The $7 Million Mistake
Michael T. spent 12 years building his SaaS company from zero to $8 million in annual revenue. The sale closed for $18 million. After taxes, he had $12 million in liquid assets—the largest bank balance he'd ever seen.
Within two weeks, the calls started. Wealth managers with beautiful offices and impressive credentials, all promising "comprehensive wealth management" and "customized portfolios."
He chose a prestigious firm. They seemed to know what they were doing. The fee? 1.25% annually—$150,000 per year.
Six months later, Michael had paid $75,000 in fees, his advisor triggered $85,000 in unnecessary capital gains taxes through poorly-timed rebalancing, and when his former colleague offered him a Series B investment opportunity, the wealth manager said: "We don't recommend private investments outside our platform. Too risky."
That investment returned 3x in 18 months. For the investors who got in.
After 20 years, assuming a conservative 8% return on investment, those fees would compound to $7,815,731. Not to mention the lost investment opportunities.