The Trust Equation

From the CFA Institute's 2018 Report: 

The Next Generation Of Trust

"CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organization is a champion for ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. The end goal: to create an environment where investors' interests come first, markets function and economies grow."

As a portfolio management firm High Rock's Voluntary Code of Conduct specifically refers to our being "governed by the CFA Institutes Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct" (Paul has been a CFA charter holder since 1991)

As we all know, Trust takes a leap of faith. We are required to show credibility to begin to establish that trust: 

"Credibility, which is dependent on track record and experience, provides investors with confidence that the investment professional or organization is professionally accredited to provide the required service successfully." 

At High Rock, we have a team of professionals with the highest levels of professional accreditation as well as decades of experience through many tumultuous market conditions (all the way back to and including including 1987's crash). Something to consider in all the crazy volatility we are experiencing now and likely for some time to come into the future:

"Professionalism is more subjective and much harder to assess. Professionalism factors include competency and subject matter knowledge, and values such as putting clients' interests first, empathy, and demonstrating a fiduciary mindset."

"Brand is also becoming a more important method of establishing credibility, and is increasingly a proxy for trust."

I would argue that currently we are seeing an increase in examples where brand trust is being breached. 

Without a national brand (although we have clients all across Canada), High Rock has to work significantly harder than the big, branded organizations to earn and build trust. So that is what we do. 

"Conclusion: The investment industry is competitive and changing quickly, but investor trust remains a foundational element for success. The good news is that actions and tools exist to increase trust. By knowing investors' goals and fears, investment professionals can serve them better and provide more customized products and solutions."

Friends, the days of the "one size fits all" type of investing portfolios are drawing to a close. It is time to explore the alternatives. Customized solutions to your Wealth and Portfolio Management needs are here. Low cost, full-service and fiduciarily responsible.