THIS IS A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF JANICZEK & COMPANY, LTD. AND ITS SERVICES AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED ON SOLELY BY PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS FOR REVIEWING OUR SERVICE OFFERING. OUR ADV PART II DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT, CLIENT ENGAGEMENT LETTER AND SERVICE PACKAGE MENU SHOULD ALSO BE REVIEWED PRIOR TO ENGAGING OUR SERVICES.
Q: What is your core investment and wealth management philosophy?
A: We believe a strong investor is a superior investor. Therefore, our primary duty to you, as our client, is to help you understand the advantages of financial strength and achieve them. This is why we truly believe our Complete Wealth Solution™ is the service package most people need. Good investments returns are certainly a vital aspect of strength, but they are not the only aspect. We believe you don’t become financially strong by achieving superior results; you achieve superior results by becoming strong.
We exclusively work with financially successful individuals with portfolios $1,000,000 and up. This means that all of our clients have had tremendous success and good fortune in some form. But the strengths that allow a person to earn or accumulate wealth are different from the strengths needed to master wealth, which is why we help you to augment your existing strengths and skills in order to achieve a better and higher level of financial freedom.
We have identified 35 Essential Strengths™ that together, we believe, form the complete picture of a strong investor. When you are on our Complete Wealth Solution™or Complete Legacy Solution™service package we help you to gain as many of these strengths as quickly as possible. The more you progress from a typical investment posture to one of substantial strength, the better able we think you’ll be to take full advantage of good investment conditions and to weather, or even profit from, rough conditions.
The advantages of financial strength aren’t restricted to matters of money. We believe success in this domain tends to produce advantages in other aspects of life, helping you to become a superior leader, buyer, negotiator, entrepreneur, benefactor, and role model in your family and your community. We call this benefit “living richer longer.” This is the aim of our service.
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Q: You are strong proponents of investors utilizing only those financial service professionals who are Fiduciaries, Fee-Only (not Fee-Based), Full Disclosure, and Full Breadth. Why?
A: We believe that it is your best interest as an investor to work with professionals who are dedicated to your success and your success alone. Professionals who do not conform to the first three of these attributes do not work for you alone. They can represent other companies and investment products, and the advice they provide must balance your needs with the needs of third parties who are also compensating them. In short, they have divided loyalties.
That’s why we believe any compromise in these standards is a breach in the integrity of a quality investor-advisor relationship built on a solid foundation of trust. Brokers, registered representatives, and agents may be skilled at directing the conversation away from this concern. But no matter how professional, educated, or experienced a financial service representative may be, or how old and large a firm is, if they do not operate by these high standards, we view that as a deal breaker. In short, you should run, not walk away from service providers with such a conflict of interest.
At Janiczek & Company, the integrity of our service to you is based upon a fiduciary, fee-only, full disclosure relationship. The fourth attribute–a full-breadth approach–is equally critical because wealth mastery is achieved by combining quality investment advice with retirement, financial, tax, and estate planning into one comprehensive and optimized process.
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Q : You recommend that all clients have a "Lead Advisor" and state that Janiczek & Company is well suited to perform this role. What do you mean?
A: The answer goes back to one of the consequences of not having a relationship of trust with a good fiduciary, fee-only, full disclosure, full-breadth advisor (see above). Investors who lack this type of relationship often maintain multiple accounts with multiple financial service professionals and organizations. This scattered approach to wealth management has numerous complications that undermine any real or perceived diversification benefits. It can lead to information overload and confusion, cost inefficiencies, portfolio overlap, shallow advisor relationships, and more.
We believe it is more efficient and less confusing to engage a quality lead advisor, who organizes, analyzes, and seeks to optimize your complete financial situation. We eliminate complexities by consolidating accounts in order to achieve your diversification goals from a much more manageable and efficient foundation.
The advantages of this lead advisor approach are further enhanced by our full-breadth capabilities. By choosing our Complete Wealth Solution™, you allow us to not only optimize your entire investment portfolio, but your complete balance sheet and financial and retirement plan as well. Our expertise extends to tax and estate planning, where we can work with your existing tax and estate law professionals, or recommend new ones if needed. We believe that the best approach, and one that is all too often neglected, is to manage wealth comprehensively and build financial strength across the board.
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Q: What is the minimum size investment portfolio you will manage?
A: We work exclusively with financially successful individuals with portfolios of $1 million and above. We consider this an advantage to our clients because it allows us to focus entirely on the issues, needs, concerns, opportunities, and advantages that are relevant to financially successful investors. We do make exceptions when someone has a smaller portfolio but will likely have a transition wealth event sometime in the next few years. This could be a business sale, real estate sale, retirement, inheritance, stock option exercise or other event that will create a portfolio of $1 million or above. We encourage people in such situations to seek our services now in order to plan for such events and develop a solid relationship with us in advance of the event. If you do not qualify, we encourage you to find a quality, fee-only, fiduciary advisor who can assist you up until the time that you qualify for our specialty. We have been told by many people that one of their goals is to be a client of our firm someday, and we are humbled by such comments. Our aim is to treat everyone who contacts us (regardless of portfolio size) with great respect and we share books and other resources with those who need to be pointed in the right direction. For a complimentary copy of our You, Inc. Workbook, which is loaded with ideas and exercises individuals not yet qualified, click here.
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Q: Why do you offer three different service packages?
A: In nearly a quarter century of advising people, we have found that the three service packages we offer match the needs of nearly all high-net-worth investors. Our packages provide 1) the option of an investment management only solution (most appropriate for situations where only investment management is needed like investing pension plan trusts, retirement plan accounts, endowments, trusts, etc.), 2) an investment management solution augmented by financial, retirement, and estate planning (by far the most popular solution), and 3) a service package that does all of the above for the head of a family while also helping adult children and grandchildren learn how to master money.
The aim of our introductory process is to identify your needs and objectives and, if appropriate, recommend the service package that best matches your needs and circumstances. You can always shift from one service package to another, and we can adjust your level of service if your needs or objectives change.
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Q: What is included in your Complete Investment Solution™ service package?
A: Our Complete Investment Solution™ is the most basic of our packages, but it is actually quite a comprehensive solution. It includes everything we do to provide disciplined investment portfolio management, from creating our Portfolio Enhancement Plan™, to recommending an equity/fixed income range (based upon your time horizon, risk temperament, and overall investment objective), to implementing, monitoring, and managing your portfolio as a discretionary manager on an ongoing basis.
(As a discretionary manager, we are permitted to buy and sell investments on your behalf, within your stated guidelines, without needing your approval in advance to execute transactions. It’s a benefit to you because it allows us to move expeditiously to seize opportunities and avoid risks while also protecting you from time consuming chores.)
The Complete Investor Solution™ also includes quarterly Optimal Portfolio Reports and Market Commentary Reports from Janiczek & Company as well as Email Alerts when market events warrant them. This package is recommended only when you have little or no need for financial, retirement, and/or estate planning – such as if you want us to manage a retirement plan portfolio that you serve as the trustee. Since most investors have needs greater than this, most of our clients are on our other service packages.
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Q: What is included in your Complete Wealth Solution™ service package?
A. Our Complete Wealth Solution™ is our flagship service package and by far our most popular option. It includes our disciplined investment portfolio management, plus our financial, retirement, and estate planning services. This is the service package we designed to create a “strong investor” advantage. We have identified 35 Essential Strengths™ that span investment, financial, and retirement planning, plus estate considerations. This service package helps maximize your progress in gaining and maintaining these strengths. Think of it as our Complete Investment Solution™ plus a Wealth Optimization Plan™, which is prepared at the beginning of our engagement with you and recommended to be updated every two years thereafter. If you choose this service package, you also have access to our advisors and staff every business day to help maximize your progress in implementing your plan.
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Q: Why is your Complete Wealth Solution™ the most popular of your packages and the one that you recommend for most?
A: When our clients see the value of investing from a position of financial strength, they are attracted by this option and the large potential long-term benefits it can provide. Moreover, the Complete Wealth Solution™ addresses common and important needs not covered by investment advice alone, and it does so for an ongoing fee that is only marginally higher than our baseline Complete Investment Solution™ fee.
Here is a suggestion: If the limited scope of the Complete Investment Solution™ looks like less help than you need, and the broad scope of the Complete Legacy Solution™ looks like more than you need, begin with the Complete Wealth Solution™. This service package provides what most financially successful individuals with portfolios of $1 million and above need and are looking for.
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Q: What is included in your Complete Legacy Solution?
A: The Complete Legacy Solution™ includes the Complete Wealth Solution™ for the head of the family plus coaching and other services designed to help adult children and grandchildren master their money. The annual family meeting is the highlight of this service package–a meeting that is customized to assist you and your family in discussing, teaching, and learning how to make wealth a permanent advantage across generations. We augment these family meetings with occasional private coaching sessions for adult family members. These sessions introduce them to concepts of our Wealth with Ease™System that may help them at their current stage in life.
If you choose this option, your adult family members also receive our Janiczek Model Portfolio Solution at no fee and are eligible to receive the Complete Investment Solution™ or Complete Wealth Solution™ services at a commingled family breakpoint rate. The aim here is twofold: first, to ensure that sound investment and wealth management practices are adopted early in adult life to maximize their cumulative, long-term benefit; and second, to help family members grow in financial prudence and experience, preparing them for life’s challenges and, potentially, a significant inheritance.
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Q: Can I upgrade or downgrade to a different service package in the future?
A: Yes. We will create a new client engagement letter that states the new service package level and fee schedule at the time of an adjustment.
Q: Why do you use Schwab Institutional as your custodian and utilize outside research companies for economic and investment intelligence?
A: We presently recommend Schwab Institutional as custodian for our client assets because we believe they provide an excellent platform for our clients. We consider Schwab Institutional a top asset custodian in terms of safety considerations, pricing considerations, service, technology interfaces, investment product breadth, and many other factors. They are also a respected leader in
We use outside companies for economic and investment research and intelligence because it is far more efficient to take advantage of the broad expertise available through such vendors than to try replicate their capabilities internally. For instance, the large team of researchers at Ned Davis Research provides us with a tremendous depth and breadth of market insight. Similarly, we are on the Morningstar Workstation platform, which gives us detailed data on the universe of mutual fund, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and equities. Through Schwab Institutional and Advisors Intelligence, we have access to many other additional sources of relevant data. We believe these world-class resources greatly enhance our internal decision-making.
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Q: What are common types of investment vehicles in your portfolios?
A: Our portfolios consist primarily of active and indexed mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) or separately managed accounts consisting of equity, fixed income, or alternative asset classes. Our ADV Part II disclosure document provides a complete listing of the broad types of vehicles and asset classes that may be included in portfolios we manage. Because a client’s account sometimes consist of assets or securities purchased by our client prior to retaining our services (or assets that the client has directed us to purchase), a client portfolio can consist of our holdings and holdings directed by them. This is one reason why we do not publish performance data. In such circumstances, our aim is to build a portfolio that best complements such client-directed holdings.
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Q: What does it mean that you are a discretionary portfolio manager?
A: Being a discretionary portfolio manager means that we have the power to buy and sell securities in your account on our own without your involvement. In contrast, non-discretionary managers only make adjustments with your approval. For timing, efficiency, convenience, and other reasons, we believe discretionary management offers advantages and benefits over the non-discretionary method.
Q: How available are your advisors and staff to assist me or answer my questions?
A: We are a telephone call or email away, and someone is typically available to assist you immediately or soon after you contact us. Of course, if you are in town, we are available for a face-to-face conversation. Our advisors and staff have occasional meetings, competing responsibilities, and days out of the office, but we make it our priority to ensure that you receive prompt service.
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Q: What if my objectives or circumstances change?
A: Let us know right away. Your objectives, circumstances, needs, and time horizon are all critical factors we consider when tailoring a portfolio or Wealth Optimization Plan™ to you. When material changes occur, it is important to alert us by telephone, email, letter, or face-to-face meeting as promptly as possible.
Q: Beyond your fees, are there other expenses or fees I will incur as you invest my portfolio?
A: Yes. Our ADV Part II disclosure document provides details. In short, asset custodians, mutual funds, ETFs, separate account managers, and others can and do charge fees or other types of expenses. It is part of operating philosophy to minimize such costs for the benefit of our clients, so cost is a key factor we consider when making investment decisions, but not the only factor.
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Q: How frequently do I receive statements and how often do you normally communicate with clients?
A: You will receive monthly account statements directly from Schwab Institutional. You will also receive Optimal Portfolio Reports and Market Commentary Reports from Janiczek & Company on a quarterly basis, and we also typically send Email Alerts when market events warrant them. In most cases, we recommend Investment Review or Wealth Optimization Plan™ sessions semi-annually.
Q: Do you ever collaborate with our accountant, attorney, or other professionals on our trusted advisor team?
A: Yes, with your permission. We think it is highly beneficial to have a good collaborative relationship with your other trusted advisors. With your pre-approval, we can send your accountant a copy of your annual Schedule B&D report, and send your estate attorney updated snapshots of your assets. The aim of such collaboration is to save you time and help you gain the best expertise.
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Q: You meet with clients in person and/or via phone or online meetings. How does that work?
A: Since we serve clients in several states across the country, we often have telephone or online meetings as well as face-to-face meetings. When the meeting is by phone or online, we use a service like GoToMeeting that allows you to see our computer screen as if we were next to each other in our offices. Our office concierge sets this up for you and provides you with simple directions. Face-to-face meetings are offered in our headquarters near Denver, Colorado. The reality is that with technology, we can confidently serve you regardless of where you are located.
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Q: What is your Wealth with Ease® System and how do you make managing wealth easier for me?
A: We do not think managing wealth is easy, but we seek to make it easier for our clients by doing most of the hard work. We believe our Wealth with Easeâ System provides what people need but are often missing – the structure, systems, support, and discipline that are essential to successful wealth management. Our Wealth with Ease® System consists of proprietary tools, systems, and processes that clients gain access to at different levels depending upon the service package level they select. Thus, the Complete Investment Solution, Complete Wealth Solution and Complete Legacy Solution all offer parts of the Wealth with Ease® System. Mr. Janiczek created the Wealth with Ease® System and founded Wealth with Ease, LLC to own and license all of the intellectual capital, property, trademarks, patents and/or patents pending and trade secrets he has created. As a client of our firm you gain access to this system to benefit by it for your personal use via the services of Janiczek & Company, Ltd. Clients are not allowed to share or redistribute any of the intellectual property of the Wealth with Ease® System with anyone other than for their own personal use. Upon termination of a client agreement, clients are restricted from continuing to utilize such intellectual property in any way.
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Q: You offer family and friends of clients the Janiczek Model Portfolio Solution for no fee. What is this?
A: We created the Janiczek Model Portfolio Solution™ to assist family and friends of our company and clients. It is a free by invitation only model portfolio solution for those who have smaller accounts and want to benefit from some of our investment expertise. We have a separate brochure on this, and we are happy to provide it to clients interested in helping a family member or friend with this solution. The services that come with this model portfolio are limited, but they may be just what a family member needs to get on the right track.
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Q: We do want to help our adult children master their money. How can you help?
A: We absolutely love helping the next generations learn to master money. We can help in a variety of ways. First, consider upgrading to our Complete Legacy Solution™. If the Complete Legacy Solution™ is not what you need or want, we still have other aids that can help. Ask us about our Janiczek Model Portfolio Solution™, our You, Inc. Workbook, our award-winning book, How to Achieve Absolute Financial Freedom, and other tools and resources we sometimes make available to family members of clients.
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Q: I have heard about your Wealth Optimization Plan™. What is that?
A: Our Wealth Optimization Plan is the proprietary tool we created to help clients master the Five Guiding Principles of the Wealth with Ease® System. It provides clarity and direction toward mastering the 35 Essential Strengths™ that are at the foundation of our system and investment philosophy. We are happy to show you a Wealth Optimization Plan™. Because it is proprietary, we do not provide sample copies.
One highlight of our approach that clients appreciate is our dashboard, which uses a color-coded grids to provide a one-page snapshot of all your financial strengths (green), potential issues (yellow), and weaknesses (red). The Lifestyle Protection Analysis™ is another popular feature. It provides a thorough back test and stress test of your portfolio, which shows you how well positioned you are to withstand various adverse scenarios. If you choose either our Complete Wealth Solution™ or Complete Legacy Solution™ service package, you will see your dashboard and stress test results. Please note that our most basic service, the Complete Investment Solution™, does not include a Wealth Optimization Plan™.
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Q: What if I have additional questions?
A: Call us at (303) 721-7000 or toll free at (877) 526-4293 (877 JANICZEK), or email one of us and we would be happy to answer your additional questions.
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THIS IS A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF JANICZEK & COMPANY, LTD. AND ITS SERVICES AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED ON SOLELY BY PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS FOR REVIEWING OUR SERVICE OFFERINGS. OUR ADV PART II DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT, CLIENT ENGAGEMENT LETTER AND SERVICE PACKAGE MENU SHOULD ALSO BE REVIEWED PRIOR TO ENGAGING OUR SERVICES.
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