Balanced rock company presentation 2015.4.2

FINANCIAL PLANNING & WEALTH MANAGEMENT
100% Independent, Locally Owned & Operated

Join Us in Our Mission
Good financial advice can be a
tool for family and community
empowerment and economic
growth. We created an advisory
firm that is accessible to all,
completely transparent, and
works in the best interests of
our clients. We also give our
clients the chance to have their
personal values reflected in
their investments so that they
can make a positive impact on
our world.
Too much of the existing
industry is built on sales of
products that benefit the
people selling them more than
the people buying them. And
too often the best advisors
limit their services to those who
have a million dollars or more
to invest with them. We think
the integrity of your investment
advice should be independent
of your net worth, and that
everyone should have access
to reasonably priced financial
advice and management. In
order to accomplish this, we
needed to break away from the
established system and build a
more efficient way to connect
individuals with the advice,
investments and financial
products they need to secure
their futures.
We call this Flattening the
System™.
252 R O S L I N DA L E AV E N U E , R O S L I N DA L E , M A 02131 • 617 97 1 832 3 • W W W. B A L A N C E D R O C K I A .C O M 2

TRADITIONAL MODEL
BALANCED ROCK MODEL
SALES-BASED
ADVISOR
BROKER/
CUSTODIAN
YOUR
PORTFOLIO
YOUR GOALS
INSURANCE
INSURANCE
MUTUAL FUNDS
ANNUITIES
US
YOU
YOU
YOUR GOALS
BROKER/
CUSTODIAN
YOUR
PORTFOLIO
Flattening the System™

Our Firm
• Founded in 2011 by
Daniel M. Flannery, a
CFA Charterholder
• Set out to create a better
model for financial advice
• Institutional quality research &
management for everyone
• Accessible to people &
organizations of all kinds
• Fee-Only (Paid only by our
clients)
• Fiduciary-Only™ (Work only in
our clients’ best interests)
• Adheres to the highest level
of Ethics and Standards
in the Industry
• More than $18M in Assets
Under Management
and 80 clients served.
• 20 Local Community
Organizations and Events
supported with $20K since
our founding
Why Balanced Rock?
The story behind the
name.
Formed over tens of thousands
of years completely exposed
to the extremes of weather,
Balanced Rock stands in
the high desert of Utah as a
massive but improbable tribute
to the power of balance and
positioning. Our founder Dan
camped in Arches National Park
on two occasions and it has
remained one of his favorite
places. When it came time
to name this company, the
combination of strength and
balance persevering over time
seemed like the perfect way to
express our philosophy while
sharing a personal connection.
We work to build appropriately
balanced portfolios for our
clients because we believe that
just like the formation from
which we took our name, our
clients’ portfolios will weather
volatility and survive for the
long term with proper balance
and positioning.
Highlights

Daniel M. Flannery, CFA
Dan is a lifelong investor who
believes that high quality
investment and financial
management can help you reach
your most important personal and
family goals, while achieving peace
of mind. Dan founded Balanced
Rock and is the Portfolio Manager
in addition to his roles as President
and Wealth Manager.
Prior to founding Balanced Rock,
Dan spent more than eight years
with Cargill Investment Group Ltd.
in Boston, an asset manager of
private tax credit real estate equity
funds for institutional investors.
Dan worked as office administrator,
analyst, fund accountant, and junior
asset manager before working for
five years as an asset manager
responsible for more than $90M
of equity investments and $200M
of total assets across multiple funds.
Dan graduated with honors from
the University of Pittsburgh with
a B.A. in Political Science. In 2009
Dan earned his CFA (Chartered
Financial Analyst) Charter from
the CFA Institute.
Dan lives and works in Boston
(Roslindale), MA with his wife
Meredith and son Alden. Dan used
to play golf before he had a son
and started Balanced Rock, and
hopes to get back in the swing
someday. He enjoys the outdoors,
especially riding his mountain bike
and skiing. Dan also loves watching
Boston sports, especially the
Patriots.
Our Team
James H. Keefe
James brings solid values, broad
experience, and a strong desire
to serve people to his position as
Chief Operating Officer
of Balanced Rock. James shares
responsibility for all aspects
of the organization and works
directly with clients as a Wealth
Manager.
After graduating from Providence
College with a B.A. in American
Studies, James worked in corporate
real estate for CB Richard Ellis.
He then returned to his alma
mater, St. Sebastian’s School,
where he taught, coached and
advised. Three years later, James
transitioned to the financial
advisory world and began working
for a traditional firm with a fee-
based model. James soon realized
however that his personal values
and investment philosophy were
better aligned with the fee-only
model of advising and wealth
management. In Balanced Rock,
James found a company for which
he can be proud to work, and
where his efforts can be focused
on serving the best interest of each
client.
James lives in Holliston with his
wife Hadley and two daughters
Millie and Claire. When he isn’t
working hard for Balanced Rock,
James enjoys a variety of activities
including singing with his band,
playing and coaching basketball,
rooting for the Arrows and Friars,
and relaxing by Lake Winthrop.

Our Model
Fee-Only
• We don’t sell any financial
products.
• We are only paid directly
by our clients.
This means:
• Our incentives are aligned
with yours; we only work for
you.
• Our goal is to provide the
highest quality services at the
lowest cost.
• We never take commissions,
referral fees, sales fees, or
payments of any kind from
any 3rd parties.
• We never profit from you
paying higher fees.
• We position ourselves to
minimize conflicts of interest.
We are not even licensed to
sell financial products.
• Our fees are transparent and
disclosed upfront.
Fiduciary-Only™
• We always act in our
clients’ best interests.
• We put your interests
ahead of our own.
This means:
• We maintain the highest level
of ethics and integrity.
• We commit to the CFA Code
of Ethics and Standards of
Conduct, globally recognized
as the leader in the industry.
• We never settle for the
suitability standard
commonly used in the fee-
based model by what we call
“part-time” fiduciaries.
• We follow the golden rule,
and treat our clients the way
we’d like to be treated. Here,
we call it The Nana Rule™.
FEE-BASED BROKERFEE-ONLY
Paid by Client -
Hourly or % of AUM
Commissions from Trader
Loads + Sales Charges
on Funds & Investments
Insurance Commissions
Sales Incentives
(Trip to Bahamas!)
Kickbacks from Other
Professionals (for referrals)
Fiduciary-OnlyTM

Learning about you, your
portfolio and risk tolerance,
and understanding your
goals is the first step in
Financial Planning. We then
work with you to develop a
plan that uses your current
and future assets and income
to meet your goals. We’ll
recommend an allocation
and portfolio of investments
for you to implement using
low-cost index funds when
possible. If you want to take
an active role and execute
and manage the investments
yourself, then financial
planning is probably your
style.
Financial Planning also
includes assistance
and coordination with
complementary
professionals such as
attorneys, tax preparers,
real estate professionals,
insurance providers,
education consultants and
others with whom we work
to provide the wide range of
services our clients need.
Wealth Management also
begins with the development
of a comprehensive plan
however in addition to this
we provide plan execution,
unlimited financial advice
(no hourly fees) as well
as ongoing management
of and reporting on your
entire portfolio. Quarterly
reports provide appropriate
risk-based benchmarks
and time-weighted returns.
Management begins after
collaborative development
of an Investment Policy
Statement (IPS). The IPS
acts as the “rules of the
road” for how we manage
your investments, including
asset allocation, types of
investments, risk tolerance,
and any values-based
or other preferences or
restrictions you desire. If you
prefer that we execute your
plan for you and provide
ongoing management then
our Wealth Management
service is for you. Our
Values+Value service is
included at no cost.
Our Services - Choose Your Path
Wealth ManagementFinancial Planning

3
4
5
6
7
7
5
6
RISK TOLERANCE,
VALUES & GOALS
ASSESSMENTS
PLAN & INVESTMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS
INVESTMENT
POLICY STATEMENT
APPROVED
BY CLIENT
IMPLEMENTATION
TRANSFERS
COMPLETED
RETURN FOR
REGULAR REVIEWS
MANAGEMENT &
REPORTING
PLAN
PRESENTED,
ADJUSTMENTS MADE
FINANCIAL PLANNING
WEALTH MANAGEMENT
2INFORMATION
GATHERING
FREE INTRO
MEETING 1
Our Process

US YOU
TAX PLANNING
+
PREPARATION
REAL ESTATE
+
MORTGAGES
FINANCIAL
PLANNING
EDUCATION
PLANNING
RETIREMENT
PLANNING
PORTFOLIO
MANAGEMENT
INSURANCE
ESTATE
PLANNING
Our Role as Coordinator

$50K
$150K
$250K
10 YEARS 20 YEARS 30 YEARS
TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL
$27K
15%
$104K
32%
$301K
52%
.35%
LOW-COST INVESTING
.45%
REGULAR REBALANCING
.70%
TAX OPTIMIZATION
The Building Blocks
of Annual Added Value*
* Putting a value on your value:
Quantifying Vanguard Advisor’s Alpha,
Vanguard Research, March 2014
1.5%
TOTAL ADDED VALUE
The Total Added Value to
just $100,000 Invested for
10, 20 & 30 Years
Our Investment Stategy
Low-Cost Investing
• Direct Investments in
stocks and bonds
• Low cost index funds
Regular Rebalancing
• Improve risk management
by maintaining a consistent
level of portfolio risk over
time.
• Take advantage of extra
returns that can be
generated by consistently
selling some assets that
have gone up in value and
buying some of those that
have gone down.
Tax Optimization
• Tax Efficient Investments
• Tax-Loss Harvesting
• Tax Location
• Tax Planning

Values+Value™
Put simply, this is an
opportunity to invest in
great companies that also
meet your personalized
values-based criteria. We
combine Environmental,
Social, Governance (ESG) and
values-based research with
fundamental value investment
analysis, to select companies
that we think will perform well
while respecting our clients’
values-based preferences.
We believe that with lower
identified ESG risks we can
improve risk-adjusted returns in
client portfolios and allow our
clients to not only live and work
in a manner consistent with
their values, but to invest in the
same way. This type of investing
is more commonly called
Socially Responsible Investing
(“SRI”), Sustainable Investing, or
Faith-based Investing.
We bring the same strategies
found in the fund industry’s
expensive values-based
offerings (Sustainable,
Socially Responsible, Fossil
Fuel Free and Faith-based
mutual funds) directly to your
individual portfolio with greater
control and customization
while providing a more
comprehensive service that
includes financial planning,
investment management
and advice on your entire
financial picture. We offer
this at no charge within our
Wealth Management service.
By eliminating layers of fees
we are able to provide a fully
personalized planning and
management service that is
lower in cost than the average
mutual fund.

YOUR PLAN
YOUR PORTFOLIO
YOUR VALUES
Aligning your
investment choices
with your personal
values through
a customized
selection process
BEHAVIORAL
• Environmental
• Social/Human
• Governance
• Faith-based
VALUES ANALYSIS
VALUE ANALYSIS
Global Universe of Covered Securities
FINANCIAL
• Valuation
• Positioning
• Competetive
Advantage
• Fundamentals
Selecting
High Quality
Companies &
Investments
for the long-term
WHAT WE DO PROCESSRISK
MANAGEMENT
PERFORMANCE
ENHANCEMENT
RESEARCH
PROVIDERS
FACTORS
Values+Value™

Our Fees — A Comparison
GET MORE.
PAY LESS.
_ _
+
A diversified
portfolio of
investments
managed to best
a particular index
They have
underperformed
their indexes
75% of the time**
ANNUALFEES
2.37%
1.37%
0.75%Typical Advisor (1%)
+
Actively Managed
Mutual Fund
(1.37%*)
+
Advisor assistance
choosing mutual
funds, delivered
with the Suitability
Standard
The portfolio
is not designed or
managed with your
value, goals or tax
situatuion in mind
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
OR
$150/hr
for Financial
Planning
A Comprehensive
Financial Plan
Low-cost
Investments
Recommended
Actively Managed
Mutual Fund
(1.37%*)
Balanced Rock
Wealth Management
A Comprehensive Plan & Personalized Portfolio built by a Fiduciary
Ongoing Financial Advice & Support
Help Reaching Your Goals while Honoring Your Values
Institutional Quality Research and Management
Low-Cost and Tax efficient Investing with Regular Rebalancing
Coordination with other Professionals
*Source: 2014 Investment Company Fact Book, Investment Company Institute. ** The Case for Index Investing, Vanguard Research, April 2014

Our Tools & Trusted Providers
Service Providers
Custodian/Brokers
Charles Schwab is our primary
custodian, where the majority of our
clients’ accounts are held.
Vanguard is the leader in low-cost
indexing owned by it’s investors.
Low Load Insurance Services provides
no pressure competitive bids, excellent
service and analysis. Together we guide
you from quotes to policy purchase.
A Network of trusted Attorneys and Accountants.
Institutional Research
Morningstar is a global leader in
Independent Investment Research &
Portfolio Modeling and Analysis.
MSCI provides unique values-
based research and analysis of the
environmental, social and governance
related business practices of thousands
of companies worldwide.
Tools
MoneyGuidePro is our goal based
financial planning software where we
build and update your personalized plan
Yodlee allows individuals to seamlessly
include all of their assets and liabilities
in their plan so that they are updted
automatically.
ByAllAccounts provides account
aggregation like Yodlee but is used for
managed “held-away” accounts such as
current 401k/403b plans.
FinaMetrica provides a scientific
assessment of an individual’s personal
financial risk tolerance by using
psychometrics to ensure validity and
reliability.
Sharefile is a secured file sharing
and storage system. The web-based
software provides a password-protected
area where documents and files can be
stored, synced and exchanged in the cloud.

Sustainable Community Involvement
Balanced Rock Investment
Advisors helps individuals and
families of all kinds strengthen
their financial position, gain
peace of mind, and plan for
their future in a sustainable way.
We consider ourselves part of
a sustainable community that
begins in our own back yard
and extends across the greater
Boston area and beyond.
Rather than traditional sales-
based marketing, we focus
our resources on support for
local events and organizations
in exchange for opportunities
to introduce our business to
community members. Not
only do we love supporting
community events and
organizations, we find that
our involvement is great for
business. To us, this is the very
definition of sustainability.
Here’s where our growing active
engagement currently stands.
We Support: Farmers Markets:
Roslindale
Egleston
Cambridge
Central Square
Copley Square
Davis Square
West Roxbury
Mattapan
Wellesley
Hopkinton
Non-Profits:
JP Local First (members)
Sustainable Business
Network of MA (members)
Kids Art Express
Mass Farmers Market
Other Events:
Boston Local Food Festival
Hyper-local Craft Brewfest
Local Craft Brewfest
Roslindale Open Studios
Sustainable Living Festival
(Sustainable Wellesley)
Roslindale Prochfest

Frequently Asked Questions
How do you increase tax-efficiency?
Tax-Loss Harvesting is one of the methods we use to create tax-
efficiency. Simply put it’s the practice of selling a security that has
experienced a loss. By realizing, or “harvesting” a loss, we are able to
offset taxes on both gains and income. It’s primarily used to limit the
recognition of short-term capital gains, which are normally taxed at
higher federal income tax rates than long-term capital gains. The sold
security is typically replaced by a similar one to maintain the optimal
asset allocation and expected returns.
Tax Location is determining which investments to put where (which
type of account) to help maximize after-tax returns? Each person has a
different answer based on his or her particular situation. Generally we
consider putting the most tax-efficient investments in taxable accounts
and the least in tax-deferred accounts.
Will I be notified of each trade? Do I need to confirm each trade? Can I
make trades on my own?
You will be notified of each trade made in your account by your
custodian if you choose. You do not need to confirm each trade. In giving
us discretionary authority you authorize or approve us to make trades on
your behalf in accordance with your investment policy statement. You
always maintain the right to make trades on your own.
How Do You Invest?
We focus on the things we can control. We start by working to keep your
total investment expenses including taxes, commissions, transaction
fees, and fund management expenses as low as possible while still using
high quality providers.
We build and manage broadly diversified, global, multi-asset class
portfolios to manage risk while taking advantage of long term global
economic growth and the benefits of regular rebalancing and tax-aware
investing. We use sophisticated portfolio modeling tools to take into
account the uncertainty that always exists in real life, while using what
we do know from history and theory to improve the chances of success.
Based on a mutual understanding of your goals, values and risk tolerance
we’ll build a portfolio that will try to maximize the chance of meeting
your goals while not taking on more risk than you can comfortably
handle.
Do you ever hold custody or have access to my money?
No. We never take custody of any of your assets and never have access
to your money. We always use a third party custodian such as Charles
Schwab and you always maintain a separate relationship with them. You
grant us the authority to manage and make trades in your account. If you
are ever unsatisfied with our management you can remove our authority
by contacting your custodian.
Do you have any binding agreements or lock-up periods with potential
penalties or surrender charges?
No. There is nothing binding about our agreements, they can be
canceled at any time. We never lock-up your money or place any
restrictions on you accessing your funds.
Can you provide references?
Yes, we’re happy to.

Connect With Us
We offer multiple ways to meet and stay in touch:
• Your home or office or ours (see map, when locaton
permits)
• Over the phone
• Internet video-chat (like Skype)
• Online shared desktop for viewing documents or pre-
sentations
• And Email of course
Balanced Rock Investment Advisors
CRD No: 157424
ROSLINDALE, MA OFFICE:
252 Roslindale Avenue
Roslindale, MA 02131
HOLLISTON, MA OFFICE:
192 Winthrop Street
Holliston, MA 01746
PHONE 617 971 8323
www.BalancedRockIA.com

Disclosures
Balanced Rock Investment Advisors LLC (“BRIA”) is a Registered Investment
Advisor (“RIA”), registered in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Registration
of an investment advisor does not imply any specific level of skill or training,
and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by Massachusetts or other
state securities regulators or the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
BRIA provides asset management and related services for clients nationally.
BRIA will file and maintain all applicable licenses as required by the state
securities boards and/or the SEC, as applicable. BRIA renders individualized
responses to persons in a particular state only after complying with the state’s
regulatory requirements, or pursuant to an applicable state exemption or
exclusion.
We do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients are responsible for determining
their need for and obtaining their own legal and tax advice through qualified
professionals whenever necessary.
This brochure is intended to provide general information about BRIA. It is
not intended to offer investment, tax or legal advice. Information regarding
investment products and services are provided solely to read about our
investment philosophy, our strategies and to be able to contact us for further
information.
The information, including any opinions expressed by BRIA, is of a general
nature, provided solely for entertainment and educational purposes, and
should not be construed as investment advice.
BRIA will provide all prospective clients with a copy of our current Firm
Disclosure Brochure prior to commencing an advisory relationship. Existing
clients will receive a copy on an annual basis. However, at anytime, you can
view our current Firm Disclosure Brochure on our web site or through the SEC’s
Investment Advisor Search. In addition, you can contact us to request a hard-
copy.
If you have any questions regarding compliance and regulatory information,
please contact us.
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned
by CFA Institute.

Notes

Balanced rock company presentation 2015.4.2

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (19)

Similar to Balanced rock company presentation 2015.4.2

Similar to Balanced rock company presentation 2015.4.2 (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Balanced rock company presentation 2015.4.2