We don’t want your money! We are a fiduciary.

What is a fiduciary? And why should you make sure your advisor is one?

To us, a fiduciary means you, as the client, are put first and foremost. The advisor has an integral obligation to make financial decisions and recommendations that are in your best interest. According to dictionary.com, a fiduciary is “a person to whom property or power is entrusted for the benefit of another.” Typically, in terms of financial advisors and investors, a fiduciary prudently takes care of money or other assets for another person. But to Goodwin Investment Advisory, it goes beyond this – to act on your behalf, putting your interests ahead of ours, with a duty to preserve good faith and trust. We believe being a fiduciary thus requires us, as your advisor, to be legally and ethically bound to act in your best interest.

A fiduciary has integrity

To us at GIA, a fiduciary means someone with integrity, which is one of our promises to our clients. When you sign on to be a client here, we send you a promise letter that includes our values and our commitment to you as our beloved client.

Our Promise to You

What we ask from you?

Not to worry. We will insist that you create a plan and stick to the plan. We will encourage you to hope, because we know that in investing, optimism is the only long-term realism. Let us worry for you. Trust and know that we want the absolute best for you!

As a fiduciary our advisors are committed to:

1. Putting your best interests before their own, which means seeking the best prices and terms for you.
2. Not selling you any products.
3. Not putting their own finances first by purchasing securities for their own account before buying them for you. (This is called self-dealing, and it is illegal.)
4. Acting in good faith and providing you with all the relevant facts.
5. Avoiding conflicts of interest–if, for any reason, there is a conflict of interest, this must be disclosed to you before any decisions are finalized.
6. Doing their due diligence and trying their best to be accurate and thorough with the advice they give to you.

How do we earn our money?

How Goodwin Investment Advisory got started

Tim Goodwin, CEO and founder of Goodwin Investment Advisory, graduated from Berry College with a degree in Finance. Upon graduation, he went to work for a local financial firm but quickly learned that his personal values and the values of the firm did not line up. So he decided to start his own firm, originally because he saw people hiring brokers and paying high fees and really wanted to help people get better returns on their investments and to help create excess wealth so that they were able to be more generous with their money. He also wanted to create an unbiased approach that would help his clients by trying to provide people with a true fiduciary that could help them see better returns than doing it on their own or by hiring a broker. Then, it evolved because his clients kept asking him for advice. In 2010, Tim added financial planning and consulting as a service that, from then on, became part of the client experience. His mission changed over time from just investing and managing accounts to incorporating all the services we now have today.  When asked, Tim stated that one of the reasons he started Goodwin Investment Advisory in Woodstock, Georgia, was because –

“I saw the need for a different kind of financial firm that upheld my values of integrity, honesty, and trust. A firm that operated in the best interest of its clients at all times and fulfilled my mission to lead all people to financial peace, independence, and generosity.”

Disclosure:

Goodwin Investment Advisory strives to provide our clients with services as outlined above, but nothing here should be construed as a guarantee of investment performance. Our team strives to deliver on the promises and commitments outlined above, but in some cases we may not reach the level that you desire, and in such cases we invite you to contact us so that we can discuss your concerns.