Why Choose Us
Money Plans is a proud pioneer within the financial industry when it comes to putting clients’ interests first. Our expertise, our standard of client care, our compensation model and our independence mean that we are uniquely positioned to serve as our clients’ objective guide and advocate.
Your Independent, Expert Partner
Money Plans was founded in 1983 as an independent Registered Investment Advisor. Because we are unaffiliated with any bank, brokerage or other financial services business, we have always been able to avoid the conflicts of interests that arise from these affiliations. We have always provided clients with conflict-free guidance, low-cost investments and the tools and service that are competitive with much larger firms.
The firm is owned and operated by its principal and co-founder, Denise Leish. Denise is a credentialed and experienced advisor, with an MBA in finance and has satisfied all the testing, filing and continuing education requirements to be a Registerd Investment Advisor and an active member of Napfa.
Fee-Only Advice
Most financial advisors operate under a compensation model that can include sales commissions, kickbacks from product manufacturers, high operating costs and other practices. Such fees can easily cost consumers 3% to 5% annually, or even more. They weigh on investment performance, create conflicts of interest and erode trust.
Bob Veres, a well-regarded commentator within the financial services industry, has written that “a client with a $1 million portfolio will pay at least $20,000 more in various hidden costs to a broker than to a fee-only financial advisor, even if both the broker and advisor are charging the same fee amount for the planning and investment work.”
MoneyPlans belongs to a select group of fee-only financial advisors. Our fees are paid directly to us from our clients—never through outside companies. We never earn commissions, meaning we have zero incentive to steer you to any product or solution that’s not the best for your needs.
The arrangement, is simple, straightforward and fair: Clients pay us, and we draw on our expertise and experience to provide the best, most objective advice possible. In the fee-only compensation model, the goals of advisor and client are in total alignment.
Fiduciary Client Care
Money Plans is built on the Fiduciary Standard of client care. As fiduciaries, we have a fundamental legal obligation to provide conflict-free financial and investment advice, and to always act in our clients' best interests.
To back up our fiduciary commitment, we belong to The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). Members must meet NAPFA’s exacting standards of client care. They must sign and renew a Fiduciary Oath each year. And they must satisfy many hours of continuing education annually.