Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What should I know about my financial advisor to understand how they will handle my investments and retirement savings?

A: The following are key questions to ask before hiring a financial advisor:

Q: What is a CFP^®?

A: The CFP® marks represent a Certified Financial Planner™ Professional designation. An individual who has earned these marks has met the education, examination, experience, and ethics standards established by the Certified Financial Planners Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board). Therefore, a financial planner who has earned the CFP® marks should be distinguished from a financial planner who has not. Consumers need to be aware that there is nothing preventing a person from declaring themselves a "Financial Planner," and it is, therefore, incumbent upon the consumer to differentiate between a planner who has earned the marks and one who hasn't.

If a financial planner has earned the right to use the CFP® marks, this means that he or she has met the following requirements:

Education

There are three ways to meet the CFP® certification education requirement:

Examination

Candidates for the CFP® certification must pass a rigorous two-day, 10-hour CFP® Certification Examination administered by the CFP Board that covers the financial planning process and includes such topics as tax planning, employee benefits and retirement planning, estate planning, investment management, and insurance.

Experience

Candidates for CFP® certification must prove they have experience in the financial planning process before being authorized to use the CFP® marks.

Ethics

Candidates for CFP® certification have their backgrounds checked by the CFP Board, and must also disclose any investigations or legal proceedings related to their professional or business conduct. The CFP Board reviews all such disclosures and investigates those statements that indicate areas of concern. Candidates must also adhere to the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Financial Planning Practice Standards.

Additionally, once certified, CFP® certificants must fulfill a biennial continuing education requirement to stay up-to-date on planning strategies and financial trends affecting their clients.

Q: How does Steve Robbins, CFP^® get paid?

A: STEVE ROBBINS, CFP^® is a fee-only financial planning and wealth management firm. That means our fee is based on a percentage of assets under our management. It ranges from 0.25% to 1.95% annually based on account size. For a listing of the services we provide that are inclusive of this annual fee, visit the 50 Things We Do page of this site.

Another aspect of our service that makes us proud -- we work with everyone! If you have a desire to improve your financial situation, then we are here to help. We’ll customize a saving plan toward reaching your retirement or other financial goals. Also, we have no financial planning account minimums.

Unlike many other advisors, we do not have any minimum required contract period either. Essentially, fees are paid based on the number of days we provide management. There is no fee or other cost to begin. We've set it up this way because we believe that we should earn your business each day. To request a copy of our company Form ADV Part 2, which discloses current business practices and our detailed fee schedule, email Info@SteveRobbinsOnline.com.

Contact us or call us at (314) 839-4600 for a no-cost, no-obligation meeting to determine if your current investments are in line with your goals, income needs, and expectations. We proudly serve clients throughout Florissant, MO, as well as those within our surrounding area, and throughout the U.S.

Q: Aren't all advisors fee-only like Steve Robbins, CFP^®?

A: Most "so-called" advisors are in the business of selling products, often on commission, and the advice they offer is "incidental" to their main job of selling the product.

This is important because fee-only registered investment advisors owe you a much higher fiduciary standard of duty under the law, meaning they are required to minimize conflicts of interest and put your interests ahead of their own, which is not true for non-fiduciary advisors. The best way to be sure is to insist on a written statement that an investment advisor is a fee-only fiduciary. STEVE ROBBINS, CFP^® is such as advisor, and you have that here in writing.

Q: Where can investors go for more information to background check financial advisors, their disclosure history and credentials?

A: Our references are as follows: