FAQ

It's the 21st century. It's time for modern financial planning and investing to serve Clients well, with elegant integrations and industry-leading apps. The Advisory was built on a key principle, one which we couldn't find elsewhere -- so we built Arena Investor:

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You don't need a mahogany office and a lecture. You need wise investments and a coffee.

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Today's professionals are busy, so we offer recorded financial planning and investment reviews delivered directly to your inbox. Now you can enjoy them on your time instead of being forced to meet in-person.

And when today's professionals do have free time they want the work-life balance a professional teammate can offer. Arena Investor is that professional teammate. We truly believe that you're the hero of your financial journey, and we're the guide. 

Fee Only is the future of financial advising in our opinion. We don’t want to be involved in earning commissions anyway. Why? We feel it can create conflicts of interest.

An example of how commissions are earned is: Company X creates an investment product (perhaps a mutual fund), then pays advisors when they sell that fund to Clients. So that advisor got paid by both the mutual fund company and the Client . We only get paid by you, the Client, so we are never thinking about putting someone into a certain investment product that earns us a commission. It feels more honest to us. And that’s what we want.

Financial planning is a key step to financial success. The process is designed to: 1) understand and improve your financial health, 2) establish or improve your monthly budget, 3) understand your debt and build a path to becoming debt free, 4) understand your credit score and build a path to maximizing it, 5) understanding your financial Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT), and 6) learn from Arena Investor about financial planning and investing through our Special Topics.

Getting started is easy, by design. First, you purchase the Initial Planning offering from our Planning (or Pricing) page. Please note that the first month is more expensive because there is a lot of work for your Advisor to build your financial plan. Then the monthly cost drops significantly. Next you get the Elements app from your app store, and you go through Elements' quick 8-minute onboarding steps, which ask some basic questions. After that, you'll sign our Agreement, and schedule a meeting!

There are two meeting at the beginning: the Initial Meeting and the Second Meeting. These two meetings are where we get to know each other, understand your goals, current financial picture, set next steps for your journey, and discuss important things like your budget, debt, credit, insurance, and investments. This is the when we "get our hands dirty" but you'll be so happy you did. You'll have a plan and peace of mind!

Yay -- you've done the hard part. Now you get awesome reports from us sent to your inbox every month. The reports are super thorough and include a video of your Advisor going over everything you'd go over in a live meeting (but now you can enjoy it when it fits your schedule). These meetings are called Ongoing Meetings, and they are designed to keep you on track, ensure you are using or developing healthy financial habits, and constantly teaching you more and more about finances and investing through educational videos. You are officially on your journey... a journey you can actually enjoy!

Yes, Investment Management here at Arena Investor is just that. It is a discretionary account, which means you purchase the service, fill out an investor questionnaire, fund the investment account, and a Registered Investment Advisor manages it for you. You still have access to your funds, performance reports, and other important factors. Simply put, you've invested in an Advisor to help you meet your goals and grow your wealth.

Yes, you will have a login to see the account balances, transaction history, and so on. You'll have total transparency along the way.

It is perfectly fine for you to do so. Just be aware that there may be tax implications, and other considerations. We recommend you contact us as well, to avoid making any mistakes.

Absolutely, an annual review is emailed to you so you can enjoy it when it's convenient for you. Have questions, comments, or concerns? Just contact us, and we'll answer them with a thorough reply. This is modern investing.

The annual review is designed to be easy to understand, but please contact us if you have any questions. Some questions are simple and some require more time; an hourly fee may apply, but you would be made aware of the fee beforehand so you do not unintentionally incur any expenses.

To get started, you click the Get Started button on the Investing page and enter your contact information. Arena Investor gets a notification, and we coordinate the onboarding at a time that's convenient for you. You'll answer necessary questions (a 3-minute questionnaire), and create a login. You sign the Agreement,  fund the account, and you are officially a client. If you are moving investments to us from another place, the process is smooth as well -- and you'll be guided by your Advisor along the way!