It has been said by a friend and client of Quartz that “Rust and Moore never sleep.” The comment is a fair one, as I found that these partners have vastly different sleeping habits. David is an early bird and Shane is a night owl. Put the two together, and for much of a 24- hour day, they admit to being awake and available to their clients. This is a great example of how they complement each other and form a partnership entirely committed and focused on serving the needs of the Quartz Family. Here is a snapshot into the makings of a firm, that for the past 13 years, has provided wealth management and family office services to families of sudden wealth to generational wealth.
Q: Why did you decide to start Quartz Financial?
A: We have worked together since 1992 and all that time, we wished the investment firms we worked for could do more for our clients. We had collaborated for years on “process improvements” and other ideas to enhance the offering for our clients. Finally, in 2006, we decided it was time to formulate those ideas into a private firm that focuses solely on the needs of our clients, without corporate agendas. Our goal was, and continues to be, “To change the status quo of financial advice.”
Q: What do your clients see from the partnership?
A: Our clients experience both of us working together on their behalf. We are in every client meeting. We are in total understanding, agreement and communication with every client plan and strategy. If one of us is on vacation, the other can speak for both. It is rare in our industry for clients to have two senior advisors collectively serving them. The industry often speaks of “teams”, but typically it is used as a form of marketing while we built an entire firm around the process. Sometimes we kid our clients, collectively we are one brain, but separately we are not half a brain!
Q: Why do you limit the number of new clients you bring in each year?
A: It’s a great question. We take responsibility for the financial health of our clients, which means anything that touches them financially, we are directly or indirectly involved. That can be a lot of moving parts. In order to provide each family with the necessary amount of attention at all times, we feel that it is best to be consistent with the number of new clients we serve in any given year.
Q: What are you most proud of co-collaborating on during the past 13 years?
A: While we are very proud of Quartz and what it stands for, we would be remiss if we didn’t express a special amount of pride in the Sudden Wealth books we’ve written. The books are personal, as many of the stories are pieces of client situations we have handled over the years. The process of writing these books made us better advisors especially when you consider the emotional aspects of many sudden wealth scenarios.
Q: What are your plans for the future of Quartz Financial?
A: We are passionate about the Quartz model and the Brand. It is something we want to live and thrive long after we are gone. We feel the philosophy and processes are teachable and repeatable. We have the ability to scale with advisors and staff of the right character and work ethic. We’re proud to serve three generations of clients and we want the future to continue adding generations to the Quartz Family.
Rosanne Green is a Vice President and Senior Strategic Relationship Manager with LPL Financial