Clear Answers Before You Make Financial Decisions
Review common questions about working with Montecito Capital Management, including when to use a financial advisor, fiduciary standards, qualifications, fees, and investment philosophy.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what point should I use a financial advisor?
This is a good question, and the answer really depends on your unique situation, including your financial concerns, goals, and level of confidence managing your financial affairs on your own. However, generally speaking, it is a good idea to have a professional advisor when you start saving for retirement and planning for your future. There are many considerations that not only can save money but also show you the best use of your money for growing wealth.
Additionally, it might be wise to take advantage of a complimentary meeting with one of our professional investment advisors to review your portfolio, assess potential risks, and explore strategies to strengthen your long-term financial goals. Indeed, a financial fitness checkup with an experienced advisor can help you balance daily spending with long-term retirement planning, giving you greater clarity and confidence in maintaining the lifestyle you want.
Do you have limitations on the type of client you accept, and/or have minimum account size?
Our clients come from a wide range of backgrounds—diverse in age, wealth, and culture. While we generally recommend a minimum investable asset level of $250,000 to ensure optimal portfolio diversification, we understand every situation is unique. Our advisors are happy to discuss your individual goals and explore flexible options tailored to your needs.
Are you a fiduciary advisor, and will you act in my best interests at all times?
We are Fiduciary advisors and therefore adhere to the highest Fiduciary standard of being legally bound to prioritize our client’s “best interests” while at all times acting in good faith. You may assume that all advisors uphold the Fiduciary standard of care, but this is not accurate, as only 12% of financial advisors choose to meet this exalted standard.
What qualifications, credentials, and licenses do you hold?
As a team, we have decades of investment and finance experience and hold MBA, CFA, CFP & RIA designation/degrees. As for bachelor’s degrees, concentration in Economics, Accounting & Finance.
How many years you’ve been practicing?
We have been in the business of professionally advising clients on financial matters for over two decades.
How are you compensated / what is your fee structure?
First off, there are no hidden fees or surprise costs — we’re fiduciary advisors, which means we’re legally bound to put your best interests first. Our compensation comes from a straightforward, fee-only structure tied to the assets we manage for you. As your assets grow, our percentage fee rate actually decreases at different asset bracket sizes – a sliding scale. On average, our advisory fees are about 30% lower than the industry standard. For our specific fee brackets, see https://www.mcapitalmgt.com/fees
Second, all initial advisory review meetings are “complimentary” where we look to provide valuable insight, perspective and financial guidance.
What is your investment philosophy / strategy?
We help our clients build financially secure futures by aligning each plan with their specific goals—whether that’s maintaining liquidity, achieving steady growth, ensuring reliable income, or managing portfolio risk. Because we believe that understanding the risks within a portfolio is key to delivering real value, we take an active approach to constructing and managing diversified, multi-asset portfolios. Our aim is to capture long-term gains while maintaining the resilience needed to withstand market fluctuations.