What do “freedom” and “independence” mean to you?

The legendary singer Janis Joplin once claimed that “freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.” One of our Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, famously observed that “our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.”

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines freedom in many different ways. Here’s one such explanation that really stands out to us:

Freedom (n): the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action

In our industry, “freedom” and “independence” have a very particular meaning, especially for wealth advisors.

At FourStar Wealth Advisors, we pride ourselves on being an independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firm, which means we focus solely on serving our partners and clients’ needs.

Ultimately, we believe that money and wealth are tools that investors can use to achieve their dreams. There are many different ways to accomplish your goals, however. There is no one set path to walk. Everyone’s circumstances are unique, and it’s important to find the investment and wealth management solutions that are tailored to your specific, individual needs as an investor, a business owner, a parent, a citizen.

For too long, however, investors have found themselves having to navigate around the restrictions of old school “brokerage” firms, rather than client firms. By this, we mean firms where brokers are focused on selling investments for commission. In this arrangement, their main goal is moving inventory and their commitment is to the brands they service, rather than looking out for the best interests of their individual clients at all times.

For investors, then, working with an independent firm brings many distinct benefits, including:

  • Access to a much greater variety of investment products and tailored wealth management solutions
  • Assurance that your advisor’s focus is solely on serving your needs and acting in your best interest, rather than “making the sale”
  • Greater transparency, accountability, and personalized service from your advisor
  • Access to a broader selection of investment tools and services, including next generation technology and communication tools
  • Ability to discuss and explore “alternative” investment opportunities, including real estate, angel investing, philanthropy, and more

At the same time, freedom and independence are just as meaningful to financial professionals as they are to the clients they serve. For advisors, the ability to work at an independent firm can offer numerous advantages, including:

  • Increased ability to build your brand, as you see fit
    For advisors, greater independence means more flexibility and choice. Breaking away from the shackles of those restrictive old school firms means gaining more ability to define your path, on your terms. That may mean choosing to deliver the services you want to provide, work with the team you want to build, or create and share the brand you’ve always wanted to make for yourself.
  • Access to more cutting edge tools and resources
    With greater independence comes more of an opportunity to create and innovate, building your practice on your terms – not theirs. Often, “old school” firms offer advisors little more than “old fashioned” approaches to marketing, technology, and investment tools. Working with an independent advisor firm, such as FourStar, may mean expanding your personal toolbox and taking advantage of more innovative solutions, making things easier for yourself while expanding opportunities and service for your clients.
  • Freedom to manage your payouts, net worth, and business as you see fit.
    Broadly speaking, independent advisors have much greater freedom to charge what they feel is fair and reflective of the value of their services. Advisors working independently generally have more freedom to structure fees as they see fit, and select the payout structure that will allow them to build the book asset value – and the lifestyle – that they want to achieve.

 

FourStar Wealth Advisors: Bringing Freedom and Flexibility to Advisors and Investors

Four Star Wealth Advisors is a Registered Investment Advisor firm headquartered in Chicago, an independent firm directly focused on serving clients.

For investors? Whether you are accumulating wealth or investing for income, solidifying your retirement plan, or devising a distribution approach that meets your lifestyle and legacy goals, we believe success in achieving important financial goals starts with a comprehensive wealth strategy. We can help you define what is most important to you and then formulate the strategies that are suited for your needs.

For advisors? Since you are taking the career and financial risk of building your business, we believe that you should have the freedom to deliver the services you want, charge whatever you feel is fair, hire who you want and when you want, and build your brand, your way. We’re focused on providing advisors with the greatest number of choices while keeping things streamlined. The FourStar difference includes unparalleled transition support; efficient compliance services; access to our powerful technology suites, marketing tools, and communication services; access to an extensive network of complementary professionals; and specialization training services.

Have any questions? Does FourStar sound like a fit for you? Don’t hesitate to get in touch online or give us a call at (312) 667-1755 to keep the conversation going.

 

General Advertising Disclaimer

This article is provided by FourStar Wealth Advisors, LLC (“FourStar” or the “Firm”) for general informational purposes only.  This information is not considered to be an offer to buy or sell any securities or other investments. Investing involves the risk of loss and investors should be prepared to bear potential losses. Investments should only be made after thorough review with your investment advisor, considering all factors including personal goals, needs and risk tolerance. FourStar is a SEC registered investment adviser that maintains a principal place of business in the State of Illinois. The Firm may only transact business in those states in which it is notice filed or qualifies for a corresponding exemption from such requirements. For information about FourStar’s registration status and business operations, please consult the Firm’s Form ADV disclosure documents, the most recent versions of which are available on the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov/