A.  From our inception, we established ourselves as “Fee-Based” Planners for the vast majority of our business, as we wanted to eliminate questions regarding motives inherent in a “commissions-based” model. Not taking larger commissions when we started our firm was not an easy financial decision but we knew the “Fee-Based” model would help keep us on the same side of the table as the client, and long-range would produce steady revenue, allowing us to focus on client needs and not on chasing down the next commission sale. We also agreed to split all revenue 50-50 which has produced the desired effect of incentivizing both of us to serve each and every one of our clients as we both have a vested interest in their success.

A.  We have more than 67 combined years of experience working with clients and bring broad planning capabilities to the table as we interact with each client. Levi Edgecombe has been committed to serving clients in the advanced arenas of business and estate planning since 1974 when he was hired by Connecticut General at their office in Tacoma, WA. Levi has been a featured speaker at both the Olympia and Tacoma Estate Planning Councils and has spoken several times for the Society of Financial Service Professionals and in 2008 was a featured speaker in Boston for the Commonwealth Financial Network National Wealth Symposium. Don Coplin has been in the financial planning business since 1982 and prior to co-founding Edgecombe & Coplin Wealth Strategies, LLC, was the Managing Partner for a 17 member office representing Lincoln Financial Group in Seattle. Don has spoke at various industry functions and churches during his years of planning and management. He was also a featured speaker at the North Central Washington National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors annual workshop. Don primarily specializes in investment strategies and Levi brings tax and financial planning capabilities to the table for our clients.

A.  We make sure to keep in touch with the other planning professionals when we work for a client so that our planning isn’t done in a vacuum. Over the years, we’ve discovered that “The Devil’s in the details” and as a result we work hard to help ensure that planning recommendations are completed. In working with new clients we have all too often discovered that Living Trusts and Limited Partnerships were drafted and signed and yet the entities were never funds, i.e., assets were never transferred into the entities making the vehicles useless. We also have encountered several situations where Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts that were created, but the annual “Crummey” letters were never completed. We make a real commitment to follow through so these “details” are consummated and that plans don’t fail.

A.  We feel we bring a broad perspective to the table because of our commitment to stay in touch with the current economic environment as well as tax law changes, etc. Don is involved with the H.S. Dent organization as a member of the H.S. Dent Advisor Network and attends meetings twice a month and is involved in monthly teleconferences, which help to update us regarding the global economic and demographic climate. Levi is an active member of Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor GroupSM and maintains his certification by attending semi-annual meetings as well as passing examinations verifying his knowledge of rules pertinent to retirement plans like 401(k)s, IRAs, Roths, etc. We utilize several software programs which help to enhance our client’s decision making in the arena of Roth conversions, investment analysis, estate planning and cash flow planning for retirement. We also have made available to our clients, eMoney Advisor which 1) Aggregates all of their investment accounts into one site, 2) Allows them to view any planning we are doing for them and 3) Provides a “Vault” which can store important documents (wills, tax returns, deeds, passports, etc.) for safekeeping and retrieval.

A.  We meet quarterly with our investment clients and we have found these meeting helpful in not only education our clients on their money and planning opportunities, but also in building the long-term relationship that is the heart of our organization. A few years ago we installed a “Smartboard” in our conference room which allows us on a 77 inch interactive screen to conduct our quarterly reviews and office meetings. This has been an incredible tool as we are all looking at the same screen as we discuss our client’s accounts and answer questions by navigating the Internet, etc. We also provide newsletters and have our website to inform clients of upcoming seminars or other events which might be of interest to them.

A.  Please cick here to view our planning fee schedule.

A.  At Edgecombe & Coplin Wealth Strategies, specific asset levels are not a prerequisite and we do not require you to meet specific account minimum thresholds in order to work with us.  Some of the money managers and product companies we work with do have account minimums, however, we believe that we can find the right investment strategies for all of our clients’ accounts – big or small.  If you would like assistance with your financial plan, please give us a call.