"> Our Client Experience - Argent Bridge Advisors

Our Client Experience

HOW WE'LL HELP YOU

ACHIEVE YOUR WEALTH GOALS

We are an independent advising firm of Wealth Advisors & CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS™ serving generations of families in wealth planning. Our focus is connecting uncertainty with clarity through education, empowerment, and connection.

We want you to understand your options, give you all the information to make the most educated decision, and walk side-by-side with you through the process to help you meet your life’s biggest goals. Our team of advisors is dedicated to one thing – your success.

We engage our clients in a variety of wealth management and future planning services, including:

  • Financial Organization and Accountability
  • Capital Preservation Solutions
  • Investment Management
  • Retirement Readiness
  • Education, Charitable and Family Gifting Strategies
  • Legacy Transfer Strategies
  • Life insurance/Long Term Care
  • Concentrated Stock and Stock Option Analysis
  • Coordination of Planning with Attorney and Accountant
  • C-Suite Executive Retirement and Legacy Planning
  • Pre- and Post-Divorce Financial Analysis and Planning

OUR THREE-PRONG

APPROACH

Education

We’re committed to offering independent, researched information and resources to help you make the best decision. We strive to educate you on:

  • Investment Basics
  • Investor Behavior
  • Risk Mitigation
  • Lifetime Earnings
  • Stock Market Perspective
  • Portfolio Income
  • Tax Reform & Policy Changes
  • Wealth Management Options

Empowerment

Through our education strategies, you’ll get confidence in our process to make the best financial decisions for your future and goals. The process includes:

  • Goal-Based Planning
  • Ongoing, proactive Investment Monitoring
  • On-demand delivery of information
  • Real-time portfolio updates
  • Multi-generational investing programs

Connection

We have a true vested interest in you and your success. We want to be part of your circle and celebrate as you achieve your wealth goals with you.

As pillars in our community, we have close connections with a network of specialty attorneys, realtors, divorce lawyers, mediators, judges, mental health coaches, and more that serve as valuable resources for our clients.

Working with us means having a team on your side that truly cares.

ARE WE A

GOOD MATCH?

When you partner with Argent Bridge Advisors, you become part of our family of exclusive clients and team members who value your success.

Who We Serve

Sudden Wealth Advisors

Multi-Generational Wealth

Multi-generational wealth planning helps ensure that a family’s wealth and legacy are properly managed and passed from one generation to the next, ensuring a healthy financial picture endures to benefit younger generations.

We are a multi-generational team serving multi-generations, which allows us to offer a unique perspective that allows us to understand your unique needs and make custom plans accordingly.

Retirement & Estate Planning

Planning  ahead  is  your  most  important  asset  for  a secure  future  and  comfortable  life  for  you  and  your  family.

Our  Wealth  Advisors  are  well-adverse  in  providing comprehensive  retirement  and  estate planning.

Nothing  is  ever  guaranteed,  but  our   goal   at   Argent  Bridge   Advisors   is   to   future  -   proof   your  finances   in   order   to   provide  you   comfort  and   security.

Executive & Entrepreneurial Planning

You've tirelessly pushed yourself and toiled endlessly to achieve great things in your professional life. Whether you've started a successful business or you're a C-Suite executive who has risen through the corporate ranks, we're here to support your financial goals with your wealth.

Let us help you take your achievements to the next level by creating a fortified financial plan to achieve your wealth goals.

Divorce

We know how long and arduous it is to get divorced, especially if there is a high amount of investable assets. The process can be confusing to navigate, but Argent Bridge Advisors is here to help. With two CERTIFIED DIVORCE FINANCIAL ADVISORS® on staff, we make a powerful addition to any team assisting with divorce.

Our divorce program is separate from our financial planning programs, so there is no long-term commitment required. Our connections in the community include estate attorneys, divorce lawyers, mediators, judges, mental health coaches, and more - they serve as valuable pillars in our divorce program.

To learn more about our Divorce initiatives, click here.

Other Services

As independent advisors, we're dedicated to meeting your unique needs. We accept many clients from various walks of life to assist with meeting their wealth goals.

If we haven't mentioned your unique situation, reach out to us. We're always looking to bring clarity to all sorts of wealth planning.

CLIENT

QUALIFICATIONS

As a general rule, our financial planning clients have at least $1M in investable assets. Our in-depth knowledge and experience make us well-equipped to manage the complexities of higher value assets.

SERVING

YOUR NEEDS

At Argent Bridge Advisors, we're dedicated to our clients and passionate about delivering solutions to empower you to make the most of your wealth. We offer a variety of services and we're dedicated to helping to assist with...

  • Financial Organization and Accountability
  • Capital Preservation Solutions
  • Investment Management
  • Retirement Readiness
  • Education, Charitable, and Family Gifting Strategies
  • Legacy Transfer Strategies
  • Life Insurance and Long-Term Care
  • Concentrated Stock and Stock Option Analysis
  • Coordination of Planning with Attorney and Accountant

YOU MIGHT BE

WONDERING

What's a Certified Financial Planner™?

CFP® professionals take a holistic, personalized approach to bring all the pieces of your financial life together. As part of the CFP® certification, CFP® professionals also have made a commitment to the CFP Board to act as a fiduciary when providing financial advice to a client.

This means we are committed to putting your best interests first, so we can provide you confidence today and a secure tomorrow.

The CFP® Board of Standards administers and manages all initial and ongoing certification

What's an Independent Firm?

Being independent means that we are free to choose from almost any investment company, product type, market sector, cost structure, and tactical outlook. We do this with a mind for transparency, liquidity, and simplicity.

Independence allows us to operate primarily on a fee basis which simplifies the cost of services for the client and allows us to move forward with the goal of scaling down the cost as assets may grow. Additionally, fee-based investing encourages us to include cost-effective investment vehicles like ETFs and institutional-share mutual funds.

What is a Certified Divorce Financial Planner® (CDFA®)?

A CDFA® is a financial professional who has the requisite test results and experience level to be certified to help people navigate the specific money issues that come up during a divorce.

What is a Fiduciary Financial Advisor?

A fiduciary financial advisor is an investment professional who is licensed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state regulators. Fiduciary advisors are important for clients because they are legally required to put clients' interests ahead of their own.

FINANCIAL vs DIVORCE

PLANNING

We're dedicated to catering to the unique needs of each client and recognize that our divorce planning clients require different support than our standard financial planning clients.

We want to support you through all of your life changes, but understand that sometimes our role is simply temporary. But, remember, our doors are always open for you.

Click here to learn more about your divorce planning options.

What It's Like Working with a CDFA

Want to learn more about working with a Certified Financial Divorce Analyst® to help navigate your divorce? Click here to watch the video and see what it's like to have an Argent Bridge Advisor CDFA® on your team. If you're still curious about how Argent Bridge Advisors can help you with a fortified divorce plan, click here to learn more.

We Can Support You With

  • Marital vs Separate Assets
  • Balance Sheet of Assets and Liabilities 
  • Income and Expenses
  • Tax Consequences from Asset Division 
  • Pension Valuations
  • Cash Settlements for Misuse of Marital Funds
  • Restricted Stock Options 
  • Spousal Support Analysis
  • Cash in Lieu of Support 
  • Witness/Trial Testimony 
  • On-Call During Mediation Negotiations or Court Settlements 

OUR APPROACH TO

INVESTING

Asset Allocation

The most primary tenet of investing for our clients is diversification. Investing across multiple asset classes is a fundamental principle at Argent Bridge Advisors.

We believe it not only avoids the risks of being too concentrated, but also gains exposure to segments which perform well. These include US stocks, international stocks, emerging market stocks, real estate, commodities, and multiple types of bonds among others.

Independent and Fee-Based

Our pragmatic approach to investing is to start with asset allocation, focus on risk control, pick from the best investment vehicles out there, and select investments which have a superior balance of performance, risk, and cost.

We follow this up with constant monitors and periodic reevaluation at the allocation level, investment strategy level, and right down to the client portfolio level. Investment management is just one element of financial planning and we believe our diligent, patient investment approach forges the way for client success.

WEEKLY MARKET

INSIGHTS

Each week, Joe Gallemore, CIMA® Partner & Director of Investment Management for Argent Bridge Advisors, gives his insights on the state of the markets and potential futures. Here are some of his most recent updates!

[Market Recap] Cup of Joe: February 2024 Market Update

 

MARKETS IN JANUARY

Asset classes were mixed in January.  US large cap and Intl stocks were slightly positive, while mid and small cap stocks gave back some gains from Q4.  Bonds held steady close to even with an income yield still above 4%.

Economy seemingly on good footing

Economic output is strong. GDP exceeded expectations for both Q4 and 2023.

Employment is staying strong as well. Jobs Data far exceeding Wall St expectations.  Economy has added over 750,000 jobs in the last two months.

What the Fed is watching is close to the range they want.  Fed’s preferred inflation measure is starting to stabilize near a level they’ve been targeting.

Let’s greet this positive data with cautious optimism. There are still many cross-currents moving beneath the surface of the stock indexes that signal a slowdown is still very much a possibility.

Managers of the strategies we use like to focus on quality companies that manage debt well, have competitive advantages in their business models, and have resilient streams of cash flow.  So in an environment where interest rates are higher and consumer spending may slow down, owning businesses with very strong fundamentals is a great position from which to start.

What do we focus on now?

Putting cash to work

MMKT funds are very short-term vehicles and are among the first things to lower payouts rates when the Fed eventually cuts interest rates.

The Fed doesn’t even need to cut rates for the payout to decrease.  The expectation of rate cuts starts to get baked into the prices in the short term bond market and will start weighing on the yield of your savings accounts.

Rebalancing your investment accounts

We’ve been rebalancing the assets we over see for you.

If you got more conservative in your 401K, 403B, or Thrift Savings account, don’t forget about it and let it sit there.  Make sure to rebalance it back to your long-term target allocation.

Still expect volatility. And along with that, expect some of the unexpected.

Now is the time to be disciplined investors, and be comfortable with some uncertainty, while keeping your eyes on the growth to be had once things really improve.

 

Joe Gallemore, CIMA®, Partner
Director of Investment Management

 

[Market Recap] Cup of Joe: January 2024 Market Update

 

Well 2023 is history, and what an interesting year it was.  

  • Wall St started the year with an overwhelming consensus that recession was imminent.
  • The Fed hiked rates 4 times this past year but has paused since August.
  • The S&P 500 ended the year with the Top 10 names accounting for 32% of the index! And were responsible for 86% of the return (according to JPMorgan).

Review of 2023 

  • Hot out of the gate: Fed ended 2022 with its first decline in rate hikes, so investors started looking farther down the road.
  • Regional Banking ‘crisis’: Lasted about 5-6 weeks
  •  Spring/Summer acceleration: Lead to a Frothy market, where stock prices were way ahead of fundamentals.
  •  3 Month Lull: the economic data started to catch up and suggest that risk of recession was still substantial. The Fed first paused rate hikes and started talking about keeping rates higher for longer.
  •  Nov/Dec Rally: Persistently positive economic data continued to roll in and the equity and bond indexes reaccelerated sharply.  The big distinguisher this time though, is that the rally was seen across the board, not just in a handful of stocks.
  • Summary: There were 5 main segments to market performance last year but each one was peppered with sharp reversals in the direction it was trending at the time.  These relatively short pockets of volatility can feel unnerving, they are confusing, and they invite doubt as to whether changes to the plan need to be made.

What’s ahead in 2024?  No one knows, so stay invested!

  • Recession is still possible but is less likely than before.  Opinion on market return varies widely.  No one predicted a 2023 of +26% containing a -10% drawdown and the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th biggest bank failures in US history.
  •  If inflation continues to stabilize, its expected that the Fed will start cutting rates in small increments. This would be a big positive for markets and the economy.   But rate cuts are not promised and there are several factors that could cause the Fed to pause for longer.

 One key thing is to stay invested. 

  • Even if the Fed is in wait and see mode, the market will likely operate in fits & starts as the economy tries to get going again.
  • Geo-political tension is high right now.  If these tensions were to take sharp turns, it indeed may cause the market to hiccup.  One thing that’s a fact is that markets persevere through geopolitical events.
  • The Fed may be done raising rates. Unexpected fallout from high rates may reel its ugly head again.  External events, totally out of the blue, might pop up as they always seem to do.
  • This is just a friendly reminder to stay the course no matter what. Missing only a few days of good returns can significantly affect your long term outcome.  Staying invested is always the way to go.

Principles for 2024

  • Have another look at your company retirement plan and share details with your advisor.  How much you contribute and when(!) can make a big difference.
  • Don’t jump to make investment changes.  A calendar year turnover is a psychological trap when it comes to your portfolio.  Investing exists on a continuum, which moves in cycles.  We did rebalance portfolios twice in Q4 to position for the road ahead.
  • Reminder, IRA contributions for 2023 can be made up until you file taxes.  So if you haven’t done that, you maybe still can.  If you’re unsure about eligibility, ask us.
  • Savings rates are great now, but these are not expected to last forever; and yields on money market funds are the first to decline when the rate cycle turns over.  So lets get together and strategize about putting excess cash to work in a more sustainable plan.

 

Joe Gallemore, CIMA®, Partner
Director of Investment Management

 

[Market Recap] Cup of Joe: December Market Update

1.   2023 has generally been a good year for equities, but be mindful of index concentration

  • As of 11/30, for 2023 just about all stock indexes are in the black.  The S&P 500 is up a handsome +20%, but that’s not the case for most of the other equity asset classes.
  • We spoke a lot this year about the major US large cap indexes becoming more concentrated in the largest names. Performance for the S&P 500 and Russell 1000 indexes has been dominated by the Magnificent 7.  As of 11/30, the Mag 7 stocks are collectively up over +65%. The remaining stocks in the S&P 500 are up around 9%.  S&P Midcap 400 is +7.1% and S&P Small cap 600 is +2.9%.  Point is, there has been a WIDE disparity in performance outside of those 7 largest stocks.
  •  
    2.   Great time to be diversified

  • I’ve been listening to a lot of investment strategist calls, which include outlooks for 2024, and a common theme I’ve observed is that there seems to be many buying opportunities in both stocks and bonds.
  • In stocks, outside of the largest US companies, many pockets are trading at or below their historical averages.
  • In bonds, the current high interest rates can provide some nice income as a baseline return.  And the prospect of future rate cuts is attractive for owning bonds as well because when rates go down, prices go up.
  • So though a prudently balanced portfolio has faced challenges in recent years, the current outlook for diversification looks promising.

     
     
    3.   Takeaways from our Investment Committee

  • In the 4th quarter, as the risk of a recession in the US remained substantial, we trimmed exposure to the more sensitive assets classes and maintained the hedge on US large cap stocks.
  •  

  • At our most recent meeting we discussed adjusting investments in the bond portion of accounts to take advantage of when interest rates are eventually lowered.
  •  

  • Also we’ve had thoughtful discussions on how our portfolios are built to weather a potential recession and/or market corrections, and additionally what to do next after those risks dissipate.
  •  


    Joe Gallemore, CIMA®, Partner

    OUR PARTNERS IN

    SUCCESS

    Custodian

    Custodian

    Broker/Dealer

    Asset Management Firms

    I'M READY TO CHAT!

    PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME.

    We'd love to connect with you and work together to build a bridge to your successful financial future.