Frequently Asked Questions

Why Choose Highmount?

The principal reasons are our identification with our clients' interests, which we believe is the foundation of a trusted relationship. We work toward a full understanding of each client's specific financial situation and objectives, and then design and execute creative strategies that advance those goals. Clients have access to the partner who is responsible for their relationship. We build long-standing relationships with clients; we are dedicated to the individuals and families themselves, and the generations to come.

What distinguishes your firm’s investment philosophy and approach to managing wealth from other advisors?

What sets Highmount apart from other advisors is our focus on thematic global investing and family sustainability. Our thematic approach to investing seeks to identify and capitalize on emerging economic, political and social trends that are likely to have broad, significant and long-lasting implications for important sectors of the economy and financial markets. These trends can put powerful tailwinds behind selected industries and companies, improving the probabilities of achieving investment success in these areas. Themes apply across as well as within asset classes, and may often overlap.

Our focus on family sustainability is centered on our belief in and commitment to the planning and education necessary for all generations of a family to ensure the ongoing stewardship of their wealth. This is achieved through our trustee services and assistance in tax and estate planning, as well as our family governance program which are all done in-house: educational programs for children and young adults that include best practices for intergenerational wealth stewardship; wealth and life planning programs that assist in the development of core money values to help families focus on their legacy; business consulting in which we provide guidance for board meetings, family employment and compensation issues; and general family governance in which we facilitate a framework for family discussions and assess the impact of family entities on personal relationships.

Does management of your firm encourage you to focus on increasing the number of clients, number of accounts or size of accounts?

Highmount’s overarching philosophy is that we are client-centered first and foremost – our clients always take precedence over any other part of our business. We are charged with providing them with the best investment and wealth management advice, combined with high-touch service. It is our goal that their portfolios will grow through strong performance results and good long-term tax and estate planning, and that our clients will ultimately consolidate their holdings with us. We believe that our client-focused approach is responsible for our largest source of new clients to the firm: referrals from existing clients and their intermediaries (attorneys, accountants).

How do you manage real or perceived conflicts or interest among the firm, its employees and its clients?

Neither Highmount Capital nor its employees receive any other income from our clients’ assets other than the fees charged directly to their accounts. Our portfolio managers do not earn commissions on trades. In most cases, we charge a set percentage on assets for each relationship based on service provided regardless of where the assets are placed.  Thus, there is no incentive to steer clients into strategies that may not be appropriate for their long-term objectives and risk tolerances. For those clients to whom we provide financial advice and other services which may not be specifically related to securities, a negotiable fee is charged.  The firm does not utilize soft dollar arrangements for any third party services, and receives no indirect compensation or has any revenue sharing arrangements with the service providers and outside managers that we recommend. Highmount has an incentive to reduce all costs and ensure best execution for clients, since such costs only reduce our reported investment performance.