Assessment

The initial assessment meeting sets the tone for much of the future course of a client relationship. This meeting is used for fact-finding and to identify and clarify a prospective client's financial needs, goals, timelines and risk objectives. 

As a first step, the investment professional will review and record all information pertinent to the creation of an appropriate investment plan including assets, liabilities, income, expenses and, as needed, other material documents such as trusts, wills, tax returns, life insurance policies, etc. This will enable the investment professional to create a "snapshot" of the prospective client's current financial status and investment strategy while providing a base of data for detailed analysis in the course of creating an investment plan. Obviously, all client and prospective client information is maintained on a strictly confidential basis.

In addition to this information-gathering component, the initial assessment meeting is utilized to carefully discuss a prospective client's investment history, experience and expectations. This discussion, and the prospective client's responses, will assist the investment professional in identifying their needs and goals, as well as the historical appropriateness of these objectives vis' a vis' the prospective client's timelines and their stated and implied risk tolerance.

Next, the initial assessment meeting provides an opportunity for the investment professional to discuss Early McClintic & McMillan's broad investment philosophy and the appropriateness, or inappropriateness, of this philosophy in terms of the prospective client's needs, goals, timelines and objectives. 

Finally, the investment professional will clearly and carefully discuss the firm's fee schedule, ensuring that the prospective client fully understands how, and how much, Early McClintic & McMillan would charge for advisory services.

At the conclusion of this discussion, the investment professional will answer any and all remaining questions, and, assuming that both the prospective client and the firm wish to further pursue the relationship, a joint decision will be made as to the timing of future steps.

Assessment | Allocation | Asset Management | Monitoring