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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here. Thank you all for the recommendations and help! Based on everything I’ve read, I’m trying to decide between one of the following:

1. Call Atwood (thank you to the PP for this recommendation! She sounds very promising) and pay by the hour before firing FA. Get her professional opinion on existing portfolio and take next steps she recommends. 
2. Fire FA immediately and tell him I want to self manage (Wells Fargo). Work with CPA to streamline investing and figure out tax advantageous plan. 
3. Open account with discount brokerage (Schwab, Fidelity, etc). and get them to move stuff over from WF on my behalf. Then fire FA. 
4. Ask FA to reduce fee to .35% AUM to match discount brokerage FA fees. (Husband suggested this and thinks we should hear him out, I don’t, especially considering all the fees we’re paying to be “diversified”.).

To be clear, I don’t want to look for a new FA that charges any kind of AUM fees. I really like the idea of the hourly help (Atwood) recommendation. I’m just not sure WHEN in this process I should fire my FA.

Thoughts? Thank you, DCUM! [/quote]

OP, I think this thread is a great help to those who might be looking at hiring an FA, so they understand what to look for, and what to look out for.  Could you come back periodically and update based on how things are going, as you transition away from the FA who put you into too many unnecessarily high fee funds?[/quote]

OP here. Yes, of course! So far, I’ve reached out to Atwood through their contact us online page but haven’t heard back. I’ll try calling them next week. If I don’t have luck with them (I don’t really want to chase them down) then I think I’m going to open an account with Schwab and see how they can help me get our money moved over. I’m going to take these steps prior to firing my FA. In the meantime, I’m going to download all of my account info, statements, everything I can find so I have it just in case I can’t access it at a later date. If funds have to be liquidated because they can’t be transferred, then I’ll ask my CPA for advice. I want to get as much as I can in order before I fire FA.

Unfortunately, I had sick kids this week, so between work and caring for them, I didn’t have time to really dig in. I should be able to next week.

If anyone can recommend a good and easy to follow book on investing on your own through a discount brokerage, I’d appreciate it. Looking for a book because I have a long car ride coming up for spring break with my husband and two small kids!

I’ll continue to post updates as I get further in the process. Y’all have been so helpful! [/quote]

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