Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions Click Here To Read
How do we measure our success vs. our peers?
Our success is measured by our ability to help our clients pursue their individual financial goals. What matters to us is we help you pursue what really matters to you. We strive to consistently exceed our clients’ expectations when it comes to financial planning and acting in their best interest. Client relationships at IntegriGEN are personalized and each plan is custom built.
Will you ask me before placing a transaction in my account?
We focus on building comprehensive, personalized investment plans for each of our clients based on their specific goals and risk tolerance.
At the beginning of our relationship, we complete an investment policy statement (IPS) that is mutual agreed upon. This statement outlines the goals and objectives for each individual account. It is our job to monitor the performance of each of these different accounts according to their specific purpose in your portfolio to make sure they are keeping up with their respective peers.
Transactions are placed based on what we feel to be an appropriate allocation mix. Once we get to that level of the decision making process in advisory accounts, we would not ask you before placing the transaction. Through our ongoing conversations, we will make adjustments to the overall portfolio based on market conditions and any changes to your investment policy statement. For this reason, the ongoing planning process is extremely important.
Where will my money be kept and who holds it?
We use third party custodians for brokerage accounts and your funds would be held by LPL Financial. If you have advisory accounts, your custodian could be LPL Financial or Pershing LLC, a division of the Bank of NY Mellon, one of the oldest banks in our nation.
Do you have a minimum account size?
Yes, we have a minimum of $300,000 of investable assets. This excludes real estate holdings and life insurance cash value. In certain cases, we make exceptions for relatives of certain clients and relationships or for employer sponsored plans, (ex.401(k) plans)
What is your average sized managed account?
Our average client size is $1.5 to $3 million of investable assets. While that tends to be our average, we have relationships both below and above that range and tailor their services accordingly.
What are your advisory fees?
They can vary slightly depending on the platform we use and the amount of assets under management for each client. Because we are independent and do not offer any proprietary products, we have maximum flexibility to bundle our pricing based on the financial planning and investment advisory services we are providing. We will always offer competitive pricing and provide an investment proposal at the beginning of the relationship detailing the proposed costs so there are no surprises.
Who is LPL Financial in relation to you?
LPL Financial is our broker dealer and they have headquarters in San Diego, CA, Charlotte, NC and Boston, MA. They are the largest independent broker dealer in the nation as reported by Financial Planning magazine, June
1996-2022, based on total revenue. LPL works with over 20,000 reps throughout the country. They are a separate entity from IntegriGEN Wealth Management. As is required by securities laws, they provide us with compliance supervision and general oversight for our brokerage capabilities.
Who is Maryland Financial Group, Inc?
All of our investment advisory and financial planning services are conducted through Maryland Financial Group, Inc., an SEC Registered Investment Advisory firm.
Are you employed by any of these entities?
No, IntegriGEN Wealth Management is an LLC that actually employs these other separate entities to help us serve our clients while adhering to securities industry rules and regulations for operation.
What is a fiduciary and why is this important?
A fiduciary is a person you have chosen to trust with private and important information with the belief that they will ultimately act in your best interest and not their own.
As Certified Financial Planner TM Professionals, we are required to act in a fiduciary capacity when providing our financial planning services. CFP No. Rule 1.4 establishes the standard of care required by CFP® professionals. The rule establishes a baseline standard that requires that all CFP® professionals place the interest of the client ahead of their own at all times. When providing financial planning or material elements of financial planning, the CFP® professional’s duty of care rises to that of a fiduciary, as defined by CFP Board. A CFP® professional’s fiduciary status supersedes the baseline standard of care. (CFP Board http://www.cfp.net/for-cfp-professionals/professional-standards-enforcement/compliance-resources/frequently-asked-questions/fiduciary-duty)
How can I be assured my money is safe?”
We always use third party custodians to hold your assets. That means you never write a check payable to “IntegriGEN Wealth Management” and instead, you write them payable to the 3rd party custodians such as LPL Financial or Pershing etc.
Your brokerage and advisory accounts held at either LPL Financial or Pershing LLC are protected by SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation which is an entity started by the U.S. Government). The LPL Financial SIPC Membership provides account protection up to a maximum of $500,000 per customer, of which $250,000 may be claims for cash. The account protection applies when an SIPC member firm fails financially and is unable to meet obligations to securities clients, but it does not protect against losses from the rise and fall in the market value of investments. Many of the money market funds we use offer FDIC protection (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation). For more details on either of these protections, please visit www.sipc.com or www.fdic.com.
If we experience an extreme weather or emergency situation in the D.C. area, how will we be able to contact you?
We have a business continuity plan for such instances and if you cannot reach us for some reason, you can always contact your third-party account custodian directly for assistance. Instructions can be found on our website.