5 /5 Valorie Osterman: For the TL;DR folks: Excellent and knowledgeable folks who will communicate with you, educate you, and help you reach your goals.
We have worked with Aaren for over 20 years having followed her to Avier. The level of service provided by her and her team is amazing! The team is communicative, accurate, kind, and a wee bit relentless when deadlines are coming up and we have not done the paperwork we need to do :-)
Trying to coordinate investments, taxes, wills, and future planning has been historically overwhelming for the most part especially as our needs changed over the last 20 years. Balancing what we think we need with what the everchanging laws require while figuring out ways to finance all that is a challenge Aaren has met gracefully. Aaren and her Avier team have broken the steps down into manageable chunks and gradually built our understanding of how it all connects and relates. They suggest and discuss with us what they think is best while adapting to what our wants and needs are as they change with life. We end up making informed and educated decisions while not feeling overwhelmed.
I especially appreciate that Avier is a fiduciary which means they do better when we do better. We are not being sold the investment of the month nor being badgered into investing into things we are uninformed about. There has never been any aspect of "cookie cutter" financial planning which makes us feel like our needs are understood and an integral part of the plan.
I also appreciate the non-Avier experts who confirm and expand on explanations and suggestions. Second opinions are always reassuring. Being willing to ask for help is itself an amazing find in the financial field where bravado tends to dominate, but these outside folks also serve as an unofficial verification to all the inside advice. Having been burned by other investment companies, having that quiet confirmation is an unexpected boost to our confidence even if those experts merely affirm what Aaren and her team have said.