How We Work
Fiduciaries | Fee Based | Rules Based Investing
At Topsfield Financial Group, we are a fee based fiduciary practice using state-of-the-art financial planning tools, a commitment to low fees, and “rules-based” investing for portfolio construction and maintenance.
What does that mean? Read on below for an overview in plain English, or check out our comprehensive Investment Philosophy Statement for a full explanation of our beliefs, technologies, and methodologies.
Fiduciary Investment Advisors
It’s important to note that not all advisors are fiduciaries; we are. As fiduciaries, we are held to the highest standards for client service for advice and planning — we are required to place your best interests over ours.
Yet our compass isn’t guided by external demands. We want to help people because it’s the right thing to do. Our process involves carefully considering your financial situation and offering the most economical solutions with the best performance.
We’re independent investment advisor representatives of Novem Group, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor firm based in Rochester, NY. Novem Group provides fiduciary and compliance oversight to our fee based practice, which currently comprises more than $160M of assets.
Fee Based Financial Advisors
Topsfield Financial Group is compensated on a fee basis by our clients — we have no sales quotas and we don’t sell insurance products or receive incentives for suggesting certain investments.
Though our current business model focuses primarily on fiduciary fee based portfolio management, it may be in the best interests of a client who holds assets directly at a mutual fund company (for example) to leave them there. If it makes sense for the client, that’s what we’ll advise. In fact, we still have legacy clients that remain in accounts through our broker dealer, American Portfolios Financial Services.
Rules Based Investing
Rules-based investing aims to deliver the best of both worlds: a mixture of active and passive investment strategies. The success of this approach lies in our belief that investing in a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds is the best way to create wealth and hedge against inflation over time.
It’s our job to diversify your investments with identifiable parameters to either increase or decrease your exposure to stocks. At Topsfield Financial Group, we don’t rely on guesswork. A financial plan will evaluate the impact of assuming too much risk with the consequences of not taking enough.
What is it like working with a Topsfield Financial Group Advisor?
Since our inception, we‘ve grown organically through client-generated referrals and sustainable business practices. Our clients refer their family, friends and colleagues to us for planning and portfolio management, but equally important are the personal relationships and trust we develop.
What Our Clients Say About Topsfield Financial Group
In the process of refreshing the Topsfield Financial Group to brand, a third party conducted interviews with our clients. Here are some representative excerpts.
Our Process
We understand that it’s not always easy to discuss your finances. Economic decisions can be stressful and often bring up very personal issues. That’s why our team focuses on explaining everything in simple terms and connecting our ideas to your specific circumstances. As we learn about you and you learn about us, we can begin to forge a relationship built upon trust and an understanding that we place your interests — whatever they may be — before our own.
ONBOARDING
We love talking to people and hearing their stories. At the beginning of our relationship, we dedicate our time to understanding your personal and financial circumstances, as well as learning about your goals and values.
PLANNING
Creating Your Financial Picture
Working together on a financial plan is a visual experience. In this stage, we bring everything together and we help you SEE how you can achieve your goals.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Once your plan is in place, we manage your investments so that your only job is to keep us updated on life changes that may impact your financial plan.
7 Grove Street, Suite 301
Topsfield, MA 01983
P: 978-887-6778
F: 978-887-9507
Advisory services offered through Novem Group, SEC-Registered Investment Advisers. Securities offered through Osaic, Member FINRA, SIPC. Topsfield Financial Group, Novem Group, and Osaic are unaffiliated entities. Please refer to your representative’s FINRA BrokerCheck for firm affiliations. Any opinions expressed in this forum are not the opinion or view of Topsfield Financial Group, Novem Group, or Osaic and have not been reviewed for completeness or accuracy. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable and are subject to change without notification. Any comments or postings are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer or a recommendation to buy or sell securities or other financial instruments. Readers should conduct their own review and exercise judgment prior to investing. Investments are not guaranteed, involve risk, may result in a loss of principal, and are not suitable for all types of investors. Past performance does not guarantee future results.