as FINRA and the CFP Board that signify their experience and education.
Types of Financial Advisors in Augusta-Richmond County, GA
Financial advisors come in various forms, each with different areas of expertise, compensation models, and types of services offered:
- Investment Advisors or Portfolio Managers: These advisors offer advice on securities and oversee investment portfolios. They often work in RIAs and are required to serve as fiduciaries, meaning they always have the client's best interest at heart. Investment advisors are registered with either the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state regulators, based on the amount of investments they manage.
- Broker-Dealers and Brokers: Broker-dealers buy and sell securities like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds on behalf of their clients or for their own accounts. They must register with the SEC and are typically members of FINRA. The financial products they can sell depend on their specific licenses, such as Series 6 or Series 7. For instance, an individual who has a Series 7 license is qualified to sell general securities, including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professionals (CFPs): Professionals holding the CFP certification have undergone extensive training and uphold high ethical standards, including a fiduciary duty to their clients. CFPs provide a vast spectrum of financial planning services, ranging from debt management to retirement planning, and estate planning. Their methodology is all-encompassing, designed to satisfy every facet of a client's financial life.
- Financial Consultants: This term can apply broadly, but chartered financial consultants (ChFCs) have completed education comparable with CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professionals and are also bound by a fiduciary duty. Like CFPs, ChFCs specialize in offering holistic financial advice, encompassing everything from investment management to retirement strategies, ensuring that customers' financial goals are achieved through the highest ethical standards.
- Financial Coaches: Focus on enhancing clients' financial literacy, helping with basics such as saving money and budgeting. They are suited for clients who are not yet wealthy enough to work with most financial advisors. Financial coaching provides a solid foundation for managing personal finances wisely, especially for those in the early stages of financial planning.
- Wealth Managers: Serve high-net-worth individuals, offering a broad array of services that include estate planning, tax assistance, and investment management. They partner closely with their clients to navigate complex financial situations and implement wealth preservation strategies. Their expertise is geared towards enhancing the financial health and legacy of affluent clients, making sure that every financial decision is aligned with tailored advice and approaches.
Each type of financial advisor serves different needs, and the best choice depends on an individual's or organization's specific financial situation and goals. At Correct Capital, our group of advisors features CFPs and other qualified professionals who embody the highest standards of fiduciary responsibility and personalized service, guaranteeing that we act exclusively in the best interest of our clients across all our engagements.
What Does a Financial Advisor Do?
A financial advisor will evaluate your present financial situation, ascertain means to improve it, and help you reach your long-term financial goals. Many Augusta-Richmond County, GA residents often immediately think of investing when they think of wealth management services and financial advisors. While that is a principal facet of any financial plan, a certified financial advisor will be able to offer you holistic financial advice that takes into consideration the entirety of your finances. Below are some of the services your Correct Capital financial advisor in Augusta-Richmond County, GA will implement in order to help you achieve your goals.
- Financial Planning
Our money is integral to almost everything we do, from making sure we're set up in retirement, to education, real estate deals, picking insurance policies, and making sure we have enough to eat every night. The best financial advisors in Augusta-Richmond County, GA offer holistic services and tailored guidance by taking into account your entire financial situation.
- Tax Planning
Tax considerations play a role in virtually every financial transaction and transfer. According to the IRS's own data, over 70 percent of Americans overpay in taxes every year. The United States tax code is incredibly complicated, yet it offers perfectly legal ways to lower your taxes. A professional and trustworthy Augusta-Richmond County, GA financial advisor will guide you through your tax implications to ensure keeping more money in your own account.
- Portfolio Management and Asset Management
Your financial portfolio is the assembly of your financial assets. They can include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), cash equivalents, or alternative assets such as art. A financial advisor in Augusta-Richmond County, GA will help to allocate and diversify your assets to mitigate risk and best position your money for growth.
- Retirement Planning
Depending on where you currently are in life and your desired lifestyle when you hang up your cape, your Augusta-Richmond County, GA financial advisor will assist with tax implications, evaluating the optimal time to retire, when to make withdrawals and how much to take out. A financial advisor will help you formulate a budget and plan for source of income in retirement so you can live out your golden years just how you want to.
- 401(k) Services
We offer 401(k) services to individuals and families as well as Augusta-Richmond County, GA businesses and business owners. Setting up a 401(k) plan is a fantastic way to maintain your best employees and keep them satisfied and happy. Our retirement consultants represent over $218 million in plan assets and thousands of plan participants nationwide. Our Augusta-Richmond County, GA financial advisor team offers comprehensive 401(k) planning for companies as well as personalized benefits for their employees.
- 401(k) Rollover
When starting a new job, it can be tough to know the best way to handle the money you've accumulated in a previous Augusta-Richmond County, GA employer's 401(k) plan. You have multiple options, such as keeping the money in the account it is currently in, moving it to a new 401(k), or putting the money in one of a variety of IRA accounts. A financial advisor will know how to best navigate managing your 401(k) funds.
- Generational Wealth Transfers
You work hard for your money, and it's common to wish to leave a legacy and pass on some wealth to the people you care about the most. Wealth transfers are different from just leaving gifts behind in estate planning. A financial advisor in Augusta-Richmond County, GA can strategically plan your money for both your children but for future generations to come, even ones you haven't met yet.
- Fiduciary Advising
Anyone can call themselves a "financial advisor," so it's paramount to pick one who has accreditations and certifications from regulatory bodies such as the CFP Board, Fi360, InFRE, and FINRA. As fiduciary advisors and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™™ professionals, your Augusta-Richmond County, GA financial advisor at Correct Capital is bound by a "Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct" to:
- Act with honesty, integrity, competence, and diligence.
- Act in the client's best interest.
- Exercise due care.
- Avoid conflicts of interest, disclose them when they arise, and manage them in the client's best interest.
- Maintain confidentiality and protect the privacy of client information.
- Act in a manner that reflects positively on the financial planning profession and CFP® certification.
- Debt Management
Financial advisors offer tailored debt management plans that focus on managing debt, securing lower interest rates if feasible, and structuring repayments. The goal is to create a manageable path forward that suits your financial capabilities and goals, eventually leading to stability.
- Budgeting
Creating and staying compliant with a budget is fundamental to having the financial health and life you want. Financial advisors in Augusta-Richmond County, GA can assist clients grasp how much money's coming in, identify areas for savings, and set realistic spending limits that facilitate growing your wealth. By providing resources and strategies for efficient budgeting, advisors guarantee that clients can meet their current financial obligations while also saving for future goals.
When you hire a Augusta-Richmond County, GA financial advisor at Correct Capital, we begin by getting to know you personally and your goals. We will assess your current income, assets, investments, debts, and expenses. Then we've accomplished that, we'll work in concert with you to establish your preferred risk tolerance and how we can best help you achieve your goals. As an independent advisory firm, our only responsibility is to act in your best interest. There is no limitation to the services, products, and investment opportunities our financial advisor team can offer you, and we will never try to sell you on something we do not believe in ourselves.
When Should I Hire a Financial Advisor in Augusta-Richmond County, GA?
Seeking the advice of a financial advisor can be a key step towards getting the life and financial security you want. While the right time can vary widely from person to person, certain life events and circumstances often signal the need for professional financial advice.
- Major Life Changes: Life is a series of changes, and many of them have significant financial implications. Whether you're starting a family or changing careers, these milestones can significantly affect your financial landscape. A financial advisor can assist you manage these changes, ensuring that your financial plan grows to meet your changing circumstances and goals.
- Lack of Experience, Time, Knowledge, or Desire to Manage Your Finances By Yourself: Managing personal finances can be complicated, demanding, and, frankly, overwhelming for many. If you lack the experience to successfully handle your investments, or simply prefer to spend your energy elsewhere, a financial advisor can be essential. They bring insight and objectivity to your financial decisions, aiding to enhance your portfolio, prevent costly mistakes, and set up your investments for future success.
- Nearing Retirement: Retirement planning is one of the foremost reasons individuals seek out financial advice. An advisor can aid you evaluate your current financial situation, calculate your retirement needs, and devise a plan to ensure you can live comfortably during your retirement years comfortably. This includes strategies for Social Security benefits, pension management, and distribution strategies from retirement accounts.
- Complex Financial Products: The financial market offers a plethora of investment options, many of which come with their own complexities. If you're considering investments in complex financial products—such as derivatives, alternative investments, or tax-optimized strategies—an advisor's insight can be vital. They can guide you comprehend the risks and benefits, ensuring that any investment matches your overall financial strategy and goals.
Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor Before Hiring Them
Trust is paramount whenever you hire someone to do something, but particularly so when it involves your hard-earned money. Beyond just finding a reliable advisor, you need one who best meets your needs. It's important to make the right inquiries during your initial meetings. Here are key questions to consider:
- What is your experience in the financial advisory field?
Understanding an advisor's track record, including their time spent in the industry, the varieties of clients they've assisted, and their areas of expertise, can provide you a sense of their proficiency and whether they're prepared to handle your financial needs.
- What are your qualifications and certifications?
Ask them to mention any certifications (e.g., CFP®, CFA, ChFC) the advisor has earned. These credentials often require fulfilling demanding educational, experience, and ethical standards, demonstrating a high level of professionalism and expertise.
- What is your investment philosophy?
An advisor's investment philosophy should match your risk tolerance and financial goals. Whether they favor a cautious approach with a focus on long-term growth or a more aggressive strategy, their philosophy should resonate with your aspirations and expectations.
- How do you prefer to communicate with clients?
Communication method and regularity are crucial to a productive client-advisor relationship. Ask about how often you'll have meetings, whether they'll be face-to-face or online, and how the advisor plans to keep you informed about your investments and financial plan.
- What's your fee structure?
Advisors can be fee-only, commission-based, or a mixture thereof. Knowing how an advisor is compensated will help you identify potential conflicts of interest and ensure that their advice is given with your best interests in mind.
- Are you a fiduciary financial advisor?
Confirming that an advisor acts as a fiduciary is vital. This means they are legally obligated to put your interests before their own, offering advice that is in the best interest of your financial goals and needs.
- What services do you offer beyond investment management?
Many advisors provide comprehensive financial planning services, including retirement planning, tax strategies, estate planning, and more. Additionally, some financial advisory firms offer more in the way of client education and portfolio reviews. Knowing the full scope of services offered can assist you in determining whether the advisor can meet all your financial needs.
- How do you handle conflicts of interest?
An honest advisor will openly discuss potential conflicts of interest and how they address them to ensure they don't negatively impact their clients' financial plans. Fiduciary advisors must reveal conflicts of interest, and must manage them in their client's best interest.
Asking these questions will not only give essential information about the financial advisor's qualifications and approach but also enable you to assess whether there is a good personal fit. Remember, a strong relationship with your financial advisor is built on transparency, trust, and mutual understanding.
You can find many of these questions answered on our FAQ page.
How Much Does a Financial Advisor Cost in Augusta-Richmond County, GA?
In general, there are three common ways for financial advisors to be compensated:
- Commission-Based: Advisors who earn through commissions make their earnings through commissions on the products they sell, such as mutual funds. This fee structure can create a possible conflict, as the advisor might be incentivized to recommend products that generate higher commissions rather than those that are most suited to your financial goals. Commission-based advisors are typically held to the suitability standard as opposed to the fiduciary standard, which means they have to recommend products that can aid in achieving your goals, but not necessarily the ones best suited to your needs.
- Fee-Only: Fee-only advisors are compensated straightforwardly by clients for the guidance and assistance they provide and do not receive any commissions from product sales. This compensation can take several forms, including hourly rates assets under management (AUM). This model is frequently regarded as more transparent and aligned with the client's best interests, as it reduces conflicts of interest related to product sales.
- Fee-Based: Fee-based advisors use a combination of fees paid by the client and commissions from selling financial products. While this model offers a blend of the fee-only and commission-based structures, fee-based advisors generally also have a fiduciary duty, which means that even if they get commission from certain products, they must reveal this to the client and cannot recommend those products unless they sincerely believe they are in the client's best interests.
Correct Capital's Financial Advisory Services in Augusta-Richmond County, GA
Correct Capital stands out in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA financial advisory landscape for its customized approach to wealth management and financial planning. Recognizing that not all clients have the same starting point or the same goals, we offer a variety of service models to our clients in Augusta-Richmond County, GA:
One-Time Financial Plan (best for validators)
This service model is best for those who are looking for the insights and advice a financial advisor can offer without the ongoing management. This service is excellent for individuals who are generally confident in managing their finances but seek professional validation to ensure they're on the right track. Our team conducts a thorough review of your financial landscape, providing you with a detailed plan that addresses your specific goals, concerns, and opportunities for growth.
Subscription (best for collaborators)
Our subscription service caters to individuals who appreciate consistent guidance and advice as their financial situation evolves, or when they have specific questions about something related to their finances. This model offers monthly updates from our financial advisors, quarterly meetings, and open availability if the need ever arises. While we won't manage your investments for you, we'll work to look for opportunities to help you save and grow your wealth.
Wealth Management (best for delegators)
Our wealth management service model is for clients who prefer to delegate the management of their investments and financial planning to professionals. This includes active investment management, strategic financial planning, and proactive advice on a wide range of financial matters — from tax planning and retirement planning to estate planning and beyond. Our wealth management clients enjoy a sense of security, knowing that every aspect of their financial well-being is being carefully managed by a dedicated team of professionals committed to maximizing their wealth and achieving their financial goals.
Why Choose Correct Capital as Your Augusta-Richmond County, GA Financial Advisor?
Correct Capital is a premier choice for individuals and families in Augusta-Richmond County, GA seeking reliable, expert financial guidance. Here's why choosing Correct Capital can make a significant difference in your financial journey:
- We are Fiduciary Advisors: As fiduciaries, Correct Capital is legally obligated to act in your best interests. This commitment ensures that each piece of advice, each investment recommendation, and each strategic move we make on your behalf is done in a way that aligns most closely with your goals.
- Our I.O.U. Promise: All the advice we offer is independent, objective, and unbiased. Being independent signifies we are not tied to any specific financial institution or product, enabling us the freedom to select the best investments and strategies for you.
- Professional Credentials: We are a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), which allows us access to a wide variety of investment solutions and research. Our advisor team includes two CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals, an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®), an Enrolled Agent, and a CPA. Additionally, our retirement consultants and financial portfolio managers have over 100 years of combined experience.
- Proactivity is Our Approach: Our advisors believe that the most valuable way to create long-term financial security is to anticipate trends and lead, rather than follow. Utilizing in-depth research and analytics, our aim is to craft the most appropriate strategy for your needs.
- Continuous Learning Opportunities: Correct Capital offers quarterly webinars and workshops to keep you informed and engaged with your financial health. Our commitment to client education ensures that you are fully prepared to make informed decisions alongside your advisor.
Choosing Correct Capital as your financial advisor in Augusta-Richmond County, GA means partnering with a team dedicated to your financial success. Our experience, fiduciary commitment, and custom-tailored approach to financial planning and investment management make us the perfect choice for individuals and families looking to achieve their financial goals and secure their future.
Other services we offer in Augusta-Richmond County, GA include:
- High-Net-Worth Wealth Management
- Retirement Planner
- Financial Planning
- Retirement Plan Consultants
- Fiduciary Financial Advisor
Call Correct Capital's Augusta-Richmond County, GA Financial Advisor Team Today
The decisions you make about your finances and the decisions you make with it are inherently personal. At Correct Capital, we strongly believe in the relationship between an individual, family, or business owner in Augusta-Richmond County, GA and their financial advisor is based on trust. Committed to guiding our clients realize their financial and personal goals, whether it's sending your children to college or making the dream purchase of that dream car in retirement. Reach out to our Augusta-Richmond County, GA financial advisor team today at 877-930-4015 or get in touch with us online to take the first step towards growing your wealth in the manner you desire.