When John Robert Austin first started in the financial industry some 30 years ago, he commuted to work on his bicycle, navigating San Francisco’s hilly topography to be in the office by 6:30 A.M., when the markets opened on the West Coast. These days, he has only a short walk to work – very short.  By simply stepping over a threshold into the office built into his Maryland home,  Austin is at work by 9:00 A.M., 30 minutes before the opening bell on Wall Street.

After three decades in the financial industry, Austin, a Certified Financial Planner®, launched Austin Wealth Management LLC, in 2005. Starting with a small base of accounts, he used a tried and true marketing approach – direct mail – in order to grow. He sent a simple letter to previous clients, some of whom he hadn’t contacted for almost 20 years. “I said that I was back in business, and they literally came out of the woodwork,” said Austin, calling it a very gratifying experience. And he jokes, noting, “They were a lot wealthier than when I last worked with them.”

Most clients of Austin Wealth Management have a portfolio of a million dollars or greater and are now more interested in capital preservation than capital appreciation. “We share a rapport and common values. I would rather work with clients I like than just deal with clients who have money,” said Austin, adding, “I’m just as selective as the public should be in picking their advisor.”

Austin Wealth Management provides fee-based portfolio management, financial planning and retirement planning services. Through periodic reviews, Austin revisits the original intent of a client’s portfolio. “Based on a risk and reward client profile, we constantly test people to see that we are still investing assets in accordance with their pain threshold,” explained Austin. He runs hypothetical scenarios and Monte Carlo analyses (a tool used to simulate the impact of financial risk and uncertainty) to make sure that clients have a reasonable probability of not outliving their capital. This is critically important, because more people are now living into their 80’s, 90’s – and even reaching the age of 100 or beyond.

The true value of working with Austin Wealth Management is the firm's experience. By calling upon that, the firm can help clients do more than just “diversify and pray.” This is a quote Austin borrowed from John Templeton, a pioneer in mutual fund investing. Hanging on his wallis a framed letter from Templeton granting Austin permission to use the quote in expressing his firm’s principles.

And, Austin adds another line to this valuable phrase, “If you don’t diversify – pray harder.”

For more information, visit: www.austinwealthmanagement.com