As we close out 2024, we want to express our sincere gratitude for your trust and partnership. Since our founding in 1985, we have remained committed to Loyalty, Prudence, Care, and Professionalism—values that ensure your interests are always our top priority.

This month, we are proud to reflect on how we enhanced the investment experience for our clients this year. Some improvements took place behind the scenes—like streamlining our committee structures and expanding our research processes—while others come in the form of innovative new investment solutions designed to better meet your needs.

A Steadfast Fiduciary Culture

Before exploring these changes, let’s revisit the bedrock principle that defines American Trust Wealth: our fiduciary commitment.

Throughout 2024, we continued to put your best interests first, adhering strictly to fi360’s fiduciary best practices and maintaining our Center for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX) certification for fiduciary excellence. As our client, this certification gives you confidence that we act with transparency, integrity, and objectivity at every step.

Our disciplined investment process has long included monthly meetings of our Trust Investment Committee, a collection eight investments and business leaders with more than 200 years combined experience, tasked with leading and overseeing our extensive fiduciary governance framework. Our process includes monthly conferences among members of our investment team to ensure prudent investment monitoring, asset class and investment manager due diligence, regular capital market forecasting reviews to address the latest trends, as well as annual updates to our capital market assumptions to keep strategic allocations on target. Furthermore, on top of tracking daily news and events, our team of equity analysts meets on a weekly basis to conduct in-depth portfolio reviews, confirming that the companies we invest in remain well-positioned for current conditions and long-term growth.

These are just some of the examples of how our fiduciary process works for you on a daily and periodic basis with each measure ensuring we never lose sight of what matters most: advancing your financial well-being.

At the core of our philosophy is a focus on your unique needs and opportunities. Our professionally managed, risk-based portfolios have long served—and will continue to serve—as the workhorses for how we inject your financial plan with the requisite growth and income necessary to achieve your goals. In some cases, we have enhanced this approach through our in-house equity portfolio, our Dividend Growth Strategy, which provides investors with direct exposure to high-quality, dividend producing, companies for no additional management fee. We have also tailored fixed income solutions, as needed, capitalizing on higher yields more recently by investing directly in Treasury securities or through our professionally managed Strategic Liquidity Solution portfolio. These balanced approaches pay tribute to our fiduciary roots while evolving to serve a broader spectrum of client goals.

And we have been busy in 2024 to further evolve our arsenal of solutions to even better serve your needs in the coming years.

Building on Heritage with Innovation

Throughout 2024, we drew on our fiduciary heritage to develop new investment offerings that provide even more ways to align your portfolio with your goals. We’ve expanded our investment program with features that allow us to remain responsive, agile, and focused on you. While some of these improvements might go unnoticed behind the scenes—such as streamlining our committee structures and refining our research processes—others are more visible, taking the form of new investment offerings and tailored portfolios.

By leveraging our organization’s deep bench of knowledge and expertise across the wealth management, retirement, and investments disciplines, we have been able to launch some truly innovative and exciting investment solutions this year.

New Investment Solutions Launched in 2024

Our Fiduciary Investment Advisors at American Trust Wealth are adept at weaving the right investment solutions into each client’s unique financial plan. We believe the most suitable strategies emerge from a thoughtful, in-depth understanding of each individual’s goals and aspirations. Although some of these innovations may not be suitable for your situation, we’re pleased to share our latest updates. This insight ensures that, as your needs evolve, you’ll know exactly what resources are available to help you reach your objectives.

This year, we pushed innovation even further, introducing four new investment solutions:

• Thematic Growth Model Portfolios – Launched this spring, these portfolios target high-potential, innovative sectors primed to shape tomorrow’s economy. With equity allocations ranging from 70% to 100%, Thematic Growth portfolios are suited for forward-looking investors—young professionals, multi-generational wealth holders, and institutions aiming to capitalize on long-term secular trends.
• Income+ Model Portfolios – Introduced this fall, Income+ portfolios focus on generating consistent, higher-yielding income streams through a balanced blend of fixed income, dividend-paying equities, and alternative high-income strategies. Designed for those nearing retirement, institutions in need of steady returns, and investors seeking higher yield, these portfolios currently combine an attractive ¹4.9-5.8% yield range with an opportunity for capital growth, and risk levels consistent with equity portfolios ranging between 20%-40% equities.
• Select Quality Growth Equity Strategy – This in-house stock strategy targets top-tier, innovative companies with robust fundamentals and growth potential. It seeks out businesses that combine resilient business models with forward-looking management teams, providing a foundation for long-term capital appreciation and stability.
• Laddered Bond Strategies Using iShares iBonds – Perfect for clients with specific time horizons, laddered iBond strategies create predictable income streams, reduce interest rate risk, and offer low-cost, diversified access to fixed income markets.

And, as a reminder, all of these solutions are available to our clients, if suitable, for no additional management fee outside of the investment expenses of the underlying holdings.

We’re Here to Lead

At American Trust, as your fiduciary, we’re committed not only to leading the industry in platform innovation, but also to guiding you personally. We know this might feel like a lot to absorb. But remember, you’re not expected to know every detail—that’s the role of your fiduciary advisor.

By taking the time to understand your individual circumstances, we’ll recommend the right blend of income, growth, or balanced strategies to align with your goals, timeline, and comfort level. Consider this a collaborative process: we’ll handle the complexities so you can remain focused on what truly matters to you.

Looking Ahead with Gratitude and Optimism

As we say goodbye to 2024, we thank you for entrusting us with your financial future. Your relationship inspires us to keep improving, innovating, and offering new ways to serve you better. We approach 2025 with confidence, optimism, and a readiness to help you navigate what comes next. If you have questions, wish to update your plans, or simply learn more about our strategies, we’re always here for you.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a prosperous new year ahead!

1. 12-month trailing yield as of 11/30/2024 ↩︎