Markets work. We believe that trying to time or out-guess the market is a prescription for failure.

Instead, we expect volatility and design portfolios to maximize return for a given level of acceptable risk. Diversification by asset class and geography is one of the most effective methods of risk management.

When it comes to decisions about money, emotions are always present. However, making investment decisions based on emotion risks ruining a well-designed plan.

While we can’t control what the markets will do, we can control our own behavior. Reacting to every twist and turn of the market and news headline is detrimental to your investment plan and your wealth.

We are here to help you navigate through the short term ups and downs in the market and stay focused on the long term.

We believe that clients are best served when their interests are paramount, and we proudly adhere to the Fiduciary standard.

When deciding whether to hire a professional to help manage your money, perhaps the most important question to ask is “Will this advisor have my best interests in mind?” Unfortunately, the financial services industry is not known for its transparency or its clarity, and the complex jargon can make it surprisingly difficult to answer this one simple question.

Complicating matters further is that advisors can sport a wide variety of different titles and professional designations. When making this important decision, it can be helpful to remember that all financial professionals holding themselves out as “advisors” must adhere to one of two broad legal standards of care; the “Suitability” standard or the “Fiduciary” standard.

Most broker-dealer advisers are subject to the “Suitability” standard. In a nutshell, the suitability standard requires only that a recommended financial product be deemed “suitable” for their client. A broker (or advisor) operating under this standard has no legal duty to place the client’s interests above their own (or their firm’s) interests, nor do they need to disclose any conflicts of interest they may have with their own clients.

The Suitability standard contrasts starkly with the more rigorous Fiduciary standard, which requires (among other things):

• The duty to disclose all conflicts of interest (actual or potential), and to minimize or eliminate them wherever possible
• The requirement to place the interests of the client above those of the advisor
• The need to act prudently with the skill and judgment of a professional
• The duty to provide a clear explanation of advisor compensation

The different legal standards often give rise to differences in compensation structures, with most broker-dealers earning a commission for the sale of financial products (and/or the trading thereof), whereas Registered Investment Advisers, operating under the Fiduciary standard of care, typically charge a flat fee for financial planning services or earn a fixed percentage based on the level of assets managed.

In this sense, Fiduciary advisors and clients are on the same side of the table, since both stand to benefit when a client’s wealth and asset levels grow.