Harry Headrick • Longview, TX
ECU Asset Management • LPL Financial
I am an investment and financial consultant with ECU Asset Management, located at the Longview, Texas, branch. I have over 40 years of experience in the financial-services industry, starting my career in insurance sales before working with several well-known brokerage firms. I joined ECU Asset Management in 2012 and have developed a comprehensive, personalized approach to financial planning and investment management.
For my clients, I tend to use some combination of passive mutual funds, active investment strategies, annuities, and fixed-income investments. When it comes to managed strategies, I work almost exclusively with one third-party firm that prioritizes investment risk management across a range of diversified strategy offerings.
Significant market downturns can dramatically impact a retirement portfolio, making risk mitigation a top priority for my clients. Many are blue-collar workers or retirees who have worked hard to build their retirement nest egg and want to protect what they’ve earned.
Most of the strategies available from this manager can respond proactively to current market conditions and make timely allocation adjustments. They can go to higher cash allocations in poor markets or add leverage and higher exposure in favorable markets. Some strategies focus on identifying sectors with the highest relative strength at any given time, allocating a higher percentage to those sectors. I also use tactical fixed-income strategies for many clients.
Related Article: How the sequence of investment returns impacts investorsI think actively managed strategies offer several key benefits for my clients:
- Access to sophisticated risk-management tools in an investment strategy that is customized to their risk tolerance.
- Confidence that their portfolio is working continuously in an effort to smooth out volatility.
- The potential long-term compounding advantage of limiting deep portfolio losses.
Over the years, I have evaluated many investment managers, and I decided it made more sense to use one provider. Their investment philosophy aligns with my clients’ objectives, and I am able to devote the time to gain a strong understanding of their strategies and how they are designed to perform. I also have a good relationship with their team. They conduct regular conference calls to keep advisors apprised of market developments and how their strategies have performed, which I find invaluable. They also have a proprietary tool that helps advisors and their clients set and maintain realistic long-term investment expectations, delivering a customized, personal benchmark. I refer to that often in my client review sessions.
Disclosure: Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Eastman Credit Union and Eastman Credit Union Asset Management (ECUAM) are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using ECUAM, and may also be employees of Eastman Credit Union. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from and not affiliates of Eastman Credit Union or ECUAM. Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are:
Not insured by NCUA or any other government agency | Not credit union guaranteed | Not credit union deposits or obligations | May lose value
Photography by Sam Smead
