Frequently Asked Questions

These are important questions you should seek to answer before partnering with an advisor.

Who is your typical client?

Our typical client is navigating one of life’s biggest transitions, such as retirement, a business sale, or an inheritance. They value professional services and take joy in collaboration, learning, and growing. They’re second-level thinkers who don’t settle for the status quo. 

How do we discover if we’re a good fit for each other?

Before becoming a client, we take you through our complimentary Partnership Discovery Process before you pay us a single dollar or trust us with a nickel of your nest egg.

This process is designed to walk through your current financial situation and assess what actions you should consider taking. It allows you to learn how we think, and it allows us to discover if we’re a good fit for you.

If after those interactions, we see a mutual benefit to engage in an on-going partnership we will take the necessary steps to begin our partnership. Visit calcwealth.com/our-process/ for specific details.

After we start working together, what happens?

After we begin our partnership, we take what we learned from our partnership discovery process and put it into action. The initial focus often falls into one of four categories: 

  • Retirement Income – Cash Flow Optimization
  • Risk Management – Asset Protection
  • Income Taxes
  • Legacy Portfolio

The order depends on your facts and circumstances.

Why shouldn't you work with us?

If you’re not willing to act on our advice or you don’t trust us completely, we’re not the right fit for each other.

You should only work with professionals you trust without question. If you’re questioning our recommendations or hesitant to implement our advice, you’ll be better served by finding an advisor who’s a better match for your style.

We do our best work with clients who are open to our guidance and ready to take action. When there’s not complete trust and alignment, neither of us gets the results we want, and it can limit our ability to deliver exceptional service to all our clients.

What happens after the initial plan?

After we complete our initial plan in the four areas listed above, every family goes through the same on-going maintenance plan to ensure your plan maintains its integrity. It is designed to monitor the most important aspects of your financial well-being.

When life throws us a curveball, we address it head on. The best part is that we’ve built rapport and a system that makes adjusting to life’s curveball much easier.

Do you need to manage our investment portfolio to work with us?

We do not require you to use us for investment management. We have the option for you to work with us in an advice-only arrangement. This is always in a flat fee arrangement paid monthly or quarterly using a secure, third-party payment processor.

How do you invest your own money?

My entire investment portfolio holds low-cost ETFs, no individual stocks or bonds or mutual funds.

We believe in two investment philosophies:

1. Globally Diversified Strategic Asset Allocation

2. Globally Diversified Dynamic Asset Allocation built on trend and momentum

Our goal isn’t to outperform the market, rather it’s to pursue a greater reliability of outcomes.

What if our fee exceeds the value you’re receiving?

If at any time you perceive the value that you’re receiving doesn’t exceed the price you’re paying, I will refund your last payment and we can part ways as friends. This is true whether we’re working in an advice only arrangement or full-service wealth management.

What are the all-in costs of your full-service partnership?

Your all-in cost for the full-service partnership is your agreed-upon fee schedule plus the ETF expense ratio. This is common among most fiduciary advisors. You will not pay a separate fee to Charles Schwab.

ETF expense ratios are the cost of investing in broad market asset classes. Often, you will find large financial institutions offering to create an individual stock portfolio based on the premise you can avoid that expense ratio. However, if you look closely, you’ll see that instead of paying the ETF expense ratio, you’re paying the institution a separate fee to pick those stocks. A fee that is often more costly than the ETF is designed to track!

Calculated Wealth doesn’t create individual stock portfolios, and even if we did, we would not charge you an additional fee for it.

Are you a fiduciary?

Yes, we are a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), held to a fiduciary standard by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) .

That means we are legally obligated to put your interests first, act with prudence, and proactively manage conflicts of interest. And that should not be taken for granted: while fiduciary advice should be the norm, roughly 9 out of 10 people calling themselves “financial advisors” are not bound by a true fiduciary duty.

Do you receive any third-party compensation because of any investment advice, professional referrals, or insurance products recommended?

No, we do not receive any commissions, including 12(b)1 fee, nor do we have any financial incentive to recommend any products or professionals.

Where do you work with clients?

We work with clients throughout the world through Microsoft Teams.

We meet with locally at our office space is in Madison, WI off the Todd Drive exit in the Landmark Oaks Building (2921 Landmark Pl., Madison, WI 53713) or at our branch office in Roseville, MN (2355 Hwy 36 W Bonestroo, Suite 400 Roseville, MN 55113).

How do your clients communicate with you?

Most communication is through email. However, we also communicate via text messages, phone calls, and Microsoft Teams.

What types of accounts do you manage?

Families who partner with us in a full-service agreement can have us manage individual, trust, donor-advised funds, and retirement accounts.

What is the process to transfer assets to Calculated Wealth?

We make this easy. Your only responsibility is to sign your name. Signatures can be completed securely through DocuSign or pen to paper, whichever you prefer. Most families choose DocuSign since it’s easy enough to do from your phone, but we’re happy to sit down with you at our office or wherever is convenient for you.

The only exception to this is when you have a 401(k) rollover, which typically requires you and me to jointly call the 401(k) provider together.

For most families, the time commitment is only a few minutes. Once the documents are signed, the time it takes to switch institutions will vary.

Do I need to change my bank accounts to work with Calculated Wealth?

No. Most families keep their current banking and checking accounts where it’s at. Charles Schwab Bank offers banking products, but you’re under no obligation or expectation to use those products.

Schwab’s money movement system works so well that you won’t notice that your investments are separate from your bank. You can read more about it in the next section.

How do we get money from our accounts?

Schwab makes getting money from your accounts easy. Here are several options:

  • Calculated Wealth can initiate transfers between Schwab accounts or to outside accounts.
  • Schwab MoneyLink® lets you set up recurring transfers (i.e. monthly, quarterly, etc.), so it feels like you’re receiving a paycheck.
  • Schwab Mobile App lets you deposit checks and request disbursements. Click here to learn more.

Schwab takes its role as custodian seriously. When you ask Calculated Wealth to move money or assets on your behalf, Schwab often requires your authorization, even if you have made a similar request before. You may be able to set up a standing letter of authorization for some transactions.

Do you take custody of, or will you have access to, my assets?

No, we require that all clients hold their accounts with an independent custodian. This safeguard exists for your protection. There are many independent custodians in the marketplace that you can choose from to maintain your assets. We recommend Charles Schwab due to its low fees, cutting-edge technology, array of services, and the ability for you to easily authorize us to manage your accounts with a limited power of attorney (LPOA). An LPOA enables us to place trades and deduct advisory fees from your account(s) but restricts cash withdrawals or transfers to accounts not owned by you.

Advisory fees will be deducted from your account in accordance with a written advisory agreement. You will also receive an informational invoice to you at the same time. Additionally, Schwab will provide trade confirmations and monthly statements to you directly so that you have a record of what activity has taken place in your accounts. Schwab also provides a Security Guarantee to protect assets in your account. See below for more information.

What is the Schwab Security Guarantee?

Schwab will cover losses in any of your Schwab accounts due to unauthorized activity.

The highest levels of security are only possible when we work together. To ensure your protection under this guarantee, it is your responsibility to:

  • Safeguard your account access information.
    • Please do not share your account access information, including but not limited to your login ID, password, PIN, and transaction codes, with anyone. If you share this information with anyone, we will consider their activities to have been authorized by you.
  • Report any unauthorized transactions to us as quickly as possible.
    • If you suspect you are a victim of fraud, please contact us immediately at 888-3-SCHWAB.

There may be other individuals to whom you grant authority in your account. Their activities in your account will also be considered authorized.

Schwab is committed to safeguarding your accounts and the privacy of your information.

Note:  There is nothing in the Security Guarantee that is intended to limit any right conferred or claim or protections provided to customers under Regulation E, for applicable transactions.

Click here to learn more.

What happens if your Calculated Wealth advisor becomes disabled and can’t work or die?

As a risk manager, I take business continuity seriously. Here is what is in place:

  • Nate Byers, CPA/PFS, Craig Ratz, CFP, and Peter Wolynski, CFP CPA are lead advisors of Calculated Wealth and have extensive backgrounds serving similar clients locally and across the world. If something were to happen to one of us, each has the knowledge and experience to step into the other’s role and keep your investments and wealth plan in motion.
  • As an advisor who partners with Charles Schwab, you are able to work with any of Schwab’s 13,000+ advisors. Your agreement with Calculated Wealth is a Limited Power of Attorney, which can be revoked and replaced within a few days. This is much different from the large wirehouses and banks. At Schwab, you’re in control. At the wirehouse or bank, they’re in control.

The risk of your advisor becoming disabled and can’t work or dying is a legitimate concern. However, if that were to occur while you’re with a large wirehouse or bank, you would go through the same process. You would ask, do I like my new advisor? Does my new advisor have my best interests in mind? There’s no guarantee you’ll like the replacement person no matter where you’re at. So why settle with a “so-so” advisor for some veil of business continuity that really isn’t there any way?