Who Do We Serve?
Please find a series of brief case studies below that encapsulate the vast majority of clients we serve at Sentinus. We have found case studies to be the best vehicle to quickly and easily explain at high level how we help people with their money.
How Are YOU Wealthy and Successful?
You might not fit exactly into one of these buckets. You might fit into parts of all of them. We know no two situations are alike. There’s no one with your same financial needs, goals, and challenges.
That’s why our whole job is to get to know everything we can. Because you aren’t a case study. You’re just you.
On My Way
These clients are starting to accumulate wealth but they are fighting their way through the headwinds of school debt, mortgages that were often a little bit of a stretch when originally taken out, thinking about their kids’ college education down the road and being in high demand professional positions. They know they are on their way to meaningful wealth in the future and do not want to make mistakes or miss opportunities in the meantime.
How did I get here?
These clients have put their head down and worked hard for years and years. Between family obligations and work demands they have not had much time to take stock of what they have accumulated. They know it is piling up but have hit a point where they frankly asked themselves “wow, how did I get here.” As they look back over the years they realize they may have meaningful piles of money scattered throughout a maze of different corporate plans, brokerage houses and checking/savings accounts. They are hitting the home stretch of high earning years and want a strategic and coordinated plan for what they have accumulated and for what is yet to come.
I’ve made it, now don’t lose it
These fortunate clients feel they have enough wealth to accomplish everything they want to do in retirement. They want to be market participants, not only because they know longevity and inflation risks are real, but also because they just feel they should. That being said, they do not want to take the risks typically associated with the stock market. We help these clients model a great financial lifestyle and build portfolios that focus on mitigating downside risk while delivering tailored returns.
Too wealthy (For the IRS)
This is by far the oddest description of any of our clients…who can be “too wealthy?” We are of course being a little tongue and cheek here but in the eyes of the IRS and some state governments a person can be too wealthy. Estate, inheritance and death taxes can be a real problem for many clients. The good news there are proven and accepted gifting, wealth transfer and philanthropic techniques available to those who want to explore them. Using these tools we help these clients structure their affairs in a strategic manner that can reduce or in some limited cases, eliminate the taxes their heirs will face after they pass away.
Looking for something unique and creative
This client comes to us with an itch to scratch. They often are relatively happy with their current advisor and/or financial situation but they are longing for something unique, new, creative, different to act in a complimentary fashion to what else their doing with their money. This is where custom structured notes and alternative investments like private equity, real estate, venture capital and hedge funds can provide an excellent source of non-correlated ancillary returns for a client.
Life has changed
Life changes happen…in fact we had a pleasure of knowing an advisor who once said there are 19 different major life changes that typically impact a person’s financial situation. We are not sure if a specific number can ever truly be determined but at Sentinus we help new and existing client adjust and ultimately thrive in the face of both positive and negative life changes. Examples include the sale of a company, a divorce, the death of loved one, the receipt of a large inheritance or settlement, a fantastic promotion, an IPO…the list goes on and on. In all of these cases, the thread that ties them together is a change has happened and a client needs to respond in a way that is thoughtful, strategic and advantageous.
I Hate Taxes
Who doesn’t hate taxes? Of course none of our clients are particularly big fans of taxes but some are especially passionate in their distaste. Whether a client is extremely focused on income and estate tax reduction or mildly so, our job is bring creative solutions that can be analyzed in a collaborative manner with the client’s accounting professional. Tools utilized in this arena can include gifting, tax loss harvesting, Donor Advised Funds among others.
I am too illiquid for the big firms
These clients are by all accounts, financially successful. Unfortunately (or fortunately for us) they are foolishly considered too illiquid for the big banks and wire houses. As a result they are often treated in a discounted and disinterested fashion when it comes to their portfolio. At Sentinus, our comprehensive approach allows us the opportunity to serve all of our clients with the respect and attention they deserve and the best part is our history has shown that by providing this excellent service throughout the life of the relationship with the client, we are ultimately rewarded when then become wonderfully liquid clients of our firm in the future!
Don’t Be Pigeonholed
It is significant that the everyone has a different definition of “Wealthy or Financial Success.” The person with $500,000 of investable assets thinks the person with $5,000,000 is wealthy and the person with $5,000,000 feels the person with $50,000,000 is wealthy.
The bottom line is your money is important to you which makes it important to us regardless of the amount.
Let Us Help Define Your Success
There are a lot of ways to define success. It’s not about money, but about how you can live your best life. Let’s talk about how you can define your own success.