Financial Advisor in Madison, WI. You work hard for your money, and you need to be assured about how it's expanding and how it's being used. Many Madison residents do not have the financial literacy to feel sure they're making the right decisions with their money, while others are too busy or interest to stay up to date on market trends along with new laws, rules, and global events. That's when you need a dependable, experienced, and knowledgeable financial advisor. A Correct Capital financial advisor in Madison, WI will help your finances grow. We use in-depth research along with our decades of experience to create personalized financial solutions for individuals, families, and businesses in Madison, WI 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.
Wondering if you're ready to hire a financial advisor in Madison, WI? Take a look at our process page to discover how simple we make it to ascertain if we would make a good team.
A 2018 study by FINRA found that 53 percent of American adults are anxious about their finances. The cause of that anxiety is frequently just not being sure they're managing their money correctly. After our Madison, WI financial advisor team gets to know you, your finances and your financial ambitions, we'll create a road map to help you realize them. As a fiduciary and an independent firm, every Correct Capital financial advisor is obligated to act in your best interest and we are not limited in the options we can recommend. Our financial advisors in Madison, WI have certifications that can only be gained through exhaustive testing and by meeting stringent education requirements.
What Is a Financial Advisor?
A financial advisor is a specialist who provides advice on managing personal finances and investments. This wide-ranging definition covers a variety of services, from investment management and retirement planning to tax planning and estate planning. The primary goal of a financial advisor is to help individuals and organizations reach their financial objectives by creating strategies that align with their risk tolerance, financial situation, and long-term goals. While technically anyone can be called a financial advisor or financial planner, reliable and professional advisors will have qualifications from organizations such as FINRA and the CFP Board that can only be obtained through rigorous education and exams.
Types of Financial Advisors in Madison, WI
Financial advisors can operate under different titles:
- Investment Advisors or Portfolio Managers: These professionals offer advice on securities and oversee investment portfolios. They often work in RIAs and are required to serve as fiduciaries, prioritizing their clients' interests above their own. Portfolio managers are registered with either the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state regulators, based on the size of the assets 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 be registered by 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 example, an individual who has a Series 7 license represents general securities, such as mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professionals (CFPs): Professionals with the CFP designation have undergone extensive education and adhere to the highest ethical standards, particularly a fiduciary duty to their clients. CFPs offer a wide array of financial advisory services, such as debt management to retirement planning, and investment strategies. This approach is holistic, intended to satisfy all aspects of a client's financial life.
- Financial Consultants: This term can be widely applied, but chartered financial consultants (ChFCs) have completed training comparable with CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professionals and also adhere to a fiduciary duty. They focus on providing comprehensive financial advice, covering areas such as investment management to tax advice, ensuring that clients' financial goals are achieved through the highest ethical standards.
- Financial Coaches: Concentrate on enhancing clients' financial literacy, helping with basics such as saving money and budgeting. They are suited for clients who may not possess the wealth to hire a financial advisor just yet. Their services provides a solid foundation for handling personal finances efficiently, particularly for those just starting out.
- Wealth Managers: Specialize in serving high-net-worth individuals, offering extensive services that encompass estate planning, tax assistance, and investment management. They work closely with their clients to handle complex financial situations and formulate wealth preservation strategies. Their skill set is geared towards optimizing the financial health and future of affluent clients, making sure that every financial decision is aligned with customized advice and approaches.
Each type of financial advisor provides unique expertise and services to the table. At Correct Capital, our team of advisors includes CFPs and other qualified professionals who represent 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 look over your present finances, ascertain means to improve it, and help you achieve your long-term financial goals. Many Madison, WI residents typically immediately think of investing when they hear wealth management services and financial advisors. While that is a key part of any financial plan, a knowledgeable financial advisor will be able to offer you extensive financial advice that considers the whole of your finances. The following are some of the services your Correct Capital financial advisor in Madison, WI will implement in order to help you reach your goals.
- Financial Planning
Our finances are integral to almost anything we do, from making sure we're prepared for retirement, to paying for college, buying and/or selling a house, choosing insurance policies, and putting food on the table each night. The best financial advisors in Madison, WI offer comprehensive services and personalized guidance by evaluating your entire financial situation.
- Tax Planning
Tax considerations play a role almost any time money is exchanged or used. According to the IRS's own data, more than 70 percent of Americans overpay in taxes every year. The United States tax code is incredibly complicated, yet it provides perfectly legal means to lower your taxes. A reliable and expert Madison, WI financial advisor will help you navigate your tax implications in the interest of keeping more money in your pocket.
- Portfolio Management and Asset Management
Your financial portfolio is the collection of your financial assets. They can include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), cash equivalents, or other investments such as art. A financial advisor in Madison, WI will assist to allocate and diversify your assets in order to mitigate risk and strategically position your money for growth.
- Retirement Planning
Depending on where you currently are in life and the kind of life you want to live when you hang up your cape, your Madison, WI financial advisor will help with tax planning, 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 where your income will come from in retirement so you can spend your golden years just how you want to.
- 401(k) Services
We offer 401(k) services to individuals and families as well as Madison, WI businesses and business owners. Introducing a 401(k) plan is a great way to retain your best employees and keep them satisfied and happy. Our retirement consultants oversee over $218 million in plan assets and hundreds of plan participants nationwide. Our Madison, WI financial advisor team offers extensive 401(k) planning for companies as well as individualized benefits for their employees.
- 401(k) Rollover
When transitioning to a new job, it can be challenging to know the best way to handle the money you've already saved in a previous Madison, WI employer's 401(k) plan. You have a number of options, including leaving 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 have the knowledge how to best approach handling your 401(k) funds.
- Generational Wealth Transfers
You earn your money, and it's natural to want to leave a legacy and leave some wealth to the people you care about the most. Wealth transfers are separate from simply leaving gifts behind in estate planning. A financial advisor in Madison, WI can best position your money for not only 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 crucial to pick one who has received accreditations and certifications from regulatory boards such as the CFP Board, Fi360, InFRE, and FINRA. As fiduciary advisors and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™™ professionals, your Madison, WI financial advisor at Correct Capital must heed 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 customized debt management plans that focus on consolidating debt, achieving lower interest rates where possible, and structuring repayments. The goal is to create a practical path forward that aligns with your financial capabilities and goals, ultimately leading to stability.
- Budgeting
Creating and sticking to a budget is crucial to achieving financial health and goals. Financial advisors in Madison, WI can assist clients grasp your income level, identify areas for savings, and set realistic spending limits that promote wealth accumulation. By providing resources and strategies for successful budgeting, advisors guarantee that clients can satisfy their current financial obligations while also planning for future goals.
When you hire a Madison, WI financial advisor at Correct Capital, we start by getting to know you and your aims. We will analyze your current income, assets, investments, debts, and expenses. Then we've completed that, we'll work in concert with you to establish your preferred risk tolerance and how we can best help you grow your wealth. As an independent advisory firm, our only obligation is to act in your best interest. There is no limitation to the services, products, and investment opportunities our financial advisor team can suggest, and we will never try to sell you on something we do not believe in ourselves.
When Should I Speak to a Financial Advisor in Madison, WI?
Seeking the advice of a financial advisor can be a key step towards getting the life and financial prosperity you want. While the ideal moment can differ greatly from person to person, certain life events and circumstances often indicate the need for expert financial advice.
- Major Life Transitions: Life is a series of transitions, and many of them have significant financial implications. Whether you're buying a home or facing retirement, these milestones can profoundly affect your financial landscape. A financial advisor can guide you navigate these changes, ensuring that your financial plan adapts to meet your new circumstances and goals.
- Lack of Experience, Time, Knowledge, or Desire to Manage Your Finances By Yourself: Managing personal finances can be complex, demanding, and, frankly, daunting for many. If you lack the experience to effectively manage your investments, or simply prefer to focus your time on other pursuits, a financial advisor can be invaluable. They bring insight and objectivity to your financial decisions, helping to improve your portfolio, avoid costly mistakes, and set up your investments for sustainable growth.
- Nearing Retirement: Retirement planning is one of the most common reasons individuals seek out financial advice. An advisor can assist you review your current financial situation, determine your retirement needs, and craft a plan to ensure you can experience your retirement years with peace of mind. This includes strategies for Social Security benefits, pension management, and withdrawal plans from retirement accounts.
- Complex Financial Products: The financial market offers a wide array of investment options, many of which come with their own challenges. If you're considering investments in complex financial products—such as derivatives, alternative investments, or tax-optimized strategies—an advisor's expertise can be crucial. They can assist you comprehend the risks and benefits, ensuring that any investment fits your overall financial strategy and goals.
Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor Before Hiring Them
Trust is essential when you're hiring someone for any service, but especially so when it involves your hard-earned money. In addition to finding a reliable advisor, you need one whose specialties align with your needs. It's important to inquire properly during your initial meetings. Here are key questions to consider:
- What is your experience in the financial advisory field?
Understanding an advisor's experience, including their time spent in the industry, the kinds of clients they've assisted, and their specializations, can offer you a sense of their expertise and whether they're prepared to manage your financial needs.
- What are your qualifications and certifications?
Ask them to mention any qualifications (e.g., CFP®, CFA, ChFC) the advisor holds. These credentials often require meeting demanding education, experience, and ethical standards, signifying a high level of professionalism and expertise.
- Can you describe your investment philosophy?
An advisor's investment philosophy should complement 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 goals and expectations.
- How do you prefer to communicate with clients?
Communication method and frequency are essential to a fruitful client-advisor relationship. Discuss how often you'll have meetings, whether they'll be in person or online, and how the advisor intends to keep you updated about how your investments are going and if you need any updates to your plan.
- What's your fee structure?
Advisors can be either get money from fees/a percentage of your assets, commission from selling financial products, or a mixture thereof. Knowing how an advisor is compensated will assist you in identifying potential conflicts of interest and make certain that their recommendations are offered with your best interests in mind.
- Are you a fiduciary financial advisor?
Confirming that an advisor serves as a fiduciary is crucial. This means they are legally obligated to put your interests ahead of their own, offering advice that optimally benefits your financial goals and needs.
- What services do you offer beyond investment management?
Many advisors provide holistic financial planning services, including retirement planning, tax strategies, estate planning, and more. Additionally, some financial advisory firms offer more in the way of educational resources and portfolio reviews. Grasping 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 transparently share potential conflicts of interest and how they deal with 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 help you gauge 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 Madison, WI?
In general, there are three common ways for financial advisors to be compensated:
- Commission-Based: Commission-based advisors earn their income through commissions on the products they sell, such as other financial products. This fee structure can create a possible conflict, as the advisor could be motivated to suggest options that generate higher commissions rather than those that best meet your needs. Commission-based advisors are typically held to the suitability standard as opposed to the fiduciary standard, which means they have to advise on products that can help you achieve your goals, but not necessarily the ones best suited to your needs.
- Fee-Only: Fee-only advisors are compensated directly by their 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 clear and in line with the client's best interests, as it reduces conflicts of interest related to product sales.
- Fee-Based: Advisors with a fee-based approach use a combination of fees paid by the client and commissions from selling financial products. While this model offers a mix of the fee-only and commission-based structures, such advisors generally also have a fiduciary duty, which means that although they get commission from certain products, they must disclose that information to the client and are not allowed to recommend those products unless they sincerely believe they are in the client's best interests.
Correct Capital's Financial Advisory Services in Madison, WI
Correct Capital stands out in the Madison, WI financial advisory landscape for its customized approach to wealth management and financial planning. Understanding that not all clients have the same starting point or identical goals, we offer a variety of service models to our clients in Madison, WI:
One-Time Financial Plan (best for validators)
This service model is best for those who are looking for the guidance and recommendations a financial advisor can offer without the continuous oversight. This service is great for individuals who largely feel good about managing their finances but seek professional insight to ensure they're doing things the right way. Our team performs a thorough review of your financial landscape, providing you with a detailed plan that tackles your specific goals, concerns, and growth opportunities.
Subscription (best for collaborators)
Our subscription service caters to individuals who value ongoing guidance and advice as their financial situation changes, or when they have specific questions about taxes, investments, or other aspects of their finances. This model offers monthly insights from our financial advisors, quarterly meetings, and availability on an as-needed basis. While we won't be managing your portfolio, we'll strive 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 choose to delegate the management of their investments and financial planning to professionals. This includes active investment management, comprehensive financial strategizing, and forward-looking guidance on a wide range of financial matters — from tax planning and retirement planning to estate planning and beyond. Our wealth management clients enjoy peace of mind, 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 long-term goals.
Why Choose Correct Capital as Your Madison, WI Financial Advisor?
Correct Capital is a leading choice for individuals and families in Madison, WI 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, we 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 with your best interests at heart.
- Our I.O.U. Promise: Every piece of guidance we offer is independent, objective, and unbiased. Our independence signifies we aren't tied to any financial institution or product, allowing us the freedom to choose 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. Moreover, 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 stay ahead of trends and lead, rather than follow. Leveraging in-depth research and analytics, we prepare 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 dedication to client education guarantees that you are well-equipped to make informed decisions alongside your advisor.
Choosing Correct Capital as your financial advisor in Madison, WI means partnering with a team dedicated to your financial success. Our experience, fiduciary commitment, and personalized approach to financial planning and investment management make us the perfect choice for individuals and families seeking to achieve their financial goals and secure their future.
Other services we offer in Madison, WI include:
- High-Net-Worth Wealth Management
- Retirement Planner
- Financial Planning
- Retirement Plan Consultants
- Fiduciary Financial Advisor
Call Correct Capital's Madison, WI Financial Advisor Team Today
Your money and the decisions you make with it are deeply personal. At Correct Capital, we firmly believe that the relationship between a person, household, or business owner in Madison, WI and their financial advisor is based on trust. Dedicating our lives to helping our clients achieve their financial and personal goals, be it funding higher education for your children or finally achieving the dream of owning that dream car during your retirement years. Reach out to our Madison, WI financial advisor team today at 877-930-4015 or get in touch with us online to begin growing your wealth in the manner you desire.