Growing And Improving To Serve You Better

As an independent registered investment adviser, I often speak to my clients about what it means to be a fiduciary; to be held to the highest standard of care and to act in the best interest of our clients at all times.

Being a fiduciary refers to not only how we manage your accounts every day, but also how we are building Aevitas Wealth Management (AWM) so that we are a better partner for you and your families for decades to come. While my communications with you are generally about the economy, financial markets, politics, and changes in laws that may impact your financial picture, the goal of this communication is to touch base with an update on the state of AWM and what our team is doing to grow and become better for our clients.

Approximately five years ago we embarked on a long-term strategic plan to better address how we could improve, and as the first step, we changed the name of the firm to Aevitas Wealth Management as we felt it best represented our goals and mission. Aevitas [a-vee-tis] is a Latin word meaning endless time, enduring forever, and associated with lasting through generations. Many of our clients are referring their children and grandchildren to our firm for planning needs as they begin careers and families. Aevitas is a name we believe represents the longevity of the firm, our relationship with you, and our dedication to helping you and your families work toward meeting your financial goals.

I am delighted to report that we continue to grow, and your continued business, and many referrals are why we succeed. I am thankful to have such wonderful clients and to maintain strong client retention that is second to none in the industry. I continue to love what I do, working with my clients for over 32 years now (I started when I was only ten!), and I plan to continue for many years to come. I have also been working to build our team with talented, younger, team members to help take care of our continually growing client base, including the next generation of clients and investors.

In the last year, we have added two additional team members to assist us in meeting these goals. With more team members, we are also hoping to expand the level of service and communications we provide you as our valuable clients. We continue to strive to do better! To that end, more and more clients are taking advantage of additional services including comprehensive financial planning, alternative investment options such as digital platforms, and using our eMoney portal to view and track your financial situation. We hope that our services continue to grow to help meet our clients’ ever-changing needs.

A “hot” topic for discussion among investment advisers, and all business owners, no matter the industry, is the importance of business continuity, contingency and succession planning. I hear more and more questions from our clients on this topic, and as a fiduciary, this is essential in making sure our clients are cared for in the event I get hit by the proverbial bus, or even in the event of a short-term disruption such as a snowstorm knocking out power for a few days. I certainly do not plan on going anywhere and look forward to running AWM for decades to come, but it is the best interest of our clients to do this necessary planning. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed a rule requiring RIAs to have written business continuity and transition plans, and we expect this to become a requirement at some point. Our clients can be assured that we are working hard to make sure that we are prepared in the event of a business disruption, even if it is only for a few hours.

Moving forward with our longer-term plans; in the coming months, I hope to map out a succession plan for each of my team members to allow them the opportunity to have some ownership in AWM. While my son Max hopes to be a team member after college (he is only 15 but has inherited my love for investing!), team members committed to the longer-term mission of this firm will be able to have a more invested role in the growth and continuation of the firm for many years to come. Amy Resnic, as Adviser and Chief Compliance Officer, will continue to expand her role in the firm this year as we approach nine years together, and I hope that all of my team members will expand their roles as well. I feel extremely fortunate to have colleagues on my staff that believe in our mission of providing the best possible service to our clients today and every day into the future.

My dream has always been to build a business based on mutual respect and trust – after all, you’ve entrusted our firm with your goals and assets that you have worked hard to accumulate. As our name suggests, the next generation of clients should be well taken care of now and in the future. Part of being a good adviser to my clients is making sure the firm is doing everything possible to stay healthy and in good standing. I remind clients all of the time that my youngest child is only 12, and I plan on running AWM for MANY more years, but as a business owner, I also understand the importance of protecting the business for the benefit of our clients.

As always, we will continue to communicate with you regularly. I plan to work with you for a very long time and appreciate your continued business and support.

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