Since 2012, I’ve partnered with AssetMark, a third-party asset management firm, as an extension of how we care for our clients at FourFront.
I am a financial planner, financial engineer, exit planning specialist, and retirement & estate planning advisor. My role, and our role as a firm, is to design thoughtful, customized portfolios for every client we serve. That work requires deep planning, careful analysis, and constant attention to both the clients’ individual situations and the markets. It takes significant time, energy, and resources to do this well.
But, who is doing the research and due diligence on the investment managers themselves? Who is evaluating the teams managing the securities inside each portfolio? Who is ensuring that those firms adhere to proper processes, have strong leadership and the right people in place, all while operating at peak performance and staying in top fiscal shape?
That’s where AssetMark comes in.
AssetMark provides the level of due diligence that allows us to sleep at night knowing our work is being honored and cared for in the best way possible. They work with us at FourFront, not as a vendor, but as a strategic ally. They have a vested personal interest in every household we serve. We are not just numbers to them, and neither are our clients.
They prove that commitment to us daily, monthly, and year after year.
The financial landscape is competitive, and many firms try to win business by driving costs as close to zero as possible. But, when costs go to zero, you have to ask what’s being sacrificed. I argue that you are get exactly what you pay for.
Each year, AssetMark hosts their Gold Forum, bringing together roughly 700 independent, planning-focused advisors. It’s a space to share best practices, planning insights, market perspectives, and technology updates alongside honest discussion about what truly matters to families, business owners, and the advisors who serve them.
After three days of learning, discussion, networking, and peer-to-peer connection, I always return energized. I come back with ideas to share with our team and our clients. Ideas about how we can improve, grow, and make a greater impact in the lives we serve.
Over the years, the executive team at AssetMark has become more than professional contacts. They’ve become friends. They’ve embraced me and my entrepreneurial quirks. They’ve challenged me to be a better advisor, business owner, and leader, while also welcoming challenges themselves. That mutual accountability has made them a better platform and partner, not just for us, but for the many top advisors they support.
One of the highlights of this year’s forum was hearing from Lou Maiuri, AssetMark’s Chairman and Group CEO, as he shared the firm’s roadmap and refreshed core values. The first value he spoke about was “Leading with Heart.” Seeing that message delivered with sincerity reinforced our confidence that this partnership is the right fit.
At FourFront, we talk about “Financial Advice with Heart” on every team meeting. AssetMark’s values closely mirror our own. Obsessing over client success reflects our commitment to being client-obsessed. Unyielding integrity aligns with our belief in trustworthiness. Collective respect echoes our team mindset of “No Eeyores,” lifting each other up, even on the hard days. Operating with excellence reflects our growth-oriented approach and our “bulldog” relentless drive to improve.
Lou also shared a simple but powerful truth: firms must be growing AND TRANSFORMING or they’re falling behind. AssetMark’s continued investment in technology and innovation excites us, and we look forward to soon adopting their new tools that will allow us to deliver an even more personalized experience for each family we serve.
At FourFront, we share that same mindset. We constantly challenge our systems, operations, and service so we can do better for our clients. We are never satisfied, and we don’t partner with firms that are comfortable standing still.
Our clients trust us with their wealth and their future. We take that responsibility seriously, and we align ourselves with partners who do the same.