Samalin Investment Counsel

Andrew Samalin, the founder and principal, leads investment and planning decisions. He holds CFP, EA, and CDFA designations and has operated the firm since 1992. The firm's Form ADV and CRS documents, publicly available through the SEC, provide additional detail on the advisory team structure.

No. The firm is a fee-only registered investment advisor and states it does not accept commissions, 12b-1 fees, referral payments, or any compensation from third parties. Clients pay a quarterly asset-based fee or a flat fee for comprehensive financial planning, as detailed in the firm's Form CRS and Form ADV.

It is a traditional SEC-registered investment advisory firm, not a single-family office. The firm serves a broad client base including individuals, families, attorneys, professionals, and business owners. Its planning methodology — such as its 'Pay Yourself First' approach — targets high-net-worth households but operates as an open, commercial RIA.

Samalin Investment Counsel uses National Financial Services LLC, a Fidelity Investments broker-dealer, as its primary custodian. Client accounts receive standard SIPC protection up to $500,000, plus Fidelity's supplemental excess-of-SIPC coverage, which has an aggregate limit of $1 billion and covers securities with no per-customer dollar limit under that excess policy.

Samalin Investment Counsel does not operate proprietary funds, co-investment vehicles, or pooled investment products. Its model centers on constructing household-level target asset allocations using third-party securities held at Fidelity. The firm's independence means it sources investments externally, without manufacturing or distributing its own products.

Yes. Samalin Investment Counsel coordinates financial planning with tax strategy and collaborates with clients' estate planning attorneys. The firm promotes a multi-disciplinary approach that blends investment management with retirement-income modeling, tax-efficient allocation, and intergenerational wealth transfer strategies.

The firm earns revenue exclusively from client-paid fees — either as a fraction of assets under management billed quarterly, or through flat-fee comprehensive financial planning engagements. There is no revenue from commissions, product sales, or referral arrangements, a structure the firm argues minimizes conflicts of interest.