THE WAYCROSS ADVANTAGE
Our Approach
Interests that Align
A total commitment to your best interests.
As an Investment Advisor, Waycross is a fiduciary, which means we have a legal duty to act solely in your interest. This duty is central to our relationship with our clients.
Financial planners, broker-dealers, and wirehouses may not be Investment Advisors or fiduciaries. If they are not fiduciaries, they are only obliged to recommend “suitable” investments, without necessarily disclosing the fees and commissions associated with those investments. Our fiduciary duty is far stricter. It’s not enough for us to simply provide “suitable” recommendations. For example, as a fiduciary, we may reject an investment that meets the definition of suitable, but is a partnership that has hidden tax liabilities and expenses; a broker-dealer or financial planner may not make the same decision.
A broker can offer a client a particular mutual fund and say it is suitable and should benefit the client. If the broker is receiving a portion of the related expenses of that investment, the broker is not acting solely in the interest of the client. When you select Waycross, you are selecting a company where this sort of conflict isn’t possible.
When you select Waycross, you are selecting a company that won’t create confusion about where our interests lie and who ultimately benefits from the decisions we make. Every decision we make on your behalf is made to benefit you. Period.
A Disciplined Approach
Personal attention, personal commitment.
Waycross has a close connection with our clients and their investments. The portfolios we build are customized and not dependent on predefined models or packages prepared by other people or companies.
Our in-house proprietary model, QED – a powerful analytical engine that has evolved over several decades of use -is an important part of our decision-making process. With QED we can quickly review metrics of thousands of stocks, helping us to identify potentially over or under valued stocks given historical pricing and earnings. This provides additional and unique insights into the marketplace, helping us make informed decisions at a faster rate.
Additionally, we monitor our portfolios on a daily basis for transactions and movements of cash. If we notice any transfers of cash or securities into or out of an account that we did not initiate, we will contact you immediately. That is, we constantly monitor your account as part of our cybersecurity protocol.
Investment Advisor Benefits
Proactive, customized portfolio management.
Waycross is a registered investment advisor, with a fiduciary obligation to our clients. We act solely in your interest. We design and manage customized portfolios for our clients. We do not benefit from having our clients use particular investments and do not sell any products. We also do not use predesigned models or use funds or other securities recommended by a parent company. We are independent, fiduciaries striving to do the best we can for our clients.
A financial planner is a more generic title that describes people who help individuals plan for their short- and long-term financial goals. Since they are not necessarily fiduciaries, they are not obligated to act solely in your best interest, and may use the planning process to sell you products like insurance or annuities that may not be the best option for you.
A broker-dealer is a person or company that buys and sells securities, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and various investment products – on behalf of its customers (as a broker), for its own account (as a dealer), or both. Brokers and broker-dealers are not necessarily fiduciaries.
Transparent Fee Structure
No hidden costs, no hidden obligations.
Waycross is a fee-based investment management company. We bill quarterly, in advance, using the following fee structures:
Discretionary Portfolio Management Fee Schedule:
Portfolio Value | Annual Management Fee |
---|---|
$1 million or less | 1% of assets under management* |
From $1 million to $3 million | 1% of the first $1 million, plus .75% of assets over $1 million |
From $3 million to $5 million
|
1% of the first $1 million, plus .75% of assets between $1 million and $3 million, plus .70% of assets between $3 million and $5 million |
Above $5 million | 1% of the first $1 million, plus .75% of assets between $1 million and $3 million, plus .70% of assets between $3 million and $5 million, plus .60% of assets above $5 million |
*Under special circumstances Waycross may accept clients with a total portfolio value of less than $250,000.
Non-Discretionary Consulting Fee:
The fee for non-discretionary portfolio consulting is $250 per hour.
Non-Discretionary 401(k) Advisory Fee:
The annual fee rate for non-discretionary 401(k) investment advisory services will be determined based on the services requested by the Plan, but will not exceed 1.0% of Plan assets. The minimum annual fee, regardless of the market value of Plan assets, is $2,500. For annual fee calculations, plans are valued as of December 31st of the previous year.
Socially Responsible Impact Investing
Your investments, your values, your bottom line.
We understand that your investment choices tell a story uniquely your own. It’s not just about performance; it’s about your values and ideals, and—ultimately—about making the world a better place.
Waycross is your partner in building a portfolio that reflects your values. You may want to encourage corporate practices that promote environmental stewardship, consumer protection, human rights, and diversity through impact investing strategies. You may want to avoid businesses involved with alcohol, tobacco, fast food, gambling, weapons, fossil fuels, or the military.
Our decision-making is informed by rigorous research and analysis, including academic training, ongoing collaboration with environmental advocacy and policy organizations, and a variety of workshops and conferences related to socially responsible impact investing. It’s a natural fit for us given our academic background with a specialty in natural resource and environmental economics.
Wherever your commitments lie, we will listen, understand your perspective, and craft a portfolio that reflects your values and ideals.