Tailwind Financial Planning

Registered investment advisors in the United States are held to a fiduciary standard under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. As an RIA, Tailwind is legally obligated to put client interests ahead of its own. That means disclosing conflicts, avoiding self-dealing, and recommending investments that are in the client's best interest — a higher standard than the suitability rule that governs broker-dealers.

Fee-only RIAs like Tailwind typically charge clients through one of three methods: a percentage of assets under management, a flat annual retainer, or an hourly rate. No commissions are earned from product sales. The firm's ADV filing would specify the exact fee schedule; that document is publicly available through the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.

Small to mid-sized independent RIAs primarily serve mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals — often professionals, business owners, and retirees seeking coordinated financial planning. Clients typically come through referrals from CPAs, attorneys, or existing clients. The minimum account size, if any, would vary; many shops in this tier work with households holding between $250,000 and $5 million in investable assets.

Independent fee-only advisors overwhelmingly construct portfolios using low-cost ETFs and index mutual funds from providers like Vanguard, iShares, and Dimensional Fund Advisors. The focus is on asset allocation and tax management rather than security selection. Tailwind almost certainly uses a third-party custodian — most commonly Charles Schwab or Fidelity — to hold client assets, a separation that provides an additional layer of client protection.

Every US-registered investment advisor files Form ADV with the SEC or state securities regulator. That document — publicly searchable on the SEC's IAPD website — includes the firm's ownership structure, AUM, fee schedule, disciplinary history, and services offered. This is the primary source for due diligence on any RIA.