Individual Services
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Investment Planning & Management
Trust, integrity and objectivity. The subprime mortgage debacle, the crash of financial systems and stock and bond markets and the related scandals witnessed in 2008 and early 2009 reminded all of us that these timeless principles are never to be taken for granted, and are not always respected, even by the largest of firms. At Anchor, we are pleased to say that our steadfast observance of these principles, our conservative philosophy, and our reliance on investment fundamentals and sound information—including progressive-source information outside of the “mainstream”—enabled us to provide early warnings to our clients of the impending crisis.
These principles and our unique philosophy and approach continue to guide our recommendations to our investment management clients in these uncertain times, revealing prudent investment strategies and opportunities. When you entrust us with your investment planning and management service needs, you can rest assured that the advice you receive is completely independent and objective free of commissions and related conflicts of interest. All investment advisory clients receive personalized attention by Frank M. Rich III, Anchor’s President. Mr. Rich is a registered investment advisor with over 20 year’s experience as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and over 25 years' experience as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He works one-on-one with clients, designing and managing each investment portfolio. Advice and services are carefully tailored to meet your specific needs, goals and risk tolerance. Three service options are available:
Our Full-Service Fee-Only option—available to clients with at least $100,000 of assets to invest—includes a review and assessment of a client’s current financial positioning and risk tolerance, customized portfolio design and set up, assistance and advice in connection with IRA, 401K and pension rollovers, a virtually unlimited investment selection with access to preferred pricing on certain investments, recurring portfolio reviews, recurring recommendations and market updates, continual investment guidance and support, daily updating of portfolio transactions and pricing, detailed investment tracking and performance reporting (utilizing high-end technology and related portfolio management software), and a financially sound and respected custodian in Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., a recognized leader in providing “no load,” low cost and objective investment solutions to investors. Fees are based on the value of assets under management and are payable quarterly.
Our Limited Service option is offered at an hourly rate and is suitable for investors who have limited assets to invest or those with more narrow service needs, which may include the need for an objective review and assessment of an existing portfolio (including 401K positioning), a request for a recommendation for alternative investments, guidance on starting an investment or savings program or a need to secure answers to other specific investment-related.
Our Tracking & Reporting Only option—available to clients with at least $100,000 of assets to invest—is designed for the select investor who seeks no active investment advice but who wishes to leverage and utilize the benefits of our investment tracking and reporting technology (for the purpose of evaluating self-initiated and self-directed investment decisions) and those associated with Schwab’s Institutional Service platform. Fees are based on the value of assets under management and are payable quarterly.
Tax Planning & Tax Return Preparation
We offer traditional and affordable income tax planning services as well as federal, state and local paper and electronic income tax return preparation services. All returns are both prepared and reviewed by CPAs who keep current with the ever-changing tax law and have experience with multi-state returns. Unlike many tax preparers who run a seasonal volume-based shop where quantity of work can affect quality of work and result in costly mistakes, we don’t treat you like a number and rush you through a process where speed can cost thousands of dollars. We are available year-round to address your tax planning and preparation needs. Be assured that we will take the time necessary to uncover all available deductions and tax-saving opportunities for you. Perhaps the best testament to the quality of our tax work is the fact that we continue to do tax preparation, remotely, for many of our clients who have relocated to different parts of the country. We provide our clients with a free monthly newsletter designed to keep them informed of changes in the tax law and tax saving opportunities during the year. Fees are hourly or on a per-return basis, depending on the nature of the work involved. Estimates are provided in advance of work performed.
Self-Filed Tax Return Processing Services (Efile)
As an authorized IRS e-file service provider, we are pleased to offer a low-cost internet-based solution for any person in the
Insurance and Risk Management
No one likes to think that anything bad will happen to them, but the ugly reality is that unexpected events resulting in death, disability or illness occur daily; often destroying surviving family members in both financial and emotional terms, laying to waste the best made plans. At Anchor, we advocate a process of thinking seriously and deeply about these realities and their ramifications in the interest of helping clients adequately insure against risks and enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing a proper plan is in place to help protect them, financially.
We offer a wide range of term life, whole life, disability and long-term care insurance solutions underwritten by quality insurers. We use a network of trusted professionals to help locate the most suitable products underwritten by financially stable insurers, including those for higher-risk cases. We have the 
xpertise necessary to help you assess and quantify your insurance needs. We can help you to evaluate the quality of the underlying insurance contracts, as well as explain the important differences between group and individual coverages. 
While this service component is one of a select few that can involve commissions, we are not "captive agents," do not have any exclusive selling arrangements with any particular companies to the exclusion of others and are not dependent upon the sale of insurance products.
These facts, combined with our needs-based philosophy and adherence to high professional standards assures objectivity in finding the right insurance solution for your needs. Services are also available on an hourly fee basis.
Retirement Planning
When it comes to retirement planning, we provide a variety of flexible options to meet your needs. We can address general retirement questions on a per hour basis with no minimum dollar or hour commitment required of you. We also offer comprehensive and highly individualized retirement projections designed to provide you with a “blueprint” for your retirement. Beware of competitors who offer to prepare, for “free,” bulky and impressive-looking documents laden with colored charts and concluding recommendations for the purchase of insurance and other commission-based products. We do things differently by emphasizing an objective, easy-to-understand ‘substance-over-form’ approach that quantifies your retirement vision and considers your current and projected financial position, income stream, current and projected expense structure and agreed-upon tailored assumptions. We will work with you to help you understand the positive and negative aspects of your retirement projection profile and present options that are best suited to your individual retirement goals.. Our focus is to make retirement planning a painless process. Fees are hourly. Estimates are provided in advance of work performed.
Personal Budgeting
Does it ever seem like your money just disappears? Do you ever wonder just where your money is going? Do you ever feel like you’re treading water, not making any desired headway toward reducing debts or building up your savings and investment portfolio or making progress on your retirement goals? If married, do you argue over finances on a bill-by-bill basis, instead of having civil discussions at periodic intervals as part of a formal routine? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you could benefit from our Personal Budgeting & Financial Management services. If you have a computer, some discipline, a belief that you should not spend more money than you make, and a true desire to get a handle on your finances, we will easily teach you how to manage and track your finances like a well-run business. We’ll help you establish a personal budget, identifying areas of concern, and advise you on the proper way to track your income and expenses. We’ll train you in the use of money management software with ease and simplicity in mind and provide you with a better and effective way to forever review your personal finances. Fees are hourly. Reliable estimates are provided in advance of work performed.
Records Organization & Maintenance
If you regularly have trouble locating important documents, have to scramble to prepare for income tax appointments or are generally disorganized when it comes to keeping track of your financial records and affairs, you should consider taking action. Organizational skills and financial planning, in fact, go hand in hand. The consequences of being disorganized and/or unable to readily and timely locate important information can be significant and unintended. Consider a missed deduction on a tax return, that Change of Beneficiary form you neglected to complete, or that lost credit card receipt that prevented you from securing reimbursement from your employer or a refund from a merchant. Pages could be filled with similar examples. If you’ve ever wanted to get better organized, we can give you the benefit of decades of experience and help you get a fresh start. We’ll provide you with the numerous tips, tricks and recommendations for becoming and staying organized with your financial records, be they in paper and/or electronic form. Not only will you benefit in dollars-and-cents terms, but you’ll have less stress and more energy and time to devote to things you really enjoy! Services are typically rendered on-site. Fees are hourly. Estimates are provided in advance of work performed.
Single-Again Transition Planning (for Separated, Divorced and Widowed Spouses)
Often in a marriage, one spouse assumes responsibility for most or all financial-related affairs. This can leave the other spouse in a very vulnerable position following a marital separation, divorce, or death of a spouse. Insufficient knowledge of--and experience dealing with--financial affairs can add a tremendous amount of stress to what may already be an emotionally devastating situation, leading to a myriad of ill-advised financial decisions. If you find yourself in this position, we can help by providing you with easy-to-understand advice during this very sensitive and challenging time of your life. We’ll help you establish priorities and chart a course for gaining or regaining control over the financial aspects of your life. Fees are hourly. Estimates are provided in advance of work performed.
Home Purchase Planning
A main cause of the subprime loan crisis and market crash of 2008/2009 had to do with lenders abandoning sound practices when qualifying prospective borrowers needing mortgages. Foreclosures naturally exploded. Lenders have now returned to more carefully scrutinizing borrowers. As a result, it is now much more difficult to secure a loan. If you’re in the market for a new home, we can educate you on the qualification process and qualification ratios employed by lenders in order to help you make a good first impression during the application process. We can also help you to determine just how much home you can truly afford, based on your specific situation—often a very different figure than what a lender may be willing to finance—in order to help you avoid making common and costly financial mistakes. Fees are hourly. Reliable estimates are provided in advance of work performed.
