Active Investment Management

No advisor takes their clients’ success more seriously. Whether it’s high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, business owners or non-profit organizations, we put our clients’ interests first and do our utmost to help them achieve their objectives.

All advisors claim to be client-focused. But at NSWA, we back it up with a client-empowering business model. We are an independent, fee-only, fiduciary Registered Investment Advisor. What does that mean?

• As an independent firm, we answer only to our clients—not to a distant, “too big to fail” investment bank. That means we can focus solely on what you need, not on generating profits for our parent by pushing expensive products or by taking service shortcuts.
• As a fiduciary, we are legally bound to put our clients’ interest first. The vast majority of financial advisors work not under the fiduciary standard but under the much looser “suitability” standard, which leads to serious conflicts of interest.
• As a fee-only firm, we have zero incentive to recommend solutions or products that are not exactly right for our clients. Most advisors earn commissions for selling products, and they face temptation to push those that pay larger commissions, whether they’re the best solution or not.

Our client-centered business model empowers us to focus not just on investing but on all the important financial needs of those we serve. We provide true wealth management, including comprehensive planning for retirement, education funding, tax management, philanthropy and estate.

David Kahn, our President, CEO and Senior Portfolio Manager, launched NSWA after more than two decades of experience at Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley. Even in volatile market climates, he has kept his clients on track to meet their financial goals.

In creating NSWA, David brought his experience and resources to a boutique wealth management family office. The firm is powered by sophisticated technology as well as the institutional investing platform of Charles Schwab, which provides open-architecture access to a nearly limitless array of public investments. The result: World-class investment and financial guidance without Wall Street’s conflicts of interest.

At NSWA, we are distinguished by a proactive investment approach, in-house research and trading, and client-tailored portfolios.

The vast majority of financial advisors use a “set it and forget it” approach to portfolio management. They create an investment strategy, build a portfolio and rebalance investments over time. In today’s volatile and risky markets, we don’t think that’s good enough.

We continually monitor the markets for risk, and position portfolios in a timely manner to best withstand turbulence. On the other hand, we don’t hesitate to take advantage of compelling opportunities where the risk-and-reward calculus is compelling. Our aim: To minimize market losses while capturing as much gain as prudently possible, in order to protect and grow our clients’ money with maximum efficiency.

Secondly, we create customized investment portfolio strategies for each client based directly on the goals, risk sensitivity and time horizons specified in their comprehensive financial plans. In contrast, many firms offer just a few “model portfolios,” lumping their clients together in general groupings.

And while most advisors turn over the actual investing to far-away money managers or mutual funds, we are hands-on investors. We do our own research, and personally buy and sell individual securities for client portfolios through a robust, open-architecture investment platform.

Not only does this approach make us more accountable to our clients, but we believe it’s also more effective in helping them succeed. After all, it's the advisor that best knows the client.