Investments:

Investment Overview

Education Accounts

Brokerage Accounts

Managed Accounts

 

 

Managed Accounts:

What are your goals and objectives?  Are you on track?  What level of risk do you need to take in your portfolio to meet these?  Do you have an investment policy statement in place that will allow you to keep your portfolio within certain investment guidelines?  These are some of the aspects of your planning that managed accounts clarify.

What is a managed account?
When compared to a standard brokerage account, on the surface they are extremely similar.  When you peek under the hood, the differences are dramatic.  There are no longer commissions or loads for trades, but rather a management fee assessed to the account.  This allows the advisor to use more investment options, no-load and ETFs for example.  The advisor has the responsibility to discuss the account with you on a regular basis.  You should no longer feel in the dark on your investments and the regular contact will help build a stronger relationship with your advisor.  Also, the advisor has a responsibility to you and the management of your investments, meaning that he or she must work with you to manage the account towards an objective, as a consultant and not a trader.  No longer being compensated from mutual fund companies or trades on stocks, this differing method of compensation keeps the advisor working as your advocate to help you meet your objectives.

Who needs a managed account?

Managed accounts are designed to keep the advisor and the client working together towards one goal or a series of objectives.  Whether it be retirement income, college savings, passing on a legacy or saving for your dream home – managing expectations, tax efficiency and risk are crucial aspects of this type of account.  We feel that clients that have begun saving have a higher likelihood of achieving their goals. Actively managing their investments towards that goal is important.

What kinds of managed accounts are there?
We offer several types of managed platforms through LPL Financial. During the investment planning stage of our process, we discuss these platforms in detail.  The types vary from accounts managed by us, to institutional level investment managers who have account minimums from one hundred thousand to several million dollars.  We have over forty third party managed accounts at our disposal and our firm's independent platform allows us to provide you with the best choice to suit your objectives.