Hawkes Wealth Management began as Russell Hawkes Associates in 1981. Russell was my father, and I joined him in his firm in 1987. My dad's background included the insurance industry, where he was always planning-oriented, and wanted to help people in a very broad sense, rather than simply recommending products. He was also very equity-oriented, and designed plans to encourage saving in mutual funds. He had a brief 3 year hiatus from finance to start the BC Pops orchestra, which was a fun and engaging project that he thoroughly enjoyed.
In the early years of our firm, we were very planning focused. We always tried to account for retirement, college costs, taxes, insurance, and estate planning in a comprehensive way. We were an independent brokerage and insurance office, so we could actually implement these plans by selling products like mutual funds to our clients.
In 1995, we completed the conversion to a fee-only business model. We wanted to eliminate the conflicts of interest that come with commissions, and the transaction-oriented nature of product sales.In those early days, this was not an easy task; the financial services industry was not really geared up to serve the fiduciaries we were. But, thanks to our affiliation with NAPFA, we became part of the movement to be genuine advisors to clients, instead of product salespeople.
These days, it is clear that the industry has shifted to our vision of serving clients. Although the industry has fought a fiduciary standard of conduct? We have embraced it, and built our services on the radical notion that client needs come first and foremost. Now there are custodians and planning platforms designed specifically to serve the Registered Investment Advisory community, and all we can say is? It's about TIME!
Today, Hawkes Wealth Management strives to provide a modern, conflict-free, planning-oriented and client-focused service. We would like to be YOUR resource for establishing a financial plan, creating a strategy appropriate to you, and to put together an investment strategy that truly reflects your needs and goals. And then? To be there for you through the years. As markets move, and tax laws change, and investment opportunities arise and fade away, we will be paying attention. As your family moves through their life cycle, we will be the one place that understands the big picture.
Learn More About Me
If you had a million dollars to spend, what would be the first three things you would buy?
I would buy an RV and do financial travel-writing. A villa in Tuscany. Provide a fund for financial literacy for high school students
What’s the most likely place people could find you on a Saturday night?
Well, if I am involved in a community theater production, you may find me acting and singing for my dinner :-)
Which would you pick: Living on the beach or living near the mountains?
I like the beach for about 2 or 3 days. Then I get bored and hot and sticky with sand, so I head to a mountain lake for hiking and a quiet place to read.
Today's leaders seem to have a lot of trouble providing effective government What would you do to fix it?
The United States was conceived as of the people, by the people, for the people. Today? It is one big conflict of interest, and we have no representation. I would repeal Citizens United and get the big money and lobbyists out of Washington.
What does investing mean to you and how do you see the future?
We have a great opportunity to be owners of businesses through stock ownership. And frankly, you MUST be an owner, because it is ONLY the owners of the means of production that make money in real terms after inflation. The future? Markets provide the capital and direct it's efficient deployment, and that is the way it should be.