Markets are noisy. Good outcomes come from a sound plan, low costs, and the discipline to stay the course, not from predicting what happens next.
Three principles govern every portfolio we manage. They’re not exciting. That’s the point.
Portfolios are grounded in decades of peer-reviewed research on diversification, risk, and market behavior, not in quarterly predictions or whatever is trending.
We build with broad, low-cost index funds, with typical expense ratios of 0.03%–0.10%. Every basis point saved in fees is a basis point that stays invested for you.
Nobody reliably times markets, including us. We rebalance on rules, harvest losses when they appear, and otherwise let time and compounding do the heavy lifting.
Every engagement follows the same rigorous path, so nothing important gets skipped.
We start with your life, not your money: goals, obligations, worries, and what “enough” looks like for you. Then we gather the full financial picture.
We stress-test your current trajectory: savings rate, portfolio risk, tax exposure, insurance gaps, and how the plan holds up in bad markets, not just good ones.
You receive a written plan in plain English: specific recommendations, the reasoning behind each, and exactly what our fee would be. You keep it either way.
If we move forward together, we handle the transfers, trades, and paperwork, carefully sequenced to manage taxes and avoid unnecessary time out of the market.
We meet at least twice a year and whenever life changes: new job, new home, new grandchild. The plan is a living document, and it stays current.
Meridian is intentionally small: two credentialed advisors, and you work directly with both.
Daniel spent eleven years at a national planning firm before co-founding Meridian to practice advice the way he believes it should work: fee-only, in writing, and in plain English. He teaches a personal finance seminar at a Twin Cities community college each fall.
Laura began her career as a research analyst covering fund managers, and came away convinced that most investors are better served by low-cost, evidence-based portfolios than by manager selection. She oversees Meridian’s investment strategy and rebalancing rules.
“We act as fiduciaries at all times, for every client, on every account. We are compensated only by our clients, we disclose every cost in writing, and when a conflict of interest cannot be avoided, we disclose it and resolve it in the client’s favor.”Daniel Osei, CFP® & Laura Chen, CFA · Co-Founders, Meridian Wealth Partners
A 30-minute introductory call. Bring your questions, and bring your skepticism.