Integrated Wealth Management Solutions

Investment management is the professional management of various assets to meet specified investment goals set forth by the investors. Investment management has always been a specialty of Spielberger & Brooks as Mark Spielberger was once an asset manager in the current private bank of JP Morgan Chase.

We employ an asset allocation approach using “Modern Portfolio Theory” to define an optimal mix of assets to meet each client’s investment objectives. We consider ourselves to be “fund of funds” managers.

We select and monitor Exchange Traded Funds (ETF’s) on the basis of prior historical risk adjusted performance, and we advise on purchases and sales to further our clients’ defined investment objectives. In addition to our “fund of funds” management style we also invest in, but are not limited to, the following type of investments:

• Individual Equities
• Municipal/Corporate Bonds
• Options
• Structured products offered through Goldman Sachs, UBS and JP Morgan Chase
• Fixed Income Mutual Funds

Will your death put a burden or hardship on someone else? Are funds going to be needed to buy out a business partner or do you need to provide for a family survival needs? Life insurance can have many uses and there are many ways of insuring one’s life. Before you determine what type of policy you would like, it is best to determine the amount of insurance you want to provide.

• Do you want to cover all expected expenses?
• Do you want to replace an income or just a specific amount to cover a business buyout or final expenses?

We work with many insurance companies and together can assist you not only with determining the amount needed for a scenario but also the type of insurance that is right for you.

Planning for retirement may be one of the most important things an individual does over their lifetime.

At Spielberger & Brooks we believe that having financial independence throughout retirement is invaluable. Whatever your retirement objectives, we can help you design a program that will make the most of your retirement assets. We work closely with both individual and corporate clients to create programs that provide a unique solution to their needs. We offer self-directed Traditional, Rollover, Roth, and SEP IRAs.

In addition, we work with clients in evaluating their current 401(k) investments. Our retirement professionals take the time to evaluate your financial situation, understand your goals, and create customized solutions to help you reach them.

When it comes to income tax planning, our philosophy is “It’s not what you earn, it’s what you keep.” If done properly, income tax planning can postpone, reduce, or even eliminate the payment of income taxes. At Spielberger & Brooks you can choose to work with one of our recommended tax associates, or we can work together with you and your accountant to minimize your overall tax burden wherever possible. The tax services we offer through our team of associates include:

• Review of income tax returns
• Advance planning to minimize future taxes
• Advice on tax effects of proposed transactions
• Assistance in the corporate tax arena in the areas of:
  • Executive compensation
  • Pension plans

When necessary we would be happy to recommend several accountants to help prepare your personal and/or corporate tax returns.

Estate Planning is the process of accumulating and disposing an estate to maximize the goals of the estate owner. The various goals of estate planning include making sure the greatest amount of the estate passes to the estate owner’s intended beneficiaries, often including paying the least amount of taxes and avoiding or minimizing probate court involvement. Additional goals typically include providing for and designating guardians for minors and planning for incapacity.

We have extensive knowledge of the estate tax laws and can assist you with all of your estate planning needs. When necessary, we would be happy to recommend several estate attorneys to help implement your estate plan. This would include wills, trusts, powers of appointment, and gifting strategies.

Long before retirement, the first financial challenge of many investors is education funding.

Spielberger & Brooks can offer a solid understanding of the investment vehicles that can provide the proper funds at the right time.

529 plans are the most popular options for college savings available today. Contributions to 529 plans are not sharply limited in terms of annual contributions. These programs offer great opportunities to save for the costs of higher education and may offer some tax relief to residents of specific states.

In addition to 529 plans, Congress created the Education IRA in 1997 and reintroduced it in 2001, with enhancements as the Coverdell Education Savings Account. Featuring tax-deferred growth and tax-free withdrawals, Coverdell’s provide friends and family members with an attractive-but limited-opportunity to save for a child’s educational goals.

The Spielberger & Brooks will help you choose which college funding vehicle is appropriate for you and your children.

Tracking your portfolio for investment returns as well as realized gains and losses can be timely and misleading.

Spielberger & Brooks and Charles Schwab work together with some of the finest technology to bring you the most in-depth and colorful reports. Charles Schwab provides monthly investment position statements and confirmations of all purchases and sales in writing or via email to the investor.

In addition, Spielberger & Brooks provides supplemental, graphically-based quarterly performance and asset allocation reports. We work closely with your accountant to ensure simplicity at the time tax information is needed.

Charles Schwab provides 1099’s and tax related reports that contain realized gains and losses to all clients.