Firm Description
Three Bearings Fiduciary Advisors, Inc., (“Three Bearings,” “the Company,”
“the Firm” or “we”) was founded in 2016. The company changed its name
from Bearing Point Wealth Partners to Three Bearings Fiduciary Advisors in
October 2019.
We provide personalized, confidential financial planning and investment
management to individuals, high net worth individuals, trusts, estates,
charitable organizations, municipalities, and small businesses. We provide
advice, through consultations with our clients, which may include
determination of financial objectives, identification of financial problems, cash
flow management, tax planning, insurance review, investment management,
education funding, retirement planning, and estate planning. Three Bearings
does not provide legal advice. To the extent that a client requires legal
services related to estate planning, such as drafting of trusts or other estate
planning documents, consultation with a qualified attorney is always
recommended.
Three Bearings Fiduciary Advisors is strictly a fee-only financial planning and
investment management firm. We do not sell annuities, insurance, stocks,
bonds, mutual funds, limited partnerships, or other commissioned products
and are not affiliated with entities that sell financial products or securities. We
do not accept commissions in any form nor do we accept finder’s fees.
We provide investment advice to clients who frequently delegate the authority
to place trades for them without prior consultation. We also work with clients
who retain the final decision on investment selection, in which case no
transaction will be executed without the client's approval. Three Bearings
does not act as a custodian of your securities. Your investment accounts are
always held by an independent custodian whom you chose. Three Bearings
places trades for clients under a limited power of attorney.
Client investment strategies are based on your individual needs and
objectives as determined during our consultations. You may change these
objectives at any time.
We will provide you with an evaluation of your initial situation, often in the
form of a net worth statement, financial plan, or portfolio statement. We
communicate the results of periodic reviews to remind you of specific action
items which you need to address. Although we conduct more frequent
reviews, we do not necessarily contact you unless we recommend immediate
changes.
On an as-needed basis, we may recommend that you directly engage the
services of other professionals such as lawyers, accountants, and insurance
agents. While we are currently unaware of any conflicts related to such
recommendations, should a conflict of interest arise we will disclose this to
you. We consider the initial meeting, which may be by telephone, to be an
exploratory interview to determine the extent to which financial planning and
investment management may be beneficial to you. This initial meeting is free
of charge.
Principal Owners
David T. Mayes is the sole shareholder of Three Bearings Fiduciary Advisors,
Inc.
Types of Advisory Services
Three Bearings provides investment supervisory services, also known as
asset management services, and furnishes investment advice through
consultations. On more than an occasional basis, we furnish advice to clients
on matters not involving securities including, but not limited to, the articulation
of financial goals, tax-management strategies, insurance-related issues,
funding higher education expenses, intra-family and charitable gifting, and
formulation of an estate plan. Client relationships vary in scope and length of
service.
Tailored Relationships
Financial planning and investment recommendations are designed to be
specific to your unique goals and circumstances using all available
information. Tailored advice is achieved, in part, by documenting your goals
and objectives in our client relationship management system and financial
planning software, and through creation of investment policy statements that
reflect your specific investment objectives. You may impose restrictions on
investing in certain securities or types of securities.
Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2023, Three Bearings Fiduciary Advisors had
approximately $287 million in assets under supervision including $270 million
of assets under management on a discretionary basis.
Types of Agreements
Three Bearings uses several types of client agreements to accommodate the
wide array of client services offered. Agreements may not be assigned
without your consent. The conditions for each type of relationship and the
associated fees are explained in the following sections.
Comprehensive Financial Agreement
A Comprehensive Financial Agreement is an ongoing engagement designed
to review and monitor all aspects of your financial affairs so that realistic and
measurable goals can be set and strategies devised to help reach those
goals. As goals and objectives change over time, new strategies are
reviewed and implemented.
Services provided typically include guidance on cash flow management; a
review of insurance coverages; investment management (including
performance reporting); education planning; retirement planning; estate
planning; and advice on income, estate, and trust tax issues, as well as
assistance with the implementation of recommendations within each area.
As an integral part of the Comprehensive Financial Agreement we perform
tax preparation work. We file eligible federal and applicable state returns
electronically without an additional fee. Before starting a relationship with a
client, we state, in writing, the scope of work and fee for a Comprehensive
Financial Agreement.
The annual Comprehensive Financial Agreement fee is based on a
percentage of the investable assets according to the following schedule:
1.75% on the first $200,000;
1.50% on the next $300,000 (from 200,001 to 500,000);
1.00% on the next $500,000 (from 500,001 to 1,000,000); and
0.50% on the assets above $1,000,000.
The minimum annual fee is $3,500. Client relationships may exist where the
fees are higher or lower than the fee schedule
above.
Fees are billed quarterly, in arrears. Payment in full is due upon invoice
presentation. For convenience, you may direct that fees be deducted from a
designated managed account or accounts.
The length of service to you under a Comprehensive Financial Agreement is
at your discretion. You may terminate the agreement at any time.
Hourly Financial Planning Agreement
Hourly Financial Planning Agreements are appropriate if your needs are more
limited in scope and you desire to implement recommendations without our
ongoing support. Under this type of relationship, we design a financial plan to
help you with a variety of personal financial matters. The financial plan may
include a net worth statement; a cash flow statement; a review of investment
accounts, including reviewing asset allocation and providing repositioning
recommendations; strategic tax planning; a review of retirement accounts and
plans including recommendations; a review of insurance policies; one or more
retirement scenarios; estate planning review and recommendations; and
education planning with funding recommendations.
Investment advice and specific recommendations are generally provided as
an integral part of a financial plan. Implementation of the recommendations is
at your discretion.
The fee for a financial plan and related recommendations is based on the
facts known at the start of the engagement and is priced based on an hourly
rate of $300. The total cost will vary with the degree of complexity associated
with your situation. The typical fee range for an hourly financial planning
engagement is $1,200 - $3,600. An estimate of the total cost is provided at
the end of a complimentary initial meeting.
Retainer Agreement
In some circumstances, a Retainer Agreement is executed instead of a
Comprehensive Financial Agreement when it is more appropriate to work on
a fixed-fee basis. Retainer Agreements are priced based on the complexity of
the work, especially when asset management is not the most significant part
of the relationship. You determine whether tax preparation is included in the
Retainer Agreement. A Retainer Agreement is an ongoing agreement. There
is no minimum annual fee for a Retainer Agreement. The length of service to
you is at your discretion.
Non-Profit Investment Management Agreement
A Non-Profit Investment Management Agreement is executed when the firm
provides investment management and consulting services to qualified
501(c)(3) charities and other non-profit entities.
The annual fee under this agreement is based on a percentage of assets as
follows:
0.50% on the first $5,000,000;
0.40% on the next $5,000,000 (from 5,000,001 to 10,000,000);
0.30% on the next $5,000,000 (from 10,000,001 to 15,000,000); and
0.20% on the assets above $15,000,000.
Non-Profit Investment Management Agreements are ongoing agreements.
The length of service to you is at your discretion.
Municipal Investment Management Agreement
Trustees of trust funds and library trustees in New Hampshire execute a
Municipal Investment Management Agreement for investment management
and bookkeeping services.
The annual fee is based on a percentage of assets as follows:
0.50% on the first $2,000,000;
0.35% on the next $3,000,000 (from 2,000,001 to 5,000,000);
0.20% on the next $5,000,000 (from 5,000,001 to 10,000,000); and
0.05% on the assets above $10,000,000.
Bookkeeping services are provided as part of the Agreement. A Municipal
Investment Management Agreement is an ongoing agreement. The length of
service to you is at your discretion.
Towns and libraries with less than $200,000 of trust funds and capital reserve
funds (combined) assets are charged a fixed bookkeeping fee of $1,000 per
year, which includes asset management and bookkeeping services. This
fixed fee may be reduced at the Company's discretion.
We may also waive investment management fees on new municipal capital
reserve fund accounts at our discretion.
Tax Preparation Agreement
We charge an hourly rate of $150 for tax preparation work performed
separately from a Comprehensive Financial Agreement or a Retainer
Agreement. Electronic filing of all eligible federal and applicable state returns
is included without an additional fee.
Asset Management
Client investment strategies are implemented primarily using no-load mutual
funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) through a qualified custodian.
Mutual Fund and ETF companies charge each fund shareholder an
investment management fee that is disclosed in the fund prospectus. In
addition, qualified custodians may charge a transaction fee for the purchase
of such securities.
We may also purchase or sell individual stocks and bonds in your brokerage
account at the qualified custodian where you have an account. The custodian
charges a transaction fee for stock and bond trades. We do not receive any
compensation in any form from custodians.
While we will primarily use mutual funds and exchange-traded funds when
implementing your investment strategy when we are managing your
investment accounts, we may also provide advice regarding the use of other
types of securities as part of your overall financial plan including individual
stocks, warrants, corporate debt securities, commercial paper, certificates of
deposit, municipal securities, annuities (variable, fixed, fixed-indexed), U. S.
government securities, options contracts, futures contracts, and interests in
partnerships.
Initial public offerings (IPOs) are not available through us.
Termination of Agreement
Three Bearings may terminate any of the agreements at any time by notifying
you in writing. If you made an advance payment, any unearned portion of the
advance payment will be refunded within ten days.
You may terminate any agreement with us at any time by notifying us in
writing, by phone, in person, or via email and paying the applicable fee for the
time spent on the engagement before notification of termination. If you made
an advance payment, any unearned portion of the advance payment will be
refunded within ten days.