What is NAPFA and why is it so important to Windward?

NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors) is an organization of fee-only,  comprehensive financial advisors who adhere to a strict code of ethics and are fiduciaries.  NAPFA  members are committed to providing objective, holistic financial advice and putting their clients’ interests ahead of their own. Windward prides itself on the same values – honest, competent financial advice that is not influenced by compensation from another party nor based on the purchase or sale of a financial product.  Windward is proud to be a member of this community of highly-trained and committed financial advisors.

What does fee-only mean?

Fee-only means the advisor is only compensated by the client.  A fee-only advisor is not compensated by commission, referral fees, and is not contingent on the purchase or sale of a financial product. Of course, all compensation methods have inherent conflicts, but Windward believes the fee-only model is fair and transparent. You can read more about fee-only (and other) compensation models here.

What is a fiduciary?

A fiduciary advisor, by law, must always put the client’s best interests ahead of their own. Conflicts of interest must be disclosed at any time during the advisor-client relationship.  A fiduciary advisor follows a strict code of ethics and must advise with the highest standard of care. Registered Investment Advisors are Fiduciaries and are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the State Securities Agencies.   To learn about your adviser, visit adviserinfo.sec.gov and review their Form ADV and Part 2 Brochure.  You can read more about fiduciary advisors here.

Windward is proud to have advisors that are registered with NAPFA and provide the highest standard of care to our clients.  You can check out NAPFA.org to read more about the organization and its members.

 

 

This blog is provided by Windward Private Wealth Management Inc. (“Windward” or the “Firm”) for informational purposes only. Investing involves the risk of loss and investors should be prepared to bear potential losses. No portion of this blog is to be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell a security or the provision of personalized investment, tax or legal advice. Certain information contained in the individual blog posts will be derived from sources that Windward believes to be reliable; however, the Firm does not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of such information and assumes no liability for any resulting damages.

Windward is an SEC registered investment adviser. The Firm may only provide services in those states in which it is notice filed or qualifies for a corresponding exemption from such requirements. For information about Windward’ registration status and business operations, please consult the Firm’s Form ADV disclosure documents, the most recent versions of which are available on the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.