Ascend Financial is a investment adviser based in Scituate, MA, that holds a 81.6/100 Fidelon TransparencyScore (14th percentile among state-registered advisers), with 1 registered advisor. Score based on public SEC and FINRA filings.
Ascend Financial
Ascend Financial · CRD #325357
A fee-only investment adviser with a clean regulatory record and fiduciary commitment.
Fidelon Fact Sheet
Ascend Financial is a state-registered investment adviser in Scituate, MA. It has one registered advisor. It manages $3.2 million across 26 client accounts. It charges a yearly percentage of your account that gets smaller as the account grows, and it does not report earning commissions. Its services include financial planning, portfolio management and investment newsletters. It reports that it can hold or access client money, which the SEC requires firms to disclose. Its record shows no customer complaints, regulatory actions or fines.
Peer Context
13,659th of 15,825
state-registered advisers
Bottom 14%
492nd of 546
state-registered advisers in MA
Bottom 10%
4th of 4
state-registered advisers in Scituate, MA
Bottom 1%
How This Firm Works
Registration & Standard of Care
Investment Adviser — this firm is a registered investment adviser, held to a fiduciary standard — legally required to act in clients' best interests.
How This Firm Gets Paid
- Charges a percentage of assets under management
- Charges fixed fees for specific services
- Does not earn commissions on product sales
What you’d pay
Blended across 1 tiers, from $0 - $1,000,000.
This fee is negotiable
“Fees are negotiable.”
From their Form ADV Part 2A. Most investors never ask.
Not included above
- • Clients may incur certain charges imposed by custodians, brokers, and other third parties such as custodial fees, deferred sales charges, odd-lot differentials, transfer taxes, wire transfer, and electronic fund fees, and other fees and taxes on brokerage accounts and securities transactions. Mutual fund and exchange-traded funds also charge internal management fees, which are disclosed in a fund's prospectus.
Estimated from the firm’s Form ADV Part 2A brochure — not a quote. Actual fees are set in your agreement and may differ. Costs charged by others (custodians, fund managers) are not included.
What This Firm Charges
| Account Size | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| $0 - $1,000,000 | 0.90% |
| $1,000,001 - $2,000,000 | 0.80% |
| $2,000,001 - $3,000,000 | 0.70% |
| $3,000,001 - $4,000,000 | 0.60% |
| $4,000,001 - $5,000,000 | 0.50% |
| $5,000,001 and above | 0.40% |
Billed quarterly in arrears
Extracted from Form ADV Part 2A brochure
Specializations
Extracted from Form ADV Part 2A brochure
Key Findings
Strengths
- Fee-only compensation — no commission income reported
- Registered as investment adviser with fiduciary obligation
- No broker-dealer registration — advisory services only
- Clean regulatory record — no disclosures, arbitrations, or fines
- Transparent fee structure — charges advisory fees, no commissions
Things You Should Know
- Its brochure says it receives research or services from brokers, but it does not say those perks can shape which broker it picks for you, whether every client benefits or only some, or whether those perks stay within what the law allows. Ask how the firm chooses the broker for your trades and whether perks play any part.Item 12.A.1
- Its brochure names research or services received from a custodian or broker (soft dollars) as a conflict, but it does not explain what this arrangement tempts the firm to do, say what the firm is paid for it, or say what it can cost you. Ask what the firm receives from the custodian or broker it uses for you, and whether that costs you anything.Items 10, 11, 12.B and 14
Conflict Audit
Zero material conflicts identified in regulatory filings.
Source: Form ADV Part 1, Items 6-8; Part 2A, Items 10-14
Regulatory Track Record
0
Disclosures
Clean record — no disclosures found
$0
Total Fines
Clean record — no fines found
Regulatory Events
TransparencyScore Dimensions
Disclosure Record
Customer complaints, arbitrations, and fines. Frequency and recency matter.
100/100
Strong
Avg for investment adviser firms: 82.6 | Top 10%: 99.5
Filing Quality
How clearly the firm describes services, fees, and investment approach in regulatory filings.
78/100
Fair
Avg for investment adviser firms: 84.1 | Top 10%: 100
Conflict Disclosure
How openly the firm explains who pays it and what it's paid to sell. The conflict isn't the problem — hiding it is.
49/100
Weak
Avg for investment adviser firms: 54 | Top 10%: 67
Enforcement History
Self-reported legal and disciplinary history from Form ADV Item 11.
100/100
Strong
Avg for investment adviser firms: 99.7 | Top 10%: 100
Their two-page relationship summary
The SEC requires every SEC-registered investment adviser to hand you this summary, called a Form CRS, and says what it must cover. We checked this firm's against that list. What is a Form CRS?
Not required
This firm is not required to file a Form CRS.
Without a Form CRS, the score above cannot go over 90. A firm that gives us one is scored on the same yardstick and can earn up to 10 more points.
What their brochure tells you
The firm must give you this brochure, Form ADV Part 2A, before you sign. We read it against the SEC's own instructions, item by item. Quotes are the firm's own words; page numbers refer to the filed brochure. What is in a brochure?
Can you tell what you'd pay and when?Brochure Fee Clarity100/100
The SEC asks every brochure to spell out the fee schedule, whether fees can be negotiated, how and when you are billed, the other costs you pay, and refunds.
The brochure answers every one of these.
- Can you tell what you'd pay?CoveredItem 5.A
Without a fee schedule you cannot compare this firm with any other.
Our standard advisory fee is based on the market value of the assets under management and is calculated as follows:p. 8
- Does it say whether the fee can be negotiated?CoveredItem 5.A
If fees are negotiable, other clients may be paying less than you for the same service.
Fees are negotiable.p. 8
- Does it say whether the fee comes out of your account or gets billed?CoveredItem 5.B
A fee taken straight from your account is easy to stop noticing.
For Investment Management services, we deduct our advisory fee from one or more account(s) held at an unaffiliated third-party custodian, as directed by the Client.p. 9
- Does it say how often you're charged?CoveredItem 5.B
Monthly, quarterly, in advance or in arrears changes what you owe when you leave.
The annual advisory fee is paid quarterly in arrears and is based on the average daily balance of the Client’s account(s) over the billing period.p. 9
- Does it list the other costs you pay, like fund and custodian fees?CoveredItem 5.C
The advisory fee is rarely the whole bill; fund, trading and custody costs come on top.
Our fees are exclusive of brokerage commissions, transaction fees, and other related costs and expenses which may be incurred by the Client.p. 10
- Does it say how you get money back if you leave mid-period?CoveredItem 5.D
If you pay in advance and leave early, the refund rule decides what you get back.
Since fees are paid in arrears, no refund will be needed upon termination of the Advisory Contract.p. 10
Does it explain each conflict of interest and what it could cost you?Brochure Conflict Specificity51/100
The SEC asks the brochure to name each way the firm gets paid besides your fee, what that tempts the firm to do, and what it can cost you.
Each point is marked Covered or Not found. When a point is not found, we say what to ask.
If the firm gets research or services from a custodian or broker, does it explain them?
Research or services received from a custodian or broker (soft dollars)
- Does the brochure name this conflict where the SEC requires?CoveredItems 10/11/12.B/14
A conflict named in the right place is one the firm has thought about; one buried elsewhere is easy to miss.
Clients should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic benefits by Advisor or its related persons in and of itself creates a potential conflict of interest and may indirectly influence the Advisor’s choice of Schwab for custody and brokerage services.p. 17
- Does it explain what this arrangement tempts the firm to do?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
You can only judge advice when you know which way it is being pulled.
What to askAsk what this arrangement gives the firm a reason to recommend, and how often that happens.
- Does it describe what the arrangement actually is?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
A conflict described in one vague sentence tells you it exists but not how it works.
What to askAsk the advisor to explain this arrangement in plain terms, including who pays whom.
- Does it say what the firm is paid for it?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
The size of the payment tells you how strong the pull is.
What to askAsk how much the firm or its people receive from this arrangement in a typical year.
- Does it say how the firm comes out ahead?CoveredStaff Bulletin Q11
Benefits that are not cash, like free services or referrals, still shape advice.
Schwab also makes available to us other products and services that benefit us but may not directly benefit you or your account.p. 17
- Does it say what it can cost you?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Every conflict has a price; the question is whether the brochure puts it in your hands.
What to askAsk what this arrangement can cost you, in fees, returns or choices you do not get.
- Does it say how the firm keeps this conflict in check?Not assessed yetItems 10.C-D, 11.B-D, 14.A
A conflict with no control on it is left to the advisor's goodwill.
What to askAsk what the firm receives from the custodian or broker it uses for you, and whether that costs you anything.
- Hedged wording
Clients should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic benefits by Advisor or its related persons in and of itself creates a potential conflict of interest and may indirectly influence the Advisor’s choice of Schwab for custody and brokerage services.p. 17
Do they earn commissions on products, and do they say so?Brochure Sales CompensationNot applicable
Not applicable: the brochure describes no product-sales commissions
Do they get free research or services from brokers, and does it affect you?Brochure Soft Dollars41/100
When brokers give the firm research or services in return for your trades, the SEC asks the brochure to say what the firm gets and what it may cost you.
Each point is marked Covered or Not found. When a point is not found, we say what to ask.
- Does it list what the firm gets from brokers for free?CoveredItem 12.A.1.e
Research, software and data paid for by your trades are a cost you never see.
They include investment research, both Schwab’s own and that of third parties.p. 17
- Does it say the firm benefits by not paying for those things?CoveredItem 12.A.1.a
A perk the firm would otherwise buy is money in the firm's pocket, paid with your trades.
Schwab also makes available to us other products and services that benefit us but may not directly benefit you or your account.p. 17
- Does it say those perks can shape which broker it picks for you?Not found in the brochureItem 12.A.1.b
Your trades should go where you get the best deal, not where the firm gets the best perks.
What to askAsk how the firm chooses the broker for your trades and whether perks play any part.
- Does it say whether those perks stay within what the law allows?Not found in the brochureItem 12.A.1.e note
The law allows research paid for with client trades only within limits; outside them, it is your money.
What to askAsk whether everything the firm receives from brokers is research the law lets it take in return for your trades.
- Does it say whether you pay more in trading costs because of those perks?Does not applyItem 12.A.1.c
Paying up for trades to earn the firm a perk comes straight out of your returns.
- Does it say whether every client benefits or only some?Not found in the brochureItem 12.A.1.d
Your trades may be paying for research that helps other clients' accounts, not yours.
What to askAsk whether the research your trades help pay for is used for your account.
A point not found is not a finding against the firm; many points apply only when the firm has that arrangement, and state-registered firms file the same brochure form.
Next Steps
Advisor Roster
1 advisor
| Advisor | CRD | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephanie N Loeffel | 4455227 | — | — |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the TransparencyScore measure?
The TransparencyScore measures how clearly and completely an advisor or firm discloses important information in their regulatory filings — things like fees, conflicts of interest, disciplinary history, and business practices. A higher score means better disclosure quality, not better investment performance.
Where does this data come from?
All data comes from public regulatory filings: SEC Form ADV (Parts 1, 2, and 3), FINRA BrokerCheck, and the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) database. These are official filings that firms and advisors are legally required to submit.
Does a low score mean they're a bad advisor?
Not necessarily. A low score means the firm's public filings are less transparent — they may use vague language about fees, skip details about conflicts, or have a more complex regulatory history. Some excellent advisors work at firms with poor disclosure practices. The score measures the filing, not the person.
How often is this data updated?
Fidelon refreshes data from SEC and FINRA sources on a regular schedule. Form ADV filings are updated annually by firms (with amendments throughout the year), and BrokerCheck data is updated as events are reported. Scores are recalculated after each data refresh.
Can an advisor or firm improve their score?
Yes. Scores are based on what's in public filings. A firm that rewrites its ADV brochure in clearer language, discloses conflicts more specifically, or resolves outstanding regulatory issues will see its score improve at the next refresh. The incentive structure is intentional.
Data Sources
Scores are generated using Fidelon's published scoring methodology and reflect the quality of public disclosures, not the quality of investment advice. A firm that improves its disclosures will see its score improve. Fidelon does not provide investment advice.
Verify on SEC IAPD
Last scored: · Score version: 3.15 · CRD #325357