Hi Ad, I’m pleased you are following this community blog. As for my services, I am open for business.
Due to regulations, I cannot serve Canadians or a couple of other countries (unless those accounts are deemed to be institutional). But I have served clients as remote from the USA as mainland China and Vietnam. The firm I joined earlier in the year (in order to dispose of administration/compliance tasks so I could be 100% focused on client management) is unique. The bulk of clients and AUM of the other Financial Advisors is for people who reside from Mexico to Argentina, and, I believe, predominantly invested in bonds. But they also have many US-resident clients and they offer the same services as me.
My smallest account is one I recently took on at US$40,000, but regardless of size I invest in the same stocks (mostly natural resources and Gold & Silver Miners) and I maintain the same level of personal contact (phone, email, statement delivery) every month. I manage all types of accounts (e.g., individual, joint, IRA, etc).
As a fiduciary, I must get to know each client and I need them to understand me as well. The difference I represent has been best explained by a retired CFA in Thailand. He says that I invest in things that are real, and that I spend the time to understand them.
On the home page, I put up a link to my firm’s Investment Advisory Agreement and to the personal brochure (ADV) that regulators require. From 1981-2001 I was regulated in Canada and from November 2008 until April this year by the SEC and from the end of March to the present by the State of Florida as the primary regulator. My clients, while relatively few in number, are worldwide.
Like many registered Financial Advisors I would like to take on more clients as I am paid a percentage of the assets I manage (which in my case is 1.65% at the maximum). Brokerage costs at IBKR are relatively small. For institutional and large retail accounts, I can also use the Schwab/Ameritrade platform.
All my clients use Interactive Brokers (IBKR), which I help set up if needed. The account is owned by the client and controlled by the broker IBKR (https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/home.php). My client agreement allows me to manage only the trading in the account. I cannot put money or securities in or remove them from the account. The client has the same access to the account screens and information (reports etc) that I do. Any time a client wants me to cease trading, they can do that directly with IBKR with 72-hours notice. In all my years, no client has ever done that.
If you find this appealing, then I look forward to your contacting me at [email protected] (all of which is available to securities regulators) or personally at [email protected]. Once a client, all communications are regulated.
November 8, 2020 6:03 am
Hello Bill. Long time reader, very rare commenter. Thank you for all you do. Where would I find information about utilising your services/accounts and minimum starting amounts please?
All the best
Ad