Our Wealth Management Process

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I've been in this business over 26yrs, and over time, I've developed a process for working with my clients that puts them in the best position to succeed - we call it 3D: discovery, design, deploy. 

  • The first step (DISCOVERY) is asking the right questions to get a picture of your financial situation - where you are today and what your goals are for the future. 
  • The second step (DESIGN) provides an honest assessment of how attainable those goals are and what it will take to get you there. 
  • Then finally, we (DEPLOY) put your plan into action.  We'll build on this conversation at every check-in. 

Having a time-tested process like this provides a firm foundation so you know what to expect and can feel confident that we're being thorough - putting our clients in a position where they can think and worry less about money. 

 

AllocationDiversificationRebalancing

We serve individual investors and business owners, specializing in the accumulation, preservation and transfer of wealth. As our client, you'll have the benefit of working with an independent team that is focused on your specific needs. Our independence allows us to focus solely on helping you pursue your long-term financial goals. Whether it's the advice and investments we offer, the services we provide, or the tools we use – all were developed with you in mind.

 


Allocation ♦ After you've met with our team – and we're confident we understand where you stand today and where you want to stand in the future – we then discuss our recommended investment portfolio, which will help guide your decisions in the future. We begin with allocating your assets across the major asset classes – stocks, bonds, and cash – to help you pursue the returns for the risk level you are willing to undertake.

Diversification ♦ Your investment portfolio will be built by determining which investment vehicles are best suited to your needs, and we will determine how they coincide with your assets, debts, expenses, income, tax situation, etc. Of course, you will be provided with a range of investment options consistent with the portfolio, and we'll make sure you understand all the options available to you.

Webster's defines diversification as the act or practice of investing in a variety of securities, so that a failure in or an economic slump affecting one of them will not be disastrousWhen we look at diversifying your allocations, we like to consider two hypothetical companies, one selling umbrellas and one selling ice cream. The umbrella company makes good profits during the rainy season, but sales drop in the sunny months. For the ice cream company the reverse is true. The performance of each company tends to move in different directions at different times. Now suppose an investor buys shares in the ice cream company, but we have an unforeseen wet summer. In this scenario, returns are likely to be disappointing. It would be wise to diversify by investing in the umbrella company, which would have received an unexpected boost from the poor weather. The above example illustrates the benefits of diversification within a portfolio, and it's a similar story when investing. Diversifying might be achieved by investing in different sectors or geographical areas. It could also mean purchasing a range of asset classes – such as bonds or absolute return funds – to compliment any equity-focused, risky, or specialist holdings. The key is to invest in several different areas, not just one. Diversifying across all areas of the market provides exposure to areas that may perform at different rates at different times. Over time, diversified portfolios have tended to carry less risk and usually have seen more consistent and stable returns.

Rebalancing ♦ We will invite you to regularly meet with our team to discuss your portfolio's performance, which can help you stay on track toward pursuing your goals. It's vital to us that you understand your portfolio's progress, allowing us to determine if any adjustments need to be made.

As markets rise and fall, your asset allocation can shift, making your portfolio riskier or more conservative than you intend it to be. To keep your strategy working, it is important to routinely review your portfolio and rebalance when necessary.

Asset allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.

There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.

Rebalancing a portfolio may cause investors to incur tax liabilities and/or transaction costs and does not assure a profit or protect against a loss.

 

How do we get started?

We've found these introductions work best when we get to know each other first, before diving into business.  We call these "fit" meetings - giving you a feel for whether our approach/process/philosophy is a fit for what you're looking for... and conversely, us a chance to determine whether you're a fit for what we do.