Why Choose Vermillion?

About Us

Why Choose Vermillion?

Navigate through the 8 key factors that contribute to the Vermillion Advantage or jump to a particular point with the blue links..


 

1. You retain Personal Control and Freedom of Choice:

We believe that you should be directly involved in defining what our working relationship will be, and exercise your personal control and freedom of choice when selecting services that impact your future and your assets.

Other advisors may try to fit all their clients into an inflexible single-service program regardless of age, economics, or needs. In direct contrast, we believe that you have the right to choose from a complete menu of planning services to determine which type best meets your financial planning and investment needs, and provides real value to you.

There are many differences between Vermillion Financial Advisors and other firms that offer Investment Services. The most significant is that very often other firms require incoming clients to liquidate all their investments and transfer cash into new accounts for new purchases. Those advisors, operating on a discretionary basis, take control and very often also take possession of your assets, thus making all financial decisions for you once you become their client.

Here at Vermillion, we prefer to evaluate all existing investments first, and determine if they are appropriate to meet your financial needs. We then use a non-discretionary approach to your portfolio, whereby we inform you of all recommended asset changes, explain your alternatives, and discuss the pros and cons of your options. This allows you to participate in the decision process, and evaluate a variety of offerings. Then we proceed with changes to your portfolio, but only after receiving your approval.

There is another fundamental difference between Vermillion Financial Advisors and other firms that offer Financial Planning services. Those firms often require you to discontinue relationships with other professionals such as attorneys, accountants, investment advisors, insurance agents, and mortgage brokers, etc. Vermillion recognizes that past relationships with qualified and competent professionals bring value to future planning. You can choose to continue working with other professionals while engaging our services and working with one of our Certified Financial Planners© (CFPs). The freedom of choice is yours.
 


 

2. We are Independent Investment Advisors:

All investment services offered at Vermillion Financial Advisors are provided on a fee-for-service basis. We offer investment recommendations that are not influenced by commissions, parent companies, or a hidden agenda to sell one investment product over another. We do not accept kickbacks, soft-dollar arrangements, or any kind of commissions for our investment services. We also do not accept any incentives from custodians or investment firms to utilize their services or to recommend their proprietary products over those of another competitor.

As an independent firm, our advisors have the freedom to analyze and recommend any investment solution or product available in the marketplace. We have no incentive to have you buy or sell a particular investment other than to serve your best interests. Changing one investment for another in your portfolio does not generate any additional compensation for our advisors or our firm. All revenue generated by our investment services comes directly from you, our client, on a fully disclosed and transparent fee basis.
 


 

3. Our Advisors are Certified Financial Planners® (CFP®):

While anyone can call himself a financial advisor, few are called “board certified” and use the designation of Certified Financial Planner©. Certification means that your advisor has met the highest standards mandated by the CFP® board for education, examinations, experience, and ethics. It also means that your advisor has made a commitment to meet the continuing education requirements necessary to maintain the CFP® designation. Less than 20% of all practicing financial advisors in the industry can claim this distinction, and we are proud to be part of that small, elite, and nationally recognized group who are Certified Financial Planners®.

With this certification comes extensive training in the seven disciplines of financial planning: investment portfolio design and management; retirement income and expense forecasting and planning; estate tax reduction strategies, plan design and planning; insurance policy evaluation and risk management; income tax reduction planning and forecasting; major purchase/event planning; and finally, cash flow evaluation and expense management.

This means that a Vermillion Financial Advisor and CFP® can provide an all-inclusive approach to planning your financial future.
 


 

4. Our Low Client-Advisor Ratios work to your advantage:

Unlike other firms where one advisor is responsible for hundreds or possibly thousands of clients, your Vermillion Financial Advisor services a maximum of 75 client relationships at any one time (our current average is 52).

Unlike the frustration you may experience when trying to get a doctor’s appointment – which may take months – our low client-to-advisor ratios grant you more convenient access to your Vermillion Financial Advisor. You will work together when needed, on a much more regular and consistent basis. Consider these facts:

Appointment Requests from Clients:
70% of our clients will meet with their advisor at a convenient time of their choosing within two weeks of their request for an appointment
95% of our clients will meet with their advisor at a convenient time of their choosing within three weeks of their request for an appointment
99.9% of our clients will meet with their advisor within 3 weeks of their request so long as they have flexibility in choosing their appointment time.

Return Phone Call Requests and Email Messages from Clients:
95% of all clients’ phone calls and messages are returned the same day
99.9% of all clients’ phone calls are returned, and messages answered, within 24 hours
As a result of these practices, your working relationship with one of our advisors will be more supportive and dependable, as well as closer and more personal than any relationship you may have experienced with other professionals. We believe you will quickly discover that all recommendations provided to you will be based on a more accurate and intimate knowledge of your specific personal financial needs, as well as your long term goals.
 


 

5. We have Expertise and Experience:

Simply stated, at Vermillion Financial Advisors, we find, hire and train the most talented and experienced individuals we can, in order to foster a culture of successful partnerships between you, our financial advisors, and our support staff.

The talent runs deep within our organization, which has been serving clients since 1988. Each of our Senior Advisors has been with VFA for more than 25 years, and all Vermillion Advisors have earned the CFP© distinction. In all areas, you will recognize our commitment to providing you with superior customer service, and “financial peace of mind”.

Every member of our efficient and knowledgeable Support Staff also shares our mission. As you work with VFA, you will clearly see our commitment to providing you with superior customer service.
 


 

6. We offer Consistent and Dependable Service:

Our service methods set us apart from the rest!

Unlike many advisors who sell investment products for a commission, or set up a one-time financial or investment plan and consider their work complete, here at Vermillion Financial Advisors we focus on the long term.

All of our services follow the process of discovery, analysis, education, implementation, ongoing monitoring, and a timely repetition of the entire process.

Our business model is designed to provide you with ongoing superior service, for an ongoing fee. We do this with the knowledge that we must provide continuous value to you, or face the reality that if we fail to service our clients, we will also fail to retain them. As a result of this commitment, we take great pride in our annual average client retention rate of 98% and the lifelong client relationships we’ve developed over the years.

Vermillion Financial Advisors, Inc. takes great satisfaction in knowing that as a direct result of these special relationships, we have helped so many of our clients succeed in reaching their financial goals.

 


 

7. We can help eliminate your planning procrastination:

Most people, when faced with something they don’t like or something of which they have limited knowledge, tend to avoid the situation entirely.

Our advisors are both patient and very experienced at helping you make the tough decisions you may have previously avoided, but are vital to your successful financial future. Our methods and processes have benefited from our years of experience since opening our doors in 1988.

When working with a Vermillion Financial Advisor your procrastination is replaced by a well-crafted and thought-out process that culminates with an executable action plan. This final action plan gives you the option to handle tasks yourself, or to delegate some of them to members of our support staff, or to other professionals of your choice. As a result, you will be back in control of your financial future, and moving forward.
 


 

8. We are your Fiduciary Advisors and Personal Advocates:

Every Vermillion Advisor accepts the role of fiduciary advisor, which means that we are legally bound to place your interests ahead of our own.

In keeping with that fiduciary responsibility, all decisions must be made with care, skill, and diligence. We must always disclose to you any potential conflicts of interest, and continue to create and refine our processes in order to avoid such conflicts and protect your assets.

The true benefit of working with a fiduciary advisor is having a relationship based on professional integrity and ethical principles. Additionally, your Vermillion Advisor will also act as your personal advocate in financial matters, working to ensure that you are receiving all of the benefits to which you are legally entitled, whether they come from an employer, government agency, or another entity.

We will always be in your corner fighting for your interests, and doing our best to see that no one takes advantage of you or your family.