Investment Management Services for Family Financial Goals

Common family financial goals include building an emergency fund, saving for children's college education, purchasing a home, funding weddings or major life events, caring for aging parents, planning for comfortable retirement, protecting income through life and disability insurance, paying off debt, building generational wealth through investments, and creating a legacy through estate planning or charitable giving. Each family's priorities are unique, which is why we tailor investment strategies to your specific timeline, risk tolerance, and values.

Financial planner fees vary based on the service model. Assets-under-management (AUM) fees typically range from 0.5% to 1.5% annually of invested assets. Hourly rates range from $150 to $400+ per hour for specific consultations. Flat-fee planning often costs $1,500 to $7,500 for comprehensive plans. Some advisors use commission-based models tied to product sales. At Sentinel, we provide transparent fee structures tailored to the complexity of your family's financial situation and the ongoing advisory services you need.

We begin every relationship with a comprehensive discovery process to understand your family's specific objectives, timeline, risk tolerance, and values. Using this insight, we construct personalized portfolios aligned to each goal's horizon—conservative allocations for near-term needs like college tuition, growth-oriented strategies for long-term retirement, and tax-efficient structures for legacy planning. Each portfolio is guided by an Investment Policy Statement and stress-tested under various market conditions to ensure resilience through economic cycles while pursuing your family's unique financial aspirations.

Our investment philosophy is rooted in Nobel Prize-winning modern portfolio theory, refined through 100+ years of combined team experience serving 2,000+ families. We employ a disciplined PRIME risk framework addressing Purchasing Power, Reinvestment, Interest Rate, Market, and Exchange risks through deliberate diversification. Every client receives globally diversified, tax-efficient portfolios monitored continuously for style drift. We coordinate investments across all account types—taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free—to minimize lifetime tax liability, and we integrate estate planning to ensure your wealth transitions smoothly across generations.

Yes. We have 25 years of experience working with families with special needs, understanding the critical importance of lifelong financial support structures. We also provide dedicated divorce financial planning for clients navigating asset division and post-divorce financial rebuilding. Our team coordinates with attorneys, care planners, and other specialists when required, ensuring your family's unique circumstances receive the thoughtful, expert attention they deserve. Each plan is designed to protect your loved ones' quality of life and financial security, no matter how complex your situation.

Tax efficiency is integrated into every investment decision we make. We strategically allocate assets across your taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts to optimize growth and minimize tax drag. Our advisors employ Roth conversion strategies, tax-loss harvesting, multi-account withdrawal sequencing, Qualified Charitable Distributions, and tax-efficient gifting techniques—all aligned with current IRS regulations. We model long-term scenarios to ensure income is drawn from the most efficient source each year, helping your family keep more of what you earn and build lasting, tax-optimized wealth.

We believe proactive communication is essential to successful wealth management. Clients typically receive comprehensive portfolio reviews at least annually, with more frequent check-ins during major life transitions or significant market events. We continuously monitor portfolios for alignment with your Investment Policy Statement, rebalancing as needed to maintain target allocations. As your family's goals, income needs, or risk tolerance evolve—whether due to career changes, births, retirements, or inheritances—we adjust strategies accordingly to keep your plan on track and responsive to life's changing circumstances.

Absolutely. Our legacy planning service helps families articulate values, educate heirs, and establish structures that protect both wealth and relationships across generations. We design staged inheritance strategies, multi-generational trusts, and educational frameworks that empower rather than enable beneficiaries. Many families begin with a supervised pilot—a small asset pool allowing heirs to practice stewardship before full inheritance. We address real-world risks including divorce, debt, and mismanagement while honoring your philanthropic or faith-based intentions, ensuring your values endure as a living reflection of purpose and love.