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UBS Fort Collins Financial Advisors: Kevin Delaney, Lance Crossett, Craig Ferris, Ron Peacock, John Raben, Branch Manager Saul Guice, John McLaurin, Wayne Jamerson, Justin Brolyer, Gary Birdsell and Mike Warne.

The team approach is not new to the investment arena, but it is quickly becoming the norm. “We are a big believer in teams,” according to UBS Fort Collins Branch Manager Saul Guice. “It provides a better client experience and a better way to deliver financial planning services.” The team approach has become more formalized in recent years and even solo Financial Advisors are teaming up towards the end of their careers, says Guice. The trend is largely client motivated. “Our high net worth clients are smart. They know teams mean they get twice the benefits for the same professional fees—two for the price of one. Instead of 15 years of experience, they get 30 years.”

In a practical way, teams provide clients with some very important assets. First of all, there is the availability factor. If your Financial Advisor is on vacation, his or her teammate picks up the slack. “There is always someone there to act on their behalf,” Guice says. Another trend in teams is partnerships with junior and senior Financial Advisors. This collaboration is particularly appealing to clients who want customized personal service for the life of their investments. “We see clients who are more and more interested in the junior/senior teams. They like having a 35 to 40 year old junior partner so they won’t have to retrain a new person when the senior team member retires,” explains Guice. “They can have the same person working with them, who knows them, into their 90s.”

“The team synergy means that a client has more than one set of eyes and ears on their investments. A team can approach a client’s life goals in more than one way and gather strength from around the table,” says Gary Karre, UBS Branch Manager in Greeley and Boulder. Teams are often made up of complementary strengths, adds Karre, with each Financial Advisor having greater expertise in different investment areas. “Teams have the ability to watch each other; hold each other accountable,” says Guice. “Together they look out for the client.”

UBS Greeley Financial Advisor team Richard Mollandor and Jennifer Owens

Karre and Guice are unanimous in applauding UBS’s approach to the team profile. “What is different about UBS is that our firm promotes and supports teams in our training and education,” says Karre. “I don’t know of any other firm in the industry with a more formal structure for supporting and training teams.” Client contact software, calendars, even floor space at UBS is designed to support teams. “This is an industry trend that any good firm is addressing. At UBS, even the way we have designed our office space is to enhance how the teams function.” Guice estimates that more than 70 percent of new assets are going to teams.

UBS has two offices in Northern Colorado, one in Greeley and another in Fort Collins. Team sizes range from two partners to a multi-person team with support staff. At the Greeley office, two sets of teams work hard for their clients. The first team features Financial Advisors Robert Johnson, Tom Macgillivray, Larry Hubbard and Carolyn Gattis, with Codie Beeken as a Registered Client Service Associate. The second team features Financial Advisors Richard Mollandor and Jennifer Owens, with Registered Client Service Associate Nicole Bandini.

At UBS’s beautiful, new Fort Collins office, six teams are available to provide a client with expert wealth management services. The first and oldest team, The Hartman Group, is made up of Financial Advisors Clayton Hartman, Brian Sullivan and Wayne Jamerson, along with several support staff. The Brolyer Team is made up of a father and son duo, Ed and Justin Brolyer. A third team consists of John Raben and John McLaurin, referred to, Guice jokes, as the John Team. Craig Ferris and Ron Peacock are another team. Lance Crossett and Kevin Delaney work as a team side by side to support their clients. The final team is made up of Michael Warne and Gary Birdsell.

All teams function on much the same level, offering the same UBS personalized experience. Solo Financial Advisors are also available at UBS. Some clients find a solo Financial Advisor to be a better fit, says Guice, but they still have the benefit of a “virtual team” of support from the UBS branch managers, fellow Financial Advisors, associate staff and technical as well as investment professionals throughout UBS.

Gary Karre, UBS Greeley and Boulder Branch Manager

The UBS Experience

Whether part of a team or a solo unit, Financial Advisors are charged with offering their clients the personalized UBS experience. “Every client has a personal pie chart made up of family, work, hobbies, and what is important to them. The real obligation for our Financial Advisors is to understand the person and how to achieve his or her goals and aspirations,” explains Karre. “A financial plan is a road map for getting you to the goals you want to reach,” Karre says. “It is about the client’s individual vision of success,” finishes Guice.

“There is no rubber stamp. We deliver individual financial solutions for our clients,” says Guice. To do this, UBS Financial Advisors perform an in-depth interview process to find out what is most important to clients. Frequent communication with clients ensures that goals are reviewed and adjusted as needed; sometimes, it just serves to help clients remember where they are in their financial plans and why. The regular re-evaluations are particularly important during tougher economic periods like the current recession. Reviews, says Guice, help keep clients focused on the long term.

UBS represents the largest market share and the highest productivity of any financial firm, according to UBS Market Area Manager John Lester. They have more than 200 Financial Advisors throughout Colorado and nine separate offices from Pueblo to Fort Collins. “Our firm has many talented people. Each office has a manager that leads the way, although each office may have a little different focus according to region,” Lester explains. “In the last 12 months, 23 Financial Advisors have joined our firm,” he adds. Guice says, “We are in this business committed to hiring experienced Financial Advisors who have a shared vision of how to help clients.”

Saul Guice, UBS Fort Collins Branch Manager

Investing in Today's Economy

“In this market you have to be able to take a punch and deliver a punch in all the right ways,” says Karre. “It is not for the faint of heart.” Despite this fact, financial planning should not be abandoned. “More than ever, it is important to put a plan in place. During the last six months, events have put people in crisis mode, but eventually that will stabilize,” says Lester. “If you don’t put a plan down in writing and stick to it, you don’t make good decisions,” Lester continues.

Because of the uncertain outlook today, it is now more important than ever to keep a close eye on your portfolio. “No matter who you invest with, your Financial Advisor should be in consistent contact with you to revisit, adjust or even re-run your financial plan,” recommends Guice. Paying too much attention can also backfire. Guice advises clients to “pay attention, but don’t obsess over it. The press delivers multi-second sound bites. Often, this only serves to further confuse an individual. If you have a long-term view, you don’t even need to look at the monthly statements. That is why having a team in place that you trust and can listen to is so important.”

While the economy has provided plenty of challenges, it also offers some unique opportunities to the savvy investor. “I believe this market represents some really good opportunities. Look at bonds, they are as attractively priced as they ever were,” says Lester. “These cycles are normal and give us the opportunity to buy things cheaper. Timing is the issue. You have to be there and trust your Financial Advisor,” adds Guice.

Keeping a positive outlook today is a protection during uncertain times. “We are experiencing a season. It is not pretty, but it will ultimately change,” says Karre. “Think about the things you can control and don’t get swamped with what you can’t control.” This involves analyzing your spending habits and attitudes. Karre says for many, the idea of a recession is just as damaging as the reality. “I believe things will begin to improve when the psyche of the country begins to improve. We have to believe it can and will get better.”

Karre recommends looking at financial planning early in life. “Frequently people think ‘I don’t have enough assets and a company won’t want to work with me.’ But people underestimate the importance of financial planning.”

Guice agrees, “A person is never too young to learn about money.” From parents teaching their children how to handle money to 20-somethings with their first real jobs, trying to figure out how to allocate their 401(k)s, “it is important to learn about economic ups and downs and how to spend money.”

While it is impossible to predict when the economic downturn will begin to work its way back, Lester says historic markets often begin recovery long before people see the signs. “I do believe we are further along than most people think. I am hopeful we will see a degree of recovery next year.” In the meantime, Karre says, “this is the kind of time when you can’t lose your nerve. If you have a plan of attack, you won’t give up on your long-term plan. Sooner or later this will improve.”