The Forbes & Thompson Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors

(pictured:Tom Forbes & John Thompson)

Describe your practice.
We provide principled advice and in-depth, objective analysis for families with complex financial circumstances. We help our clients set reasonable objectives and assist them in meeting those objectives without undue sacrifice or risk. We partner with our clients’ legal and tax professionals to help ensure that each client’s financial strategy is efficiently working toward their objectives. We believe that a continual approach to learning innovative techniques to help our clients adapt to the evolving circumstances of their financial lives is essential for them to reach their goals, manage risk and help preserve their families’ financial interests. Our team provides our clients with comprehensive financial advice that includes retirement planning, retirement income strategies, estate planning, portfolio optimization, institutional and alternative investment management strategies, tax management* as it relates to investments, insurance strategies, risk management advice, liability management, business succession planning, stock option consulting, concentrated position protection strategies and education funding strategies.
Describe your customer service model.
Client satisfaction is our highest priority. We provide our wealth management clients with quarterly reviews, monthly e-newsletters and monthly statements that include a snapshot of their investment plan which charts their progress toward meeting their objectives. Because we serve over 100 clients with a net worth in excess of $1 million in over 30 states and abroad, we tailor our client’s experience with us around their lives and expectations. We commit to scheduled phone calls so our clients can expect to hear back from us when it is convenient for them. Barbara Schroeder, our Senior Registered Client Associate, manages and reviews all client paperwork and transactions with a focus on making a relationship with us as easy and enjoyable as possible. With over 25 years of financial services experience, Barbara brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our group. Belinda Abrams, our 2nd Client Associate, schedules our client reviews, answers each client call and assures that all client needs are met with timely and friendly professional care.
What is your investment philosophy?
Our perspective on investing begins with a simple premise: We do not take unnecessary risks. In today’s economic environment, it is more important than it has been in over 80 years to develop investment strategies that address the economic headwinds of higher taxes, growing government debt, slow growth, high unemployment, a deleveraging consumer and considerable global economic instability. While asset allocation and portfolio diversification play an important role in our process, we recognize that these economic times are very different than what we experienced in the past three decades. Our strategies are designed to address the major downside risks that are ever-present in this volatile environment. Although we will return to more stable and consistent growth in the economy and investment markets in the future, we recognize that a major global transition is underway. While policymakers catch up with the current unintended consequences of globalization we are witnessing in the U.S. and Europe, we strive to guide our clients through the maze of today’s investments. This requires knowledge and familiarity with many different types of investment strategies than have been recommended by the typical advisor over the last 35 years. Our investment management is highlighted by a focus on conservative strategies with lower downside volatility.

Tom Forbes • Senior Vice President–Investment Officer
Tom Forbes is recognized by Wells Fargo Advisors as one of the company’s “Premier Advisors.” He is a former accounting and finance executive, serving as Assistant Controller for Jacksonville University.
Tom is an alumnus of Georgia Southern University, with degrees in accounting and business administration. Tom has served his community as a mayoral appointment to the Jacksonville Citizens Planning Advisory Committee (Dist. 2), volunteer continuing education teacher for Jacksonville University and the Duval County Community Schools Program, Chairman of the Hendricks Day School Charity Golf Tournament and most recently as a member of the team that founded the annual Deerwood Cancer Tennis Tournament. Tom is married to his college sweetheart, Rebecca, and they have three children: Meghan, Chelsea and Tommy.

John Thompson, CIMA • First Vice President–Investment Officer
John Thompson is a graduate of the University of Florida and holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst Designation from the Wharton School of Business and the Investment Management Consultant’s Association. He is a member of the Dreams Come True Board of Directors, where he serves as Chairman of the Planned Giving Committee, and is also Chairman of the Meninak Foundation Advisory Committee. John is a member of the Investment Management Consultant’s Association (SM) and a graduate of Leadership Jacksonville. Recently, John served on Mayor Alvin Brown’s Transition Team as Co-Chairman of the Pension Committee which was responsible for an extensive review of the City of Jacksonville’s Defined Benefit Pension system with recommendations for improvement. John is married to Renee and they have two children, Foster and Luci.

*Wells Fargo Advisors does not provide legal or tax advice. This is a paid advertisement for Wells Fargo Advisors. Investment and insurance products: NOT FDIC-Insured/NO Bank Guarantee/MAY Lose Value. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

225 Water St., Suite 2000, Jacksonville, FL 32202  •  Tel. 393.4654  •  Toll Free 1.800.342.0689  •  forbesthompson.com