Knowing Our Clients

A relationship built on trust, integrity and results

Client knowledge begins with complete information about a client's financial affairs. We treat the privacy and security of your personal information and account details very seriously. We will never disclose such information to third parties without your prior written approval.

STEP 1. Complete a Client Financial Profile

WDS leads a consultative process to identify our clients' needs and goals, whether they are practical, like paying for a child's education or saving for retirement, or ambitious, like buying a yacht or planning that round-the-world tour. We start by collecting some basic data such as your age, marital status, employment income, and net worth. We ask about hidden assets, like employer-sponsored pension plans that may enhance your financial capacity.

STEP 2. Build a Client Risk Profile

Next, we ask you to complete a risk tolerance questionnaire that clarifies and focuses your risk preferences. This helps us be sure that the asset allocation in your portfolio reflects the kind and amount of investment risk that's right for you and you alone.

We believe that risk is not simply price volatility. Stock prices move around daily—rising, falling and recovering—with the ebb and flow of changing information and conditions. Even so, the ultimate test of individual risk tolerance is the ability of an investor to avoid selling his or her assets in the face of a serious market decline.

STEP 3. Consider any Unique Constraints

The final characteristics of the assessment are an individual's time horizon, income requirements, liquidity needs, tax issues, and legal, estate or unique circumstances. We'll better understand your personal requirements and the amount of flexibility needed in your portfolio.