The advisors at Shepherd Financial provide independent, unbiased, and objective consulting advice. Whether protecting corporate plan committees or guiding families through wealth preservation, our process creates retirement-ready employees and accountable fiduciaries.
We advocate for corporate plan sponsors and employees, bringing deep knowledge and ingenuity to 401(k), 403(b), and 457 retirement plans nationwide.
Our passion is helping employees live financially well and retire on their own terms. We deliver tailored engagement programs including recurring onsite & hybrid workshops, one-on-one private employee consultations, monthly wellness webinars, quarterly plain-language market reviews, and monthly "Open Phone Days" for immediate advisor access.
Serving contractually as an ERISA Section 3(21) co-fiduciary or Section 3(38) discretionary manager to mitigate committee liability. We establish formalized Committee Charters, detailed meeting minutes, fiduciary education training series, and maintain a secure cloud-based Fiduciary Vault for permanent DOL audit readiness.
Streamlining day-to-day plan operations, automated payroll deduction feeds, compliance testing tracking, and Form 5500 filings. We proactively eliminate operational friction between employers, third-party administrators (TPAs), and recordkeepers.
Formulating customized Investment Policy Statements (IPS) with rigorous qualitative and quantitative screening metrics. We continuously monitor domestic equity, international equity, fixed income, target-date series, and capital preservation tiers with quarterly fiduciary scorecards.
Performing transparent, independent fee benchmarking against third-party databases. We dissect recordkeeping charges, administrative costs, advisory fees, and fund expense ratios, unbundling revenue-sharing agreements to ensure participants pay only reasonable, compliant fees.
Equipping plan committees with digital document repositories and real-time participant analytics. We provide quantitative metrics on enrollment rates, auto-escalation effectiveness, and personalized Retirement Readiness Analysis reports.
A disciplined, repeatable life planning cycle tailored to individuals, business owners, executives, and multi-generational families.
Clarifying short-term liquidity needs, lifestyle targets, philanthropic aspirations, and multi-generational family legacy milestones to construct a purposeful roadmap.
Aggregating total balance sheets: taxable brokerage accounts, traditional and Roth IRAs, employer-sponsored plans, closely held business equity, and real estate assets.
Uncovering vulnerabilities in risk exposure, insurance shortfalls, estate titling, cash flow friction, and tax-inefficient asset location across accounts.
Delivering clear, customized financial recommendations, asset allocations, tax-saving structures, and legal transfer mechanisms designed for measurable execution.
Implementing targeted portfolio allocations, establishing account automations, and collaborating directly with your CPA and estate attorneys to execute smoothly.
Ongoing fiduciary oversight with live account aggregation, periodic milestone reviews, automated alert monitoring, and dynamic portfolio rebalancing.
Reviewing account titling, primary and contingent beneficiary designations, and revocable living trusts. We coordinate with legal professionals to ensure seamless, tax-minimized wealth succession.
Optimizing net returns through proactive tax-loss harvesting, asset location strategies, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) up to $105,000, and Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs).
Structuring custom drawdown sequences across taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth vehicles to minimize lifetime tax drag and optimizing Social Security claiming timelines.
Formulating smooth transitions, ownership succession, and executive retention strategies that honor company history, size, and culture.
When evaluating reasons to transfer or sell a business, proactive succession planning is vital. Family business owners often assume heirs will assume control; statistics demonstrate that without formal agreements, enterprise value can erode quickly.
Protecting corporate stability against the unexpected loss of indispensable personnel while providing compelling compensation mechanisms for top performers.
How Shepherd Financial's fee-based, independent consulting contrasts with traditional broker-dealer sales models.
| Evaluation Dimension | Shepherd Financial (Independent RIA) | Traditional Broker-Dealer |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Standard of Care | Contractual ERISA 3(21) or 3(38) Fiduciary | Suitability Standard / Best Interest (Reg BI) |
| Compensation Structure | Fee-only / Transparent Fee-based | Commissions, 12b-1 mutual fund loads, revenue sharing |
| Investment Selection | 100% Unbiased open architecture; zero proprietary funds | Frequently incentivized toward in-house products |
| DOL Audit Readiness | Continuous digital Fiduciary Vault with documented minutes | Ad-hoc or sponsor-dependent record keeping |
Everything corporate committees and private clients need to know about working with Shepherd Financial.
Under ERISA 3(21), Shepherd Financial acts as a co-fiduciary advisor who provides ongoing investment advice and monitoring, but the retirement committee votes on and approves changes. Under ERISA 3(38), Shepherd Financial acts as a discretionary investment manager, relieving the committee of investment selection liability.
We operate on a transparent, fee-based schedule without hidden commissions. Retirement plans are typically serviced under a flat annual consulting fee or a tiered asset-based fee clearly disclosed in the plan's 408(b)(2) disclosures. Private wealth clients pay a tiered percentage based on assets under management or agreed flat planning retainer.
No. As an independent RIA, Shepherd Financial never takes direct custody of client funds. Client assets are held with institutional, qualified custodians such as Lincoln Investment, Charles Schwab, or Fidelity, providing complete third-party security, SIPC insurance, and independent reporting.
