LIVE LIFE WITH
CONFIDENCE
WELCOME
TO GATENS
FINANCIAL
We are an independent, fee-only wealth management firm based in Dallas, Texas. We provide financial advisory services to high net worth individuals, families and institutions nationwide. Our investment process is paired with comprehensive financial planning in order to achieve better outcomes. Our commitment to integrity, excellent communication, and client education drives deep client relationships and results.
We are a boutique firm that takes a different approach to client service. Our core belief is that each client deserves high touch service featuring the full attention of our seasoned senior investment and financial planning professionals as well as a fully customized investment portfolio. To ensure that we provide the best possible service, we commit to limit the number of clients that we serve.
ABOUT US
OUR APPROACH
We are a fee-only Registered Investment Advisory firm and we serve our clients as fiduciaries, meaning that we commit to always put our clients’ interests first. We don’t receive commissions or any other compensation for recommending certain investments or insurance products. We manage accounts with a keen eye to minimizing expenses and transaction costs. We work solely for our clients and have structured our firm to minimize conflicts of interest.
INDEPENDENT ADVICE
Because of the independent structure of the firm, we have the flexibility to use low-cost institutional class investment options and exchange traded funds when appropriate. We provide access to separate account managers and other high quality/low cost managers that are unavailable to individual investors.
INSTITUTIONAL APPROACH
Each client is unique with different objectives, entity structures, tax situations, and balance sheets. We seek to optimize investment results by building and managing customized solutions for each client.
CUSTOMIZATION
Successful investing is based on after tax returns. Thus, tax efficiency is a key consideration in our asset allocation and investment selection processes as well as in our withdrawal strategies. Tax planning is a recurring theme throughout the entire financial planning process, from college and retirement savings to gifting and estate planning.
TAX EFFCIENCY
Everyone who works at Gatens Financial is an owner of the firm. Accountability and dependability are of utmost importance to us. This ensures first class service for our clients.
ACCOUNTABILITY
We collaborate with each client’s accountant, attorney and insurance professional to ensure coordination to develop strategies that are aligned with client objectives.
TEAM APPROACH
We are an independent, fee-only wealth management firm based in Dallas, Texas. We provide financial advisory services to high net worth individuals, families and institutions nationwide. Our investment process is paired with comprehensive financial planning, as we have found that leads to better outcomes. Our commitment to integrity, excellent communication, and client education drives deep client relationships and results.
We are a boutique firm that takes a different approach to client service. The number of clients that we serve is limited to what our seasoned investment and financial planning professionals can directly manage. Since we limit the number of clients we serve, junior personnel won’t be handling client accounts while the senior professionals are distracted with business development. We see each client as deserving of high touch service, a custom investment portfolio designed for their specific situation, and senior level professionals who can give them their full attention.
GET IN
TOUCH
If you would like to learn more about our services, please contact us:
OUR SERVICES
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
FINANCIAL PLANNING
CLIENT PROFILE
FEES
Clients turn to us to manage their investments and to help organize and streamline their finances, so they attain peace of mind and the freedom to focus on what they enjoy. We take the time to get to know our clients, speak to them on their level, and help them understand the impact of their financial choices in all areas of their lives.
Our investment management process is goals-based with a long-term orientation. We start by considering a client’s risk tolerance, tax situation, stage in life, support obligations, and other factors, to determine the appropriate asset allocation. We then select well-vetted investment managers and investment vehicles to meet the stated goals. We carefully weigh the opportunity for growth against the realities of the risks. We believe in the value of diversification, and to this end we consider investments across equity, fixed income and alternatives. We allocate to a mix of active and passive strategies and invest in individual stock and bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs, as appropriate. In addition, we consider the current economic and political environment to identify the drivers that may change the asset allocation.
The financial planning process begins with the prioritization of goals and the gathering of information. The objective is to help our clients understand the impact of the financial choices they make every day so they can make the best possible decisions. This is an ongoing process to reflect constantly changing circumstances due to life's twists and turns. Areas covered:
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Cash Flow Analysis (income vs. expenses)
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Balance Sheet
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Insurance Needs and Risk Management
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Investments
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Tax Planning
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College Planning
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Retirement/Financial Independence
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Social Security and Medicare Planning
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Estate Planning and Gifting/Wealth Transfer Strategies
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Philanthropy
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Financial Coaching
Not only do we analyze the above-mentioned areas of the financial mosaic, but we work together on an ongoing basis to implement recommendations and monitor the results. Most people would agree that they should have a plan, but few actually construct and consistently implement a plan. It can be a daunting task! We provide planning and implementation expertise and our clients gain confidence that they are heading in the right direction.
Our typical client is an individual, family or institution with an investment portfolio of at least $1 million seeking to build a long-term relationship with a trusted advisor. We're open to discussing accounts that do not meet this minimum.
Fees for comprehensive investment management and financial planning are based on a percentage of assets managed. Total fees start at 1% annually and decline based on the size of the portfolio.
