Below, you’ll find key questions, each with an expandable section where we share how Morton Brown Family Wealth approaches these topics.
Yes. Morton Brown Family Wealth is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser (RIA). This requires us to act in your best interest at all times. We do not have any brokerage business and do not earn commissions on trades. When we make an investment recommendation it is because we believe it is the best choice for your long-term success. Unfortunately, this is not the standard in our industry. Rather, many brokers are held to a “suitability standard”. As long as an investment is deemed suitable for you, brokers are free to charge high commissions.
Morton Brown Family Wealth is a professional partnership with no parent company or outside financial stakeholders. We are not owned by a bank or Wall Street corporation. Instead, we are accountable to our clients and our team. The RIA model is the fastest growing and most innovative space in the personal finance industry. Being independent, we are able to partner with established and entrepreneurial providers in order to bring the right resources to bear for our clients. For example, we have partnered with Charles Schwab Institutional as a third-party custodian to hold our clients’ assets. Schwab, the largest custodial firm, provides us access to a broad universe of investment options, which we can select based on their merits and cost. We are also able to combine a suite of financial technology that helps us to be better advisors and keep our clients informed.
Our financial advisors hold a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM designation, the leading credential for personal financial advisors. Earning the CFP® marks requires completing a rigorous curriculum, passing a comprehensive exam, and committing to ongoing education in Investments, Retirement, Taxation, Insurance, and Estate Planning. Beyond our academic credentials, our firm is focused solely on providing personal financial advice to individuals and families. We believe that an advisor should have a concentration or area of expertise. For us, it is fostering confident financial decision making for the families we serve.
The financial landscape is constantly changing, and we are committed to staying at the forefront of new strategies, technology, and industry insights to better serve our clients.
We do this by attending leading industry conferences, engaging with peers and experts, and following a rigorous vetting process for investments in collaboration with our Chief Investment Officer, East Bay Investment Solutions. Each CFP® professional on our team also completes ongoing education to stay current on tax law changes, estate planning strategies, and evolving financial planning techniques.
In addition to continuous learning, we have embraced innovative financial technology to enhance our planning and investment approach.
By combining expertise, education, and cutting-edge tools, we ensure that our clients benefit from the best strategies available—today and in the future.
Our clients are leaders—in business, in their communities, and in their families. They are executives, business owners, medical professionals, and other accomplished individuals who have worked hard to build their wealth and want to be intentional about managing it.
Many are five to ten years from retirement and looking for a trusted partner to help them transition from growing their wealth to making it work for them. Others are navigating complex financial decisions that come with business ownership, career changes, or generational wealth.
We typically work with families who have at least $1 million in investable assets, as our model is designed to provide the depth of planning and investment management needed at this level of wealth. Morton Brown currently serves 262 households with $399 million in assets under management, including clients with over $10 million in assets. Our clients value thoughtful, personalized advice and a collaborative relationship with an advisor who understands their goals and priorities—beyond the numbers.
We are a fee-based advisory firm. We earn no commissions for investment advice. Our asset-based clients for whom we manage investment portfolios pay a fee that is a percentage of assets under management. When our clients grow, we grow. Therefore, our incentives are aligned. We also have an advice-based platform that charges a flat monthly retainer fee. For certain clients, this often makes sense as their largest assets are sometimes illiquid. We are licensed insurance agents and when recommending insurance policies can be paid commissions, which are disclosed in advance.
Our client relationships begin with a structured first-year experience, during which we create and implement a personalized financial plan. We establish a meeting rhythm and communication style that fits each client’s needs, incorporating educational components to deepen their understanding. Our goal is for clients to see how our philosophies around investing and financial planning work for them—year after year.
Each client is supported by a dedicated team, including a lead advisor, financial planner, and administrative support, to guide strategy and implement their plan. As an independent firm, we are also positioned to collaborate with your custodian (Schwab), accountant, attorney, and other trusted professionals to ensure all aspects of your financial life are coordinated. Unlike firms tied to a bank or corporate parent, we have the flexibility to recommend the right professionals and resources to support your needs.
To keep clients informed and engaged, we provide access to a secure client portal and mobile app, offering a real-time view of their portfolio, financial plan, and key investment details—all in one place. Through the portal, clients can securely upload important documents, track progress toward financial goals, and stay informed with timely insights from our team. The mobile app enhances this experience by offering on-the-go access, allowing clients to check their financial picture anytime, anywhere.
At Morton Brown, financial planning is the foundation of every client relationship. We believe wealth is more than numbers on a statement—it’s a tool for living with purpose, navigating life’s transitions, and making confident decisions. Our planning philosophy is built around three guiding principles:
- Awareness – Gaining clarity on what is unique to your family and your wealth.
- Flexibility – Adapting as life evolves, ensuring your plan grows with you.
- Confidence – Building understanding and trust, so you feel empowered in every financial decision.
Financial planning isn’t a one-time event—it’s an ongoing conversation. We take a proactive, collaborative approach that evolves with you over time, helping align your financial life with what matters most.
Successful investing is simple, but not easy. Markets fluctuate, emotions run high, and headlines create noise. Our role as investment managers is to bring clarity and discipline to the process, ensuring your investments align with your goals and long-term financial plan.
- Portfolio Manager – Designing an investment strategy that balances growth, preservation, income, and opportunity while staying aligned with your family’s unique goals.
- Behavioral Coach – Helping you navigate market ups and downs with confidence, so emotions don’t drive investment decisions.
- Risk Manager – Defining the specific risks that matter to you and crafting a portfolio that accounts for them.
We believe in transparency and control—you should always know what you own and why you own it. Our investment strategies emphasize low costs, tax efficiency, and broad diversification, focusing on what we can control in an unpredictable market.
Tax planning is a critical part of our financial planning and investment process. Rather than treating taxes as a once-a-year event, we take a proactive, year-round approach to managing tax efficiency within your financial plan.
Our strategies focus on controlling what we can, including:
- Tax-efficient investing – Managing asset location, capital gains, and withdrawal strategies to help reduce tax impact.
- Collaborative planning – Working alongside your accountant and other professionals to ensure alignment with your overall tax strategy.
- Forward-looking strategies – Anticipating tax law changes and identifying opportunities like Roth conversions, charitable giving strategies, and tax-aware withdrawals.
By integrating tax considerations into every aspect of your financial plan, we help you minimize unnecessary taxes and maximize long-term outcomes.
The life you lead requires both curiosity and confidence—a mindset that inspires, strengthens, and encourages your life’s pursuits. At Morton Brown, we foster a community of clients and professionals who are engaged with the world around them and intentional about their financial future.
Our role is to distill complexity into clarity, helping you understand opportunities and risks so you can make informed, confident decisions. Whether you’re envisioning retirement, launching a second act, or planning for the next generation, we are committed to serving your best interests—always.
With a holistic approach to financial planning and investing, we provide the structure and guidance that allow families to dream, create, innovate, and pursue new passions. You define the vision—we help you bring it to life.
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The right financial advisor should be open, transparent, and ready to answer your questions. If you’d like to dive deeper into any of these topics, we’re here to help.