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© 2020 Brickley Wealth Management
Financial advisors do more than manage investments. At Brickley Wealth Management, we combine financial planning, investment management, and tax strategy to provide a well-rounded approach to wealth management.
Blog Post
by Steve Brickley, CPA

What Exactly Does a Financial Advisor Do?

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Tax Planning
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In the world of finance, the term "financial advisor" can encompass a range of roles, each with its unique focus and responsibilities. At Brickley Wealth Management, our approach to financial advising is both comprehensive and unique, blending investment advisory with tax planning to offer a holistic service to our clients. Here’s an in-depth look at what our financial advisors do.

The Broad Landscape of Financial Advising

Financial advising is a broad field. Unfortunately, the term can be used loosely, often causing confusion among the public. Some financial advisors might primarily sell insurance products, while others might be focused on banking products or investment sales. This lack of standardization can lead to a significant disparity in the quality and type of advice provided.

At Brickley Wealth Management, we are a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), which means we are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This designation sets us apart from brokers or bank-based advisors who might be limited to selling specific products. As an RIA, we operate independently, free from constraints to sell particular products, allowing us to use a wide array of tools and technologies to best serve our clients' needs.

A Holistic Approach

Our role as financial advisors at Brickley Wealth Management extends far beyond investment advice. We act as financial architects, helping clients plan every aspect of their financial lives. This includes:

  • Financial Planning: We evaluate clients' current financial status, including assets, liabilities, income, and expenses. This assessment forms the foundation for developing a personalized financial plan.
  • Tax Planning and Returns: Our integrated CPA services are rare in the industry. We analyze past tax returns, understand current tax situations, and anticipate future tax liabilities. This proactive approach helps in making informed decisions to help optimize tax outcomes.
  • Investment Management: We create and manage personalized investment portfolios tailored to each client's risk tolerance, goals, and tax situation. Our approach ensures that portfolios are not only designed for growth but also more optimized for tax efficiency.
  • Estate Planning: We help clients plan for the transfer of their wealth, ensuring that their wishes are fulfilled and tax liabilities are minimized.

The Art and Science of Investment

Investment management at Brickley Wealth Management is both an art and a science. We use sophisticated modeling to create portfolios, but we also understand the human side of investing. This includes managing emotions and educating clients about market fluctuations. Our goal is to ensure clients stay invested and make informed decisions, even during market downturns.

Multi-Year, Multi-Track Planning

One of our significant strengths is our ability to think and plan in multi-year terms. We help clients see beyond immediate concerns and consider how decisions made today will impact their financial future. This long-term perspective is crucial for effective financial planning and investment management.

Experience and Competence

Our team’s extensive experience, particularly with high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, sets us apart. We are adept at handling complex financial situations and are not intimidated by large numbers or complicated scenarios. Our confidence comes from years of dealing with diverse financial situations and consistently delivering effective solutions.

Building Relationships

At the heart of our approach is building strong relationships with our clients. We believe that understanding clients' unique needs and goals is essential for providing effective advice. We are proactive in our communications and strive to educate our clients, helping them understand their financial situations and the rationale behind our recommendations.

Conclusion

In summary, financial advising at Brickley Wealth Management is about much more than just managing investments. It’s about creating a comprehensive financial plan that encompasses all aspects of our clients' financial lives. By combining investment advisory with tax planning, we offer a unique, integrated approach that helps clients achieve their financial goals and secure their financial future.

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Brickley Wealth Management is a Registered Investment Adviser*. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Brickley Wealth Management and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. The information throughout this website is solely for informational purposes. The content is developed from sources believed to provide accurate information, and we conduct reasonable due diligence review however, the information contained throughout this website is subject to change without notice and is not free from error. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. Readers should conduct their own review and exercise judgment prior to investing and should carefully consider their own investment objectives and not rely on any post, chart, graph or marketing piece to make a decision. No investment or tax advice may be rendered by Brickley Wealth Management or Brickley & Company unless a client service agreement is in place. We are not providing any personalized investment advice through this website. Please consult your investment, tax, or legal advisor for assistance regarding your individual situation. Brickley Wealth Management does not provide legal advice, and nothing in this website shall be construed as legal advice. For more information on our firm and our advisers, please see the latest Form ADV and Part 2 Brochures and our Client Relationship Summary https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/287487. For a copy of our Privacy Notice, please go here.

*Please note that the term "registered investment adviser" and description of our firm and/or our associates as "registered" does not imply a certain level of skill or training.

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Key Financial Terms 
Related to this Post:

This is some text inside of a div block.

Registered Investment Advisor

A Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) is a firm or individual registered with the SEC or state regulators to provide financial advice and investment management services to clients, and is bound by state and federal laws.
This is some text inside of a div block.

Risk Tolerance

An individual's willingness to take on financial risk in pursuit of investment returns. Influences asset allocation decisions, and may change from time to time.

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161 W 25th Ave, Suite #204, San Mateo, CA 94403
Contact@brickleywealth.com
(650) 638-0111

Brickley Wealth Management is a Registered Investment Adviser*. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Brickley Wealth Management and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. The information throughout this website is solely for informational purposes. The content is developed from sources believed to provide accurate information, and we conduct reasonable due diligence review however, the information contained throughout this website is subject to change without notice and is not free from error. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. Readers should conduct their own review and exercise judgment prior to investing and should carefully consider their own investment objectives and not rely on any post, chart, graph or marketing piece to make a decision. No investment or tax advice may be rendered by Brickley Wealth Management or Brickley & Company unless a client service agreement is in place. We are not providing any personalized investment advice through this website. Please consult your investment, tax, or legal advisor for assistance regarding your individual situation. Brickley Wealth Management does not provide legal advice, and nothing in this website shall be construed as legal advice. For more information on our firm and our advisers, please see the latest Form ADV and Part 2 Brochures and our Client Relationship Summary https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/287487. For a copy of our Privacy Notice, please go here.

*Please note that the term "registered investment adviser" and description of our firm and/or our associates as "registered" does not imply a certain level of skill or training.

2020 Brickley Wealth Management. All rights reserved.
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