Choosing an appropriate investment allocation, making adjustments, and staying the course are some of the most challenging but necessary aspects to achieving financial success. The variety of investments in your portfolio should change with your life-stage and subsequent priorities. Consistent monitoring and updating of these investments is important and can determine the likelihood of success. Interested in aligning your investments with your values? With your direction, we’ll avoid certain industries and companies by offering a wide variety of screened socially responsible investments.
Whether you need help managing a 401(k), 403b, college savings, retirement account, annuities or alternative investments (such as real estate), our management options are designed to fit all needs and comfort levels. By monitoring returns and making adjustments along the way, we’ll make sure your investments are appropriately positioned to best serve you. Most importantly, as fiduciaries we’re obligated to recommend only the best product at the best price for your specific to your unique needs.
INVESTMENT SERVICES
Customized portfolio design and management is of our most sought after services. Whether you’re specifically looking for money management services, or prefer our ‘Whole-Person Approach’ – using your financial plan as a roadmap, you can be confident that as fiduciaries, we’ll gather all the information necessary to construct a customized portfolio that best meets your needs and goals.
Portfolios can be constructed with a wide variety of investments, most commonly a mix of mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs), alternative investments, stocks, bonds, commodities and options. By designing your portfolio with a combination of various instruments, we find the right mix of features, benefits and costs that fully align with your objectives. Through various life stages, our investment experts will help determine the right mix of account types for you.
For many investors, holdings like mutual funds or exchange traded funds (ETFs) represent their core investments due to their efficiencies and liquidity. Stocks, bonds and options contracts can be layered on for additional diversity and risk management.
As a Cornell employee, you’re benefits include an employer funded 403(b) account. While that’s a fantastic benefit, how do you know the allocation inside your fund matches your timetable, risk tolerance, and values? Our 403(b) management program allows our advisors to consistently monitor your 403(b) as it grows to be one of your largest assets.
Our Cornell 403(b) rebalancing service takes reallocating your retirement plan to a new level. Cornell employees enjoy the unique, robust and exclusive service of 403(b) management with an assigned advisor that supports all day-to-day functions, including changes to the allocation, contributions and beneficiary designations. This relationship ensures the investments within your 403(b) are dynamically managed and regularly lock in gains to maximize your potential for success.
WHAT IS REBALANCING, AND WHY IS IT NECESSARY?
While an appropriate asset allocation is important, without maintaining the desired proportions of stocks to bonds, domestic to international and large to small, allocations become too heavily weighted toward sectors that have recently been performing best. Our answer to this is dynamic rebalancing, which keeps these ratios intact over time. Ongoing reviews ensure that the allocation remains appropriate for you. We have eight risk adjusted models to choose from, so there is sure to be a model that fits your tolerance for volatility, timeframe for use of these funds, etc.
CONVENTIONAL, SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE AND VALUES BASED 403(B) FUNDS AVAILABLE
Offering values-based investment options for 403(b)s has always a goal of our advisors, but it wasn’t until recently that this became an available option. In the many years we’ve serviced these accounts, we’ve seen increasing demand for funds that are screened for their environmental, social and governance attributes. While Fidelity and TIAA include some SRI (socially responsible investing) options; we are now able to provide fully diversified arrays of funds from a wide variety of highly respected specialists in the SRI universe.
WHAT IF I’M ALREADY RETIRED OR NO LONGER WITH A UNIVERSITY?
If your accounts are still 403(b)s, you can still invest with us. If not, call our office to discuss alternate ways to access these portfolios.
IS THERE A MINIMUM?
Yes, the minimum for these portfolios is $50,000.
ACCOUNTS WE’RE UNABLE TO SERVICE
Unfortunately, SUNY ORP contracts aren’t eligible at this time. Please call our office to talk about alternative ways we can help.
NEXT STEPS
We handle all the paperwork required to move all or part of your eligible 403b accounts and do everything necessary to maintain it on your behalf.
Interested in learning more? Book an appointment to speak with one of our financial advisors to learn more and determine the right allocation for you.
INTRODUCING SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE AND VALUES BASED 403(B)S
Offering values-based investment options for 403(b)s has always a goal of our advisors, but it wasn’t until recently that this became an available option. In the many years we’ve serviced these accounts, we’ve seen increasing demand for funds that are screened for their environmental, social and governance attributes. While Fidelity and TIAA include some SRI (socially responsible investing) options; we are now able to provide fully diversified arrays of funds from a wide variety of highly respected specialists in the SRI universe.
WHAT MAKES THESE FUNDS VALUES BASED?
Rather than a mashup of Fortune 500 companies, our fund options utilize both negative screens (excluding companies that produce objectionable products or services such as weapons, tobacco products and private prisons) and positive screens (intentionally choosing companies that receive high marks for attributes such as board diversity, environmental responsibility and employment practices.). Models range from extremely conservative (holding mostly bonds and cash) to aggressive (mostly stocks). We apply the same risk tolerance and timelines that we do for all of our investment clients ensuring an appropriate allocation.
WILL I SACRIFICE RETURNS?
Lower returns for socially responsible funds may have been an issue in the past, but it is now quite the opposite! Various studies debunk the belief that these investments perform less well than their non ESG counterparts.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
Accounts under $1M are charged 90 basis points (.9%) per year. Accounts over $1M pay a smaller percentage. Fees are deducted from the account on a quarterly basis, so our high touch service is paid with pre-tax dollars. In addition to determining and monitoring your allocation, our fees include moving the accounts for you, keeping personal information up to date, monitoring beneficiaries and a host of other account service items you won’t have to do for yourself. Clients who opt to have us manage other assets, create their financial plan and/or prepare their annual tax returns enjoy additional discounts for bundling services.
OTHER VALUES BASED OPTIONS
If you like the idea of this service but don’t care for ESG investments, we have models for clients who prefer Christian values, and models that have all the features of our Sustainable 403(b) program without any screens at all.
WHAT IF I’M ALREADY RETIRED OR NO LONGER WITH A UNIVERSITY?
If your accounts are still 403(b)s, you can still invest with us. If not, call our office to discuss alternate ways to access these portfolios.
IS THERE A MINIMUM?
Yes, the minimum for these portfolios is $50,000.
NEXT STEPS
Interested in learning more? Contact us to book an appointment to speak with one of our financial advisors to learn more and determine the right allocation for you.
We handle all the paperwork required to move all or part of your eligible 403(b) accounts and do everything necessary to maintain it on your behalf.
ACCOUNTS WE’RE UNABLE TO SERVICE
Unfortunately, SUNY ORP contracts aren’t eligible at this time. Please call our office to talk about alternative ways we can help.
Special contracts like annuities can be a helpful investment vehicle, as they offer an income one cannot outlive. Today’s annuities offer tremendous flexibility, varied investment options and protection against market decline. These products feature a guarantee against principle loss that many investors find compelling. For additional piece of mind, our dynamic rebalancing service are available with certain annuity contracts.
In addition to helping you choose and manage your investments, we can help administer more complex account types such as beneficiary IRAs. These are retirement accounts that have been passed on by a deceased relative or friend. Upon receiving these accounts, it’s important to know that very specific tax laws must be adhered to in order to maintain the tax deferred nature and take the appropriate distributions from these plans. Nearly all of our investment product options are available for investment in your beneficiary IRA and we’ll handle all transfer paperwork, distribution calculations and tax withholdings for you.
Lastly, alternative investments, funds that invest in hard assets such as real estate or entrepreneurship, may be used to further diversity and stabilize portfolio returns. In exchange for more stable returns, these investments are often illiquid for several years, so they’re not for everyone.
Incorporating your values into your investment portfolio has never been easier or more effective. Contrary to popular belief, sacrificing returns is not necessary. Our extensive array of socially responsible portfolios can both exclude objectionable companies, and include industries you wish to support while still enjoying competitive returns.
Socially responsible investments are not limited to, but often include green, or eco-investments. Green investment portfolios can be made up of companies that support renewable energy, environmentally friendly products and practices, and lead the world toward more sustainable alternatives.
Combining your financial strategy with investments that make you feel good is one of our specialties. We’ll help create your values based investment policy to ensure you’re dollars align with your principles.
Ultra-affluent families frequently contend with the issues of future estate tax liabilities, family financial stewardship, philanthropy and dynasty planning. our diverse team of professionals will help you navigate these highly complicated issues and ensure the creation of the most effective strategies, as well as the subsequent required maintenance as tax laws and circumstances change.
Fees
You need full disclosure when it comes to the fees you’ll be paying for financial planning and/or investment management services. Prior to any commitment, you should understand exactly what services to expect, and exactly how much those services will cost.
We are fee based advisors. Fee based advice is rightfully required in a fiduciary relationship, and puts your advisor on the same side of the table. Insisting on a fiduciary relationship is the most important criteria in choosing a financial planner or investment advisor, as they’re legally required to act only in your best interest.
Fee based advisors are incentivized to produce long-term positive results, rather than being largely compensated upfront. Our investment fees can be found on our Annual Disclosure Form Form ADV Part 2 (PDF) | Form ADV Part 3 (PDF). Please note that discounts are applied to bundled services, which are based on the combination of products and services that would be most valuable to you.