With all the media surrounding the Department of Labor’s “Fiduciary Rule,” we are frequently asked if we are fiduciaries.
Since inception in 1990, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals at Sharkey, Howes & Javer have always followed and will continue to follow the Fiduciary Standard as set forth by the CFP Board of Standards. Under this Fiduciary Standard, our commitment to you is to always act in your best interest no matter the topic.
The new Fiduciary Rule requires that all financial professionals put the clients’ best interests first when advising on retirement plans, such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s, SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, Profit Sharing Plans, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Pension and Defined Benefit Plans. This rule does not extend the fiduciary duty to accounts other than retirement accounts or to advice on matters such as college planning, estate planning or the myriad of other issues we advise our clients on every day. Sharkey, Howes & Javer chooses to extend our fiduciary responsibility beyond the retirement accounts to which the new Fiduciary Rule applies.
Acting in our clients’ best interest is and will remain the guiding principle of Sharkey, Howes & Javer.
