FAQ

"How are you paid? Is there a minimum balance required to work with you?"

Jason Howell Company (JHCo.) is paid exclusively by clients - i.e. client "fee only" - and receives no commissions or kickbacks from any outside source.

When we manage your assets, our investment management fee is an annual 1% on combined accounts up to $2 million, 0.75% on the amounts over $2 million but less than $5 million and .50% on the amounts over $5 million. Our ideal clients have at least $1,000,000 for us to manage. 

In 2018, Jason Howell Company was featured in the New York Times for serving clients with a "flat fee" option. For business owners who are near to selling their firms or high net worth families with illiquid assets we can offer flat-fee flexibility. If you consider yourself a potential client, have a strong household or business income and are a good saver please contact us. You belong here. 

"What is your investment philosophy?"

Our investing philosophy begins with you: who you are investing for and when you will need the money. It is a discipline that understands losing money hurts a lot more than making money feels good. 

We design investment portfolios that measure the risk associated with the possible returns. We typically invest in low-cost, exchange traded funds, money markets, treasury bonds and structured notes. If you have a lot of money in one or two successful stock investments - i.e. a "concentrated position" - we can help navigate the potential tax liability of recognizing those gains. 

Our overall investment philosophy is grounded in academia. We do not trade in and out of positions frequently trying to out guess the market. We design an "all-weather" portfolio for you with the goal of it withstanding the storms of the market while still achieving your goals. Beyond publicly traded investments, for accredited investors clients, we can also manage privately traded or so-called "alternative" investments. We work as fiduciaries for the benefit of our clients and everything they care about. This means when we invest on behalf of our clients we seek both shareholder and stakeholder value. 

For more about our investment strategy, click here. 

"When you manage my investments, where is it managed?"

As a registered investment adviser, Jason Howell Company (JHCo.) has an independent, "institutional" relationship with custodians. For example, new accounts are opened with Schwab Advisor Services. Schwab Advisor Services serves independent investment advisors and includes the custody, trading and support services of Schwab. Independent investment advisors are not owned by, affiliated with or supervised by Schwab. Charles Schwab Co. Inc (Schwab). All rights reserved. Member SIPC. You will have a private login to monitor your account.

In addition to our reports and monthly client letter, you will also receive brokerage statements directly from Schwab.

"What's the profile of your typical client? Who do you work with?"

Our typical client is a "first generation wealth" household with dual income parents who work, save and have just the right amount of fun. They trend a little older - Boomers (born 1946 - 1964) and Gen-Xers (born 1965 - 1980) - and to a lesser extent, Millennials (born 1981 to 1996). They earn impressive incomes and have accumulated significant savings. As experts themselves, they expect transparency and expertise from people they hire.  

Most of our clients live in the Washington, DC area - especially Northern Virginia - but we serve client households all over the United States, having run a virtual practice since before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Our best clients are typically just good savers - sometimes, business owners - who are trying to do the right thing for their families and communities. For more, see Who You Are.

"What is "proactive philanthropy?"

Many of our clients donate time, talent and "treasure" to causes and organizations they believe in. There are multiple ways we partner with our clients for financial philanthropy. Some of those methods include using:

• Donor Advised Funds
• Fiscal Sponsorships
• Community Foundations
• Direct Donations

Developing a proactive plan for philanthropy begins with understanding our client's personal life goals. The discussion begins with the first iteration of a client's financial plan and continues as we document their values through our unique family governance process. After multiple discussions we identify an amount that works for our clients giving (and tax) strategy while still supporting their life plans.

"What is Family Governance?"

We've defined it as, "Our system for developing high-net-worth and high-self-worth for each of our client families, for generations."  Many of our clients act as de facto patriarchs and matriarchs of their families and communities. Our goal is to support their financial life and their leadership interests. We begin by equipping our clients with three (3) tools that make their wealth, well, useful:

1. Your Personal ROADMAP (PR) which identifies 40 to 60 recommendations to enhance your financial plan (the "what")
2. Your Implementation Guide (IG) which priorities (by month) when you ought to implement those recommendations (the "why")
3. Your Family Constitution (FC) which clarifies how those recommendations connect to your values (the "why")

We call this process Family Governance. It goes beyond traditional financial planning by adding a values, family history and educational component. We are one of a select few firms to offer this process. 

"What is the process like for getting started?"

Your first step is still to contact the firm to schedule a free introductory phone call:

• You will likely speak with Jason Howell to discuss what currently concerns you about your life and finances
• You will then receive an email that includes a review of the conversation, sample agreements and an invitation to meet again (virtually or in-person)
• You will have multiple opportunities to ask questions and finally make a decision about working together

If we mutually decide to work together, there is no need to print anything. We will resend our agreements through DocuSign for your signature.