Investment
& Tax Strategies, Inc.
is a trade name that encompasses the broad
financial planning, tax, and insurance services of our owners
and employees. We do not custody client assets. Any actual
advisory and securities transactions derived from that broad planning
are offered though Calton & Associates, Inc., an independent
firm based in Tampa, FL. Calton is an independent broker/dealer
firm that provides clearing, advisory, and compliance services
to other independent individuals and firms such as Investment
& Tax Strategies, Inc. Calton does not sell proprietary
products and does not hold custody of client assets.
Calton & Associates, Inc. and Investment & Tax Strategies,
Inc. are separate entities.
Calton
& Associates, Inc. is a full service securities broker/dealer
and investment advisory firm offering a wide range of investment
products and services. Privately held and employee owned, They
have been successfully serving financial service professionals
and their clients since 1987. The main advantage of working
with independent firms such as Calton and Associates, INC., and
Investment and Tax Strategies, Inc., is that we can use virtually
any custodian. (A custodian is the company that actually holds
and keeps your investments.) Listed below are the primary custodians
we use to employ the QUAD-RIGA approach.
Fiserv
Investment Support Services* (Fiserv ISS) Advisor Services offers
trading support services, asset custody, client reporting, and
retirement plan administration to fee-compensated independent
and institutional investment advisors. Fiserv ISS services only
to financial advisors and does not provide retail products or
services.
To
navigate today's markets, many sophisticated investors and investment
professionals are looking for the ability to adjust their strategies
quickly. ProFunds caters to advisors who want to employ very active
strategies, as they allow active trading with no transaction costs.
We use ProFunds to administer the "momentum" approach
of the QUAD-RIGA program for small accounts.
TD
AMERITRADE is also a full service brokerage firm and custodian
similar to Fiserv. They provide custodial services, trading platforms,
research, and reporting tools to advisors and retail investors.
TD Ameritrade is slated to purchase FISERV in the spring of 2008.
They provide us with most of the tools and technology to implement
the QUAD-RIGA approach.
Fidelity
is likely the most well known name in our custodian list. Fidelity
provides most of the same tools as TD Ameritrade and Fiserv. We
use Fidelity Advisor, a division of Fidelity, primarily for small
accounts and accounts that are using systematic investment and
withdrawal plans.
Southwest
Securities provides self-directed trading and custodial accounts
to financial advisors who are independent contractors. In a self-directed
account, advisors like us can purchase virtually any investment
for our clients. We typically use Southwest securities for small
trading accounts, or for small to mid sized accounts that do not
qualify for fee-based status.
Sterling
Trust does not sell investment products or provide you with investment
advice. They serve only as a custodian - typically for specialized
assets such as real estate and hedge funds. We use Sterling trust
often to custody the alternative investment portion of the QUAD-RIGA.
FOLIOfn,
Inc. is an investment solutions company serving individual investors,
financial advisors, and financial institutions. The company offers
an integrated brokerage and technology platform, as well as execution,
clearance and settlement services. Foliofn is the most versatile
of our custodians, but uses a flat fee structure, so we use them
only for our largest accounts.
