Business Philosophies

Whites IFM believes in providing targeted advice for specific client needs with associated fees and charges that properly reflect the services provided. We distinguish between the provision of:

– Financial Advice – concerned with the how you accumulate your wealth; and

– Investment Advice – concerned with what you do with your accumulated wealth.

The advice we provide is impartial and designed specifically around each client’s interests and circumstances.

Whites IFM is a boutique financial services entity, wholly owned by its founding director, Simon White.  We are not aligned or associated with any other financial organisations such as banks, fund managers, administrators or stock brokers. Consequently we are not in any way influenced or distracted by any products or services offered by these institutions.

We believe many Australians are routinely paying unnecessary fees and charges for a range of products and services they do not require. Our aim is to help clients take control of their own financial affairs wherever that is practicable to do so. We believe in simplifying financial arrangements where possible to promote understanding and to reduce costs. Whites IFM promotes a collaborative approach with its clients – we see the provision of advice as a partnership between advisor and client, delivering demonstrable benefits  and rewards as a result.

Investment Philosophies

“An investment operation is one which, upon thorough analysis, promises safety of principal and an adequate return.”

Benjamin Graham, The Intelligent Investor

Whites IFM’s approach to investing is fully aligned with the “value investing” philosophy developed by Benjamin Graham over the course of his career as both a university academic and a Wall Street market practitioner during the years 1928 – 1976. This approach has stood the test of time, through the great depression of the 1930s, the inflationary decade in the 1970s, the dot com boom in the 1990s and now the financial crisis years from 2007. While the best known graduate of the Graham School of investing is Warren Buffett of Bershire Hathaway fame, many other lesser known investor veterans have followed this path – including Walter Schloss and Irving Kahn. Tweedy Brown, the venerable US investment advisory and fund management firm (founded in 1920) has followed the principles of value investing since its inception.

Our preference is for direct investing wherever possible. We use the value investing framework to help clients construct a portfolio of equities and fixed interest investments designed to produce the required level of income while protecting the underlying capital. Clients can opt for a “defensive” or “enterprising” approach to their portfolios depending on their particular circumstances. The aim is to concentrate on the  underlying value of each investment and not be distracted by short term fluctuations in their price.

The investment advisors at Whites IFM have the necessary backgrounds in the wholesale equities and fixed interest markets to be qualified to provide such advice. We are averse to investing in managed funds whose performance can be replicated without the necessity for incurring their associated fees and charges.

Remuneration Philosophies

Whites IFM offers a range of services with fees and charges scaled accordingly. We believe clients should only pay for those services they need to achieve their desired outcomes. All fees and charges should be fully transparent, easy to understand and fully disclosed to clients.  At no time should any remuneration to Whites IFM be influenced by the advice or recommendations we make. Fees are tailored to each client’s individual needs and requirements. A sliding scale of fees applies for investment depending on portfolio size and level of service required.