Insight into how we work and think

Our overall philosophy is simple: to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we are privileged to serve.

We put our clients first. They know that they matter to us and that we care very much about them. We engage with them on both a personal and financial level to help address their ongoing goals, needs and aspirations – taking the hard stuff so they can focus on the fun stuff.

We focus on the long term, but when markets tumble, we realize that no one lives in the long term, they live in the day to day. This doesn’t mean we are day traders or constantly buying and selling, but we are managing, anticipating, adjusting and rebalancing investment strategies as needed.

A buy-and-hold philosophy doesn’t mean buy and forget.

BWS founder Danielle Blunt’s philosophy on investing

One of the best ways to help people build wealth over time is to not lose it in the first place.

Starting my career as a financial advisor in early 2000, I learned very quickly that the strong markets of the late 1990’s had many people taking on a lot more risk in their portfolios than they were aware of and it was very easy to get caught up in the hype of a strong market.

As a result, many people, including retirees, were overexposed to riskier equities than they realized and when the tech bubble burst, the loss in their portfolios reflected that. This does not mean our clients’ portfolios will not “fluctuate” in value, but there is a big difference between a basketball and a watermelon. Only one will bounce back after a drop.

We prefer to take a disciplined approach to investing focusing on quality companies with solid earnings with a focus on dividends that can be able to withstand market fluctuations and whatever economic and market environments come our way.

Rising income is the antidote for rising prices

Most of our clients are investing for income. Either income now or income later. Yes, we want to see our portfolio values increase over time, but remember, you don’t take your statements to the grocery store – you take your income to the grocery store. And more importantly, that income must increase over time to keep up with rising prices and maintain your lifestyle.

Asset location can be just as important as asset allocation

Most investors are familiar with asset allocation, yet asset location is just as important, as it can have a bigger impact on mitigating taxable income, generating tax-advantaged growth and keeping more of what you have worked so hard to save.

There are three main considerations to determining appropriate asset location: the type of account, the tax efficiency of the investment assets and the type and frequency of taxable events the investment(s) will experience.

Think of it this way, if asset allocation is what you invest in, asset location is where those investments are placed. Owning the “right investments” in the right accounts can influence returns (two steps forward). Owning the “right investments” in the wrong accounts can impose tax costs (one step back).

Our goal is for us to work together to implement these strategies so you can confidently live the life you desire and have earned.