Wealth Management Solutions

Wealth Management Solutions serves individuals and families—including high-net-worth clients—and, on a more limited basis, corporate accounts and employer-sponsored retirement plans; it provides fee-only comprehensive and hourly financial planning, discretionary investment management, and 401(k) plan advisory services. The firm tailors advice to client goals, cash-flow needs and risk tolerance, and will advise on both accounts under its control and “outside” accounts such as 401(k)s, annuities and real estate.

The firm’s investment approach emphasizes broadly diversified portfolios built primarily with passively managed/index mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, with tactical allocation adjustments as economic conditions warrant; it does not position itself as a stock picker or market timer. WMS may also recommend actively managed funds, individual bonds, structured products or other instruments when an index or passive option is not available, and prepares written investment guidelines for clients.

A distinctive feature is the firm’s affiliation with a private investment limited liability company (WMS Fixed Income Fund I, LLC) for which an affiliated manager is part-owned by the firm; that Fund is closed to new investors and has suspended management fees since 2008, and the firm discloses it does not charge clients a separate management fee on assets invested in the Fund while Fund investors remain responsible for Fund expenses. This affiliated-fund relationship and the firm’s stated operational safeguards (fee-only compensation, a code of ethics, and periodic surprise custody examinations) set its arrangements apart from most supported peers.