Frequently Asked Questions
What do you do?
At Merriman, we manage money for individuals and families on a fee-only basis, using global diversification strategies that work to provide reasonable rates of return with a level of risk tailored to each client’s risk tolerance.
If you become a Merriman client, we will assess your financial situation and work with you to define short and long-term goals–from taxes and real estate purchases to college funding and retirement distributions. Then, we map out a plan to get you there and work with you to stick to it.
Our team consists of professionals in financial planning, investment research and tax. This wide range of expertise allows us to bring your entire financial picture into balance, giving you time and freedom to focus on the more enjoyable aspects of life.
We are dedicated to education–both for our clients and the public–and offer free information in a variety of formats.
Read more about our services here, or call us at 1.800.423.4893 for more information.
Why do you provide all this free education?
Merriman’s commitment to education is something that started with our founder, Paul Merriman, in 1983. There is a lot of noise about investments on TV and the web, and we think our experience and research puts us in a position to combat it with sound information so each investor can make good strategic investment decisions. As a bonus, it helps us feel really good about the work we do!
Why should I hire Merriman instead of managing my own money?
Regardless of the investment program you choose to implement in your portfolio, managing money is difficult to do well on your own. It is time consuming and requires a tremendous amount of discipline. That’s where we can help.
Your advisor will work with you to create a detailed investment plan and then will work on your behalf, making sure it gets implemented and keeping your portfolio appropriately structured over time.
We will keep you moving in the right direction, offering advice and guidance to counter the emotional element that can derail the best of investment plans. To see first-hand how our services can benefit you, click here to request a free initial consultation with one of our financial advisors.
How much do you charge?
The fee for our investment services is charged on a fee-only basis, which means we don’t work on commission. Our fees are based on a percentage of your account balance, and they are tiered based on assets under management*. Each investment program we offer has a standard rate structure.
For more information about our investment programs and fees, call us at 1.800.423.4893 or click here to request a free initial consultation.
*Except for our alternative investment program which is open only to accredited investors and has a Preferred Profit Participation fee.
I just have one question; can I talk to a Merriman advisor without scheduling a consultation?
The ability to meet regularly with their advisor or have a question answered at any time is something our clients really appreciate about us. For that reason, our advisors’ first priority is to their clients.
You are always welcome to submit a question for the Ask Merriman segment of our blog. In order to give a thorough and accurate response, we generally need additional information about your background and your goals. However, this format allows us to give high-level answers that will help point you in the right direction and help others who may be in a similar situation. You can submit a question to Ask Merriman here.
To receive personalized advice, click here to request a meeting with one of our financial advisors.
Where can I find information about the returns on Merriman’s investment programs?
We think it’s important to look at returns and risk at the same time when evaluating investment programs. It allows you to focus on the programs and returns that are most suitable to you and your risk tolerance, and keeps you from being distracted by those that are not appropriate.
Since it is difficult to provide comprehensive return and risk information in an effective format, we do not publish our returns online.
However, our financial advisors would be happy to go over the historical returns for our investment programs with you in person. Click here to request a free initial consultation.
Do you have other office locations?
Our only office is located in downtown Seattle. If you don’t live in the immediate area, you can still get all the benefits of our services by phone, fax, regular mail, email and web-conference via WebEx. We have many clients across the country who have never visited our office.
