An Investment Advisor Providing Financial Advice You Can Understand.

Virtue Wealth Management is a trusted, fee-only fiduciary investment advisor in Santa Clarita, CA. Since 2013 we’ve helped individuals, families, and business owners with unbiased investment management, financial planning, retirement income planning, and 401(k) advisory. We deliver clear, personalized strategies designed to reduce financial stress and help you pursue your life goals. Book a free consultation today.

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5 Key Things to Consider When Hiring a Financial Advisor

Hiring the right financial advisor can be a game-changer for your financial future. At Virtue Wealth Management, we believe in transparency and empowerment. Here are five essential factors to evaluate when choosing an advisor. These ensure you're partnering with someone who truly prioritizes your success.

  1. 1. Independence: Look for an Independent Advisor

    An independent advisor isn't tied to a single company or product line, unlike captive agents who work for large firms and may be limited to their employer's offerings. This independence allows them to shop the market for the best solutions tailored to your needs, without corporate pressures influencing their recommendations. Why does this matter? It means more options and flexibility for you, leading to strategies that align with your unique goals rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

  2. 2. Fiduciary Duty: Choose a Fiduciary Advisor

    A fiduciary advisor is legally obligated to act in your best interest at all times, putting your needs above their own or any company's. Non-fiduciaries (like some brokers) might recommend products that earn them higher commissions, even if they're not optimal for you. By selecting a fiduciary, you gain peace of mind knowing every piece of advice is objective and aimed at maximizing your outcomes—whether it's retirement planning or investment strategies.

  3. 3. Fee Structure: Opt for Fee-Based Compensation

    Fee-based advisors charge an annual fee based on assets under management (typically 1% or less), rather than earning commissions on products they sell. This model eliminates incentives to push unnecessary trades or high-commission items, fostering long-term relationships focused on growth. The result? Cost-effective advice that's aligned with your success, not short-term sales quotas.

  4. 4. Unbiased Recommendations: Ensure No Proprietary Biases

    Avoid advisors who promote in-house or proprietary investments, as this can create conflicts of interest—they might favor products that benefit their firm more than you. An unbiased advisor draws from a wide array of options across the market, providing recommendations based solely on merit, performance, and fit for your portfolio. This neutrality helps protect your investments and ensures decisions are driven by data, not affiliations.

  5. 5. Comprehensive Approach: Seek Holistic Financial Guidance

    The best advisors go beyond stock picks or portfolios—they offer comprehensive advice on all aspects of your financial life. This includes pursuing financial and life goals, tax optimization strategies, retirement income planning, income protection through insurance, and disability coverage. A holistic view ensures every decision supports your big-picture objectives, from building wealth to securing your family's future.

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What makes our Financial Plans different?

What if you never achieve your financial goals?

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I Am a Fiduciary.

As a Financial Advisor, I chose to be a Fiduciary. I've been working one-on-one with individuals and families to pursue their most important financial goals since 2003.

“Fiduciary” = I’ll always do what’s in your best interest. That’s what a Fiduciary means.

Financial Advisor teaching in Santa ClaritaMy name is Erick Arndt. I became a Financial Advisor over 20 years ago to help people pursue their financial and life goals.

If you keep doing what you’re doing now, are you confident you’ll achieve your financial goals?

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FAQs…

Here’s the 3 step process I use:

  1. Objective: You will get a personalized portfolio based on your investment objective (don’t worry, I’ll help you with that too). Basically it comes down to what are we investing for? Retirement, a new house, a new car, tax-efficiency, income generation, etc. Keep in mind different accounts can (and often do) have different investment objectives.
  2. Investment type: Once we determine investment objective then it’s time to select the investments for your portfolio. We’ll design your account selecting investments from well-known American Funds, Vanguard, T. Rowe Price, and many others. Your investments could be active or passive, ETFs or mutual funds, small cap, large cap, Emerging Market, and so on. We have a lot to choose from!
  3. Allocation – Now it’s time to allocate your funds across those selected investments. This ties back to your investment objective. This is strategic in nature and will most likely change over time.

Once the account is active and funded, we will actively manage your portfolio throughout the year. You and I will meet regularly to monitor performance and determine if your financial situation or investment objective has changed.

Step 1: Your consultation – It all starts with a conversation. This is where we get to know each other and discuss what your goals are and how we can help you. We will also find out if we are a good fit for you and vice versa.

Step 2: We’ll develop a plan to pursue your goals – After that call we will get to work designing your financial plan utilizing proven financial strategies. Once your financial plan is complete, we’ll review it together, make sure you understand it, and then set a clear path using baby steps to move forward.

Step 3: Working side-by-side – Like any great coach we’ll have regular check-in calls to ensure you stay on track. We’ll work with you every step of the way and you’ll be able to monitor your progress 24/7 with our easy-to-use mobile app.
And if you’re not satisfied, you can cancel at any time.

So get started on the path to your financial goals so you can stop living with all that worry about not achieving your financial goals and falling further and further behind and start living with confidence as you follow your financial plan and work with a financial advisor towards your goals.

It’s sort of like how Luke worked with Yoda on his quest to find The Force. We would be Yoda helping you (Luke) find your way (to your financial goals). Like any great coach, we have many years of experience in our field but we also have many years of experience helping people pursue the goals they want to achieve in life. A good coach has the heart of a teacher. And that’s no different here.

After your financial plan is designed by us, you’ll have regularly scheduled coaching calls with your advisor to review your goals and your progress. In the beginning it might feel bumpy because it’s new but after a little while you’ll get used to it and you’ll enjoy the process of moving towards your goals. And in no time, you’ll be telling others (and maybe even doing some bragging).

I’ve advised hundreds of families and individuals during my career as a financial advisor. I’ve worked with people with very little money when they started as well as people who had more than they will ever spend…and everything in between. I know how you feel. Anytime you start something new you get that feeling of doubt that it works for others but not you. I’ve had that feeling, too. I want you to know you are in good hands here. We have the team, the resources, and experience to help you.

We’ve worked hard to design different pricing plans that will meet almost anyone’s budget. If you’re serious about pursuing your goals, then you’ll be able to build that into your budget.

We hear that all the time from people when we first meet them. They might have had a bad experience with another financial advisor or a firm

Yes, we can certainly manage your investment portfolio. Any type of account whether Traditional IRA, Roth IRA or a non-retirement account, we’ve got you covered. And we offer almost every type of investment from mutual funds, Index Funds like Vanguard, ETFs like iShares as well as portfolio strategists to manage your account according to your needs. In fact, you can get a free review of your account and we’ll explain how we would manage it as your financial advisor.

We can also help you with college planning (529 or Coverdell), Life Insurance to protect your family and your income , Long-term Care Insurance to protect your retirement nest egg and more.

And Yes, we are a fee-only financial advisor.

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Simply put…we are Financial Advisors in Santa Clarita providing objective financial advice that puts your interests first.

Whether you need guidance on your financial plan or reviewing the health of your company 401k, we are here to help.