Townsend Wealth Management’s Investment Management Services

Our investment management services are based on three core principles: we are a fiduciary, we are fee-only, and we are independent. As Registered Investment Advisors, and not stockbrokers or insurance agents, we are legally bound by a fiduciary obligation to make decisions in our clients’ best interests in everything we say and everything we do. We are held to a standard that is far beyond “suitability;” the fiduciary advice we provide and the investments we select must always be in our clients’ best interests.

As fee-only investment management service providers, 100% of firm revenue comes directly from our clients with an easy-to-understand invoice. With no hidden fees or non-cash benefits provided to our firm, our clients never need to question where our interests lie when we select investments. For example, we never accept commissions for the use of mutual funds, insurance, annuities, or any other financial product. We believe that even the most well-intentioned advisor could be influenced by a commission schedule in the back of their minds, and we’ve structured our business to avoid this possibility.

As independent wealth management advisors, we are free from the association with a large bank or corporation that may have objectives and priorities that don’t align with our clients’ best interests. We are nimble in our decision-making, and that allows us to always put our clients first.

We provide investment management services for individuals and families

Headquartered in Columbus, GA, we are permitted to serve clients in all 50 states. Our clients are individuals and families whose investment portfolios we manage typically represent their long-term retirement and family-legacy money.

We offer a comprehensive financial plan at no additional charge to all investment management clients. We believe investing in the context of a comprehensive financial plan helps achieve financial goals with greater confidence, lower stress, and fewer mistakes.

How Investment Management works with Townsend Wealth Management

From our offices in Columbus, GA, we serve clients throughout the United States. In addition to face-to-face meetings, we hold meetings by video and telephone conferencing. We provide initial consultations at no charge to help us and our clients ensure a good fit between our services and their needs.

To document the portfolio management program, we provide a written Investment Policy Statement to each client that details the return objectives, investment risks, portfolio constraints, and asset allocation targets. We provide timely information for the investment management program, including an online client portal with account information updated daily, a monthly snapshot of the markets and our expectations, and a detailed quarterly report of performance and portfolio positioning. We welcome ongoing discussions with our investment management clients and enjoy meeting for more in-depth portfolio reviews.

Townsend Wealth Management’s Investment Philosophy

We use a risk-based portfolio management process. Our initial discussions focus on downside risk to help the investment management client select a strategy that fits their personal risk tolerance and timeline. Once the downside risk tolerance is defined, we attempt to maximize returns within that constraint. We invest in global markets and believe the best way to maximize returns for a given risk profile is through effective asset allocation. We use analysis and judgement to determine the percentage of the portfolio to allocate to each asset class. We then thoroughly research fund managers to select what, in our opinion, are the best funds for each asset class and the overall portfolio. As independent, fee-only, fiduciary advisors, we make these investment selections with only our clients’ portfolio performance in mind.

Compensation for Investment Management Services

We are compensated for portfolio management services based on a percentage of assets under management. As an independent, fee-only firm, we do not receive commissions for the use of mutual funds, insurance, annuities, or any other financial product.