Why Legacy?

by Scott Wilson

Have you been toothpaste shopping lately? Once upon a time it was a fairly binary choice: Crest or Colgate. Both bore the vaunted “Dentist approved” seal, so it boiled down to a matter of flavor preference. Those days are long gone. Not only is there now a sea of options, many of them are natural, which we are told we must use because the others are killing us. As I have no interest in taking my life in my own hands when I brush my teeth, I guess natural is the way to go, but which one? Apparently you have to be a naturalist to determine that answer. Some have tea tree oil, others have coconut. Perplexingly some even have charcoal, yet say whitening. How does black toothpaste whiten my teeth?

You think that’s overwhelming, there truly seems to be a limitless number of Financial Advisors and Advisory firms. Beyond competency and liking the person, how in the world do you choose? I believe I’m in a unique position to help answer that as I’ve been an Advisor for over 20 years, the majority of those years with a traditional Broker-Dealer firm before transitioning to Legacy Wealth Management in 2021. What makes that perspective unique? I have boots on the ground experience in both a fairly run of the mill firm, and Legacy, which is decidedly not run of the mill. Here’s what I mean.

When I say my former firm was run of the mill that is not to disparage them. They were wonderful to work with. But there was nothing that distinguished them, thus it was difficult to distinguish myself as an Advisor beyond truly caring for my clients. While that relational dynamic is essential, the specific planning and investment options I offered didn’t vary much from the next 20 Advisors. Which is “why Legacy?” is such an easy question for me to answer.

First, if you are a client of Legacy you will likely have a primary Advisor. But no one person is capable of being an expert on everything. That’s why that Advisor has a team behind them filled with high caliber professionals that diligently work each and every day for our clients. Our clients are hard working, wonderful people who deserve nothing less than a team that excels in investment management, tax planning, insurance and risk management, and service that is personalized to the needs of every client.

Second, we have a suite of investment opportunities outside of the typical stock/bond/cash allocation that seeks to provide superior returns through lower market correlation. In other words, just because the S&P500 is down, doesn’t mean Industrial real estate, private equity/debt, or energy is. Taking advantage of these alternative markets is essential in building a truly diversified, lowly correlated investment plan. In addition, we offer tactical management strategies that strive to capture as much of the upside of the market as possible, while seeking to provide downside protection. That is the key to making money for the long haul. Capturing as much of the upside as possible is important. But more important is holding on to your money during a downturn. That can be difficult to do with a buy and hold approach.

Lastly, our team will genuinely care for you, not just your money. After all, money is simply a tool that we use to accomplish our desires. All the effort we put in on behalf of our clients is because we care for them and desire the best for them. To hear a client express gratitude when we review their portfolio showing a positive return when the market is down brings us immense joy. Not simply because we saved them money, but because we were able to care for them by protecting their hard earned assets.

There certainly is more to be said, but hopefully that answers why Legacy. I may not be much help in navigating toothpaste shopping, but financial shopping is easy. Once you discover Legacy there’s no need to look anywhere else.