Fee-Only Fiduciary Financial Advisor
WHY FRESHFIELD
Freshfield is a fee-only investment manager and financial planner located in Plano, Texas serving clients locally and nationwide. Our principal, Dr. Andy Lawson, PhD (Econ), is a CFP® professional. We provide all services as a fiduciary, meaning we’re legally obliged to put our client’s best interests first. Unlike brokers, we don’t earn commissions by selling proprietary products such as mutual funds or annuities. By taking a client-first approach, we put our focus where it should be: on you and your financial goals. We believe this and the following four key benefits determine why 9 out of 10 clients entrust their investment management and financial planning needs to us for the long term.*
*Average annual client retention, 2009-2022, calculated as 1-[sum of (# of terminations in year/# of clients in year)]/# of years
1. Personalized portfolio management
We take the time to learn about your personal situation, cash-flow needs, time horizon and investment goals. And we discuss with you our investment methodology and philosophy. Then, we develop an investment strategy designed to meet your needs and goals. Going forward, we check-in regularly to make sure your portfolio continues to be aligned with your goals.
2. Financial expertise and advice that matters
We have significant expertise in the fields of investment management and financial planning (including retirement, tax and estate planning). We apply this expertise to managing our clients’ investment portfolios and building their financial plans to maximize the likelihood of our clients achieving their financial goals.
3. No conflict of interest, transparent fees
We are an independent, fee-only firm. This means our only compensation is the fees we receive from our clients—we do not earn commissions so there's no incentive for us to recommend suboptimal investment products or to excessively trade your account. Furthermore, we are a fiduciary firm, meaning we are legally obliged to always act in your best interests. Thus, our fee-only, fiduciary provision of services guarantees there is no conflict of interest between us and our clients.
4. White-glove service
We treat each client as if they are our only client. You will hear from us regularly, not because we have some new product to sell, but to keep us current with your situation and to keep you updated about your portfolio. Our goal is to help you understand what is going on with your portfolio so you have the confidence to reach your long-term investment goals. What's more, our principal, Dr. Lawson is always available to you to discuss your portfolio, financial plan or other financial matters.
SERVICES
We offer a full range of tailored advice and investment services
Portfolio Management
We build a customized portfolio for every client. A client's portfolio reflects their unique financial circumstances, time-horizon, cash-flow requirements and investment objectives. And it is adjusted to keep pace with their evolving situation and requirements. At Freshfield, our deep investment knowledge and global reach means we can provide the understanding and flexibility to meet our clients' long-term investment goals.
Hourly Portfolio Consulting
We offer hourly portfolio consulting. This service is for clients who manage their own portfolios or are seeking an evaluation of a 3rd-party managed portfolio. Examples: Can the portfolio be adjusted to increase its long-term return without increasing its risk? Is the portfolio's risk suitable for the owner’s circumstances? If the portfolio is in a taxable account, can investment taxes be reduced? Is the portfolio structured to achieve its objective of funding future expenses?
Financial Planning
Our financial planning—which is provided to portfolio management clients at no additional charge—gives you a holistic analysis that takes every financial aspect into account. Together, we’ll examine your current financial situation and cash-flow requirements and review your investment horizon and investments goals. Once we’ve investigated all these aspects, we’ll present you with a customized financial plan designed to maximize the likelihood of reaching your long-term goals.
Financial Consulting
We offer hourly financial consulting. This is for clients who manage some or all of their financial affairs and seek expert advice on a particular financial topic. Topics include, but are not limited to, estate planning, retirement account contributions, Roth conversions, 401K funds selection, 401K rollovers, college funding and 529 plans, cash management, tax-loss harvesting and defined benefit plans, IRA distributions, Social Security and gift-giving.
For a complete description of available services, visit our Services page
For a description of a complimentary consultation, a comparison of virtual and in-person meetings and what to expect when becoming a new client, visit our Contact page
FRESHFIELD'S FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL
Having a financial plan and your investments managed the right way by focusing on risk-management and cost-control substantially increases the likelihood that you will be ready for the retirement you want.
Dr. Andy Lawson, BS, MS, PhD, CFP®, Financial Planner and Investment Manager and Freshfield's Founder
Dr. Andy Lawson is a financial economist specializing in financial advisory and investment management. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and a Master of Science degree in Statistical Sciences from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and a Ph.D. degree in Financial Economics (Investments) from the University of Texas in Austin, Texas and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. Andy developed his portfolio management expertise working with institutional investors—holding senior positions at a hedge fund, a pension fund advisory and an economics consultancy—and conducting scholarly research. His research interests include stock valuation, portfolio diversification, mutual fund performance, stock price volatility and the management of portfolio risk. During his research he has collaborated with a number of renowned economists and contributed to the economics literature. Andy now provides financial planning and investment management to clients with a variety of investment objectives in the United States and Europe. He is a member of the American Statistical Association, the American Finance Association and lives in Dallas, Texas. Andy continues to carry out research relevant to the management of investment portfolios.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE TALKING TO US ABOUT
FEATURED BLOGS
Written by Economist Dr. Andy Lawson, our Investing Wisely series of blogs provide penetrating insights into some of today's most important and controversial investing issues.
CONTACT US
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We are a fee-only, fiduciary financial advisor located at 1800 Preston Park Blvd, Suite 105, Plano, Texas and serve clients locally and across the country
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We provide investment management, financial planning and hourly portfolio consulting. Financial planning is provided to investment management clients at no additional charge.
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Meetings may be conducted in-person or virtually
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Dr. Lawson offers a complimentary initial consultation, which can be booked here
For a description of what a complimentary consultation looks like, a comparison of virtual and in-person meetings and what to expect when becoming a new client, please go to our Contact page