Mark Zoril -- Plymouth, Minnesota

Mark Zoril. Index Fund Financial Advisor For American & Global Expatriates. Annual Fee $96. No Minimum Account Size Requirement.

Please tell us a little about yourself professionally, including your qualifications.

My name is Mark Zoril. I am the founder of Planvision and am approaching 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.

In 2012, I decided that my clients could be served in a better way.

I am an Accredited Investment Fiduciary and have been responsible for enrolling thousands of people in employer based retirement plans over the years.

As an integral part of my work, I have provided financial and retirement plans to hundreds of my clients.

Please tell us something about you, as a person.

I very much enjoy my work.

Over the years, I have been very influenced by my clients who continue to work well into their 70’s and even their 80’s. As such, my goal is to work as long as I can provide competent guidance and advisement as my health will allow.

I realize this is not the plan for most people, but I would like to stay engaged in my work as long as possible.

In addition, I am a huge advocate of foster care. We adopted our second daughter through Hennepin County in Minnesota. It was a great experience and I am very fortunate that we decided to go through this process to expand our family. I have been very affected by the plight of many children that are abused or neglected or both and promote foster care as a legitimate way for people to grow their families. We are better off for this experience.

Could you give us an introduction to your firm?

Planvision is an RIA that provides guidance to smaller employers and individuals. We only recommend index funds or ETF’s from firms like Vanguard, Schwab, iShares, etc…

We do not accept or support any forms of compensation such as commissions, revenue sharing, referral fees, assets under management charges, or soft money (marketing dollars). We only charge our clients a small annual flat fee of $96.

We believe that, in general, people massively overpay for investment and insurance products as well as financial guidance and consultations.

It is our intention to simplify the investment process for our clients. All of our guidance is provided personally in a one on one setting.

We use technology effectively to support our low cost approach and conduct our client meetings through video conferencing using zoom or Skype.

For financial planning we use eMoney technology.

We do not use hype, sales tactics, or ploys in engaging our clients. We make no market forecasts or promises.

You will receive an honest assessment of what you can accomplish and your risks.

What is the minimum account size requirement you have, in order for a person to become a client?

We have no minimum account size! You can receive guidance, ideas, education and planning assistance regardless of how much you are investing.

Our annual flat fee of $96 is not based upon asset size. You receive guidance based upon your situation. Once you get your account going and have a better understanding of what you are doing, you can receive support as you need it.

Our clients are fine with 1 to 2 hours a year of questions and review and appreciate that we don’t sell them products or schemes.

You shouldn’t have to pay a significant amount for this support and $96 is a great price point for most and a profitable price for our firm.

Why do you only build portfolios of low cost index funds or ETFs for your clients?

It has become obvious to us, after 20 years in the business, that low –cost index funds and ETFs provide investors the highest probability of better relative returns.

Since they eliminate the risk of incorrect investment selections or market calls and are so much less expensive, they are positioned to provide better returns over the long run than more costly actively management funds.

The data is overwhelming that index funds outperform most actively managed funds.

In addition, financial service firms and advisers tracking and monitoring the performance of funds add an additional layer of fees. Therefore, using simple portfolios of index funds reduces advisory costs as well.

After so many years in the industry we have realized that much of the promotion of investing products and ideas is simply marketing instead of sound investing.

Most financial services firms and advisors promote complexity to add perceived value. However index funds can help you simplify your approach and increase your awareness – all while reducing your costs.

Could you give us an idea of the kind of services you offer, as well as your charges? If they differ, based on circumstances, could you give us a few examples?

We charge $96 for 12 months of support. That’s it, no other charges!

You are billed directly and can renew each year at your choice. We are proud that we do not deduct your fee from your investments.

We do not accept commissions, AUM charges or referral fees.

We even offer a money back guarantee of our $96 after two months if you are not satisfied with our initial plan or investment recommendations.

All of our guidance is provided personally through video conference sessions and phone work. We use zoom meetings and Skype for our sessions.

Our clients come from all over the world and have different incomes and savings habits.

Regardless of your residency and your citizenship, we will help you find a brokerage platform.

We assist you as needed in getting your account setup and making your investments.

Also included in the $96 is full financial and retirement planning, investment recommendations, help with budgeting, reviewing cash flow and making suggestions, and reviewing and discussing insurance options.

Could you give us your contact details and your firm’s website?