Is Alston Wealth legit? Fair question.
You're thinking about trusting someone with your retirement. You should check us out first. Here are straight answers, and how to verify each one yourself.
Is Alston Wealth a real firm?
Yes. Alston Wealth is a family-run retirement planning firm. Brothers Alex Alston and Andrew Alston are Lead Advisors, and their father, Michael Alston, is President.
Alex and Andrew each have about ten years in the business. Both started at large national firms before going out on their own.
Can I look up your licenses?
Please do. Search "Alex Alston" or "Andrew Alston" on the government's public adviser search at adviserinfo.sec.gov. It shows each of our registrations, our work history, and any complaints or disciplinary history.
Insurance licenses can be checked on your state's department of insurance website.
Who actually gives the advice?
Alex and Andrew. They do all of the planning and meet with every family. Michael spent his career in banking and as a consultant to banks and businesses. He's President and a sounding board for the two of them, but he isn't a licensed advisor and doesn't give financial advice.
How do you get paid?
The first call is free, and so are the tools, articles and monthly group call.
When we manage your investments, we charge a yearly advisory fee of 0.75% to 1.5% of the amount we manage. That fee is earned through Alston Financial Group, as investment advisor representatives of Sowell Management. Planning, tax work and two reviews a year are included, and the fee shows on your statements.
When an insurance product is part of your plan, Alston Wealth earns a commission from the insurance company. It doesn't come out of your money, but it's a real reason we could be biased, so we always lay out the alternatives side by side, including the ones that pay us nothing.
We'll tell you exactly what working together would cost for your situation on the first call, before you decide anything. More on how we work.
Where is my money held?
In accounts opened in your name at Schwab or Fidelity. We never hold your money ourselves, and you get statements straight from them, not from us.
Where can I read reviews?
On our Google business profile and on Yelp. We're a new firm, so there aren't many yet, and every one is from a real person.
If we've worked together, we'd be grateful if you left a review on Google.
Do I have to live in Texas?
No. We meet by video, so we work with families across the country. Most people work with us after one to three meetings. Here's how it works.
Is there any pressure on the first call?
No. It's 30 to 45 minutes about what you're trying to accomplish. If we're not the right fit, we'll still point you in the right direction, and you won't hear a sales pitch.
Ask us directly.
Call (903) 500-7910, email info@alstonwealth.com, or bring it to a free call. The legal details of how our advisory and insurance work are set up are on our disclosures page.
