Objective and Independent Advice

Pinnacle’s goal is to provide advice that is objective and in the best interests of our clients. Our services are 100% “fee only” and not subject to commissions. We do not receive direct or indirect payments or referral fees from investment managers, funds, or other professionals. We are able to use a very wide range of investments and have no financial incentive to utilize one investment over another. We put our clients’ interests ahead of our own and provide clients with the same service and advice as we would to our friends and relatives.

How are Investment Advisors different from Stock Brokers?

Professional Training

Pinnacle’s staff includes individuals who have earned the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations. These are generally regarded as the two most rigorous professional designations in the financial planning and investment management professions. In addition, Pinnacle’s staff regularly attends professional conferences and educational events to maintain and advance their professional knowledge and expertise.

Code of Ethics

Pinnacle’s Code of Ethics is our formal recognition of the responsibility all employees have to the public, to colleagues and to our clients. These principles apply to all employees and provide guidance to them in the performance of their professional services. The Code requires them to act with integrity, objectivity, and diligence and to maintain the knowledge and skill necessary to provide our services competently. It also requires them to be fair and reasonable and to disclose any conflicts of interest and to act in a manner that demonstrates exemplary professional conduct.

Team Work

Pinnacle’s staff is composed of a diverse group of professionals with backgrounds in a variety of financial management and financial services fields. We take a team approach to servicing all of our clients and dedicate the best combination of resources to meet the needs of every client. We also work with our clients’ other professional advisors such as attorneys and accountants to ensure that they have a strong professional team behind them.

Personalized Service

We provide the personalized services of a small firm. We know each of our clients by name, never by a number. We learn about their family, goals and aspirations. Our clients are almost always assured of easily reaching us by phone and rarely wind up on voice mail. If we do miss a call, it is returned promptly. We spend as much time as necessary with each client to understand their financial situation, clarify their goals and objectives, and evaluate their options.

Aegis Group

While Pinnacle has the flexibility and personal service of a small firm, we have the resources of a much larger firm through our affiliation in The Aegis Group, a national network of select independent financial planning and investment professionals. Its purpose is to share knowledge, expertise and resources among its members. Each member brings unique professional expertise and personal experiences to the group. The member’s background includes Certified Public Accountants (CPA), Certified Financial Planners (CFP®), Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA), venture capitalists, MBA’s, and insurance. As a result of the varied professional backgrounds, members of the Aegis Group are able to share their knowledge with other members and thereby enable each member to provide their clients with a range of knowledge and experience usually only found in much larger firms.

Portfolio Management and Rebalancing Technology

Pinnacle has never hesitated to adopt innovative approaches if it believes it is in the best interest of our clients. We were one of the first financial advisors in the Hartford area to utilize no-load mutual funds in the early 1990’s. More recently we have been an early adapter of a sophisticated portfolio management technology which enables us to easily make changes across all portfolios tailored to each client’s objectives and targeted allocations, in a tax efficient and cost efficient manner.

Safety of Assets

We recommend that the investments be held at an independent, financially stable discount brokerage firm such as Charles Schwab & Co. or TD Ameritrade where we have established relationships. The accounts are registered in each clients name and only the client has authorization to withdraw funds. The custodian notifies clients of trades and provides monthly statements. These firms do not engage in commercial lending, have been profitable and do not face the same financial challenges as commercial banks. These brokerage firms segregate their customers’ securities and the segregated securities are not subject to claims by creditors. Further, each brokerage account is insured for $500,000 by the SPIC and each brokerage firm maintains hundreds of millions of dollars of additional insurance. Although the value of the investments can fluctuate, we have a very high degree of confidence in the safety of investments held at these custodians.

Commitment to act as a Fiduciary

  • Pinnacle and its employees will always put the client's best interest first — ahead of that of our firm and its employees. As defined by federal law, we will act as a fiduciary.
  • When selecting investments, Pinnacle will act as the client's agent, seeking the best investments at the best prices at all times.
  • While no one anyone can promise superior investment returns, we will provide impartial advice and act with skill, care, diligence and good judgment.
  • We will provide full and fair disclosure of all important facts, including our compensation from the providers of the products and services we offer, as well as all fees we pay to others on your behalf.
  • We will fully disclose and fairly manage, in the client's favor, any unforeseen conflicts that may arise.