Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about working with Charney Investment Group.
Why work with a Financial Advisor?
A Vanguard Group, Inc. study from 2019 revealed that investors benefit from a financial advisor both financially and emotionally. Advisors build healthier portfolios with more diverse holdings on average, and investors working with an advisor have an 80% or better chance of achieving their retirement goals and gaining significantly more in earnings.
The steady hand of an advisor can guide you through volatile markets, helping you avoid the behavioral mistakes that can knock you off course.
Who do you work with? How many households do you serve?
We work with individuals across the country, in or nearing retirement, with over $1 million in investable assets.
We serve approximately 450 unique households and our approach is customized to each household’s individual goals.
How are you compensated, and how are your fees structured?
Just like one financial plan wouldn't fit everyone's needs, a single compensation model would not be in everyone's best interest. We believe in fair and flexible compensation that is based upon the bigger picture of your financial plan.
In addition to traditional brokerage services, we provide a variety of portfolio management services with fee-based compensation arrangements so you can have the most cost-effective program to help you achieve your unique financial goals. We will work with you to explain your options and help you select the best fee structure to benefit you. If at any time a different fee structure should make more sense, you retain the ability to switch.
Are you a fiduciary?
We act as a fiduciary whenever clients choose to use our advisory services, which are fee-based. Being a fiduciary means that we are governed by Regulation Best Interest, which dictates that we always put our clients' interests first.
What type of experience do you have, and what services do you provide?
Charney Investment Group has over 120 years of collective experience, opening our doors in 1999. Broadly speaking, we offer services in wealth management, risk management, estate planning, and philanthropy.
We specialize in creating tax-efficient retirement income, lowering risk while maximizing investment returns, and managing donor-advised funds.
Where do you keep my money, and how do I see it?
Helping protect our customers' assets is an important part of our commitment to providing the best service possible. We therefore use a major third-party custodian, First Clearing (an affiliate of Wells Fargo). A third-party custodian provides you with FDIC and SIPC insurance and peace of mind about the security of your assets.
While working with us, you will have 24/7 online access to your accounts through our client portal, as well as through our budgeting and planning tool, eMoney.
What is your investment philosophy, and how do you manage investments?
In addition to traditional fundamental research, we use research from Nasdaq Dorsey Wright, which provides advanced tools that few other investors leverage. Nasdaq Dorsey Wright draws from technical analysis to help us determine the internal and relative strength of a stock, its trends, and its momentum to better inform buy and sell decisions based on supply and demand.
We utilize Point and Figure Charts—a time-tested methodology dating back to the late 1800s—to visualize the battle between supply and demand for any given investment. Check out the video below to hear directly from the founder of Nasdaq Dorsey Wright: