Our firm holds fiduciary responsibility to clients; this means we put your financial well-being ahead of our own. The suitability standard offers a lower standard of care, one usually met by banks, brokerage firms and insurance companies. They receive compensation from a wide range of arrangements that can pose conflicts of interest.

J. Mark Nickell & Co. is a Fee-Only firm, and Mark is a NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor. That means our firm charges one fee for comprehensive advice. We don’t sell any products or accept commissions or back-door payments. Transparency is important to us, and there are no hidden fees. Our entire focus is concentrated on private wealth advisory service, so we don’t provide accounting, tax compliance or legal services. However, we do maintain contacts with other professionals our clients may use, and can provide referrals.

Since 1994, we have developed specialized skills in both investment management and financial planning. We have designed a method that integrates both into one seamless level of service. Today we continue to provide our clients with the clarity and confidence they need to feel secure about their financial futures.

At J. Mark Nickell & Co., continuity is part of our organizational structure. We have a succession plan in place to ensure our clients have ongoing service. Our staying power through the many ups and downs of the financial markets should assure you that we’ll be here to work with you for many years to come.

Yes, we are internally owned and not affiliated with any other organization. As a result, we are not beholden to any other company’s interests or agendas. This allows us to better align our interests with yours. Our independence also gives us the flexibility to make critical judgments tailored to your personal situation. Perhaps most importantly, we can seek the most cost-effective investment vehicles from a full array of available options.

In a series of face-to-face meetings we seek to understand your investment goals, whether it is a comfortable retirement, a predictable stream of income, leaving a lasting legacy, or some combination of all of these.

Through a disciplined process, we help you identify your personal tolerance for asset price fluctuations. This is crucial, because to achieve long-term goals you must be able to ride out market fluctuations throughout your entire investment period.

The end result of this collaborative process is an Investment Policy that specifies a personal risk profile, and also provides a roadmap for implementing an investment strategy. Your Investment Policy takes into account your own facts and circumstances (e.g., unrealized gains of existing holdings), tax characteristics of your accounts (i.e., taxable accounts and/or tax-deferred retirement accounts), and investment preferences (e.g., socially responsible investing criteria).

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Yes, if you are in the final stages of your due diligence, we have clients who will share their experiences with you. We ask those whose circumstances are similar to yours if they are available to talk with you. Every client of our firm is assured that we guard their identity and private information with the utmost care, confidentiality, and discretion.