FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about Compound Advisory's fiduciary model, fees, onboarding, custodian relationships, services, and investment approach.
If your question is not below, the fastest path is the Retirement Clarity Assessment — a complimentary 60-minute virtual conversation where we cover everything specific to your household.
The FAQs below are the questions we get most often during initial conversations, organized roughly in the order they tend to come up — fee model, fiduciary status, who we serve, custodian relationships, the planning methodology, and what onboarding looks like. The answers are short on purpose. The depth lives on the corresponding service pages.
If you are evaluating Compound Advisory alongside other firms, ask any potential advisor five questions. How are you paid? Are you a fiduciary on every account at every moment? Where are client assets held? Do you sell proprietary funds or insurance? And what does the planning relationship look like beyond the portfolio? Any qualified advisor should be able to answer all five clearly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I consider hiring Compound Advisory?
Compound Advisory is built for people approaching or already in retirement who want a coordinated plan, not just a portfolio. The firm is fee-only, fiduciary, does not sell products, and coordinates tax-smart withdrawals, Social Security timing, retirement income, and investment management.
How are you different than other financial advisors?
Compound Advisory focuses on retirement and pre-retirement planning, limits new client relationships, and builds recommendations around each household's tax situation, income needs, goals, and timeline rather than assigning model portfolios by age.
How are your fees structured?
Compound Advisory charges a transparent annual advisory fee based on managed assets. The firm is fee-only and does not earn commissions or compensation from product companies.
Do you work with clients nationwide?
Yes. Compound Advisory is based in Annapolis, Maryland and serves clients across all 50 states through secure video meetings and cloud-based planning tools.
Where are my investments held?
Client assets are held at independent third-party custodians including Altruist and Charles Schwab. Compound Advisory does not take custody of client assets.
What is the Compound Cultivator methodology?
The Compound Cultivator methodology coordinates investments, taxes, income, and estate planning into one integrated retirement strategy so each recommendation considers the household's complete financial picture.