Benefits and Services
Fee-Only Wealth Management
Stonegate Wealth Management, LLC
We are a dedicated team of veteran advisors that will guide you through every aspect of the wealth management process.
- We will guide you through the complexities of portfolio management; retirement analysis; risk assessment for liquid and illiquid assets; tax planning; stock option planning; estate planning – and other aspects of wealth management;
- Designations held by our partners include: Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Attorney (JD);
- We regularly update our credentials and cutting edge skills;
- We have strategic relationships with many other professionals and service providers in disciplines that complement our core expertise; and
- The client comes first.
Stonegate’s wealth management service has two components; financial planning and wealth management. We consider both to be so important, that they are offered together.
Financial Planning
Most of us want some “plan” for achieving financial independence and the confidence that results from working effectively toward this goal. This may include but is not limited to early retirement, a second home, college education for your children and grandchildren, or perhaps a boat to sail the Caribbean.
Financial planning is an integral part of your wealth management service, wherein we try to find answers to many questions such as:
- At what age will I achieve financial independence?
- How much income may I reasonably expect from my invested assets without depleting them over long periods of time?
- How do I minimize my taxes without impacting my standard of living?
- Will I be able to afford private school for my children? Purchase a second home?
- Should I purchase or lease a car?
- Is my family protected if I die prematurely?
- Will I be able to maintain my current lifestyle if I become disabled?
- How should I manage my assets when I retire?
- How much will I be able to leave for future generations?
- How can I benefit my favorite charities in a tax favored fashion?
- How should I manage my IRA’s so they may benefit my children?
- When should you exercise stock options?
- Am I protected against catastrophes?
- Am I using debt in a most advantageous fashion?
- Are my investment properties performing as they should?
- Are there any "holes" in my employer provided benefits?
Our approach is different from that taken by many other firms. We view financial planning as a process and a continuously provided service. This means we are responsible for providing information and solutions to problems posed by life altering events, regardless of how they change your current situation. Events like a change in employment, change in employer benefits, or a substantial stock award require prompt and accurate analysis.
Stonegate’s financial planning is seamlessly bundled with our investment process; enabling us to provide total wealth management. We do not provide financial planning as a stand alone service.
Investment Management
Stonegate’s investment management services are unencumbered by the imbedded costs and biases created by a commission or product based approach. Our management fee is a set percentage of the assets managed. We believe this to be the preferred approach because:
- Our compensation is not based on the sale of any particular product;
- We act as your advocate and strive to minimize costs, for example, through the use of mutual funds without loads and purchasing fixed income securities with the best institutional pricing we can obtain;
- We do not use “proprietary” investments that pay commissions.
- Stonegate clients have access to investments that are not available to the general public through our institutional relationships.
- Investment management includes continually monitoring your portfolio’s performance, balancing its individual components and confirming that your needs and objectives are being met as they change over time.
The portfolio management process includes many steps including:
- Risk tolerance assessment;
- Translating your goals and objectives into an investment policy with an appropriate expected level of risk and return;
- Devising an overall asset allocation to meet your unique goals;
- Choosing the specific vehicles for each asset class;
- Reviewing your tax circumstance on an ongoing basis (affects asset placement decision);
- Implementation of the allocation and continuous monitoring of performance;
- Comparative review of the portfolio’s performance against appropriate benchmarks;
- Ongoing search for new investment opportunities, such as improved options within an asset class or new asset classes that improve the risk vs. reward profile of your allocation;
- Periodic, contingent rebalancing on a tax sensitive basis;
- Quarterly reporting of your investment results;
- Year end review for tax planning – i.e. to see if tax loss harvesting is appropriate or through donations of highly appreciated equity;
- Capital gains reports for your income tax obligations; and
- Periodic meetings and discussions.
Our wealth management services are most appropriate for those with over $1,000,000 available to invest.
