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"If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you
don't have integrity, nothing else matters."
—— Senator Alan Simpson (1931- ).
"Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless.
Knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful."
—— Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), "Rasselas," 1759.
"Don't Be Evil."
—— Code of Conduct for Google Inc.
Ethics are
Important to us
We have a fiduciary
responsibility to our clients and we are keenly aware of it at all times.
It permeates everything we do.
 | INTEGRITY |
Integrity is the most basic prerequisite to earning and retaining your
trust. We will
uphold the very highest standards of integrity. We will not compromise our
principles for any reason. Character is at least as important as
competence in the financial services profession, possibly more so.
| HONESTY |
Honesty and openness are the keystones of the adviser-client relationship. We will be truthful and candid with you. We will never make a promise
that we do not intend to keep. We will not tell you what you want to hear
if we believe it not to be true. If we are unable to meet a commitment, we
will inform you as such as early as possible and attempt to fairly renegotiate the terms of that commitment.
| OBJECTIVITY |
An adviser who has conflicts of interest is likely to give self-serving
advice. The most common such conflicts are the widespread practice of the
adviser being compensated by commissions on products they sell to their clients.
In such a situation, one shouldn't be surprised that advisers (acting largely
as salespeople) may tend to recommend products which maximize their own commissions,
rather than those which are in the best interests of the client (which may be the ones with the lowest fees).
Independence and impartiality, therefore, are fundamental to any adviser who
is serious about acting in good faith and in the best interest of the client.
We will endeavor to avoid conflicts of interest whenever possible. We
accept no soft dollar commissions. In fact, we accept no commissions of
any sort from any entity. We do not receive fees or compensation from any
party based on the referral of a client or the client's business. We prefer to be paid solely by our clients.
Our fees aren't dependent in any way on any client's purchase or sale of a
financial product.
If we were paid by any external party (or by a client as the result of
their purchase or redemption of a financial product), it would represent a potential
(or actual)
conflict of interest and would endanger our all-important objectivity (or, just
as important, your perception of our objectivity).
| COMPETENCE |
We will endeavor to constantly increase our professional knowledge.
We continuously brainstorm for improved strategies which might better help you
to realize your financial goals. If
we should believe that a strategy we previously recommended to you can be
prudently improved, we aren't afraid to tell you so. We back up our
recommendations with detailed rationale in writing —
if we can't convince you that a particular course of action is prudent, you
shouldn't follow it. Our advice is based on (what we believe to be) the best academic research and careful
analysis, never a "hunch."
Our uncompromising commitment to ethical behavior allows us to be
uniquely confident of the quality of our service and the likelihood of your
satisfaction therewith. We back up this confidence with our
Complete Satisfaction Money-Back Guarantee.
In addition to our own Code of Ethics, we are also committed to complying
with the following standards:
 
Our Mission
To provide
Superior Objective Financial Advice to the Public in a Highly Ethical Fashion at
the Lowest Feasible Price
This web page contains the current opinions of Eric E. Haas at the time it is
written—and such opinions are subject to change
without notice. This web page is intended to serve two purposes:
| To educate the public; and |
| To provide disclosure of Mr. Haas' opinions to prospective clients.
We believe that prospective clients are well-served by being made aware of
what they are buying—and what they are buying is advice
that is based on these opinions. |
We believe the information provided here to be useful and accurate at the time
it is written.
Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be
reliable, but is not guaranteed.
No investor should invest solely on the basis of information listed here.
Before investing, it is important to consult each prospective investment's
prospectus and consider both its risk/return characteristics and its effect on
your overall portfolio.
This information is not intended to be a
substitute for specific individualized tax, legal, or investment planning
advice. Where specific advice is necessary or appropriate, Altruist
recommends consultation with a qualified tax adviser, CPA, financial planner, or
investment adviser. If you would like to discuss the rationale or support
for any particular idea expressed on this web page, feel free to
contact us. |
