We help you get around them.
Your financial situation is unique. Accordingly, your portfolio should meet your individual needs, not those of your neighbor or in-laws. We build a plan around you. That way, you can enjoy other priorities: family, business, travel, volunteering.
We’ll help:
- Set relevant financial goals
- Build a portfolio of investments to achieve them
- Determine a viable spending plan in retirement
- Keep taxes low
- Coordinate with your tax and estate specialists
- Review progress on a regular basis
The Value of a Financial Advisor
These days, investors are increasingly cost-conscious (and rightly so). But price and value are two sides of the same coin—and should be evaluated together. At Bristlecone, we’re confident that the value of our advice far exceeds its cost. To begin with, our compensation is based on how much we manage for you, not how many transactions you make. In other words: our financial incentive is growing your assets. Just as important, our proactive management adds value in numerous ways:
Asset Allocation
A portfolio’s asset allocation—how much of the portfolio is invested in which investments--is the most important decision in matching a portfolio to your specific goals. We'll help you understand the tradeoffs between risk and return before recommending a diversified allocation just for you.
Rebalancing
We also rebalance the portfolio regularly to maintain the right mix, or adjust it as your needs change. This rebalancing can be the hardest, but also the most valuable, when markets are tough.
Tax Efficiency
Knowing which investments to hold in taxable versus tax-deferred accounts; proactively harvesting tax losses; deferring capital gains. All these strategies reduce the tax drag on your portfolio.
Minimizing costs
We pay close attention to fees of all kinds (and sadly there are all kinds) and minimize them as much as possible so you keep more of your returns. Where appropriate, we make use of low-cost index funds or access institutional share classes to reduce expenses.
Behavioral Coaching
Even professional athletes—performing at the top of their field and earning millions of dollars per year—benefit from experienced coaching on the sidelines. Why would investing be different? We’ve endured multiple market cycles and understand the behavioral pitfalls that knock investors off their plan—we’ll help you avoid them.
Smart Spending Strategies
Accumulating your nest egg is only half the battle—spending it also demands foresight. We’ll help you determine a viable spending rate, decide when to file for Social Security, and sequence your withdrawals from available sources in a tax-conscious manner. We’ll also help you navigate the inevitable market disruptions.