Solutions

All of us can agree on one thing and that is technology has changed our lives for the better. Every aspect of our lives has improved thanks to technology. Using your fingertips, you can connect with friends, pay bills, transfer money, fetch a ride, get the news and build an investment portfolio. Although this automation is amazing, it may not be the ideal approach when it comes to managing your finances. Developing a relationship with an Edwards financial advisor gives you access a wealth of information and resources that when constructed as an investment strategy, provides you with a path to meet your goals. Ongoing monitoring along the way creates the means for you to stay on track. Our advisors have the expertise to help you build a diverse portfolio according to your needs; they can also help you to plan for life’s major milestones.

 

Advisory Services

We offer a robust advisory platform built to meet your objectives. When working with your advisor, the first step is to establish your risk tolerance, develop an asset allocation plan then decide how involved you would like to be in making day to day decisions.

You may not have the time or inclination to keep abreast of market changes. For investors who would like to free themselves from the need to constantly monitor their portfolios, your advisor has access to premier asset managers to align with your goals, time horizon and risk tolerance.

We also offer advisory programs if you are more the “do it yourself” investor who wants to take a more hands approach to investing.

Learn More Our Advisory Programs

Learn more about the difference between a brokerage account and an advisory account.

 

Affluent Investor Services

We take a goals-based approach to meet your financial and legacy goals, and are happy to collaborate with other professionals you rely upon to achieve your goals. We help with:

  • Wealth Transition Strategies
  • Charitable Planning Strategies
  • Estate Planning Strategies
  • Retirement Planning Services
  • Non-Purpose Loans
  • Alternative Investments
  • Concentrated Equity Strategies
  • Business Owner Services
  • Executive Services
  • Trust Services

 

Alternative Investments

Our high-quality selection of alternative investments includes hedge funds, managed futures funds and private equity funds complemented with diversification solutions such as alternative mutual funds and exchange-traded products.*

 

Annuities

We offer a selection of outstanding annuity products that may address a variety of your financial needs.

Variable annuities are long-term investments and are subject to market fluctuations and investment risk. They are sold by prospectus. Before investing, it is important that you consider your investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. You can obtain a prospectus by contacting your financial advisor.

 

Business Owner Services

Business owners experience a host of unique financial challenges that require a team of professionals – attorneys, tax advisors and financial advisors – to achieve financial success. We interface seamlessly with this team, offering the following services:

  • Business insurance products, i.e., buy/sell, key person, loss purchase insurance
  • Investment banking services, i.e., negotiating targeted acquisitions or the sale of your business. Learn more about Investment Banking
  • Strategy discussions for exiting or transitioning the business
  • Establishing a retirement plan or reviewing plan alternatives including:
    • Small Business Retirement Plans (SEP, IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, Individual 401(k)s
    • Full-featured Retirement Plans (401(k) Plans, Profit Sharing Plans, Money Purchase Plans)

 

Cash Management

In addition to a basic brokerage account to meet investment and financial management needs, we offer three Corestone Account® options to handle all your daily activities-checking, investing, online bill payments and much more in one place. Corestone lets you keep all your finances in one place, while allowing you to track your spending, write checks, make purchases on the go or get cash when you need it.

 

Closed-End Funds

We offer a wide range of closed-end funds, including interval funds, from many different fund companies. Similar to mutual funds, closed-end funds are pooled investment vehicles. However, there are some important differences between these types of funds.Unlike mutual funds, most traditional closed-end funds do not continuously offer their shares for sale. Instead, such funds typically sell a fixed number of shares through an initial public offering, after which their shares typically trade on a secondary trading market. Learn more about Closed End Funds.

 

Complex Products

Complex products are a type of investment whose value can fluctuate in a manner that is difficult to understand relative to traditional investments. Complex investments typically invest in nontraditional assets or engage in one or more complex strategies. Many complex products are not actively traded, making them difficult to value. Learn more about Complex Products.

 

Education Planning Services

We know how important funding the next generation’s education is; our report, Education Dreams Can Come True with Proper Planning, helps to identify the challenges and solutions. Your financial advisor can help, with options including:

  • 529 Plans
  • Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA)
  • Custodial Accounts
  • Qualifying U.S. Savings Bonds

 

Equity Investments

Grow your portfolio and/or generate income, taking advantage of:

 

FDIC-Insured Deposit Sweep Program

Clients have several choices for how to invest cash balances. Money market mutual funds are one option and investors should be aware that these funds have similar characteristics, fees and costs as other the mutual fund products described in the Mutual Funds section above. BFE also offers an FDIC-insured bank deposit program, which sweeps cash held within accounts into an interest-bearing FDIC-insured cash account or money market funds. Learn more about our Sweep Program.

Estate Planning Services

Our advisors offer advice on this important decision (regardless of your stage of life), including transfer-on-death, will and trust plans, and trust services. You have spent time accumulating wealth and our advisors want to ensure this wealth is directed to your intended beneficiaries with ease.

 

Executive Services

Executive compensation plans continue to increase in complexity; our advisors can offer recommendations covering both tax and financial implications.

  • Stock Option Analysis
  • Cashless Stock Option Exercises
  • Restricted Stock Transactions
  • Concentrated Equity Position Planning
  • Wealth Accumulation Strategies

 

Fixed Income Investments

Fixed income investments are key to a well-diversified portfolio and include:

 

Life Insurance

Life insurance can be an important component of your financial plan and should be carefully navigated. Your financial advisor can help review your current life, long-term care, and disability coverage based on goals and objectives.

 

IRAS

IRAs offer advantages that can’t be found in other savings accounts; talk to our advisors about traditional and Roth IRAs, as well as IRA Rollovers.

Navigating your retirement is no easy feat. We offer guidance in selecting the IRA that is right for you whether you are funding an account or activating a rollover from an employer’s plan. When the time comes, we offer distribution strategies to designed to assist you maintaining a comfortable retirement.

Mutual Funds

Our financial advisors leverage widely-recognized and carefully researched fund families to create the right investment strategy (value, growth, balanced, large cap, small cap, international and fixed income); we also offer money market solutions.

See important investment information concerning Mutual Funds.

Options

Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Before opening an option position, please request a copy of Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options from your financial advisor.

Your needs come first.

Margin & Non-Purpose Lending Products

We offer the use of margin on your account, which means you can borrow additional money to invest against the value of your existing securities. Before trading in a margin account, you should carefully review our Margin Agreement. You should also discuss the use of margin with your financial advisor.

When you purchase securities, you may pay for the securities in full or you may choose to borrow part of the purchase price. If you choose to borrow funds, you will need to open a margin account and sign our Margin Agreement. The securities you purchase on margin are BFE’s collateral for the loan to you. If the securities in your account decline in value, so does the value of the collateral supporting your loan, and, as a result, we can take action, such as issue a margin call and/or sell securities or other assets in any of your accounts, in order to maintain the required equity in the account. Learn more about Margin and Lending Products

Real Estate Investment Trusts

We offer a range of real estate investment trusts (REITs), which own and typically operate income-producing real estate assets, such as office buildings, shopping malls, apartments, hotels, resorts, self-storage facilities, warehouses, and real estate mortgages or loans. Unlike other real estate companies, REITs do not develop real estate properties to resell them, but rather buy and develop properties primarily to operate them as part of their own investment portfolio.

  • As an investment for a client, REITS provide exposure to the investment performance of commercial real estate. REITs are required to pay out most of the taxable income to their shareholders Learn more about REITs  

Structured Notes & Index Linked CDs

Structured Notes and Index Linked CDs are investment products that provide a modified exposure to an underlying index. They often provide enhanced upside (sometimes subject to a cap) and/or a buffer of downside protection. They can be a very comfortable way to gain market exposure in uncertain times. They are not listed on any securities exchange and an investor may not be able to sell a structured note prior to maturity. An issuer may purchase a structured note in the secondary market if you request a bid, but it is not required to do so.