Fred Hurdman40 Sunpark Plaza, Suite 222 |
WelcomeIn everything that we do, we work to maximize your freedom. Having better investments and less worry about money means having more freedom to do the things that are meaningful to you. We provide customized investment and financial solutions to individuals, families, corporations, trusts, foundations and endowments. Our goal is to protect capital, reduce volatility, minimize taxes and achieve superior risk-adjusted returns. We do this by understanding the relationship between asset classes; selecting individual securities using a strict discipline; ensuring our investment partners meet key criteria including integrity; and making adjustments to portfolios as market conditions warrant. Your goals and objectives, as well as risk tolerance are key inputs in creating a customized portfolio with the most appropriate mix of assets and asset classes so that you may achieve financial success. Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all time, has described part of his investing philosophy as follows: "Rule number one: never lose money. Rule number two: never forget rule number one." We concur. Fred Hurdman and his associates follow the prudent investor rule. This means we analyze and make conscious decisions concerning the levels of risk appropriate to each investor. We employ diversification to minimize risk. We evaluate the performance of the whole portfolio, rather than only measuring the performance of individual investments. We minimize fees, transaction costs, and other expenses that are not justified by the objectives of the investment program and, where appropriate, we delegate as prudent investors would. We manage your money as though it were our own money, giving you the freedom that comes from employing our expertise. ApproachAs trusted advisors, we allow clients to delegate their financial health, enabling them to spend their time on the important areas in their lives that they cannot delegate, including mental, spiritual, relationship and physical health. All details pertaining to our investment strategy and fees will be clearly stated in a personalized Investment Policy Statement (IPS). Investment process. In all market conditions, our first priority is preservation of capital. We have a strong bias towards dividend paying equities. In portfolios, we will be emphasizing securities of companies that have strong competitive positions in growing industries, solid balance sheets and cash flow generation capacity, and the ability to grow dividends over time. We begin with fundamental research, analyzing companies to find those with the best probability of earning consistent profits without taking undue risks. When we have found the strongest companies, we review the relative price of their shares, to find the best bargains. This tells us what to buy. Next, we overlay technical analysis. We find the companies whose shares are most in demand, meaning that money is flowing into these investments. This tells us when to buy and when to sell. These assets are then rebalanced on a regular basis. We set aside time for regular reviews to evaluate your current situation and your progress towards your goals. Services we provide. Fred Hurdman and his associates provide many other value added services in addition to investment management services. These include Values Based Financial Planning, periodic educational seminars, insurance*, tax reporting, and tax and estate planning services. In addition, your portfolio manager will be available to review your portfolio and financial plan at your request. Fees. Our fee schedule has been designed to align our interests with our clients' interests. This can be summarized as follows: "when you do well, we do well." The management fee schedule is based on total assets held at the family level, starting at 1.75% per annum, going as low as 0.75% as your portfolio achieves economies of scale. We have found that our clients prefer that we charge a lower fee and a performance bonus when we outperform, rather than a higher fee with no performance bonus. We have structured the performance bonus with a high water mark and a cap, to ensure that our clients are never paying twice on the same performance and that they always receive the vast majority of the outperformance. We have set the hurdle rate for the performance bonus at an absolute positive performance ranging from 7% to 9%, depending on the portfolio mix. This arrangement aligns our interests with those of our clients, which is one of our basic tenets. Our TeamFred Hurdman is a portfolio manager who has the resources, skills and strategies necessary to help people achieve their goals and objectives. Fred has earned numerous designations, including Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (CH.F.C.) and Canadian Investment Manager (CIM). He is an avid reader and has a strong belief in and passion for education. Fred has worked in the financial industry since 1979, helping his clients plan for and achieve financial health. He has also worked to educate people about financial planning strategies, taught financial planning seminars sponsored by the Calgary Board of Education and presented various other seminars for the benefit of clients and the general public. He also sponsored and presented the Your Financial Coach radio program. Fred's desire to help his clients achieve personal success is apparent in his ability to listen to and to understand individual goals and objectives. This is underscored by Fred's principled practices; he sets goals and seeks excellence in every aspect of life. Fred is professional, organized, extremely thorough and keeps well informed of the latest developments in the financial industry. He uses the latest technology to help him provide excellent service to his clients. Fred is also an active member in his church and community. Shamez Kassam MBA, CFA has 8 years of experience in the financial industry. He was previously with a New York-based investment firm (Investment and Corporate Banking) and a Calgary-based institutional investment fund management firm where he worked in a team responsible for over $3 Billion of investment assets. He is a CFA Charterholder and completed the MBA program at Columbia University in New York. Jeff Ady graduated from BYU-Idaho with a degree in Business Management Finance, being awarded the Newel K. Whitney Business Award. After graduation, Jeff worked in commercial banking first at a bank in Utah, and then at a banking firm in Calgary. Our team includes three very skilled administrative assistants who love their work and who are dedicated to excellent client service and to ensuring accuracy in all financial transactions. They are valuable assets to the team. Lorri McMechan has worked in the financial industry since 1994 and joined Fred Hurdman and his associates as an administrative assistant in 2001. She is very meticulous and always dedicated to accuracy and integrity. Her personable nature and leadership qualities are prominent. Cheryl Kopeck joined our team in 2006 as an administrative assistant. Cheryl brings with her many years of administrative experience and is dedicated to quality, accuracy and exceptional client service. Kelly Swanson has rejoined our team as an administrative assistant. Kelly is committed to excellent client service, and she is dedicated to quality and accuracy. ClientsWe best serve individuals, families and institutions with a minimum $500,000 of investible assets. In order to offer complete and personalized service, we limit the number of clients we accept per advisor. The majority of our clients are successful professionals, business owners or retired people who prefer spending their time on their own pursuits, rather than managing their money. They also tend to be open minded with important plans for the future. They tend to be sharing people who like to help others and are well connected. We may be a fit for you if you have these attributes and now want professional guidance ensuring that your financial plan and investments are working together effectively to meet your goals and objectives. We follow a system that helps clients optimize their financial resources. The first step is to help clients express their values and visualize the financial path that will lead to the achievement of their life goals. This comprehensive view of priorities and goals helps clients feel confident that they will use their money in ways that are meaningful to them. Next, we work with clients to create a comprehensive personal financial plan complete with recommendations regarding investment and tax strategies and risk management to ensure that they will reach their goals. After that, we regularly review together their progress toward their goals. EducationThe Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) regulates registered charities and provides donors with information about their finances and activities. Recommended Reading Values-Based Financial Planning, by Bill Bachrach |