Portfolio Management
We provide a hybrid investment management approach utilizing both fundamental and technical analyses to provide you with the best opportunity for success in the financial markets. With an investment team with international business experience, we start with a global view that we use to identify which regions of the world are poised for success. We then drill down further to the sectors and industries likely to participate in the growth of those regions. Once we have narrowed down the regions, sectors, and industries, only then do we look at specific investments that will participate in the growth themes we have identified. We invest in individual companies, exchange traded funds, no-load mutual funds, individual bonds, and bond mutual funds. Our investment team meets regularly to discuss the ever-changing market conditions and whether our clients’ portfolios are positioned to take advantage of opportunities and/or positioned to minimize market risk.
We view our holdings merely as inventory with very specific goals attached to each holding. We take an objective view toward our holdings. We do not get wrapped up in the “story” of a company as our experience has taught us that there are terrific companies in the investment markets who, for a variety of reasons, do not make for good investments. By viewing our holdings objectively as inventory designed to either make money for our clients, or protect our clients’ portfolios, or both, it makes it much easier to get rid of a holding that isn’t performing as expected. We have found over the years that buying is easy but selling requires discipline and objectivity. By marrying our global approach toward investment growth opportunities with an underlying trigger of asset preservation, we have helped our clients grow their wealth in both bear and bull markets.
A Financial Sounding Board
One of the most important services the Riggs’ team provides is one we do not charge for—serving as our clients’ financial sounding board. From “how do I grow my family business,” to “should I retire,” to reviewing insurance policies or developing gifting strategies, our clients can tap into the varied experiences of the Riggs’ team to help make those difficult financial decisions a bit easier.
Family Office
If you require more hands-on financial assistance we provide family office services (upon request), eliminating the financial headaches that come with wealth. To this end, we manage family group employees, multiples homes and/or real estate investments, day-to-day bill paying and pulling together information for tax preparation. We provide this high-touch service for an additional fee. The fee is based on the complexity of the needs.
Estate Planning and Trust Administration
When you’re called to serve as an executor(trixe) of estates and/or Trustees of Trusts we ease the burden by re-registering lost stock certificates, overseeing income distributions, opening up estate accounts and managing the account until final distributions. While we do not provide the legal or accounting work, we share a tremendous amount of in-house experience in Trusts and Estates and can often help with the financial administration. For those accounts where we serve as Trustee, we have an annual independent audit conducted to ensure that assets are appropriately held at a third-party independent custodian and that proper controls are in place for the protection of the assets. The cost of this audit is minimal and is paid by the Trust.
Retirement Cash Flow Services
If you’re retired and maintain a retirement account at Riggs, we help with planning for retirement by reviewing your income needs and providing you with some guidance on what you can reasonably expect to generate from your investments. We also set up monthly distributions directly deposited into your checking account so that you still earn a “salary” through your investments. Each year we identify the required minimum distribution for each Riggs’ retirement account and then track the distribution to ensure that you’re taking your required minimum distribution each year. We follow up with you via phone and/or e-mail to make sure that you take the distribution and do not have to pay a 50% penalty to the Internal Revenue Service. We also manage your retirement assets in a tax-efficient manner.
Cash Flow Management and Administration Services
In this world of automation, it is a luxury to speak to a “live” person who will take ownership of your financial problem and work it until it is solved. At Riggs, our client service team has decades of experience in the financial industry and they provide concierge-style service to our clients. When you call or e-mail our firm, they answer. When you need a wire transfer, a check overnighted, or to set up a direct deposit, they complete the task quickly and efficiently. We often help clients with depositing stock certificates into their accounts or helping them re-register certificates after an event such as marriage or death. Providing high-touch client service is simply the way we do things at Riggs.
Online Capabilities
While we provide a hands-on personal touch experience, we also know that our clients are sophisticated and expect high end technologies. Thus, we invest in cutting-edge technology to provide the best possible experience for you. You’re able to view your account online with “real-time” market pricing at the custodian 24/7. In addition, Riggs maintains a secure client portal so that you can view your important financial documents from performance reporting to insurance policies and beneficiaries to Wills and Trust Agreements. We can post your statements and quarterly reports to your secure client page and eliminate much of the headache of having to shred financial reports. This gives you the opportunity to review your account at your convenience, to store your important documents in a single, secure location that you can access whenever and wherever you are.
Class Action Document Preparation (upon request)
In today’s world, class action lawsuits are commonplace. For thousands of investors though, the paperwork is too daunting and they merely toss the opportunity as a matter of course. At Riggs, upon request we evaluate class actions and determine whether the return is relevant enough to pursue. If it is, we pull the statements from our archives and complete the forms our clients send in and submit the paperwork on their behalf. This allows Riggs clients to realize additional monies that they may leave on the table because the paperwork is too much of a hassle. We do this, upon request, at no-charge as a value-added benefit for our clients.