Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

We welcome any and all questions you might have about our wealth management practice.

---

Do you have a minimum requirement for assets under management?

Yes, we act as an investment manager for clients who need help managing financial accounts with a combined balance exceeding $500,000.

---

Who will actually hold my funds?  Tell me more about custodianship and security...

David's clients hold their funds with any number of custodians, but Charles Schwab is the most common choice, followed by Fidelity and TDAmeritrade.  These institutions play a critical role in ensuring the integrity and security of a client's financial accounts.

Not only are we a fiduciary for our clients, but our clients also hold their funds in non-discretionary accounts.  This matters.  Traditional stockbrokers are not held to the fidicuary standard, meaning that they don't have to act in the best interests of their clients at all times.  We do.  Further, because we elect to hold our clients' funds in non-discretionary accounts, we may not change a client's investment strategy without his or her prior written consent.

---

Do you work with clients in states other than California?

Yes, we work with clients all over the United States in capacity as an investment advisor.  However, as an attorney admitted to the California Bar, David Magnuson limits his estate planning practice to preparing trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and documents for clients in California.  If an out-of-state client needs a referral to an estate planner in another state, we are always happy to provide one.

---

Do you require in-person meetings, or can we work together remotely?

Either option is fine.  Local clients typically prefer to come to our office for meetings, while clients outside of the Bay Area often choose to connect with us via telephone or video conference.

---

What is asset class investing?

Asset class investing is based on asset classes—groups of securities with similar risk characteristics, such as small company stocks, large company stocks and international bonds.  Asset class investing attempts to capture the performance of a specific market segment.  In contrast, index investing attempts to replicate the performance of an index (for example, the S&P 500). Drawing on years of research, including the work of eight Nobel Laureates, asset class investors tailor their portfolios to account for the known factors of return when constructing their funds. These factors include size, value and profitability. Asset class investing has a number of advantages that our clients find appealing, and we are always happy to provide detailed information about these advantages in a consultation.