Watts Capital represents the desire of our founder Tom Watts to combine his deep knowledge of the financial markets with his desire to have a positive impact on the lives of individuals.

The Beginnings

Tom’s love of investing began in fifth grade, when his parents encouraged him to meet with their stock broker.  On the broker’s advice, Tom bought his first stock, Standard Oil of California.  He dutifully checked the price of the stock in the Wall Street Journal every day, watching his investment appreciate, and occasionally decline, with the events in the news.

Over time, Tom added more money and more stocks to his portfolio.  In college, he explored riskier investing alternatives, including options and penny stocks, learning from experience what risks to avoid.  After graduating from Stanford University and Harvard Business School, Tom became a stock analyst, following high-flying stocks in the telecom and Internet sectors.  The Internet boom saw the pinnacle and fall of those stocks, and made real the risks associated with booms and busts.

A Focus on Helping Others

In 2002, Tom’s aging parents asked him to take over management of their retirement assets.  His objective for his parents was to ensure that they achieved their financial goals regardless of market conditions.  Tom’s interests shifted toward risk management and how to achieve consistent portfolio returns without the major drawdowns that can happen in times of market disruption.

Over the next few years, Tom refined his portfolio management skills using his parents' retirement money, his own money, and increasingly the money of friends and other family members. He also began to manage non-investment aspects of his parents’ lives, ranging from financial planning, tax planning, insurance, trust & estate planning and healthcare. He found having a positive impact on people’s lives gratifying.

Scaling His Investment Approach

When his clients’ portfolios sailed through the economic crisis of 2008 with limited impact, validating his portfolio management approach, Tom founded Watts Capital to bring his approach to portfolio and financial management to a larger audience.

Today, Watts Capital delivers to its clients the same wealth management approach that Tom uses for his own family, yet tailored to each client’s needs.  Watts Capital's #1 goal is to ensure that each client achieves their financial goals.

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Meet the Watts Capital Team

Our Core Values provide the foundation for our firm’s culture.

INTEGRITY

We honor the trust that our clients place in us. Our adherence to moral and ethical principles is our first priority.

EXCELLENCE

We strive for cultural competence and professional excellence. We base our business on rigorous self-awareness and improvement.

RESPECT

We value individual differences and promote a company culture that embraces diversity and inclusivity.

 

WELLNESS

We encourage balanced lives that encompass physical, social, intellectual, emotional, occupational and spiritual health.

SERVICE

We measure our achievement through the quality of our service to our clients, fellow employees, and communities.  

 

Every Watts Capital client relies on a team of wealth management professionals including their personal relationship manager, a client support associate and an officer of the firm. Additionally, each client accesses our subject matter experts as needed.

Over the first year of working with us, clients generally have a series meeting with their wealth management team.

  • [fade]First Meeting

    As clients are evaluating us to become their wealth manager, the relationship usually begins with them scheduling an appointment in our office. They send or bring with them key financial documents such as their account statements, net worth statements and tax returns. We discuss with them their priorities and concerns, review their documents, then suggest a plan for working with them.

    In providing financial planning, many advisers produce a fat templated book filled with standardized pie charts. We take a different approach to financial planning. We identify a client's top one or two concerns and we focus our planning activities there. Issues addressed may include almost any topic from analyzing alternative approaches to selling a client's business, evaluating alternatives for a commercial real estate property they own, or researching and developing scenario analyses related to specific health concerns. These financial planning assignments to address these high priority client issues are generally carried out on a fixed price basis.[/fade]

  • [fade]Second Meeting

    After selecting us as their wealth manager, a client usually meets with us a few weeks later to review the first round of results from the financial planning assignment carried out, and to make decisions among key choices. At this time, clients often connect the Watts Capital team with their accountants and attorneys.[/fade]

  • [fade]Third Meeting

    At the third meeting, Watts Capital presents to the client its recommended approach to resolving the financial issues at hand. The client and Watts Capital each agree on what steps they will take to implement the plan. They also agree how often they should meet for review going forward.[/fade]

  • [fade]Periodic or Annual Review Meetings

    Watts Capital clients view the firm as an integral part of their financial planning. Clients meet with Watts Capital regularly if there is an ongoing financial planning project. If there is not a current financial planning project, clients meet with their Watts Capital team at least annually to review investment performance and to update information on the clients' financial situation.[/fade]