The McNicol Team* employs an analytical, thorough, and thoughtful approach to financial management. Knowing our clients and understanding what is important to them is the key to our success as their financial partners.

Our five-step introduction/action process ensures that clients feel comfortable with our team and our approach before and after partnering with us. While the amount of analytical work we undertake together may seem daunting at first, only by gaining intimate knowledge of your organization’s workings can we create a stronger more efficient process, help with members’ financial workloads, help reduce the personal liability of executives and board members, and target an increase in investment performance by more thorough screening and monitoring of managers.

Step 1: Meet — The Introduction

During our first meeting, we will get to know each other. You educate us on your organization’s mission and share with us your current goals, procedures, structure and challenges. We educate your organization on our role in the investment process. At the end of the meeting we will provide you with a 22 question Self-Assessment of Fiduciary Excellence (SAFE) for Investment Stewards, to help you evaluate how well your organization currently meets the defined global fiduciary standard of care.

Step 2: Organize — The Analysis/Evaluation

Completion and Evaluation of the Self-Assessment of Fiduciary Excellence (SAFE).

Your organization completes the SAFE and returns it to us. The McNicol Team then does a detailed analysis and prepares multiple reports.

Step 3: Formalize — The Honest Discussion

At the second meeting we provide our detailed analysis of your SAFE. Included in this report is a list of activities your organization does well, and more importantly a list of any processes that need to be improved, and any areas where there is a fiduciary breach or potential liability exposure. Together, we prioritize the items and create a timeline to correct any deficiencies. In addition, we also present to your organization a draft Investment Policy Statement (IPS) as well as our Investment Recommendations. On your approval of these documents, we invite your organization to become a client.

Step 4: Implement —- The Handshake

We take on the management of your organization’s investable assets by transferring the assets to Blackmont Capital in the most fee efficient method. On receipt, we make any necessary changes to the investment portfolio according to the Investment Recommendations.

Step 5: Monitor — The Service Commitment

From this point on, we will continue to assess and monitor your plan in accordance with your Investment Policy Statement, providing regularly scheduled updates and progress reports. We continue to monitor your fiduciary deficiency timeline to help your organization achieve full compliance with the global standard of care.