Stack Asset Management

How long have you been in business?

Robert Stack and Michael Griffin have been providing financial advice and investment analysis for over 25 and 18 years, respectively. Stack Asset Management was incorporated in 2009 to formally bring together the experience and expertise of Rob and Michael.

Do you profit from commissions?

Stack Asset Management is a 100% fee-based asset manager and receives no profit from commissions. In that way, Stack Asset Management is aligned with its clients in the desire to avoid churn so that a trade is only made if it is expected to increase returns, reduce risk or for tax planning.

Is Stack Asset Management a stockbroker, a money management or a financial planning organization?

A stockbroker is an employee of a brokerage firm. They typically give recommendations on which securities to buy and sell and are often compensated through a percentage of the commissions they generate for their companies or for placing clients in the securities of affiliated companies. Stack Asset Management is not a stockbroker and is not compensated through commissions. Stack Asset Management is a fee-based money management firm offering asset management to investors. Stack Asset Management develops an investment plan, based on the client’s input, that is used as a guide in the construction and managing of the client’s portfolio.

What is the source of your investment advice?

We develop our own advice based on our many years of knowledge gained through our professional experience in investment analysis and management. We use financial data provided through various independent sources in the process of our analysis

How do you determine the proper diversification and asset allocation?

We listen carefully to what the client says to develop an investment plan unique to the client. The plan is typically a long-term plan and the investments we make will be aligned with a long-term strategy. We stay the course but make adjustments along the way while regularly communicating with the client to make sure we are aware of any life changing events that may require adjustments to the plan or portfolio.

How do you charge to manage assets?

Stack Asset Management is a fee-based only advisor and charges an annual fee of 1% or less of account assets, paid quarterly. This fee structure best aligns the interests of the client and Stack Asset Management.

How is your performance versus the market?

Our focus is not on outperforming the market per se but constructing and then managing the most appropriate portfolio for the client. The performance of the equity component of each client’s portfolio will be different based on the unique factors of the client including their risk tolerance, income needs and time horizon. Our goal is to meet the objective of our client’s plan based on their input and not to “beat the market”.

Where will my account be held and can I access my account online?

Stack Asset Management does not take custody of assets. Accounts are held at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

Clients may access their account online at any time.

What kind of insurance coverage is provided by your custodian?

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which protects securities customers of its members. Customers are afforded the benefits under the Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970. SIPC provides up to $500,000 of protection for brokerage accounts with a limit of $250,000 for claims of uninvested cash balances. More information is available at www.sipc.org.

What does the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) cover?

SIPC is not the FDIC. The Securities Investor Protection Corporation does not offer to investors the same blanket protection that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation provides to bank depositors.

How are SIPC and the FDIC different? When a member bank fails, the FDIC insures all depositors at that institution against loss up to a certain dollar limit. The FDIC’s no-questions-asked approach makes sense because the banking world is “risk averse.” Most savers put their money in FDIC-insured bank accounts because they can’t afford to lose their money.

That is precisely the opposite of how investors behave in the stock market, in which rewards are only possible with risk. Most market losses are a normal part of the ups and downs of the risk-oriented world of investing. That is why SIPC does not bail out investors when the value of their stocks, bonds and other investments falls for any reason. Instead, SIPC replaces missing stocks and other securities where it is possible to do so… even when the investments have increased in value.

SIPC does not cover individuals who are sold worthless stocks and other securities. SIPC helps individuals whose money, stocks and other securities are stolen by a broker or put at risk when a brokerage fails for other reasons.