Answers to the most common questions we hear from prospective and current clients.
We make every effort to accommodate investors of all sizes. While we do not have a stated minimum, the appropriate starting point depends on which portfolio strategy is the right fit for your situation. $10,000 is a safe general starting point, though this may adjust higher or lower depending on the specific portfolio. The best way to find out is simply to have a conversation — we'll be straightforward about what makes sense for your circumstances.
The first meeting is a no-obligation conversation — there's no sales pitch and no pressure. We want to understand your situation: what you've been doing with your investments, what's working and what isn't, what you're trying to accomplish, and what keeps you up at night financially.
We'll also explain our investment approach, how our portfolios work, and how we're compensated. By the end of the meeting, you'll have a clear picture of whether we might be a good fit — and so will we.
The transfer process is straightforward and we handle the heavy lifting. Once you decide to move forward, here's what happens:
You don't need to liquidate anything at your current firm. The transfer happens behind the scenes with minimal disruption to you.
One thing to have handy: a current statement for any account you're transferring. It helps us confirm the account number, account type, and current holdings so the transfer paperwork is completed accurately the first time.
No. While we're based in Evansville, Indiana, we work with clients across the country. Most of our ongoing communication happens by phone, email, and video — geography is not a barrier. We do meet in person with local clients who prefer it, but it's not a requirement.
Most advisors build a diversified portfolio and hold it regardless of what the market does — riding through bull markets and bear markets alike. Our approach is fundamentally different: we actively manage portfolio exposure based on objective market signals.
When our trend-following indicators are positive, we increase equity exposure to participate in the upside. When they deteriorate, we reduce exposure to limit losses. The goal is to capture a meaningful portion of bull market gains while avoiding the severe drawdowns that can permanently impair a retirement portfolio.
We're not predicting the future — we're responding systematically to what markets are actually doing. Read more about tactical asset allocation.
Emotional market timing — reacting to fear or greed, moving to cash when headlines are scary and back in when they're optimistic — reliably destroys wealth. The research on that is clear and we agree with it completely.
What we do is different: a systematic, rules-based process driven by objective price signals. Every decision is predetermined by our system — not made in the moment based on news or emotion. The rules don't change based on how scary or exciting the market feels.
No — and we won't tell you otherwise. In strong, uninterrupted bull markets our strategies may lag a fully-invested S&P 500 index fund. That's a known and accepted trade-off.
What our approach is designed to do is perform better over full market cycles — participating meaningfully in the upside while limiting the severe drawdowns that cause lasting damage. For investors near or in retirement who are drawing down their portfolios, avoiding large losses is often more important than maximizing gains in good years.
That depends on your goals, risk tolerance, time horizon, and whether you're still accumulating wealth or drawing it down. We offer both blended portfolios — which combine multiple strategies for diversification — and individual strategies for clients who want focused exposure to a specific approach.
The best way to determine fit is through a conversation. We'll ask about your situation and walk you through the options that make the most sense for where you are in life. View our blended portfolios or individual portfolios for an overview.
We charge a fee based on a percentage of the assets we manage for you — typically ranging from 1.75% to 3.00% annually, depending on strategy. This fee is billed quarterly and covers all portfolio management services. All compensation is billed directly from your investment account — there are no separate invoices.
We do not earn commissions on products, we do not receive referral fees, and we do not sell annuities. If you come to us with an existing annuity, we may be able to help you evaluate it. Our compensation comes entirely from you — which means our interests are aligned with yours. When your portfolio grows, we benefit. When it doesn't, neither do we.
When viewing our tear sheets or other performance on our site, all numbers are presented net of our maximum management fees — so what you see is what clients actually experienced after our fees were deducted.
Some of the investments we use in our portfolios — primarily mutual funds and ETFs — carry their own internal expense ratios. These are separate from our advisory fee and are built into the fund itself rather than billed to you directly.
Full fee details are disclosed in our ADV Part 2, which is available here.
Yes — always. As a Registered Investment Advisor, we are legally required to act as a fiduciary at all times. That means we are obligated to put your interests ahead of our own in every recommendation and every decision we make on your behalf.
In practice, that means more than just legal compliance. If you come to us with an investment idea, we will give you an honest assessment — even if that assessment is negative. Our job is to tell you what we actually think, not what you want to hear.
This is a higher standard than the "suitability" standard that applies to many broker-dealers, who are required only to recommend products that are generally suitable — not necessarily the best option for you. Read more about what the fiduciary standard means.
Your assets are held at Axos Advisor Services, an independent custodian. Dauble+Worthington never takes custody of client funds — we have trading authority over your account, but your money is always held in your name at the custodian. You can log in to view your account at any time through the client portal.
This separation between advisor and custodian is an important safeguard and is standard practice for RIAs.
You can check your account balance and performance at any time through the Axos client portal. We provide YTD performance updates on our website as well.
Beyond that, we're available by phone and email whenever you have questions. We don't believe in flooding clients with unnecessary communications, but we're responsive and accessible when you need us. Significant changes in your portfolio positioning are communicated proactively.
Yes. Your money is not locked up. You can request a withdrawal at any time and funds are typically available within a few business days, depending on the account type and any settlement periods for securities sales. There are no withdrawal penalties from us — standard IRS rules apply to tax-deferred accounts like IRAs.
This is an important question and one we take seriously. Your assets are always held in your name at Axos Advisor Services — they are never at risk due to anything that happens to our firm. In the event of an unforeseen circumstance, your custodian would continue to hold your assets safely, and succession arrangements are in place to ensure continuity of management. We're happy to discuss this in more detail during a meeting.
Yes. IRAs are among the most common account types we manage. If you have a 401(k) from a previous employer, rolling it into an IRA managed by us gives you access to our tactical strategies and significantly more investment flexibility than most 401(k) plans offer. We handle the rollover process and ensure it's done correctly to avoid any tax consequences.
Yes. We track RMD requirements for our clients and can coordinate distributions to ensure you meet your annual requirement without triggering unnecessary penalties. We recommend coordinating with your tax advisor as well, since RMDs have income tax implications that vary by situation. You can also use our RMD Calculator to estimate your current-year requirement.
We can discuss the general considerations around Social Security timing and retirement income planning as part of understanding your overall financial picture. Our Social Security Optimizer is a useful tool for comparing claiming ages. For comprehensive financial planning that includes tax projections and detailed cash flow modeling, we may recommend working with a financial planner or CPA in conjunction with our investment management services.
We're happy to answer anything not covered here. Schedule a free, no-obligation conversation with John.
Book a Free Meeting