FAQ

What are your fees?

AOG offers three different boutique service packages.  AOG clients can pick the package that best works for their financial goals and asset levels.  Please  see the chart below which lists fees and/or package prices.

Account Size                    Annual Fee

First $1 million                      1.25% 

Next $4 million                      1.00%

$5 million and above            .80% 

Many of the large university endowments, pension funds, and large institutions incorporate asset classes into their models that are in addition to the traditional classes of stocks, bonds, and cash.  These alternative asset classes can reduce volatility within the endowment’s portfolio while generating a stable stream of income to meet their annual cash flow needs.  AOG has modified this strategy to create an endowment-style investment model that seeks to meet the needs of individual investors and small businesses.

At AOG, we categorize the following types of asset classes as “alternative investments”:

• Real Estate
• Private Equity
• Private Debt
• Managed Futures/Hedge Strategies
• Natural Resources

These types of investments are typically less correlated to the overall stock and bond markets, which can result in greater portfolio stability amidst times of market volatility and/or rising interest rates. 

While past performance is not indicative of future results, and each of our client’s portfolios are customized to meet their goals, risk tolerances, and liquidity needs, we are able to provide general information about the historical performance of several model portfolio examples.

Our investment selection process combines the analysis and research of our investment committee and analysts with the personal information we gather from you during our meetings.  AOG has constructed several base-line investment models for various portfolio sizes and risk tolerances.  We then take those models and tweak as needed to best meet your goals and objectives.  We conduct robust due diligence on every asset class and individual investment on our platform.  Each fund goes through a series of reviews by our analysts and then is voted on by our investment committee.  If approved, we then determine how that fund best fits into our models and the appropriate risk profile for the fund.

CIMA certification is the peak international, technical portfolio construction program for investment consultants, analysts, financial advisors and wealth management professionals. CIMA certification stands out among other financial certifications for its effective emphasis on the combination of theory and practical application. Learn more.

The Certified Financial Planner (CFP)® designation is a professional certification for financial planners offered by the CFP® Board.  This certification process includes a rigorous educational program, certification exam, and multi-year experience requirement.  CFP® professionals have agreed to adhere to the CFP Board’s principals of integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism, and due diligence when working with clients. Learn more: 

The Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF)® designation is issued to financial professionals by the Center for Fiduciary Studies.  In order to receive the designation, advisors must prove a thorough knowledge of and ability to apply fiduciary practices.  This is determined by a combination of education, relevant industry experience, and professional development. Learn more.

AOG does not prepare taxes or estate planning documents in-house.  Our team coordinates with your tax advisor to create a thorough tax plan and ensure that investment and financial planning-related decisions align with your overall tax strategy.  We will also work with your estate planning attorney to incorporate your investment portfolio into your estate plan.  If you do not currently work with a trusted tax advisor or estate planning attorney, we can provide information for several firms.

We work with families and businesses with portfolios of all sizes.  There are specific strategies and investments only available to accredited investors ($1m+ of Net Worth or $300,000 of annual household income), but we can customize recommendations to meet your portfolio size and goals.  Contact us today for a consultation to see if our firm may be a good fit.

Most accounts are custodied with Charles Schwab & Co. brokerage firm.  Both of those firms are members of SIPC and are covered by SIPC insurance.  Learn more about SIPC here: https://www.sipc.org/. AOG has discretionary authority to place trades on your behalf and withdraw monthly management fees.  However, you maintain full control and authority over the accounts at all times.

If you opt for our Comprehensive Wealth Management package we will meet at regularly scheduled appointments to review your portfolio in-depth as we stay focused on making progress towards your goals.  Meeting frequencies can range from annually to quarterly and can occur in person, via conference call or Skype.  We work with you to determine an appropriate number of meetings each year based on your availability and desire.  Our team will proactively reach out to you to schedule your meeting, but you are always welcome to contact us if you would like to schedule a meeting sooner than when your next meeting is due.  We are always available by phone and email as well and are regularly monitoring your accounts in-between meetings.

You can access and move funds on demand via Charles Schwab. You can also move funds by contacting your client service team member.  Our online client portal provides access to performance reports, real-time portfolio snap shots, and other helpful tools.  If you need to withdraw funds from your account, you can simply contact your Client Service Team member who can assist you with that process.

During your initial onboarding with our team, you will sign a form providing us with discretionary trading authority on your accounts.  We do have the authority to buy and sell traded funds in your portfolios without your consent.  However, we always keep you apprised of the construction of your portfolio and will consult with you before any major changes are made.  We feel that having discretionary authority is important in order to make time-sensitive changes to your portfolio in the event of significant market changes or opportunities.

AOG Wealth Management has a functional offsite facility located in Reston, VA providing an alternative location from which it can reasonably operate.Our electronic records, as well as those of its clearing firms, are backed up to a secure off-site location on a daily basis.  In the event of a catastrophic failure on a scale up to and including citywide disruption, AOG will continue business operations from this offsite facility.

A fiduciary is a person or entity that has the responsibility of acting for another in situations requiring total trust, good faith and honesty.  As a Registered Investment Advisor, AOG Wealth Management is held to a fiduciary duty – the highest standard of care in the financial service industry. This means we must act in the best interest of our clients at all times and recommend investments and financial planning strategies that we can most accurately determine to be the best option for them – not just a “suitable” option.

We truly enjoy and value the relationship that we build with each of our clients and are happy to offer a consultation for anyone you think may benefit from our services.  Additionally, we host several events throughout the year ranging from investment-related educational dinners to informal social gatherings – these events are a terrific opportunity to invite a guest that would like to be introduced to our firm!

We ask that each client completed a formal Risk Tolerance Questionnaire that will generate a risk tolerance score between 1-100.  The score is one factor used to determine your overall risk tolerance and model portfolio.  We will discuss your results with you and pair this information with your goals and financial plan.  Life changes constantly, so your AOG team will regularly check in to determine if any events have occurred that should change your risk tolerance and recommended investment portfolio.

If you have a change of address, phone number, beneficiaries, or other account modification, our Client Service Team is happy to assist you with making those changes across all of your accounts.  Please let us know if any of these changes have occurred and we will send you any required forms.

No – we currently have clients across 30+ states and in several countries.  Our primary office location is right outside of Washington DC, but we meet with clients by skype, phone, or webinar throughout the year and can also coordinate in-person meetings at our client’s respective locations outside of the area.