Article Susan Fotovich McCabe | Photography Brian Turner
Imagine trying to invest in your retirement only to be turned away by a financial advisor for being too small a client. Unfortunately, it’s a trend that’s on the rise, leaving small investors with no place to go—until now.
One Overland Park investment firm is doing its part to reverse the trend. Allos Investment Advisors, LLC, AllosAdvisors.com, was founded in an attempt to alter this practice and give investors of every worth an oppor- tunity to build a nest egg with guidance from a professional. According to Allos Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer Jessica Maldonado, those individuals with $500,000 or more have no problem finding a financial advisor to welcome their business. Those with anything less, she says, will never be turned away at Allos.
“We believe that every American deserves a quality advisor who will do what is in the best interest of the investor,” says Maldonado, “and no one should be turned away.”
Allos is a fee-only, independent SEC Registered investment firm. Unlike traditional investment firms that generate commissions from the various financial products they broker, Allos has developed a fee scale based on the value of the assets in an individual’s account. The fee structure, says Maldonado, is “clear and transparent” and is reported to clients as a line item on the performance reports they receive. Combined, the principles of the firm have more than 40 years experience managing money for high net worth individuals, retirement plans and foundations. In fact, says Maldonado, clients have access to exclusive institutional money manag- ers used by multi-million dollar clients, and benefit from the low fee and conflict-free fiduciary investment management services. They also benefit from Allos’ cutting-edge technology and credentialed advisors.
“There are different service models for providing financial guidance,” says Maldonado. “We determined that if the client isn’t served by one model, we should build a company to solve the problem.”
Allos’ portfolios are constructed from exchange-traded funds and mutual funds. The firm leverages institutional shares of mutual funds that might not otherwise be available to retail investors without meeting high mini- mum initial investment requirements. In fact, Allos has no minimums.
Under a fee-only system, after clients complete and sign initial account set-up paperwork, they don’t have to worry about the day to day management of their account. Allos provides discretionary investment management meaning they make changes to the portfolio proactively whenever account re-balancing or purchasing and selling additional shares of new or existing positions is required. For investor protection, Allos utilizes an independent, third-party custodian, TD Ameritrade, to hold client assets. The clients receive statements from TD Ameritrade, as well as performance reporting from Allos.
“Allos has created relationships with a number of professional service providers, so if we have a client who needs help with estate planning or insurance, we can steer them in the right direction,” says Maldonado. “We even have the software that allows clients to navigate on their own if they wish.”
Maldonado emphasizes that client accounts are very liquid, and that money market transfers and cash liquidations can be accommodated in a short time to meet client needs. The firm is definitely not the traditional investment management company, she says, but that’s the beauty of it for clients who are looking for a blend between traditional principles with in- novative technology and process.
“People work many years to build a retirement, but most people don’t have the skills and training to manage it themselves—or they simply don’t want to or don’t have the time,” she says. “Allos is about empowering a generation of individuals who see the importance of investing, who see the importance of managing their money, working with someone competent to help them make the right decisions, and saving as a way of life.
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