• Risk-appropriate asset allocation
• Securities selection
• Diversification
• Tax efficiency
• Income generation
• Monitoring for Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) exposure
• Re-balancing to target allocations
• Tax-loss harvesting
• Coordination with company retirement accounts

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The decisions you make today may have an impact on how you live tomorrow. We help you understand the most tax-efficient and risk-appropriate investment and savings strategies to achieve your short- and long-term goals:

• Will I have enough to retire when I'm ready?
• Is my nest egg big enough to last the rest of my life?
• What is the best way to save for my children's or grandchildren's education?
• I need to withdraw a set amount each month for living expenses. Should I take the money from my retirement account or trust account?

We can conduct a thorough retirement analysis to gauge the probability of reaching your financial goals given a wide range of allocation, spending, inflation, and market scenarios.  We use randomly-generated variable returns, called Monte Carlo simulation, to more closely match the variability of real-world investment returns.  Monte Carlo analysis quantifies your likelihood of financial success under varying assumptions.  We assist you with the following:

• Personalized retirement analysis
• Goal setting
• Savings strategy
• Tracking progress toward retirement

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• Regular meetings
• Quarterly reporting
• Proxy voting
• Securities claims filing

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We work with you to develop a thorough understanding of your philanthropic goals. We advise on strategies that make donating to your favorite charities easy while seeking to optimize the tax effect of your contribution. We leverage our substantial experience to help you manage a number of charitable entities and advise you how best to take advantage of the tax benefits of donating stock to your preferred not-for-profit organization.

• Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) management
• Gifting of stock
• Family Foundations
• Endowments

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• 529 account advice
• Custodial account management

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• Pension reporting
• Contribution tracking
• Distributions processing
• Correct titling of pension assets

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• Periodic review of tax brackets for appropriate investment selection
• Accurate maintenance of cost basis records
• Quarterly reporting for estimated taxes
• Estimation of capital gains for tax planning
• Review of custodian's 1099

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• Titling of assets
• Proper funding of trust accounts
• Income distributions to trust beneficiaries
• Designation of beneficiaries

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A critical element of initial meetings with a prospective client is an explanation of Dowling & Yahnke's approach to investing. We hold certain core investment principles that we believe provide clients with the best opportunity to achieve their investment objectives in the long run. The core principles of our investment approach include

• Diversification across security types and asset classes
• Tax efficiency
• Cost minimization
• Continual monitoring and portfolio rebalancing

Our early meetings with clients allow us to develop a complete understanding of their specific financial, personal and life-style goals. We also gauge their ability to tolerate risk, and determine their time horizon, income requirements, tax status, and any other special circumstances. We often communicate with trusted advisers, such as an accountant or attorney, to further our understanding of the client's particular situation. We use all of this information to create a customized investment strategy that we document in a written Investment Policy.

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The Investment Policy specifies the asset allocation targets, the types of securities to be used, and the expected risk/return profile of the client's portfolio. It discusses income requirements, tax considerations, and any extraordinary circumstances that may affect the management of portfolio assets. The Investment Policy is a mutually-agreed roadmap for reaching a client's financial goals.

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Only after a client has reviewed and approved the Investment Policy do we begin to implement the investment strategy outlined therein. The pace of implementation will depend on the composition and complexity of the client's portfolio.

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We manage portfolios in accordance with the client-specific Investment Policy. This includes monitoring investments, providing quarterly portfolio appraisal and performance reports, investing additional cash inflows, rebalancing to the stated asset allocation targets, processing required minimum distributions for tax deferred accounts, facilitating trust distributions, and maintaining detailed tax records for all your accounts. In addition to the Portfolio Manager who serves as their primary point of contact, clients are supported by a team of professionals to ensure personal attention at all times.

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