Frequently Asked Questions

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Our investment philosophy is based on answering the following 2 questions: Is the stock market going up or down - should I be in or out?  If I'm in, what should I own?  For a full description of our investment philosophy we suggest a face to face meeting to go over strategies in light of current economic conditions.

The diversity of our staff allows us to work with a wide range of clients such as business owners, executives, government employees, young professionals, pre-retirees and retirees.  Our clients are looking to delegate the management of their portfolio and the see the value in paying for investment management.

We do not have custody of your assets.  We utilize nationally recognized brokerage firms like Charles Schwab & Co.,Inc ("Schwab").  The money is fully under your control at Schwab where you can independently verify and view your account balances, positions, and transactions.  As a client, you give Capstone Pacific limited trading authority to do things like transact trades and bill your account.  We can also give advice on money held elsewhere - like in your 401(k) or Thrift Savings Plan.  While we are looking for lifetime relationships, you are free to go any time and Capstone will not charge an exit fee if you choose to disengage our advisory services.

No.  The only "insurance" comes from an FDIC insured bank account.  Your account is protected, however, by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC, www.sipc.org) up to a certain amount from the failure of a brokerage firm or brokerage theft.

We believe Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) give us the best opportunity to widely diversify with the greatest flexibility.  ETFs are baskets of stocks and generally have some of the lowest expense ratios available.  ETFs are traded in real-time on a stock exchange unlike mutual funds that are priced and traded only once a day.  Our research is not limited to tracking and monitoring only ETFs, however because of these reasons we tend to prefer ETFs in our investment strategies.

Most people think that all financial planners are "certified", but this isn't true.  Anyone can call themselves a "financial planner".  Only those who have fulfilled the certification and renewal requirements of CFP® Board can display CFP® certification marks.  The CFP® certification provides that sense of security by allowing only those who meet the following requirements the right to use the CFP® certification marks.  A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®  goes through a certification process that includes demanding education, examination, experience and ethical requirements (www.cfp.net). 

We most certainly do. We have an extensive 401(k) management program offering different levels of service in helping participants handle their work retirement plan -- from general advice to specific recommendations on which funds to choose and when to make changes. Not only do we provide advice on 401(k)s, we can also provide investment management services for 457s, 403(b)s, Thrift Savings Plans and self-directed options.

We have met with hundreds of federal employees and can help answer your questions like: how much will I get in retirement?  Is it worth it to wait?  Should I rollover my TSP or stay put?  Should I annuitize my TSP?  Do Roth conversions make sense for me? 

We can help you estimate: FERS, CSRS and CSRS Offset retirement annuities, life insurance costs both now and at retirement, FERS supplement, the value of your TSP at retirement based on your contributions and your rate of return.  We can help you understand: retirement annuity, survivor benefits, Thrift Savings Plan withdrawal options, voluntary contribution program (CSRS and CSRS Offset only), flexible spending account, health savings account, long term care for federal employees, government pension offset and windfall elimination for CSRS, disability protection, and much more.  Retirement benefits are complicated and we can help guide you through the retirement process.

CAPSTONE PACIFIC evolved as a result of the need to make investment decisions in-house and take personal responsibility for the performance of our clients' accounts.  Here you can meet directly with your investment managers. Because we don't tie clients up with surrender charges on our brokerage accounts, you are free to go at any time, it is to our advantage to provide exceptional service.  We grow when your portfolio grows so it is always in our best interest to work for your success.

We do not hire out our investment management services and all our research is conducted directly by our team.  As an independent and privately held company, we are free to choose solutions that work for each client's situation and do not have to meet quotas or offer particular products as may be the case in many broker/dealers.  While we are independent, we are not alone.  Our networks, carefully built over 40 years, help keep us current on leading research that adds value to the management of your accounts.

We want our investment management services to promote lifelong relationships with our clients.  With our team approach, any one of our advisors can answer your questions and is familiar with your account.  When our clients call we know exactly who you are.  We are committed to making each interaction efficient, prompt and conclusive.

Contact us to learn more about how our independent business model and focus on quality customer service can help you.

We are compensated by the fees we charge for portfolio management.  Our fees for portfolio management services are based on a percentage of your assets we manage.  Our annual portfolio management fee is billed and payable quarterly in advance based on the account value the last day of the previous quarter.  We do not receive any commissions on any trades or recommendations in your brokerage accounts.  The only compensation we receive from our advisory accounts are the investment management fees we charge.  Our complete fee schedule and disclosures are available upon request in our Form ADV Part 2.  Please call to discuss the fee schedule for your situation. 

Yes, we can provide advice on an hourly basis.  Sometimes our full investment management services are not a fit for everyone.  Our hourly rate is $250/hour.  Typically our financial planning services are billed hourly and an estimate of our time is provided prior to beginning any work.  We will always provide a complimentary consultation in order to determine your needs.

To get started, we offer a low-key complimentary consultation whether it be over phone or in our office.  We will discuss your situation and needs in order to determine if CAPSTONE PACIFIC is the right fit for you.  Email or call us today!