Research-based.
In everything we do.
Who we are.
Let’s start with the obvious.
Clearstone is a personal wealth planning and investment management firm that started in Eastern Washington and North Idaho and has added offices in Whitefish, Montana and Nashville, Tennessee.
But that’s just part of the story.
After learning about your financial situation and goals, we create customized wealth and investment strategies tailored to your objectives. Once in place, we continuously monitor your progress to keep you on track to reach the wealth goals set for yourself and those you love.
When you work with us you’ll find that we are:
Personal. We are a “boutique firm with a deliberate focus.” Our clients receive the personalized advisory attention they deserve. They don’t get lost in a corporate structure. They aren’t shuffled around from one advisor to another. They receive more than “cookie-cutter” solutions for their financial and investment challenges.
Experienced. Our clients live across the country and – literally – next door! They include those planning to retire and those already retired, business owners, partners and professionals, corporate executives and managers, realtors, other self-employed professionals, and their families. Our comprehensive wealth planning is designed to help them achieve their life and financial goals.
Disciplined. Our investment decisions are grounded on research and executed with discipline. First, we take an evidence-based review of investments to separate the ones more likely to grow from those that have unnecessary risks and costs. Then, drawing from the selected assets we create custom portfolios that reflect the goals and expectations of our clients. Finally, the markets and investments are regularly reviewed and, when necessary, adjusted to either help grow or protect the value of the account.
Selective. Our partnership with a leading independent investment research firm gives us access to sophisticated tactical portfolios designed to optimize returns while minimizing risks. Trading decisions are based on short-, medium-, long-, and seasonal-term timeframes that ensure a disciplined and objective approach to investment decisions. In addition, we utilize the research capabilities of Dimensional Funds Advisors (DFA), an industry leader known for having more Nobel Prize-winning laureates on their research team than any other. DFA only works with approved leading firms such as CWM.
Expansive. Alternative investments in real estate, infrastructure, natural resources, and other categories can be attractive because of their potential to diversify long-only investment portfolios consisting of stocks, bonds, and cash. Under the right circumstances, we believe well-researched alternative investments can improve the client’s overall investment experience.
Inclusive. We are experts at helping people transition to retirement or, as frequently happens, to a new season of “financial freedom. ” In this, we go beyond traditional wealth accumulation and include every source of retirement income into a tax-efficient, comprehensive plan. In addition to their retirement and investment portfolios, we help clients bring their Social Security strategy, pensions, stock options, deferred compensation, and even the potential sale of a privately owned business, into a reliable stream of retirement income.
Learners. Through continuing professional development and ongoing training, we are always looking for ways to improve our knowledge and skills to better serve our clients. Our certification with Investments & Wealth Institute® was developed in collaboration with the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and is maintained through a vigorous structure of ongoing education. Additionally, we participate in research, compliance, tax, estate planning and other seminars to gain insight that will help our clients.
That’s who we are. When you’re ready, we’d enjoy learning about you.
Why I founded Clearstone.
My roots are in the Midwest where I was born in Minnesota, raised in Iowa (both the state and the state of mind – GO HAWKEYES!), and lived in Illinois before packing the U-Haul and moving our family to the Pacific Northwest. It was here my wife and I discovered we enjoyed taking long motorcycle trips, going to the ocean, and watching our kids become adults.
After completing my master’s degree in business, I went to work for a large CPA/Consulting firm where I helped small business owners and their families who were starting their transition to retirement; a process that was met by a number of expected and unexpected challenges.
In this, the owners were not alone. Many executives, licensed professionals, self-employed entrepreneurs, and their families have questions regarding the value and sale (or transfer) of their small business, stock options, deferred income, and other non-conforming investments. Unless these are brought together into a solid, unified, and comprehensive plan, their retirement dreams could fall short.
Others simply, “Don’t know.” By this I mean, they don’t know if they are ready to retire. They don’t know if their portfolio is invested correctly. They don’t know how to protect (or “cover”) their assets in a market downturn. And because they don’t know, the experience stress and fear and an uncertain financial future.
That’s why I started Clearstone. We are committed to helping people understand and work through their financial and retirement challenges so that they can enjoy their life without having to deal with uncertainty and fear.
In other words, we help you define a worry-free “rich life” and create plans and investment strategies to support what’s important to you.
Paul Brown M.A., RMA®
Founder/CEO
What we do.
FIDUCIARY PERSPECTIVE
You care for your family. In fact, you probably, instinctively, make choices each day that are best for them. That’s what we do. As fiduciaries, we are held to the highest conduct of care in the financial industry and are required to advise and act in your best interests. At all times. It’s a high standard. But one that we have embraced from day one.
RETIREMENT FOCUS
As you start thinking about retirement, the rules change. You’re no longer focusing on how much you have, but how long can you make your investments last. For us, retirement planning is an ongoing process; one that adapts and changes with your life, your goals, and the challenges you face. We understand the challenges and opportunities you face, and we will use our expertise to help you enjoy this important season of your life.
INCOME PLANNING
It’s not just how much you have in your retirement accounts. It’s how your entire wealth can work together to support your retirement dream. Our retirement planning is a process, not just a plan. One that changes and adapts to keep up with your changing circumstances and desires.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
In any investment portfolio, each asset should have a purpose and support your unique situation, your objectives, and even your level of comfort. Before creating your investment strategy, we take time to get to know you. And then we create an overall plan that meets your needs. We start with you.
ADVANCED PLANNING
Business owners, corporate executives, and others require advanced planning. Owners will need to consider the best way to leave their business to support their goals. Executives may have to plan around their stock options, deferred bonuses, and NQDC. We take the complexity of their situation and bring it into a solid plan.
TAX PLANNING
Today’s tax environment is constantly changing. And in this environment, proactive tax planning can add thousands of dollars to the funds available during your retirement. We find ways to help our clients save on their taxes, and create withdrawal strategies from their taxable, tax-deferred and tax-free accounts that reduce their tax liabilities.
ESTATE AND LEGACY PLANNING
Is your estate plan current? Does it direct your wealth where you want it to go in an efficient and clear manner? By working with a national and local network of estate planning professionals, we guide clients through the process that brings an updated plan that reflects their family and legacy desires.
RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS
Today, the majority of Americans are responsible for their retirement planning yet most have not received any instruction as to how this should be done. Because we consider our client’s “entire” wealth, we help them manage their 401(k) plans, making certain this is aligned with their overall strategy.
Frequently asked questions.
What makes Clearstone Personal Wealth Management a good choice for me?
At Clearstone, we provide personal and comprehensive wealth management. This means that our first commitment is to listen so that we can get to know you as we build a meaningful long-term relationship that stretches through each season of your personal and financial life.
- As we learn what’s important to you, we create a financial plan and investment strategy unique to your life and changing situation. One designed to meet the near-term and long-term goals you have for yourself and those you love.
- If your circumstances or your life or your goals change, we quickly respond and make the adjustments needed to keep everything on track.
- Of course, we carefully watch for any legal, tax, or other changes that can impact your plans. When necessary, we will review these with you and make certain you understand the steps we are taking to minimize them or to take advantage of new opportunities.
- Our long-term, disciplined investment philosophy has been built upon decades of research and studies. You can be confident that your unique portfolio is regularly reviewed and rebalanced as needed to maintain its alignment with your goals and expectations.
- As fiduciaries, we are held to the most stringent legal standards in the financial industry; standards that we wholeheartedly embrace! Consequently, we will always put your interests first. Always.
- We do not receive any commissions or payments from third parties for any of our investment recommendations. Consequently, when made they are free from any conflicts of interest.
- We review and advise on your entire wealth and not just your investments. Your business, your career, your real estate, your rental properties, your stock options … everything is brought into a single comprehensive plan so that your entire wealth is working to support your goals.
- Even though we will meet regularly, we are always accessible to help you with your wealth and financial life.
We know that you are working hard to achieve your financial goals. We will do the same.
Do I have to live near you to work with you?
In a word: No.
Because of our special focus on serving the needs of business owners and licensed professionals, we have had to structure our business so that we can easily and effectively work with anyone from any location. Consequently, we serve clients all over the country. In short, we can serve you no matter where you live, or where you move to!
How do we do this?
Many of our meetings are held through video conferencing and screen sharing. And for those who prefer to meet face-to-face, we try to schedule our travel so that we can meet with you or, if you would rather come to us, we help you make plans for your visit to either Whitefish, Montana or Nashville, Tennessee.
How do I know if I’m a good fit?
That’s a great question.
First, we want to remind you that we strive to build long-term and lasting relationships with our clients so that they can be confident that someone is standing with them and ready to help through each season of their personal and financial life. For this reason, you need to be confident that we are the right place for you.
On our part, when we first meet we’ll be open and transparent about our approach and allow you to ask us any question that might be important to you. But in our experience, we think you would be a good fit for Clearstone if:
- You think it is important to work with someone who treats you as a person, and not an account; someone who takes the time to listen and learn about you before doing anything else.
- You believe your entire wealth – your investments, your business, your career, your practice, your real estate, all of it – should be a part of your comprehensive financial plan.
- You want to work with a team that is dedicated to helping you achieve and enjoy the life you want.
- You want someone who will design and manage your investment and retirement portfolios to support your life, your situation, your goals, your uniqueness.
- You’re not just looking for an advisor, but a “partner” to help you understand your present situation and help you see what your future could look like.
- You want someone who will proactively reach out to you when the market is going through a period of sustained losses, and not just when things are going well.
- You understand and value the advice professionals can bring to this important part of your life.
Is there a fee for an initial call or meeting with you?
Absolutely not!
A lot can happen during our initial meeting. Whether this takes place face-to-face or online, you need to know enough about us for you to decide whether or not you think we are right for you.
During this first meeting, we’ll try to learn as much as we can about you and why you reached out to us. We’ll try to learn about your life, your situation, your family, your priorities, your concerns. We’ll probably talk about your long-term goals and your experiences, both good and bad, that you’ve had with other advisors.
We’ll answer your questions and probably end up giving you some things that we hope will be beneficial to you. Our goal, remember, isn’t to “sell” you on us. But to help you decide whether or not you think we are the right place for you to build a long-term relationship.
Do you have an investment minimum?
We do not have a minimum size investment.
As a client, what services are included?
PERSONAL. WEALTH MANAGEMENT.
More than a phrase, this is the heart of everything we do for our clients.
We know that your life and your financial goals are as unique as your DNA. That’s why we strive to build genuine, lasting relationships that enable us to quickly understand and support you through any changes that you and your family might face.
For this reason, we provide comprehensive financial planning and create customized portfolios specifically designed for you. And if things change, we’ll be right there to guide you through your next challenge or help you take advantage of the next opportunity.
RETIREMENT PLANNING AND PRIORITY SETTING
We focus on retirement planning. Because we’ve found that by taking this long view your other priorities will also be addressed.
At the core of our planning, we will work with you to set up a “Household Balance Sheet” or, as we like to say around here, your HHBS. More than a financial road-map, this provides a base from which we can start your plan and begin the process of your life-time strategies. We’ll look at your wages, your projected pension and social security, we’ll include the sale (as well as the timing of the sale) of your business, or real estate, or anything else that will support your retirement. If you want to take a break from work (really, people do this!) we’ll show you how much this will cost. We’ll make sure we cover your medical costs. And we’ll plan your retirement income around strategies that will reduce your taxes thereby increasing the amount you have to spend on … whatever you want to spend it on!
Then, as things change (such as tax laws, regulations, your interests, your life) we’ll adjust the plan so that you’ll always have a clear picture of where you are, and where you are heading.
TAX AND ESTATE PLANNING
We’ll review your estate plan so that it is up to date and still supports your legacy and other goals. When necessary, we’ll work with your estate planning attorney to explain any changes or, if you prefer, introduce you to one of our partners so that your estate plan is up to date.
We’ll also review your previous tax return(s) and current income to see if there are ways for you to reduce your taxes. As we plan, we’ll work with your CPA or, if you prefer, one of our partners to create an effective strategy that is right for you.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND MANAGEMENT
Your investment plan is created to support your unique goals, challenges, concerns, and dreams. When we design your portfolio consider your entire wealth so that your investment account complements your other assets. If your situation changes, we’ll adjust your portfolio to reflect what is happening in your life.
Our investment philosophy is neither passive (buy-hold-pray) nor active (what’s the next best thing). Instead, we take a disciplined approach that regularly reviews and rebalances your portfolio to keep it up to date with your goals.
RISK MANAGEMENT
Depending on your situation, your wealth plan could be facing many risks. The loss of a job, an injury, death; these are the ones we think of first. But what if you own a business or are a partner in a professional firm? Suddenly, your risks have grown and you may need to have an operating, partnership, or buy-sell agreement.
If you own real estate or rental properties your insurance and corporate structure may need to be looked at. We want to help you protect what you’ve earned and will help you design the strategies needed to do just that.
BENEFIT AND RETIREMENT PLANS
We’ll review and make recommendations on the benefit and retirement plans you have at your work so that these too, can be incorporated in your comprehensive plan. And if you prefer, we can directly manage your 401(k) plan as a part of our comprehensive service. You can read more about this by CLICKING HERE.
What is a fiduciary?
Aren’t all financial advisors fiduciaries? In a word. No.
According to the Cornell University Law Dictionary, “a fiduciary duty is the highest standard of care.” It entails acting always in your best interest, even if it is contrary to our own.
In practical terms, this means that a financial advisor licensed as a fiduciary – like us – are legally obligated to only recommend investment products that are the best option for you. This is the highest legal standard in the financial industry and is one that we wholeheartedly embrace as it naturally flows from our core values.
In acting in your best interest, a fiduciary has two main duties: the duty of care and the duty of loyalty.
Duty of Care. Under the duty of care, a fiduciary must make informed decisions only after he or she has reviewed the available information. We fulfill this by taking a comprehensive look at your financial life before making recommendations or plans.
The duty of care also means that our obligation to you extends beyond the first or second meeting. As a fiduciary, we continually monitor our client’s investments and financial situation and adhere to best practices of conduct through the duration of our relationship.
Duty of Loyalty. Under the duty of loyalty, a fiduciary cannot put their interests before their clients and must avoid any conflicts of interest that influence how the client is treated.
In practical terms, our investment and other recommendations are made because they benefit you and not us.
Although anyone can legally call themselves a financial advisor and offer financial advice, only fiduciary financial advisors are required – by law – to place your best interest over their own.
Suitability Standard. Generally speaking, financial advisors who work for brokerages are not fiduciaries but are held to the lesser legal standard of care called the “suitability” standard. This means they can “sell” you products that might be alright for you, or “suitable” for you, but not necessarily in your best interest. It’s like being sold a mini-van (a vehicle “suitable” for your large family) instead of an SUV (a vehicle that is really best for you).
To make things even more confusing, many people in the financial industry have what is a called a “hybrid” practice. This means that at times they will do what is “suitable” for you while at other times they will do things that are in your “best interest.” The problem is that you may not know which hat they are wearing when they make their recommendations.
I’m ready to work with you. How do I get started?
That’s great news!
To get started, you can schedule a time – at your convenience – for a no-obligation, no-sales pitch, no-bull call. Then, if we decide to work together, we’ll get things started so that you can start to get clarity on your financial future.
No matter how you reach out, we look forward to learning more about you and are grateful for your interest in learning more about us.