FAQ

Before you trust a professional to help you plan for your future and manage your resources, we suspect you have questions. Here are several that we hear frequently. If you have others, please reach out at the bottom of this page. We’re happy to help!

• If I work with you, what should I expect?

  Our work together starts with listening. Every family has its own story and its own goals, and I want to understand what matters to you—your values, the decisions in front of you, and the future you’re working toward. Your plan should reflect your life, not someone else’s template.

  From there, we take a thoughtful, research-based look at your full financial picture. Tools like MoneyGuidePro® help us map out the basics—your spending needs, your timeline, and whether the plan you want is on solid footing. But the real work happens in the conversations around it: talking through life events, taxes, estate questions, caring for parents, helping children, or navigating an inheritance. My recommendations come from understanding both the numbers and the context behind them.

  Once your plan is clear, we look at your investments and other pieces of your financial life to make sure everything is aligned. We compare different approaches so you can choose what fits your comfort level and your long-term goals, whether those goals involve retirement, major transitions, or the next generation. Our focus is steady, consistent progress—not taking unnecessary risks. Our conversations are ongoing. I check in throughout the year and coordinate with CPAs, attorneys, and anyone else involved in carrying out your plan. When life changes, we shift as needed. My role is to walk with you through the different phases of life and help your family’s financial story unfold in a way that’s most pleasing to you.

• Who is your typical client?

  We work with individuals, families, trusts, and estates. Our clients come from all kinds of backgrounds, but they’re looking for the same thing: someone who understands their story, helps them make sound decisions, and walks with them through life’s transitions.

  We measure relationships in decades, not years, and we’ve worked with hundreds of the same families for three (sometimes even four!) generations.

• What is your investment minimum?

  We do not have an investment minimum for the children or grandchildren of our current clients. The reason is that over three-fourths of our clients are third-generation relationships, and it’s the best part of what we do.

  For non-family members, our level of service is designed to meet the needs of clients with investable assets of $3 million or more. 

  We consider each relationship on a case-by-case basis. The best way to determine if we should work together is an informal meeting to get to know each other.

• What services do you provide?

  Let us know what’s important to you, and we’ll help you pursue it. Whether it’s preparing for retirement, providing for loved ones, supporting cherished causes, navigating career changes, or simply growing your wealth, we’ll craft a comprehensive wealth strategy to fit your needs.
  
  

  Our services often include:

  • Financial planning. We examine your entire financial life to help you make informed decisions today, prepare ahead of life’s transitions, and position your finances to reach future goals.
  • Investment solutions. Once we have a vision of where you’re headed, we build and implement all aspects of an investment strategy designed to support your future goals.
  • Retirement planning. We put every tool to work—income strategies, risk management, Medicare, long-term care, Social Security, and tax and estate planning strategies—to help you build a rewarding and lasting retirement.
  • Tax planning strategies. We integrate the tax-efficient use of investment vehicles, retirement plans, education funding, gifting, and asset location to help protect what you’ve earned.*
  • Estate planning strategies. We help you make informed choices about your assets, using trusts and other approaches to support the smooth transfer of your wealth and ensure it passes to your beneficiaries and the causes you care about.*
  • Wealth transfer planning. We identify opportunities to use your wealth during your lifetime to provide for loved ones and support causes that are important to you.
  • Insurance planning. We evaluate options to help protect your family, business, and personal assets, including assessing appropriate coverage levels.
  • Executive wealth planning. We design solutions to address challenges faced by corporate executives, including concentrated stock positions and equity compensation grants.
  • Business owner strategies. We examine the needs and tax consequences involved in the transition, inheritance, valuation, and sale of a business.
  • Family education. We support families in navigating the transition of wealth and in facilitating healthy conversations about roles, expectations, and the values that sustain a legacy.
  • Professional trustee services. We partner with independent professional trustees who represent your wishes, help navigate family dynamics, and manage the administration and distribution of wealth.
    
    

  *Benjamin F. Edwards does not provide legal or tax advice; therefore, it is important to consult with your legal and tax professionals for additional guidance tailored to your specific situation.

  
  

• How much experience do you have?

  We have over four decades of experience in financial services. Gary Buller, my father, began his career as a financial advisor in 1989, and I followed in his footsteps 25 years later, in 2014. Gary retired at the end of 2023. Read more about my background on LinkedIn.

• How are you paid?

  Nearly all licensed financial advisors are paid one of two ways: either a commission on transactions (brokerage) or a fee based on a percentage of the assets managed (advisory).

  We recognize that not every client–or account in a household–is the same, so we have the ability to do either one. However, most of our business is advisory because that is the relationship that best describes the level of service and care that our clients prefer from their financial advisor relationship.

  Most people are surprised when we describe the key differences between brokerage and advisory accounts without a lot of industry jargon. Click here to read a side-by-side comparison.

• What are your advisory fees?

  Our fees are straightforward and easy to understand. For advisory accounts, we charge a flat fee (billed quarterly) based on the total advisory assets we manage for a client. Our advisory fee begins at 1.00% and scales down the larger the relationship becomes. Advisory accounts do not have transaction fees or annual account fees.

  Relationship Size = Advisory Fee

  • Under $2M = 1.00%
  • $2M-$5M = 0.80%
  • $5M-$10M = 0.60%
  • Over $10M = 0.50%

  Advisory fees are specifically for services through Buller Private Wealth and Benjamin F. Edwards. They do not include investment management expenses by third-party asset managers, such as internal expense ratios for mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, or manager fees for separately managed accounts (SMAs). These specific costs are set by the investment manager.

• What is a Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®)?

  I earned my RMA^® certification in 2022.

  Earning the Retirement Management Advisor^® certification from Investments & Wealth Institute® means that a financial advisor has successfully completed a course of study designed to teach advisors sophisticated retirement management knowledge focused on building custom retirement income plans. Additionally, individuals have passed an exam, and must meet and continuously uphold a set of conduct and ethical standards, as well as completing 40 hours of continuing education every two years.

• How do you communicate with your clients?

  We tailor communication to each client’s needs. At a minimum, you can expect an annual strategy meeting, but we connect with most clients more often. You’re encouraged to reach out anytime questions come up, and we commit to returning calls within one business day. If something happens in the markets that we believe may affect you, we’ll be proactive in reaching out. Our style is open, approachable, and genuinely two-way.

  Education is a key part of our relationship. Along with our regular conversations, you’ll receive monthly email insights, timely market commentary, and invitations to occasional educational events. These resources are meant to keep you informed and confident about the “why” behind each decision.

  For your convenience, we connect in several ways:

  • Meetings: in person at our Champaign office (or another location that works for you), through Microsoft Teams (with screen sharing), or by phone
  • Other channels: email, secure email, text message*, and a secure online Document Vault for sharing documents

  *Industry rules prevent us from using social media or personal accounts (such as texting from personal phones or emailing from personal email addresses).

• Can you work with people in any state?

  Yes! We are able to work with you regardless of what state you reside in.

• Is everything we talk about confidential?

  Yes, our relationships are based on mutual trust and respect, so our conversations stay between us… always.

• Can I view my financial plan and investments online?

  Yes! Both our mobile app and desktop experience give you access to your investment accounts and financial plan.

• How do you protect client assets?

  Your accounts are held with Pershing LLC, a division of BNY Mellon—one of the world’s largest and most established financial institutions, with more than $3 trillion in assets under custody. For over 85 years, BNY Pershing has provided safekeeping and operational support for thousands of financial firms and millions of investors.

  That partnership adds several layers of protection for your money:

  • Segregated accounts: Your securities and cash are kept completely separate from the firm’s own assets and verified regularly by independent auditors.
  • Strong oversight: Both Pershing and BNY Mellon are regulated by multiple U.S. agencies, including the SEC and FINRA.
  • Insurance protection: Your accounts include multiple layers of coverage. As a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), Benjamin F. Edwards provides protection for client securities up to $500,000 (including $250,000 for cash). Pershing LLC, our clearing firm, also provides additional coverage above SIPC limits for eligible securities—up to a $1 billion aggregate across all client accounts at Pershing LLC and Pershing Securities Limited, including up to $1.9 million in cash per client.

  While no program can protect against normal market ups and downs, these safeguards mean your assets are held separately, audited independently, and backed by one of the strongest financial institutions in the world.

• How do I schedule an introductory meeting?

  You may click here to schedule your introductory meeting. The link will take you to a page where you can select a date and time on my calendar or call our office at 217-318-0134. I'm looking forward to connecting soon!

• What documents should I bring to the first meeting?

  Nothing at all. Our first conversation is simply a “fit” meeting—a chance for us to get to know each other, understand what you’re looking for, and see whether working together makes sense. If we decide to move forward, we’ll let you know exactly what we need and when.