When something changes
What should you check when your firm or fees change?
When your advisory firm merges, changes platforms or revises fees, identify exactly what changes, when it takes effect and what response the notice requests. Compare the new terms with your current agreement. Check consent language, total costs, account access and pending payments before deciding whether to accept the arrangement or explore alternatives.
Which kind of change does the notice describe?
A change of ownership, a technology conversion and a revised fee schedule are different events. One notice can combine them, so separate each change into a line with its effective date and required action.
Ask which legal entity will provide advice and which institution will hold the assets. A familiar brand does not establish that the underlying agreement or service is unchanged.
What should you compare before responding?
Use your current agreement and recent statements as the baseline. The comparison below helps you ask for specific answers without treating every merger as harmful or every promised improvement as established.
| Type of change | Terms to compare | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership or adviser change | Legal entity, agreement and conflicts | What requires consent, and what happens if I decline? |
| Platform conversion | Access, records and payment settings | What will carry over, and what must be re-established? |
| Fee revision | Rate, minimums and included services | What is my estimated total annual cost under both schedules? |
What does the consent language mean?
Read what the notice says happens if you respond, decline or do nothing. The applicable contract, transaction structure and law determine the effect; ask the firm and your attorney to explain language you do not understand.
Record the stated deadline and keep a copy of your response. Do not assume a deadline can be ignored because you have not yet decided whether to remain with the firm.
How do you review a revised fee schedule?
Ask for the old and new charges calculated on the same account values, including minimums and services billed separately. A lower stated rate can still leave the total cost higher if other terms change.
Use the firm's disclosures alongside our total-cost worksheet. The SEC's Form CRS guide explains where relationship summaries describe fees and conflicts.
What should you preserve before a platform conversion?
Preserve the records needed to reconcile the new system and continue routine payments. Ask the firm which settings carry forward and which require action from you.
- Download statements, confirmations and available tax documents.
- Record tax-lot details and existing beneficiary designations.
- List scheduled transfers, distributions and dividend elections.
- Confirm the new login, contact details and issue-reporting process.
When is staying a reasonable choice?
Staying may fit when the services, costs and operational changes work for you and material questions have clear answers. Both large and small firms can change ownership, personnel or technology; independence does not remove those possibilities.
If you consider moving, assess the transfer separately from your reaction to the announcement. Our transfer guide helps identify investments, loans and payments that may complicate the move.
What else should you know?
Does a merger require me to move my accounts?
A merger notice does not by itself establish that you must transfer assets. Read the proposed agreement, consent requirements and deadlines, and ask the firm to identify the choices available to you.
What should I save before a platform changes?
Save account statements, available cost-basis records, tax documents and payment instructions. Reconcile them with the new platform and ask how long older records will remain accessible.
This piece is general education, not individual investment, tax or legal advice. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Decisions depend on your circumstances and the applicable agreements and law.
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How can you discuss your next decision?
Bring the planning question this guide raises for your situation. A conversation can clarify what information is needed and whether Aspirean's services fit the work.
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