Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about working with FamilyVest, from fees and fiduciary duty to investment philosophy and special needs planning.

Working With Us

How we build relationships, what to expect, and who we serve.

Yes, 100% of the time. We are registered as an investment adviser with the SEC and bound by fiduciary duty for all advice we give. This means we are legally required to act in your best interest, not our own. We never sell products and never earn commissions.

Todd Sensing holds four professional designations: Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), and Chartered Special Needs Consultant (ChSNC). Together, these designations reflect rigorous education, exams, and ongoing professional development across investment analysis, financial planning, business exit planning, and special needs planning. The CFP designation reflects expertise in financial planning; the CFA charter reflects expertise in investment analysis. Together, they provide a rare combination of planning depth and institutional-grade investment knowledge.*

It starts with a conversation. We discuss your goals, current situation, and what you need from an advisor. If there is a mutual fit, we build your financial plan, address any burning issues first, then work systematically through each area of your financial life. There is no obligation and no sales pressure. Schedule an introductory call.

It depends on your needs. Most clients meet with us quarterly for comprehensive reviews plus ad-hoc calls as issues arise. Your plan dictates the schedule, not a preset calendar. We are available when you need us, whether that is a quick question by phone or a deep dive on a specific issue.

Absolutely. We actively coordinate with your tax and legal advisors. Tax decisions inform investment decisions. Estate planning informs titling decisions. We share information and collaborate to make sure everything works together. You get one coordinated financial plan, not piecemeal advice from separate professionals who never talk to each other.

Yes. While our office is in Destin, FL, we serve families nationwide. Many of our client relationships are conducted virtually through video calls and secure document sharing. The planning process works the same regardless of location.

Fees & Structure

Transparency in how we charge and how we are structured.

We are a fee-only firm. Most clients pay advisory fees based on a percentage of assets under management. For clients where that model is not the best fit, we offer a fixed monthly retainer based on complexity. We never earn commissions or compensation from product providers. Our AUM fee schedule: 1.00% on the first $2M | 0.85% on $2-4M | 0.50% on $4-10M | Negotiable above $10M | Advisory-only: 0.25%. All fees are detailed in our Form ADV Part 2A.

By being fee-only, we eliminate the biggest conflict: product sales. Everything we recommend is in your interest, not ours. We disclose all fees and potential conflicts in our ADV brochure and operate under SEC fiduciary standards. Our compensation is aligned with your success, not with selling you something.

We typically work with families with $500K to $1M or more in investable assets. Minimum account size depends on the complexity of your situation. If you are unsure whether we are the right fit, reach out and we will have an honest conversation about it.

FamilyVest is a trade name under Farther Finance Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Farther provides the technology platform, operations, compliance infrastructure, and custody relationships. Your advisory relationship is with Todd and the FamilyVest team directly. Think of it as a personal relationship backed by institutional-scale support.

You can terminate the relationship at any time with written notice. Your accounts stay custodied with your chosen broker. There are no surrender charges, lock-up periods, or hidden exit fees. Termination terms are governed by your advisory agreement. Please refer to your agreement or our Form ADV Part 2A for complete details.

Investments

How we build and manage portfolios.

We use evidence-based, diversified portfolios aligned to your risk capacity and goals. We do not pick individual stocks or time markets. We actively manage asset allocation, rebalancing, and tax efficiency to serve each client's plan. Our focus is on systematic discipline, avoiding emotional decisions, and letting compounding work over time.

Most advisors select investments and call it planning. We build the financial plan first, then construct the portfolio to serve it. Through Farther's Unified Managed Account, we coordinate multiple strategies with daily tax-loss harvesting and tax-gain harvesting. Every investment decision connects back to your tax situation, retirement timeline, estate plan, and overall goals.

Your assets are held at independent, third-party custodians. We never take custody of client funds. You always have direct access to your accounts, and you can verify your holdings independently at any time. This custodial separation is a fundamental layer of protection for your assets.

When appropriate. Through Farther's platform, qualified clients can access institutional-quality alternatives including private equity, private credit, real assets, and hedge fund strategies. These are not right for every client. We evaluate whether alternatives serve your specific plan, risk profile, and liquidity needs before recommending them. Learn more about our investment approach.

Planning Services

What comprehensive financial planning looks like in practice.

We provide comprehensive financial planning and investment management. This includes cash flow analysis, retirement planning, tax strategy, estate coordination, risk management, special needs planning, business exit planning, and ongoing portfolio management. We work as your coordinating financial advisor, integrating everything from investments to tax decisions to estate planning into one cohesive strategy. See our full planning approach.

It means we look at your entire financial picture, not just investments. We work through estate planning, cash flow, retirement projections, tax strategy, insurance and risk management, and life planning in a structured sequence. We address urgent issues first, then build systematically. The plan is not a binder that sits on a shelf. It is a living document that evolves as your life changes.

Yes. Retirement planning is central to what we do. We model income needs, Social Security timing, withdrawal sequencing, tax bracket management, Roth conversion strategies, and long-term care considerations. For clients approaching or in retirement, we pay particular attention to sequence-of-returns risk and building a sustainable income strategy. Learn more about retirement planning.

Yes. Todd holds the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation. We help business owners integrate their business value into their overall financial plan, prepare for eventual transitions, and coordinate business succession with personal retirement goals. Learn more about business exit planning.

Special Needs Planning

Planning for families with dependents who have disabilities. This work is personal for us.

Yes, and it is one of our core differentiators. Todd is the father of two sons with autism. This is not a niche we chose for marketing reasons. It is personal. He holds the Chartered Special Needs Consultant (ChSNC) designation and works with families to navigate ABLE accounts, special needs trusts, SSI/SSDI coordination, Medicaid preservation, guardianship alternatives, and estate planning for dependents with disabilities. Learn more about special needs planning.

An ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) account is a tax-advantaged savings account for individuals with disabilities that allows them to save up to $100,000 without jeopardizing SSI benefits or Medicaid eligibility. Earnings grow tax-free when used for qualified disability expenses. We help families determine whether an ABLE account is appropriate and how it fits within a broader special needs plan.

A special needs trust (SNT) holds assets for the benefit of a person with a disability without disqualifying them from means-tested government benefits like SSI and Medicaid. There are several types, including first-party, third-party, and pooled trusts, each with different rules about funding, taxation, and Medicaid payback requirements. We coordinate with estate attorneys to ensure the trust structure is correct and integrated with the family's overall financial plan.

Significantly. A standard inheritance can disqualify a person with a disability from SSI and Medicaid. Every element of the estate plan, from beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance to the language in your will and trust documents, must be structured to preserve benefit eligibility. We coordinate with your estate attorney to ensure nothing falls through the gaps, and we help families create a Letter of Intent that documents care preferences, routines, and important information for future caregivers.

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Still have questions?

We are happy to talk through your specific situation. No obligation, no sales pitch. Just an honest conversation about whether we can help.

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