What Makes Us Different

At Majestic Financial, we hear from a lot of new clients that we “do things differently” than where they used to invest.  At first glance, that shouldn’t be true.  We have no proprietary investments.  We use the same research tools that millions of people use.  We use the Raymond James platform, which means we agree to use investments that Raymond James has vetted.  We use mutual funds, exchange traded funds, individual stocks, and bonds just like every other investment company.

However, when I dig into what our clients are saying – and I really do ask them – there are just two differentiating factors.  What makes us different is our team and our philosophy about investing outside the “normal” mutual fund platform.  I am proud of both factors and so I will explain how I view them.

First, I believe we have a great team in place to help clients achieve their financial goals.  Many firms have multiple advisors, and many of these advisors come from different generations.  But few investment firms work together as a team quite the way we do at Majestic Financial.  While our clients are used to hearing from a specific advisor (or “lead” advisor), we all work together on the accounts.  Every Monday morning, me, Kendra, Mark and Max sit in my office and discuss (argue?) investment strategies and positions.  What makes this both unique and beneficial to clients is that we are all arguing for positions that we believe are best for clients – not for our personal biases.  Another aspect of this style of strategy meeting is the fact that a 22-year-old (Max), two 30ish (Kendra, Mark), and one 50-year-old are all evaluating portfolios together.  While I may not truly know what Pinterest is/does, I know how to evaluate the stock’s financial position.  But without the younger mindset, I would never think of looking at it.
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Another unique aspect of the Majestic team is that while Brandon and I are doing our best to help Max (who has passed two of his licensing exams), Kendra and Mark grow as young advisors, we are also listening to them.  Kendra, as a female advisor, certainly brings a different perspective than I do.  Not better or worse, but different.  I have been described as blunt and even a curmudgeon (that was by family by the way) while Kendra has clients laughing and hugging her.  Brandon may not be that much older than Mark, but he’s a grandfather of 2 while Mark has a newborn child.  Each of our life experiences and world/economic viewpoints help us make the right choices for our clients.  And it also helps us to adjust portfolios when an investment is performing differently than what we hoped.

This brings us to the second differentiator.  As I stated, four of us discuss investment positions each week.  That is probably four more people with an in-depth understanding of investments than most clients have ever met.  Brandon runs faith-based portfolios and buys structured investments for our clients.  There is no single perfect investment for every client, and that is true of those I just mentioned.  However, by talking to clients about their goals, risk profile, and what they are really looking for (even if they don’t know these investments exist), we can use the full spectrum of the investing world to help our clients.  Mutual fund portfolios exist at Majestic Financial but they are a part of a clients’ strategy instead of being the only strategy.

So, whether you are new to Majestic Financial or have been with us from the beginning, we hope that you understand that we really “do things differently”, even if you can’t define exactly what that means.
 
Written by Sean Budlong, CFP®, AAMS, Chief Executive Officer, Majestic Financial, Financial Consultant, RJFS
 
*Disclosures: Any opinions are those of Sean Budlong and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected, including diversification and asset allocation. Every investor's situation is unique and you should consider your investment goals, risk tolerance and time horizon before making any investment. Prior to making an investment decision, please consult with your financial advisor about your individual situation. There is no guarantee that these statements, opinions or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct. This information is not intended as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any security referred to herein.