— In Their Words —
What People Say About Avinci
The best way to understand what it is like to work with Avinci Wealth Management is to hear directly from the people we serve. In the videos below, clients share their own experiences in their own words.
Client stories
Real relationships, in their own voices
These are unpaid video testimonials from current clients of Avinci Wealth Management, recorded in their own words. No client received compensation, in cash or otherwise, and each account reflects one individual's experience rather than a typical result.
Context
How to weigh an adviser's testimonials
Testimonials are useful evidence and they are also the easiest thing on a financial adviser's website to present selectively. Knowing what the rules require, and what they do not, makes them far easier to read.
The rule that governs them
Until 2021, investment advisers registered with the SEC were effectively barred from using client testimonials at all. The SEC's Marketing Rule replaced that prohibition with a disclosure regime. Advisers may now publish testimonials, but they must state clearly whether the person is a client, whether they were compensated, and whether any material conflicts of interest exist. An adviser publishing testimonials without those disclosures is not meeting the standard.
That is why the disclosure below this section is specific rather than generic. It states that the individuals are current clients, that they received no compensation in cash or otherwise, and that their experience may not represent the experience of others.
What a testimonial can and cannot tell you
A testimonial is evidence about a relationship. It can tell you how an adviser communicates, whether they were reachable when something went wrong, whether the process was explained in plain language, and whether the person felt heard. Those things are difficult to assess from a brochure and they matter over a twenty-year relationship.
A testimonial cannot tell you what your own outcome will be. One person's experience is not a projection, a guarantee, or a representative result. Two households with similar balances can have completely different tax positions, income needs, health circumstances and estate structures, and the right plan for one may be wrong for the other.
Questions worth asking alongside them
Watch the videos, then verify the things testimonials cannot cover. Check the firm's registration and disciplinary history directly through the SEC's adviser search or FINRA BrokerCheck using its CRD number. Ask which services carry a fiduciary duty and which do not, since advisory and insurance activity are regulated differently. Ask how the firm is compensated across every service line, and get it in writing. Ask who actually does the work, and what happens to your plan if that person retires.
Those answers, taken together with what clients say, give you a far more complete picture than either on its own. You can read how Avinci answers them on the About page, in the Retirement Blueprint methodology, and across our published insights.
Were these clients paid for their testimonials?
No. The individuals featured are current clients of Avinci Wealth Management, Inc. and received no compensation, in cash or otherwise, for providing their testimonials. Under the SEC Marketing Rule, advisers must disclose both client status and compensation, and that disclosure appears in full below the videos.
Can financial advisers legally use client testimonials?
Yes, since the SEC's Marketing Rule took effect. Before that, registered investment advisers were effectively prohibited from using client testimonials in advertising. The rule now permits them subject to disclosure requirements covering client status, compensation, and material conflicts of interest. An adviser using testimonials without those disclosures is not meeting the standard.
Do these testimonials indicate what results I would get?
No. A testimonial reflects one individual's experience and is not a guarantee or indication of future performance or success. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Two households with similar circumstances can require very different plans, and outcomes depend on facts specific to each situation.
How can I verify Avinci Wealth Management independently?
Avinci Wealth Management, Inc. is a Registered Investment Adviser, firm CRD #327780, registered in California, Arizona, Illinois, Texas and Nevada. You can review the firm's registration and disciplinary history directly through the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure site or FINRA BrokerCheck by searching that CRD number, independent of anything published here.
What should I ask an adviser that a testimonial cannot answer?
Ask which services carry a fiduciary duty and which do not, how the firm is compensated across every service line, whether insurance is placed through an affiliated entity, who performs the work day to day, and what happens to your plan if your adviser leaves or retires. Ask for the fee schedule and Form ADV Part 2A in writing before engaging.
Testimonial disclosure
The individuals featured are current clients of Avinci Wealth Management, Inc., and were not compensated, in cash or otherwise, for providing their testimonials. Their statements reflect their own individual experiences and may not be representative of the experience of other clients.
No material conflicts of interest exist on the part of these individuals resulting from their relationship with Avinci Wealth Management, Inc. in connection with the testimonials shown.
A testimonial is not a guarantee of any future performance or success. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Investment advisory services are offered through Avinci Wealth Management, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser, firm CRD #327780. Insurance and annuity products are offered through our affiliate, Lucas Insurance Services, which earns commissions on products it places. For additional information, see our full disclosures.
Start your own Avinci story
If what you heard resonates, the next step is a conversation. Schedule a complimentary strategy session to talk through your goals and see whether our planning process is a fit for you.