Here Is Exactly Where Your Money Sits and Why That Matters.
One of the most common questions people ask before working with a financial advisor is how their money is protected. Here is the direct answer. Your assets are never held by MFM. They are held at Charles Schwab or Fidelity, two of the most trusted custodians in the world, and we manage them on your behalf as an independent fiduciary serving clients across New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC.
$18 Trillion
in custodied assets
$13 Trillion
in client assets
Safeguarding Your Assets
When you work with Mass Financial Management, your money does not sit with us. It sits at a third-party custodian, either Charles Schwab, which oversees over $13 trillion in client assets, or Fidelity, which custodies over $18 trillion. These are not small institutions. They are the gold standard in asset custody, and they were chosen specifically because of the protection they provide to clients like you.
MFM has full discretion to manage your investments but we never take physical possession of your money. We can buy, sell, and rebalance on your behalf. We cannot move your money to ourselves. That separation is not just a preference. It is how the structure works.
$12.6 Trillion
in custodied assets
$7.05 Trillion
in custodied assets
HOW IT WORKS
The Structure That Keeps Your Money Safe
Third-Party Custody
Your money is held at Charles Schwab or Fidelity, not at MFM. This means even if something happened to our firm tomorrow, your assets would be completely unaffected. They belong to you and they sit at an institution that has nothing to do with us operationally.
Fiduciary Obligation
As a fiduciary financial advisor, Christina Massalay, CFP®, CPA is legally required to act in your best interest at all times. That obligation is not a marketing claim. It is a legal standard enforced by regulators and the CFP Board.
SIPC Protection
Accounts held at Schwab and Fidelity are covered by SIPC protection, which protects the securities in your account up to $500,000 in the event of a brokerage failure. Both Schwab and Fidelity also carry additional private insurance well beyond the SIPC limit.
What a Plan With MFM Looks Like
Most importantly, we take the time to get to know you. Because a plan that truly fits your life has to start with understanding it.
For most clients that plan includes: Retirement Planning, Investment Management, Insurance Planning, Tax Reduction Planning, Goals-Based Planning, Cash Flow Management, and Social Security and Medicare Optimization.
Depending on your specific circumstances, your plan may also cover: Business Succession Planning, Estate Planning, Education Planning, Philanthropic Planning, Gifting Strategies, and Stock-Based Compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Questions About Asset Protection, Answered Directly
What is a third-party custodian and why do you use one?
A third-party custodian is an institution, like Charles Schwab or Fidelity, that holds your investment assets independently of your financial advisor. We use one because it creates a clean separation between the firm that manages your money and the institution that holds it. That separation protects you. Your advisor can never simply transfer your assets to themselves because the custodian sits between you and any transaction.
Can a financial advisor steal my money?
Not the way most people fear. When your assets are held at a third-party custodian like Schwab or Fidelity, your advisor has investment discretion but not custody. That means we can manage your portfolio but we cannot withdraw your money and send it somewhere without your knowledge and the custodian's involvement. You also receive statements directly from Schwab or Fidelity, completely separate from anything MFM sends you.
What is SIPC protection and does it apply to my accounts?
SIPC, which stands for Securities Investor Protection Corporation, protects the securities in your brokerage account up to $500,000 in the event that a brokerage firm fails. It is not insurance against market losses. It protects against the failure of the institution holding your assets. Both Charles Schwab and Fidelity are SIPC members, and both carry additional private insurance that covers amounts well beyond the SIPC limit.
What is the difference between my advisor and my custodian?
Your advisor, MFM, makes the decisions about how your money is invested. Your custodian, Charles Schwab or Fidelity, holds the actual assets and executes the transactions. You will receive statements and have online account access directly through your custodian, independently of MFM. We manage the portfolio. Schwab or Fidelity holds it.
Why do you use Charles Schwab and Fidelity specifically?
Both are among the largest and most established custodians in the world. Schwab oversees more than $13 trillion in client assets. Fidelity custodies over $18 trillion. They offer best-in-class technology, strong regulatory track records, robust investor protections, and direct client account access. As an independent firm, we chose them because they are the best option available for our clients, not because of any financial relationship with us.
What happens to my money if Mass Financial Management closes?
Nothing. Your assets are held at Charles Schwab or Fidelity, not at MFM. If MFM were to close for any reason, your money would remain exactly where it is and another CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® on our team will be assigned to manage your assets. The custodian holds your assets independently and has no connection to the operational status of our firm.