Our Services

Investment Management

Complex wealth calls for customized portfolios. Your goals and needs guide us as we construct and manage diversified, tax-efficient portfolios across asset classes, adjusting as markets shift and circumstances change, and coordinating investment decisions with the rest of your plan.

This includes:

• Portfolio construction shaped by your liquidity needs, time horizon, and risk tolerance.
• Diversification across asset classes and strategies, blending active and passive approaches where each adds the most value
• Tax-efficient management, including asset location, tax-loss harvesting, and mindful timing of gains and income
• Coordination with your tax, estate, and philanthropic planning so investment decisions go beyond performance to support the larger picture
• Ongoing monitoring and rebalancing as markets move and your priorities evolve

Financial Planning

Retirement. Education. Charitable giving. A legacy.

Whatever your goals, good planning starts with a clear-eyed understanding of your goals, then works forward. We begin with a close look at your full financial picture: assets, income, obligations, and family circumstances. From there, we build a plan that addresses what needs attention now and holds up over the years ahead, revisiting it as your life, your family, and your priorities change.

Our process includes:

• A thorough assessment of your present circumstances, including areas of risk or exposure that need immediate attention
• Setting goals and outlining a plan to achieve them
• A strategy that coordinates tax, investment, philanthropic, and estate decisions
• Ongoing review and adjustment over time

Tax Planning

Taxes touch nearly every financial decision you make, making a sound tax strategy one of the most valuable components of your overall wealth plan. We look for opportunities to minimize your tax burden while keeping your plan aligned with the latest regulatory changes and aligned with your broader wealth and estate plans.

As part of our tax planning services, we: 

• Look for tax-saving opportunities proactively and throughout the year
• Manage multi-state tax exposure, including issues of residency and domicile for families who split time across homes
• Structure gifts and estate transfers to minimize tax impact while carrying out your wishes
• Coordinate charitable giving so it supports both your philanthropic goals and your overall tax strategy

Retirement Plan Services

For business owners, a well-run retirement plan is often one of the most effective tools available for attracting and retaining strong talent, making it a natural extension of the broader wealth conversation. Our team includes CEFEX-certified* specialists who can design, manage, and grow an employer-sponsored plan that serves the people relying on it.

Retirement plan services include:

• Designing a plan structure suited to your company’s size, goals, and workforce
• Selecting and monitoring an appropriate investment lineup
• Setting and adjusting asset allocation options available to participants
• Managing ERISA compliance and fiduciary responsibilities on your behalf
• Preparing and maintaining your Investment Policy Statement (IPS)
• Benchmarking plan performance and costs against industry standards
• Supporting employees with education and tools to support their own financial wellness

 *Mariner is certified by The Center for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX) as meeting the standards described in the handbook “Prudent Practices for Investment Advisors.” The standard describes how an investment adviser assumes the responsibility for managing a client’s overall investment management process, which includes the selection, monitoring, and de-selection of investment managers, as well as developing processes to implement investment strategies and fiduciary practices on an ongoing basis. These practices also include maintaining a fiduciary checklist for each client to ensure proper fiduciary governance and compliance with ERISA and implementing best practices as described by the Department of Labor. 

Risk Management/Insurance Analysis

A sound wealth plan accounts for the risks that could unravel it and puts the right protections in place before they’re needed. We evaluate your existing coverage and identify gaps, then recommend solutions suited to your family’s specific circumstances, from life insurance to property and casualty coverage.

As part of this process, we:

• Review asset and income protection strategies against your actual exposure
• Analyze options across major insurance carriers and recommend products that fit your needs
• Audit existing life insurance policies and evaluate strategies to manage long-term care costs
• Identify opportunities to reduce estate tax exposure through insurance-based strategies

Trust Services

A trust is one of the most effective ways to help ensure that your values and priorities are transferred to the next generation along with your assets. We work with you to structure trusts that minimize tax exposure, protect assets, and support the family conversations that make wealth transfer successful.

Our trust services include:

• Reviewing existing trust documents and advising on updates as your family or goals change
• Structuring charitable giving and gifting strategies within your broader estate plan
• Implementing generation-skipping strategies to transfer wealth efficiently across multiple generations
• Establishing self-settled trusts for asset protection and more efficient distribution
• Ongoing trust administration, handled with sensitivity and coordinated with your broader estate and tax strategy

M&A Advisory

Selling or acquiring a business is often one of the most consequential financial decisions a business owner will make in their lifetime. Our team of M&A professionals provides sell-side and buy-side advisory services, guiding you through the process from initial strategy through close, whether you’re preparing to sell and realize your financial objectives, or looking to grow through acquisition.

Business Valuation

For many business owners, the company they’ve built represents the largest share of their net worth, yet its true value is often unclear, making it difficult to build a wealth plan that actually reflects your full financial picture. We help you obtain a professional valuation, giving you a clear number to plan around rather than an estimate.

Beyond building a better wealth plan, valuations are often needed for:

• Major transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, buy-sell agreements, financing, and ESOPs
• Tax reporting, including gift and estate tax and charitable contributions
• Financial reporting, including purchase price allocations and goodwill impairment
• Litigation, including divorce proceedings and shareholder disputes