Kaizen Philosophy/Overview
What does the word Kaizen mean? How does it relate to what we do for you, your company and your employees? The Japanese word kaizen simply means “change for better”. The word refers to any improvement, one-time or continuous, large or small, in the same sense as the English word “improvement”. However, given the common practice in Japan of labeling business improvement techniques with the word “kaizen”, the word “kaizen” in English is typically applied to measures for implementing continuous improvement. At Kaisen Retirement Plan Advisors, that is what we aim to do for you every day. To continuously improve your retirement plan outcomes via improved areas such as: fiduciary processes, plan design, investment strategy, vendor pricing and thus, most importantly, the retirement outcomes for your employees.
Why partner with Kaizen Retirement Plan Advisors? Kaizen Retirement Plan Advisors is a Fee-Only Registered Investment Advisory Firm which means we work exclusively for you – not for a company that sells proprietary product such as mutual funds, insurance or other financial or packaged product. Our fee is disclosed on the advisory contract and we do not “sell” any products or receive any commissions. We are fully independent in making our recommendations to you and your employees. In essence, Fee-Only financial advisors sell only one thing – their knowledge. We accept full fiduciary status under ERISA Section 3(21) and 3(38) as advisor to your plan.
What is a fee – only advisory firm? This model eliminates conflicts of interest. A Fee-Only financial advisor only charges for his or her advice and/or ongoing management. No other financial reward is provided by any other institution, which means they do not receive commissions on the actions they take on the clients’ behalf. Compensation is based on a percentage of assets managed. In essence, Fee-Only financial advisors sell only one thing – their knowledge.
Why use a fee-only advisory firm? Choosing an advisor is a business decision that may come with some uncertainty. What we offer is investment advice and plan management, but what our clients really buy is the confidence and peace of mind that comes from working with experienced independent advisors they trust. As Fee-Only Advisor, we can be objective in the advice we offer since we do not sell or receive any compensation for recommending specific investments or insurance. Our success depends entirely on the quality of our advice and the satisfaction of our clients.