Investor Guides

These Guides are plain-English education for high-net-worth investors who want clearer answers on fees, conflicts, fiduciary duty, portfolio management structure, and AI-assisted research — before they sign anything.

They are not personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Nothing here creates an adviser-client relationship by itself. Use them as a map of questions and tradeoffs; your facts, Form ADV, and counsel still control any real decision.

Martino Capital is a Colorado-registered RIA (CRD 329648). We manage portfolios directly in-house — no TAMPs — under a single transparent AUM fee, with no product kickbacks. Insurance/annuity commissions only when that structure benefits the client, is clearer or cheaper than multi-year AUM for the same fit, and is disclosed — no double-dip. Phone-first: 303.771.4357 or the contact page. Denver metro / Colorado focus; we do not publish a street address.

Trust & conflicts

1. How to Spot Hidden Commissions and Conflicts — Where kickbacks, revenue sharing, and product incentives hide when the pitch sounds “fee-based.”
2. Fee-Only vs Fee-Based vs AUM — What the labels mean in dollars at HNW asset levels, and what to ask next.
3. Questions to Ask Any Advisor Before You Hand Over a Portfolio — A written checklist before you transfer custody or discretion.
4. How to Read Form ADV Part 2A — A plain-English walk through the brochure every RIA must file.
5. Fiduciary Duty in Practice — What fiduciary duty looks like before you sign — not just on a marketing page.

Direct management vs outsourcing

1. What Is a TAMP? — Why some RIAs outsource your portfolio to a turnkey platform — and what that means for accountability.
2. Why We Manage Portfolios In-House — How Martino Capital keeps discretion and implementation under one roof.
3. Soft Dollars, Revenue Sharing, and Other Invisible Costs — Costs that never show up as a simple AUM percentage on the pitch deck.

HNW / retirement situations

1. Coordinating IRAs, Taxable Accounts, and Risk After a Liquidity Event — Education on sequencing accounts and risk when cash or stock suddenly arrives.
2. Annuities: When a Transparent Commission Can Beat an AUM Fee — When a disclosed commission structure can be clearer or cheaper than multi-year AUM for the same fit.
3. What “Local Fiduciary” Means for Denver and Colorado HNW Investors — Access, registration, and accountability without street-address theater.

AI & research

1. How S.W.E.L.L. AI Fits a Fiduciary Research Process — How our research tool sits inside a human-led process — not as a stock-picker.
2. Using AI as an Investor Without Outsourcing Your Judgment — How HNW investors can use AI for research without handing the steering wheel to a black box.

Talk with us

If a guide raised better questions than answers — about fees, conflicts, TAMPs, liquidity, or AI pitches — call 303.771.4357 or use the contact page. Email: tom@martinocapital.com. No online schedulers. You are hiring human judgment under a fiduciary standard: in-house management, a single transparent AUM fee, and commissions only under the Client-benefit / disclose / no-double-dip rule. Public record: IAPD / CRD 329648 and our Part 2A.

Disclaimer: This page and the linked guides are general education, not personalized investment, tax, or legal advice, and not a substitute for reading a firm’s current Form ADV or consulting your own counsel. They do not create an attorney-client or adviser-client relationship. They are not an offer to sell any insurance or securities product. Mentions of S.W.E.L.L. AI and other AI tools describe research aids used inside human processes and are for education/marketing only — not a performance claim, not “AI picks stocks for you,” and not a Form ADV product brochure. Advisory services are offered only where Martino Capital is appropriately registered or exempt. Insurance products, where offered, are subject to licensing and product availability. Past performance does not guarantee future results. For current disclosures, see our Form ADV on IAPD.