Navigating Financial Uncertainty in the Bay Area

Why Choosing a Local Wealth Management Firm Matters

Recent events like the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank, along with inflation, high cost of living, and the looming threat of tech layoffs and market volatility have caused many Bay Area residents to feel uneasy about their financial future. During times like these, it’s essential to have a trusted partner to help navigate the uncertainty. You may be weighing the options and considering a boutique wealth management firm like Summitry or a larger institution.

Boutique wealth management firms like Summitry offer a personalized approach that is particularly well-suited to the unique needs of Bay Area investors. By working closely with our clients to understand their goals, risk tolerance, and evolving financial situation, we develop customized strategies to help protect and grow their wealth, even in turbulent times. Our team of experienced advisors is well-equipped to help with everything from retirement planning and tax-efficient investing to evaluating new job opportunities and helping clients make informed decisions about career transitions.

Why Boutique Beats Behemoth

Here are the top six reasons to choose a Bay Area-focused wealth management firm rather than a larger national institution to provide financial planning and portfolio management:

1.  Local expertise: As a Bay Area-focused wealth management firm, serving clients for more than 20 years, we have a deep understanding of the local market and the unique challenges and opportunities it presents. We understand the nature of Bay Area real estate prices, the high cost of living and high taxes, the region’s extraordinary employment and investment opportunities, the concentrations of wealth in employer stock, and more.

2.  Personalized attention: Boutique wealth management firms often offer a more personalized approach, with a smaller client base and more direct access to advisors. Our advisors have a limited client roster ensuring they have ample time to regularly meet with clients and are accessible when questions or situations arise. Beyond the one-to-one advisor-client relationship, our clients have direct access to senior management, and the support of client services and operations teams.

3.  Access to specialized services: At Summitry, we specialize in personalized financial planning, retirement planning, customized investment strategies, asset management, and tax optimization strategies. We’ve also built a network of the best Bay Area resources for services like accounting, estate planning, and real estate and work closely with clients and their service providers.

4.  Customized investment strategies: Summitry offers a range of investment strategies to cater to client needs. Rather than the one-size-fits-all investment strategy often employed by larger institutions, our client portfolios are designed to reflect individual client time horizons, risk tolerances, cash flow needs, and growth objectives.

5.  Focused investment philosophy: At our core, we are value investors who seek to invest in businesses that we believe have lower risk characteristics than the overall S&P 500 market average, while also maintaining higher long-term upside potential versus the market. We have a dedicated investment team that works to buy companies that have strong competitive advantages, are operated by competent, shareholder-friendly management, have favorable long-term growth prospects, and trade at a price materially below the investment team’s estimate of underlying intrinsic value.

6.  Community involvement: We live here too. Our Bay Area ties run deep, and we have a strong commitment to the local community and the success of our Bay Area clients. Learn more about who we are, what we care about, and some of the ways we give back here.

The Choice is Yours

Choosing a Bay Area-focused wealth management firm like Summitry offers several advantages compared to a large institution. While big banks have vast resources, they often lack the personalized service and customized investment strategies that boutique firms can provide. Boutique firms like Summitry are typically more nimble, able to pivot and adjust strategies quickly in response to market changes. Additionally, they often have a more local and specialized knowledge of the Bay Area market, which can be especially valuable for clients with significant regional assets or interests. Finally, the close relationships that boutique firms often foster with their clients can provide a level of trust and understanding that is harder to achieve with larger institutions.

At Summitry, we understand the importance of having a solid financial plan and a well-managed investment portfolio, especially during times of uncertainty. We work with our clients to create comprehensive financial plans that take into account various scenarios, including unexpected events and market fluctuations.

We welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your financial needs and begin a relationship with you.