Wealth Management
Our Fiduciary Pledge
Pinnacle is not just an SEC Registered Investment Advisor; we are your fiduciary under both state and federal law. What does this mean for you? It means we hold a position of exceptional trust and confidence when working with you. As fiduciaries, we are bound to act with unwavering loyalty to your financial objectives, with complete transparency regarding our compensation.
The Pinnacle Touch
When you select Pinnacle, you are choosing a wealth manager that upholds the highest standards of integrity:
We are a fee-only wealth manager.
We never take custody of your assets.
We do not sell any investment or insurance products.
Our revenue is derived exclusively from our clients; no third-party influences.
Our fee structure is competitive.
The Pinnacle Pathway™
Why and How We Structure Wealth Management Programs
Not all clients have the same needs—or the same resources to invest in comprehensive planning. Pinnacle has developed a structured set of Wealth Management programs to ensure each family receives the right level of service for their situation. This segmentation allows us to deliver consistent quality while tailoring resources to client complexity.
Comprehensive Financial Plan: Your roadmap to success.
Annual Wealth Scorecard: Keeping your plan relevant.
Daily Asset Tracking: Stay informed and ahead of the curve.
Daily Net Worth Monitoring: Your financial pulse in real-time.
Institutional-Grade Advisory: Expert guidance with you every step of the way.
Comprehensive Services Structured Around You
Pinnacle offers a comprehensive range of services carefully tailored to meet your unique requirements:
Performance Reporting: Insights at your fingertips.
24/7 Secure Access: From logging in to reaching milestones, access your accounts from our convenient and secure client portal.
Personal Planning Quarterback: Proactive support for the whole team.
Client-Centric Meetings: Collaborative discussions and solutions.
At Pinnacle, we seek to redefine the norms of Wealth Collaboration™. We are not simply managing numbers; our team of professionals is dedicated to maximizing results and minimizing uncertainty. When you partner with us, your objectives and well-being will always take center stage.
Lifetime Program:
The core Pinnacle experience and our most widely used program, the Lifetime Program, is designed for clients whose assets generate a minimum annual fee of $12,000 (typically >$1,000,000 in investable assets). These families are in their prime planning years and require comprehensive financial management that goes well beyond investment oversight.- Fee Structure:
- Fees are based on managed assets, with a quarterly planning fee of $250 and a 15 bps performance tracking fee for non-managed assets over $250K. The Minimum Annual Fee is $12,000.
- The Lifetime Program delivers integrated planning across all major areas:
- Asset Allocation – Building a diversified portfolio
- Risk Management – protecting family wealth through insurance and liability strategies
- Estate Planning – ensuring legacy, distribution, and family governance are aligned
- Tax Strategy – Asset Location, Loss Harvesting, Direct Indexing, Withdrawal Sequencing and mutual fund capital gain management
- Retirement Planning – designing sustainable, flexible income strategies
- Cash Flow & Liquidity – aligning lifestyle needs with long-term wealth goals
- Meetings:
- 3 Meetings per year
- Because of the complexity of these families, Wealth Collaboration™ bringing attorneys, CPAs, and other professionals to the same table is a defining feature of the Lifetime Program. Clients benefit from Pinnacle’s ability to coordinate all aspects of their financial life, providing confidence that no opportunity is missed and no risk overlooked.
- The Lifetime Program represents the natural progression for clients who have grown beyond Compass and Ascent Programs. It is the anchor program at Pinnacle delivering a disciplined, holistic plan that adapts over time and supports both near-term priorities and long-term family objectives.
- Servicing:
- Serviced by Senior Wealth Managers or Wealth Managers as Advisor 1
- Wealth Managers or Associate Wealth Managers as Advisor 2
Family Office Program:
Designed for ultra-high-net-worth families with multigenerational needs, family enterprises, and advanced trust or philanthropic structures, the Family Office Program provides the highest level of customization, oversight, and resources. The minimum annual fee for this program is $175,000.- Fee Structure:
- Fees are based on managed assets and include a 10 bps Family Office Fee, along with a 15 bps performance tracking fee for non-managed assets over $1M. The Minimum Annual Fee is $175,000.
- Key Focus Areas / Services:
- Pinnacle Private Trust
- Advanced estate and tax strategies
- Family governance
- Business succession planning
- Philanthropic design
- Ongoing coordination with attorneys, CPAs, and other specialists
- Additional Structure:
- Pinnacle will also pay fees directly to attorneys and CPAs up to 20 percent of the Family Office fee each year if they are not already engaged as co-advisors
- Ensures professionals are fully involved without additional cost to the family
- The Family Office Program is the pinnacle of wealth management providing families with continuity, structure, and strategic alignment across generations.
- Servicing:
- 2 Senior Wealth Managers
- 1 Wealth Manager
- 1 Associate Wealth Manager
Compass Program:
Designed for clients aged 45 whose assets generate a minimum annual fee of $5,000 (typically >$350k in investable assets). The Compass Program is well-suited for families entering, living in, or navigating retirement who want structured guidance without the cost of full comprehensive planning.- Fee Structure:
- Transparent Fees: Our program fees are based on assets managed with an additional 15 bps performance tracking fee for non-managed assets. The Minimum Annual Fee is $5,000.
- The program focuses on:
- Retirement readiness assessments and Social Security strategies
- Estate plan reviews and beneficiary designations
- Education on investment allocation and retirement income strategies
- Goal tracking and Monte Carlo illustrations to test retirement outcomes
- Meetings:
- 2 Meetings per year
- Compass provides the essential tools and confidence needed for retirement decision-making, while creating a natural pathway to transition into Pinnacle’s Lifetime program.
- Servicing and Custody:
- Serviced by Wealth Managers as Advisor 1
- No Advisor 2
- Client assets custodied at Zoe Financial (Apex)
- Asset allocation implemented by account
Enhanced Program:
Built for families with greater financial complexity, the Enhanced Program includes everything offered in the Lifetime Program while addressing the unique needs of clients who own significant businesses or have complex holdings. It is designed for clients whose assets generate a minimum annual fee of $20,000. This can be paid by AUM (>$1.8 Million) or a fixed fee to the company.- Fee Structure:
- Fee Clarity: Fees are structured based on managed assets, including a quarterly planning fee of $750, along with a 15 bps performance tracking fee for non-managed assets over $500K. The Minimum Annual Fee is $20,000.
- Enhanced Program adds:
- Advanced tax strategies
- Charitable planning
- Business succession planning
- Complex real estate structures
- The Enhanced Program ensures that business-owning families not only protect and grow their wealth but also strategically align their enterprises, legacy plans, and personal finances under one cohesive strategy.
- Meetings:
- 4 Meetings per year
- Servicing:
- Serviced by Senior Wealth Managers as Advisor 1
- Wealth Managers as Advisor 2
Insight Program:
A streamlined, information-only program available exclusively to children and grandchildren of existing Pinnacle clients. Insight provides access to Pinnacle’s investment platform, helping the next generation begin their financial journey while maintaining a family connection to Pinnacle.- Fee Structure:
- Fixed fee of $500 per year
- Pinnacle’s fee schedule for managed assets over $40,000 starting at 1.4 percent
- Servicing and Custody:
- Serviced by Associate Wealth Managers as Advisor 1
- No Advisor 2
- Client assets custodied at Zoe Financial (Apex)
Lifetime | Ascent™ Program:
Created for high-income professionals in their wealth-building years, often called HENRYs (“High Earners, Not Rich Yet”). These clients may not yet meet the $10,000 minimum AUM fee of the traditional Lifetime Program, but they have significant planning needs around income allocation, equity compensation, tax efficiency, and risk management.- Fee Structure:
- Annual Fixed Planning Fee: $7,500 annually (billed quarterly at $1,850)
- Investment Management (AUM Fee): No AUM fee on first $500,000
- 1% on the next $500,000
- Graduation to Lifetime: Once client assets reach $1,000,000 the planning retainer is eliminated, and the client transitions into the standard Lifetime Program fee schedule
- Program Benefits:
- Cash flow and tax-efficient wealth-building strategies, coordinated with CPAs
- Tax Alpha strategies – Asset Location and Loss Harvesting
- Annual Monte Carlo simulations to test savings rates and lifestyle flexibility
- Equity compensation and business ownership planning
- Protection strategies to safeguard income and family stability
- Investment management for existing assets, with a seamless pathway into the full Lifetime Program
- This structure ensures Pinnacle is fairly compensated for the complexity of planning in a client’s highest earning years, while naturally rewarding the client as their investable wealth grows.
- Meetings:
- 2 Meetings per year
- Servicing and Custody:
- Serviced by Wealth Managers as Advisor 1
- Associate Wealth Managers as Advisor 2
- Client assets custodied at Schwab
Our Proprietary Tool: Wealth Scorecard®
A Wealth Scorecard® is a comprehensive tool used by Pinnacle to evaluate and measure the performance of a client’s wealth management program. This scorecard is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of how well the client's financial goals are being met and how effectively their wealth is being managed.
The key components of a wealth management scorecard for a client may include:
Financial Goals Achievement: Assessing the progress towards the client's financial goals, such as retirement savings, education funding, or wealth transfer, and determining the extent to which these goals have been achieved.
Investment Performance: Evaluating the returns generated by the client's investment portfolio relative to agreed-upon benchmarks and considering factors like risk-adjusted returns.
Risk Management: Analyzing the alignment between the client's risk tolerance and the risk exposure of their investment portfolio. This involves assessing the volatility and downside protection measures in place.
Costs and Fees: Reviewing the fees associated with managing the client's wealth and ensuring that they are reasonable and provide value for the services rendered.
Asset Allocation: Examining the distribution of assets within the client's portfolio to ensure it aligns with their risk profile, investment time horizon, and overall financial strategy.
Diversification: Assessing the level of diversification within the portfolio to manage risk effectively and capture potential opportunities in different market segments.
Liquidity Management: Evaluating the client's liquidity position and ensuring that there is an appropriate balance between liquid and illiquid assets to meet short-term and long-term financial needs.
Tax Efficiency: Considering the tax implications of the investment strategy and identifying opportunities for tax optimization to enhance after-tax returns.
Communication and Service Satisfaction: Gathering feedback on the client's satisfaction with the communication and service provided by the wealth management team, including regular updates, accessibility of advisors, and responsiveness to inquiries.
Financial Planning Adherence: Confirming that the wealth management strategy aligns with the client's broader financial plan, including adherence to financial planning principles and adjustments for changes in the client's circumstances.
