Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the minimum I have to invest to do business with you?
Though we do not have a "minimum" dollar amount that needs to be invested, what we find is that we have the most success with clients who have $250,000.00 or more (or will have) to invest. The reason for this is simple; it is around the $250,000 level that we are able to provide more truly customized portfolios for clients versus the everyday, run-of-the-mill portfolios offered by non-independent advisors. Additionally, to meet the requirements for our Highly Concentrated Equity Strategies, the client must have a minimum of $1,000,000.00 of stock eligible to be invested.

Q. How are you different from my other advisors?
As independent advisors, we have a full range of strategies available for our clients which are not based on the "pay-to-play" idea which is implemented in some non-independent firms. Additionally, without having the tremendous overhead of multi-level managers, scores of fixed assets, bondholders or shareholders, we run a very profitable yet lean business with the cost savings being passed on to our clients in the form of lower fees and better client service. Additionally, because we do not have any company mandated goals, our goals are simply to help our clients achieve theirs; and with the lack of overhead of the bigger investment firms, we are able to work with fewer clients spending more time with each of them to achieve their goals.

Q. How safe is my money and who holds it?
LPL Financial's SIPC membership provides account protection up to a maximum of $500,000 per customer, of which $100,000 may be in cash. For an explanatory brochure, please visit www.sipc.org.

Additionally, through Lloyd's of London, LPL Financial accounts have additional securities protection to cover the net equity of customer accounts up to an overall aggregate firm limit of $750,000,000, subject to conditions and limitations. Please contact the Legal Department at LPL Financial for further information.

The account protection applies when a SIPC member firm fails financially and is unable to meet its obligations to securities clients, but it does not protect against losses from the rise and fall in the market value of investments. This extensive coverage reflects a strong commitment to serving your investment needs.

Q. Do you put all clients in the same investments?
We do not believe in pigeon-holing every client into the same strategy simply to try and "make it fit." Experience tells us that most of the time when an advisor would pigeon-hole multiple clients in the same investment it would be due to lack of offerings, a lack of time to spend understanding the client's needs, or a combination of both. At Lawson Winchester we have no lack of strategic offerings or time to spend with our clients so neither of these is an issue when it comes to investments portfolios. Therefore Lawson Winchester clients have completely independent portfolios based on their independent needs.

Q. How often do you contact your clients?
Each client is different and therefore our contact systems range from daily to semi-annually. Some clients simply do not want to be bothered so we contact them only when there has been or needs to be a material change in their portfolio or strategy. Other clients prefer to be more active or, by necessity (such as a trustee) needs to be involved in every transaction. Lawson Winchester does not subscribe to the pigeon-hole theory where all clients can be put into one category. We understand that there may be times where clients do not need our immediate attention and then need a tremendous amount of help in a short period of time (such as a death in the family or an impending retirement).

Q. How much do I need to know about the investment strategies you offer?
We encourage our clients to be knowledgeable about their plans and holdings, but find that most prefer to enjoy the results of the plans and strategies we implement. While it is fair to say that we educate our clients as to the purpose of all transactions, many prefer to spend their time building a relationship of trust with us where the knowledge they desire is simply, "is our plan still working to meet my needs?" Very few desire to know how, but we most certainly oblige them by providing as much information as possible.

Q. How much risk is too much? How do you determine risk tolerance?
One of the biggest problems we run into is when a client refers a friend and the friend says, "I want the same thing he has!" These two may be best friends, work at the same company making the same amount of money, they may even plan to retire at the same time. Risk tolerance, however, is much more a function of coping with the volatility of all markets (stock, bond, and interest rate) than it is money. No two clients are alike so we use an in-depth interview process with both quantitative and qualitative questions to determine every clients risk tolerance.

Q. Why should I switch from my conservative positions (CD's and bonds) and allow Lawson Winchester to manage my money?
At Lawson Winchester we use conservative investments such as CD's and Bonds where and when appropriate. What we have found is that many of our formerly "conservative" clients have realized that using the traditionally conservative products may preserve their principal, but does very little to help grow their assets after adjusted for inflation: furthermore, these types of conservative investments may actually hurt clients if they find themselves in the clutches of assisted living or expensive medical bills. Keep in mind that the majority of medical expenses are experienced in the last 3 years of life.

CD's are FDIC insured and offer a fixed rate of return, alternatives are not. Bonds are subject to interest rate risk if sold prior to maturity. Investments in securities such as stocks and bonds, involve risk such as loss of principal.