FAQs

Every person's financial situation is unique. As a hybrid Registered Independent Advisor, Tortuga Wealth Management's advisors have the ability to provide each and every client with the time and attention they deserve. Our team will put each client's needs and wants before all else, taking a comprehensive dive into their background to assess appropriate strategies and educating them on the process in order to set appropriate expectations. As a locally owned firm, we have very close ties to the South Bay community and enjoy taking part in local boards, charities, and events, which you can see more of under our Community tab.

A Certified Financial Planner (CFP) is an advisor who has obtained a formal designation from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. The rigorous CFP designation requires years of experience, as well as years of formal education, completion of standardized exams on financial planning, and adhering to a continued, strict demonstration of ethics. CFP® professionals take a holistic, personalized approach to bring all the pieces of your financial life together. As part of the CFP® certification, CFP® professionals also have made a commitment to CFP Board when providing financial advice to a client. This means they have agreed to put your best interests first, so they can provide you confidence today to work toward your future goals.

As some may know, the word "Tortuga" means "turtle" in Spanish. When founding Tortuga Wealth Management in 2010, the idea of a turtle brought Angela and Kevin back to the childhood story of the Tortoise and the Hare. Our investment philosophy is that slow and steady wins the race in the end.

Tortuga Wealth Management operates as a hybrid Registered Investment Advisor. This means that we do have a large, independent advisory segment of the business, but our broker dealer is contracted with LPL. Accounts are held at LPL, where LPL is able to assist with various operations, such as compliance, marketing, and various other functions like the Account View platform you will be able to utilize to monitor your accounts.  

For advisory clients, there is a clearly defined management fee, which will be charged as a percentage of each client's assets under management. This management fee is determined at the initial consultation and each subsequent statement will clearly outline any fees that were assessed. For brokerage clients, it is more of an a la carte pricing and will be charged per transaction.

Yes, as a client, you will have 24/7 access to your accounts and any other policies with us via LPL's user-friendly Account View platform. Your advisor and their support staff are also available if you have any questions.

Yes. If you are interested, we do offer various consulting packages. Our Products and Services tab has been updated with further details, but feel free to contact us for pricing.

One of the many services offered, covered by our predetermined service fee, is the topic of charitable donations. Our advisors can walk you through the nuances of charitable giving as well as the various tax strategies and advantages associated with it.

All assets are held at the custodian - a custodian is an institution that holds financial assets for safekeeping to minimize the risk of misappropriation, misuse, theft, and/or loss. Holding assets at outside custodians allows for a consistent system of checks and balances. Most assets are held at LPL as a custodian, while other products such as a 529 plan or an annuity would be held at that institution as a custodian. LPL Financial is a member firm of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SPIC); the LPL Financial SIPC Membership provides account protection up to a maximum of $500,000 per customer, of which $250,000 may be claims for cash. An explanatory brochure is available at sipc.org.