Why Us?
Harris & Associates was founded in April of 1992 based on the conviction that financial services should not be a selling proposition.
Prior to that, for more than 12 years our founder, Dave Harris, had worked for a communication skills training firm helping officers and top executives of Fortune 500 firms with presentation skills, media appearances, and legal/congressional testimony. He produced training videos and distance learning programs and taught corporate employees selling skills, supervisory skills and business writing skills. Personal clients included Ford, GM, IBM, Coopers & Lybrand, Sprint, ABC Television, Bechtel, Parsons, TRW, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Cisco, Bank of America, Chase, Morgan Stanley, Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, and more.
Experience broadly in Corporate America, particularly financial services, made it clear that the average consumer faced many of their financial decisions at a distinct disadvantage. Even sophisticated investors and wealthy individuals seemed ill-equipped to appropriately deal with sales pressure. Too often the story was "commissions received – money lost!"
What was needed was a fiduciary approach, one that put the buyer’s best interest above commissions and the seller’s needs. Dave in fact earned a PhD in Ethics from the University of Chicago, his doctoral dissertation is entitled, "A Fiduciary Model of Policy Analysis in the realm of Government Decisions and Public Policy."
This commitment to client’s best interests seemed rare at the time, but was not unique. In the years since 1992, pressure for fiduciary advice has mounted more and more. Many in financial services still prefer prospectus receipts and upholding suitability standards. But, on June 9, 2017 the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) implemented its final rule expanding the “investment advice fiduciary" definition under ERISA; and revised complex exemptions. In short, this change alters how advice is given and documented with the purpose to act in the client’s best interests (Fiduciary). But, it is not quite the law because “during the implementation phase ending January 1, 2018, the Department will not pursue claims against fiduciaries” essentially not enforcing the Rule. The intent is to give the Trump Administration more time to evaluate its impact.
Since then, the SEC has adopted Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI). Reg BI, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, establishes a "best interest" standard of conduct for broker-dealers and associated persons when they make a recommendation to a retail customer of any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities, including recommendations of types of accounts.
As part of the rule making package, the SEC also adopted new rules and forms to require broker-dealers and investment advisers to provide a brief relationship summary, Form CRS, to retail investors.
So, why choose Harris & Associates? Because we continue to focus our advice on your best interests, while the government and industry argue about “exemptions” and “disclosures.” We are committed to be the Advisor you can Trust.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Harris
