Because you are our focus.
It’s about you. Your values, your objectives, your questions and your concerns.
Because we can help.
We bring knowledge, experience and resources.
Some of the resources we bring include:
- Schwab Institutional. As an independent, fee-only registered investment adviser, we must choose a sturdy, competitive custodian for the investments under our care. We chose Charles Schwab and Company 25 years ago and have been satisfied with their service ever since. Schwab is a full-service discount brokerage firm providing trading and custody services across a wide range of investment options, including ETFs, stocks, bonds, CDs, annuities, structured notes, etc., etc.
- Important note: We do not take custody of our clients’ accounts. We provide investment management services, but our clients’ accounts are never held in our name. We think this is important. Bernie Madoff took custody of his clients’ accounts.
- RightCapital. Our approach to financial planning is cash flow-based, and RightCapital is the most powerful software tool available for modeling cash flows. With it we are able to show our clients their possible futures based on the choices they make, now and later. We model multiple scenarios that illustrate the effects of inflation, investment returns, taxation, retirement-planning alternatives, death, disability, and more.
- The Morningstar Office database of stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds, separate accounts, annuities, etc., etc. Access to an extensive range of data points gives us insights into the capital markets. That is not to say that we can time markets or guarantee investment returns, but we hope to avoid costly mistakes that might prevent our clients from reaching their financial goals. We take advantage of every available information source, including data provided by Ibbotson Associates and Morningstar’s buy-side analysts.
- iRebal. iRebal is a professional-level rebalancing/reinvesting tool that allows us to efficiently implement a custom strategic investment policy for each of our clients while maintaining desirable flexibility. iRebal’s direct integration with our clients’ Charles Schwab accounts makes possible timely execution of risk and tax management objectives.
- Microsoft 365, Teams, and Black Diamond / BDCRM. These cloud-based applications allow our small service business to access the same level of security and operational efficiency as much larger companies.
- Security. We take the security of your data very seriously. We use high-quality malware protection services, strong encryption, multifactor authentication, and strong passwords. As a small, but well-connected company, a minimum number of employees have access to client data.
- We are fee-only fiduciaries. We have no commission conflicts. Our clients pay us directly from their bank, credit, or brokerage account. Direct client payments are our only source of income. As a registered investment adviser, our office is examined by the Missouri Securities Division once every three years.
- We’ve been around the financial block before. We’ve experienced bull markets and bear markets. We lived through the 1970s. We’ve seen inflation, disinflation, and deflation. We’ve been paying attention for many years. We think an adviser with whitish hair is a good thing.
- Our fees tend to be a bit lower than average. We use technologies well, which allows us to charge our clients less than you might expect.