Fee Only Financial Advisor Near Me

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Greenport Financial Advisers Inc. (GFA)?

Answer: GFA is an independent financial advisory firm which designs and manages personal and retirement portfolios. It is a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) as defined by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

How long has it been in business?

Answer: GFA was founded in 1989 by William D. Griffing. The company is locally owned and operated by its associates.

Who are the staff of GFA?

Answer: William Griffing, Douglas Griffing, Denise Sutton Downard, and Kulanan Monroe comprise the staff of GFA.

Where are its offices located?

Answer: GFA has offices at 1376 S. Main St. in North Canton, Ohio and at 127 North Market Street in Minerva, Ohio.

How do Greenport's services differ from those of a broker?

Answer: Greenport, as an RIA, has a fiduciary duty to you, our client. This is a moral and legal obligation to place your interests first. Brokers are under no legal obligation to act in their clients’ best interests. A broker’s first duty is to his/her firm. A broker is typically compensated with transactional trading commissions. Greenport is paid on a fee-only basis and does not collect any transaction-based compensation.

As a client, how will I pay for the services provided by GFA?

Answer: You will be charged an annual fee based on the market value of your portfolio. GFA is paid on a fee-only basis and does not collect any commissions for purchases or sales of securities. This system is simple and easy to understand and aligns your interests and GFA’s.

What is the fee structure?

Answer: On an annualized basis, our fee for portfolio management services is 1.50%.

How will my funds be managed?

Answer: GFA works on a discretionary portfolio management basis which means that GFA has full responsibility for the securities selected for your portfolio. All investments are carefully selected and continuously monitored through our extensive research process.

Will GFA be aggressive or conservative in the management of my funds?

Answer: GFA accommodates all investment objectives ranging from aggressive to very safe based on your goals as established by a written Investment Policy Statement.

What is an Investment Policy Statement?

Answer: An Investment Policy Statement is developed jointly with you, the client. It is a written statement of your risk tolerance and asset allocation parameters which will be followed by GFA. Periodically GFA's staff will meet with you to review the actual performance of your portfolio compared to your Investment Policy Statement. This is your Periodic Review Summit.

Is there a minimum I need to invest in order to become a client?

Answer: GFA staff will discuss this with you as part of our exploratory process, but generally our minimum relationship size is $100,000.

As a client, where will my assets be held?

Answer: Your assets will be held by an independent, third party custodian. Any funds you put into your account will go to the custodian and any funds you withdraw will come directly to you from the custodian. While GFA has discretion regarding the buying and selling of securities, it has no authority to make any distributions out of your account. Your assets are safe and secure with the third party custodian.

What makes GFA unique?

Answer:

Discretionary investment management
Fee-only compensation structure (no commissions)
A disciplined long term approach to investing
Customized portfolios based on your goals and risk tolerance
Locally owned and operated

How can I schedule a complimentary consultation?

Answer: Contact us online or call (330) 433-1800 (North Canton Office) or (330) 868-0900 (Minerva Office) for a confidential complimentary, exploratory meeting with no obligation on your part.