Refined Processes

At D. L. Blain & Co., we assume that client relationships are a legacy proposition covering many lifetimes over many generations. This long-term approach to wealth management demands we take great care in integrating a client into our investment and wealth planning process.

When we agree in principle that D. L. Blain & Co. will be your advisor, you will be sent a contract that outlines the wealth planning services you need to help you achieve your long-term financial goals. Once you review, agree to, and sign the contract, the process will begin.

First, we ask that you complete risk tolerance and simple goal planning questionnaires (supplied by us), as well as gather current financial statements and other related documents. We then schedule a data gathering meeting to evaluate your risk tolerance, review the financial documents and confirm our understanding of your goals. After this meeting, we prepare an analysis of your ability to achieve your stated goals.

The next step is to develop your Investment Policy Statement (IPS). The IPS outlines your needs, goals and objectives, investment time horizon, and defines the level of risk you are willing to accept. The IPS also establishes a recommended asset allocation, defines the investment methodology to be used, and establishes a strategic implementation plan.

Also during this time, we prepare all documents required by our custodian, Charles Schwab & Co., to establish you as a client of D. L. Blain & Co. and begin the process of transferring your assets. All on-going administrative functions related to your investment accounts will be handled by our professional staff.

After one to two weeks, our initial planning recommendations will be presented to you for approval. Once we receive this approval, your assets will be transitioned to the investment allocation we have recommended. From this point forward, you will follow a unique path according to the service level outlined in your contract.

For clients with simple or modest planning needs, we will schedule meetings to cover a range of wealth planning topics including taxes, insurance and estate planning, and employee benefits. For clients with more complex planning needs, we schedule additional meetings to cover real estate, business planning, asset protection and philanthropic planning. We will conclude our initial series of meetings with a scheduled final wrap-up.

To ensure that we are meeting the wealth management needs of our clients, we conduct periodic client consultations in person, by phone or by email. The purpose of these consultations is to review your investment portfolio, present additional financial planning topics and recommendations, and follow up on any previous issues. If immediate needs arise, an interim consultation may be scheduled.

In addition to the consultations, we provide a detailed quarterly investment report. This report is in addition to the standard monthly account statement sent by our custodian Charles Schwab & Co.