FAQ

At Hightower Austin, we are legally and ethically bound to act in the best interests of our clients. This means we must prioritize our clients' needs above our own or our practice’s interests. Below are key aspects of being a fiduciary:

• Best Interest: Fiduciaries must provide investment advice that is solely in the best interest of the client, avoiding any conflicts of interest.

• Transparency: We are required to be transparent about fees, compensation, and any potential conflicts of interest.

• Duty of Care: Fiduciaries must continuously monitor a clients' financial situation and adjust advice accordingly.

• Independent-Minded Advice: Fiduciaries should offer independent-minded financial advice, free from any external influences.

No, we do not have account minimums. At our practice, we believe helping people shouldn’t be contingent upon how much money you have

Our team holds a wide range of professional designations reflecting our commitment to continuous learning. Our credentials empower us to deliver informed advice, ensuring we serve our clients with the utmost care and professionalism. Learn more about our designations and team on our team page.

We believe that to truly make a difference, you must identify and solve real problems – because wealth management is more than managing money.  It’s about asking the right questions, actively listening, validating concerns, and understanding what can lead to financial stress, regret, missed opportunities, or even division amongst family members.

We only charge a fee on the assets we manage. A typical advisory fee usually falls between 1% –0.30% annually but could be less depending on the assets being managed. For risk-based products such as life insurance, disability, or long-term care, we receive a commission from the company we place the business with. We aren’t incentivized to place business with any risk-based products, we look for the appropriate solution to meet our client’s needs.  Sometimes clients have existing positions that have large unrealized gains, we do not assess an advisory fee to hold legacy positions.  Cash is also excluded from any fees.

We believe wealth is built over time through discipline, not by chasing market trends or emotional decisions. Our philosophy centers on building diversified portfolio using a combination of exchange-traded funds (ETF), mutual funds, separately managed accounts (SMA), and alternative investments tailored to each client’s goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon.  Through our rigorous due diligence process, we evaluate fees, tax efficiency, sector exposure, asset weightings, and manager selection to build portfolios and rebalance as needed to maintain alignment with strategic targets, while also seeking tax efficiencies through practices like tax loss harvesting.   To further strengthen our investment process, we collaborate with institutional money managers and research partners to validate our positioning against current market conditions, macroeconomic themes, and emerging risks or opportunities.  Our objective is to deliver a resilient, adaptive investment strategy that supports long-term success

Meeting frequency varies by client. Some prefer monthly or quarterly check-ins, others semi-annual or annual reviews. We also reach out as needed to discuss market updates or changes in your personal circumstances. For financial planning, significant decisions may require more frequent meetings with detailed modeling. Our goal is to maintain clear communication and set expectations tailored to your needs.

Although we are not attorneys or accountants, it’s in our DNA to stay informed about tax laws that could impact our clients’ financial needs. With years of experience, we’ve gained an understanding in estate planning strategies, working with estates of all sizes. Our team collaborates with a network of CPAs and estate attorneys to provide integrated advice and design tailored strategies. By thoroughly assessing our clients’ circumstances, we develop strategic blueprints that align with your objectives and goals. Our approach involves preparing you with a solid foundation before making an introduction to the estate attorney, ensuring you’re well-informed to streamline the process, save time, money, and enable the attorney or accountant to review, amend, or approve our preplanning efforts.

As of 5/22/2025, we have assets under management of $1,139,969,576.

At Hightower, client assets are safely held by strong, third-party custodians such as Fidelity Investments. We work with reliable, secure and independent firms like these based on rigorous due diligence and high standards of operational excellence, security, and service.