Playing too many roles in your firm dilutes your effectiveness and limits your potential
We are your investment solutions resource
Together we help you deliver more robust services and solutions
As a planning-focused advisor, you know what you offer your clients is valuable, but you also know you don’t have the bandwidth to dive deeply into the vast and constantly-changing investment world. You’re deliberate and thoughtful about how to effectively grow your practice, while providing the highest level of client service.
As your partner on the investment side of your business, we offer a cost-effective way to enhance, yet streamline your practice so that realizing your clients’ and your firm’s goals is more achievable.
How we approach our relationship with you
How we formed our partnership is not much different from how we approach our relationship with you. It begins with an intensive, non-judgmental “get to know you” process. Over several months, we learn about you, your practice, and your investment philosophy and approach. We ask a lot of questions.
But it’s not about merely asking the questions, it’s about challenging the understanding.
We challenge you to think creatively (and critically) about what you do, why, and how important certain elements are to you.
Our process helps you to think about your investment philosophy and approach in a different way than you may ever have before. As a result, you have more confidence in your approach, more ownership of it, more appreciation of the process, and a clearer understanding of where you are going – and this confidence shows through in how you communicate with your clients.
What Does it Cost?
Discover Our Flat-Fee Model
Traditional outsourced solutions like TAMPs typically charge an asset-based fee, meaning as you succeed—your costs will grow. While hiring an internal CIO may be an appealing option as well, the time and capital commitments are significant. Often, advisors come to us searching for a third option that can provide more custom, client-focused solutions without taking too much time, energy, and resources away from other important firm goals and initiatives.
We’ve found that offering a flat-fee pricing model ensures our piece of your pie doesn’t grow as your firm revenue grows, while still enabling us to serve as a trusted, go-to resource for your advisors and clients.
Our flat-fee pricing starts at $3,875 a month and varies by complexity.
Why choose an OCIO over another investment solutions provider?
We know there are different ways to fulfill your investment solutions,
but which option could allow the most growth for your firm?
TAMPs | In-House CIO/ Director of Research |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
Compensation Structures | Asset-based pricing that can be expensive as the firm grows. | Salary plus compensation, cost of benefits, and performance-based fees. | Transparent, flat-fee pricing that does not increase based on AUM. |
Average Cost/ Year | If you are a $200M RIA and are paying 20 bps for TAMP services, that equates to $400K/year in TAMP costs. | $367,000* annually (not including performance bonuses, expenses tied to the employee, etc.) | $3,875 per month.** |
Further Considerations | TAMPS may not provide the investment customization desired. | High fixed costs regardless of performance and the firm bears the full responsibility for research and staffing. | Not locked into long-term contracts. No surprise or hidden fees, no compensation based on performance, and no increase in fees based on advisor growth. |
*Data gathered from Charles Schwab’s 2023 RIA Benchmarking Study: “Compensation: A key component of a talent strategy.”
**East Bay Investment Solutions base rate for 2024.
Our approach
Pricing
We offer a flat-fee pricing model, which is unique in an industry used to asset-based pricing. This means our piece of your pie doesn’t grow as your firm revenue grows.
Some of the ongoing services include
*Material provided by East Bay is available for white-labeling
Frequently asked questions
Investment Related FAQs
Absolutely. Working with advisors to make sure they have allocations they are comfortable with and can clearly communicate with their clients is an important part of our role.
Yes. We can work with advisors on providing client education and solutions that fit a variety of needs.
Yes. Send us the investment-related questions you receive from a client, and we will be happy to respond. We always respond to you, the advisor, and you can customize the client response to fit your needs.
Yes. We know advisors may have different approaches to how and when they communicate with clients, but you can expect to receive some type of communication from us during periods of extreme market volatility or dislocation.
General FAQs
In terms of frequency and intensity, that is totally up to you. Generally, the “work” in the onboarding phase is on our end, so it’s more a function of how frequently you’d like to meet. During onboarding, we dive deep into your investment approach and assess what enhancements can be made.
On a formal basis, we prefer to meet monthly but can be flexible if clients ask to skip meetings. On an informal basis, you can always reach out to us via phone or email at any time.
We offer a flat-fee pricing mode, which is unique in an industry used to asset-based pricing. This means our piece of the pie doesn’t grow as your firm revenue grows. Our flat-fee pricing starts at $3,875 and grows with complexity.
Yes, we take all the notes from our meetings highlighting who attended, the topics discussed, along with any decisions that were made. This saves you time.
Yes. As an example, we can analyze a prospect or client portfolio along with providing talking points. For important clients and prospects, we can be included in your virtual meeting and even in-person meetings under certain circumstances.
Yes. As a client, you would have full access to the East Bay Client Center, a portion of our website that contains the library of collateral. These pieces are exclusive to East Bay clients and are not distributed or shared elsewhere.
There are a variety of pieces available from monthly pieces, to quarterly (Word document, PowerPoint slides, YouTube recording) documents, along with other informational pieces published over time. Some of these include our thoughts on topics like cryptocurrency, commodities, preferred stocks, high yield bonds, emerging market debt, to name a few.
Yes, we have many clients that do this. There are some guidelines that need to be followed, and we would recommend verification with your compliance department before making that change.
As a non-discretionary consultant, the guidance we have received is that it’s not necessary to include East Bay in your ADV, though we would recommend verification with your compliance department.
We are happy to provide referrals at the appropriate time. Just as your time is valuable, so is our client’s time and we will provide referrals as a last step in the decision-making process.
We commit to a collaborative approach with you.
This approach means there is an equal level of respect, trust and value in each other, but as consultants, you look to us to be a sounding board and ultimately, guide, advise and act in your best interests.
From this collaborative lens, we apply our financial expertise and our business strategy and growth experience to ensure you are moving in alignment with your guiding philosophies and principles and in the direction of your vision and goals.
We operate to ensure you feel valued and supported. We are an investment in your growth. We commit to achieving a long-term relationship with you.