Brad Linch

brad@linchfinancial.com
https://www.linchfinancial.com

Professional Approach

Brad has more than 32 years of investing experience and has received national accolades on several occasions. Honesty, integrity and exceptional customer service are the hallmarks of the Linch work ethic. He pays close attention to each client’s specific situation, listening to their needs, working closely with them, and making it his goal to establish and maintain lifelong relationships. 

Brad has built a reputation by providing trustworthy, well-researched advice for his clients. Linch Financial is firmly built on a foundation of trust and respect. Over the decades Linch has remained at the forefront of providing sophisticated wealth management solutions and advice to grow, manage, preserve and transfer wealth.

The complexity of the current financial marketplace makes it more important than ever to have a balanced approach to investing, guided by expert counsel with experience and discernment. Brad believes in a proactive approach to wealth management to minimize risks and maximize opportunities.

The Linch Distinction

Brad Linch achieved national notoriety with a landslide victory in the 1994 AT&T National Collegiate Investment Challenge, besting 3,738 other competitors. The victory helped launch what is now an advisory career spanning into three decades of investment experience. Linch is honored to be listed in "The Wall Street Journal” and Texas Monthly as Five Star Wealth Manager for the past ten years (2014 – 2024). Clients benefit from his understanding, objectivity, knowledge, and experience in the financial markets which are key in identifying and selecting the best investment options for each client while protecting their wealth.
 
Linch has appeared on CNBC and is often quoted in business publications. Clients appreciate that he has a proven record of success and has navigated industry fluctuations and diverse market conditions, and repeatedly demonstrates an uncanny ability to meet and exceed specific client needs and preferences. Instinct and his active portfolio management style distinguish him from other advisors. Many clients have been investing with Linch for over twenty years which is a testament to its consistency, exceptional customer service, and strict adherence to the “Golden Rule” philosophy.
 
Linch Financial is a Registered Investment Advisory firm led by Brad Linch (President / Chief Portfolio Manager and Investment Adviser). 

Investment Approach

Linch Financial’s investment management experience is essential in assisting clients to clarify their goals and objectives and identify appropriate investment strategies to reach those goals. Linch Financial has counseled clients in the most difficult and rewarding financial market conditions, applying well-rounded investment knowledge that protects their wealth through sound and prudent diversification. Linch Financial specializes in comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, fixed-income, stock selection, merger-arbitrage, capital protection, wealth accumulation, estate planning, and dynamic asset allocation strategies.
 
The firm is dedicated to identifying investment strategies that have a history of steadfast, high-quality performance that is consistent with Linch Financial’s emphasis on protecting and building clients’ capital. Additionally, Linch Financial is sensitive to the role which family dynamics play regarding intergenerational wealth transfers. At your request, we interact personally with any of the family members who are affected by the investment strategy, garnering in the process a greater understanding as to how to counsel the next generation on the responsibilities and skills necessary to maintain their wealth.

 

 

 

The Linch Financial Advantage

Clients face complex financial decisions -- whether selling a business or other substantial asset, taking a company public, inheriting a large sum of capital, experiencing a divorce situation, or bearing responsibilities for investing foundation assets. Clients value the relationship with a highly experienced investment advisor who has helped solve critical investment challenges with a customized approach to addressing specific financial needs.

Linch Financial works hard to stay at the forefront of the industry landscape, continuously assessing industry trends, legislative forces and market shifts. Linch Financial is focused on seeking out creative means to unlock potential opportunities and negotiate challenges on a client's behalf.

Of particular note, is Linch Financial's market and technical sophistication, as well as its investment experience, which reflects an astute understanding of, and sensitivity to, clients' risk/reward preferences. Clients trust Linch Financial to guide them in managing the responsibilities and challenges inherent in protecting their wealth and hold that guidance in high esteem.

Its open architecture and private ownership structure helps Linch Financial to align clients' interests with perceived market opportunities, delivering multiple investment strategies in varying market conditions.

 

 

 

High Acclaim

In 1994 Brad Linch placed first out of 3,739 students and professors nationwide and in Canada while participating in the AT&T National Collegiate Investment Challenge. Graduate students, including those from Ivy League schools also participated. The win netted him $5,000 in cash from AT&T. In just nine weeks he increased his holdings 79.7% from $500,000 to $898,722. This greatly outdistanced the second-place contestant which had $718,000. Participants were allowed 30 transactions in nine weeks. Diversification rules were strict in that no position could be greater than $200,000 at the time of purchase.

In the previous year's Investment Challenge, Brad placed in the “top ten” out of more than 11,000 participants and was awarded $1,750 in cash. In 1992, as a sophomore, he competed in the Professional Division of the USA Today/CNBC contest and had yet another “top ten” finish among 545 professional advisers. After CNBC learned of Brad's accomplishments, they featured him as a guest during a live broadcast (1994).

In 1995 and 1996 Brad was contacted regularly by New York based “Security Trader's Handbook” to provide stock selections and insight. As a diligent student of the financial markets, his precise attention to detail and exemplary work ethic continue to contribute to his client’s success.

In addition to personal acclaim, Brad has demonstrated to be a valuable mentor. His insight and advice have helped guide high school students to victory in the Dallas Morning News Stock Market Contest.

Of note, Brad has not personally competed in any stock market contests since 1994; hence, choosing to devote his time and ideas to the clients of Linch Financial.

 

 

 

History

Since the days that Brad Linch sold Grit newspapers door to door while in elementary school, he has had a tireless work ethic. He enjoyed making money and watching it grow. At first, it was in the high-interest rate era of his youth, but later, it was his introduction to the stock market during high school which lit a passion that would eventually become his lifelong career. Brad bought his first stock at seventeen (1986).
 
After graduating from high school, Brad honorably served four years in the United States Army. While stationed in Hawaii, he didn't allow the beloved island of O’ahu to keep him from attending college classes and taking CLEP exams for his undergraduate college credits. After the Army, he attended the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)(1992-1994) and received his B.B.A. While attending UTA, Brad had an internship at Merrill Lynch in Arlington, Texas.
 
Upon graduation, Brad opened and managed an Edward Jones investment office (1994-1996). From 1996-2005 he was a financial adviser at Prospera Financial Services eventually attaining the title of Vice President of Investments. In 2005, Brad joined First Western Securities, an affiliation which would evolve into his eventual vision. With the encouragement of clients, and a burning desire to expand the scope and depth of investment products and strategies, Brad launched Linch Financial, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor(2013).

" I am proud of my accomplishments and believe in planning for a secure and bright future. My goal is to provide long term value and responsible growth for my clients. With over thirty years of investment experience and a proven track record, I look forward to helping you achieve your financial goals." - Brad Linch

 

 

 

Investment Process

As an independent firm dedicated exclusively to managing assets for wealthy individuals, families and foundations, the firm adheres to a rigorous investment selection process.

Linch Financial stands steadfast on the premise that effective wealth management is built on a disciplined investment process and integrated expertise in investment advisory services, research, and asset management. The melding of these fundamental disciplines is a core part of Linch Financial's distinct process and presents important advantages for clients in clarifying goals and objectives as well as identifying appropriate investment strategies to reach those goals.

For many clients, their primary goal being ‘preservation of capital’, the firm's investment process is designed to develop strategies that have the potential to yield the highest after-tax returns with the lowest corresponding risk. For those seeking a higher level of asset growth, Linch Financial employs extensive market and technical acumen to select appropriate investments.

Linch Financial's three-pronged process integrates expertise in investment management services, research, and asset management and includes:

• Identifying Objectives
• Constructing The Investment Strategy
• Evaluating Performance Against Objectives

 

 

 

Identifying Objectives

Identifying clients' objectives is central to developing sound investment strategies to meet their needs. The firm uses quantitative and qualitative assessments to help formulate strategies that take into account a client's risk tolerance and seek to provide consistent after-tax returns over time. As part of this analysis, there are several considerations including, but not limited to:

• Current holdings and the strategy behind existing portfolio
• Current and future tax status
• Estate / Next generation planning
• Lifestyle aspirations and income needs
• Charitable interests
• Tolerance for market volatility

While clients come to Linch Financial for a variety of reasons,including the sale of a business, retirement, inheritance, change in life circumstance, they tend to have key common objectives, among them:

• Preserving the real value of assets after taxes and inflation
• Generating sufficient income to maintain desired lifestyle
• Building the value of assets without taking inappropriate risks or sacrificing required income

 

 

 

Constructing An Investment Strategy

Linch Financial works with clients to identify the most appropriate asset allocation to achieve their investment objectives. Asset allocation requires an understanding of client specific issues and consideration of the economic and market environment. Most importantly, a disciplined approach reflects a longer-term investment focus that seeks to achieve consistent, risk-adjusted after-tax returns over time. Our analysis yields a customized investment strategy tailored to your specific objectives. The firm allocates assets across four major categories based on the expected future performance of each class:

• Equities
• Fixed Income
• Alternative Investments
• Cash

Equities are part of the growth component in a portfolio. An equities portfolio can consist of various capitalizations (e.g., large and small cap stocks), geographies (e.g., domestic and international stocks) and styles (e.g., core, growth, and value stocks).

Fixed Income is the foundation of an investment portfolio, providing predictable, steady cash flow with a lower risk of capital loss.

Alternative Investments offer returns that are potentially less correlated to the equity index averages and fixed income markets and have the potential to achieve higher returns (e.g., exchange-listed shares of companies going through mergers and/or acquisitions). Adding investments with low correlation to other strategies in a portfolio generally reduces the volatility of portfolio returns. At times we also use prudent equity and/or index options strategies for protection from downside risk and/or to generate additional income for clients.

Cash allocations are most appropriate for situations demanding high levels of liquidity. Cash investments include simple money-market funds, and short-term investments such as municipal instruments, U.S. government agency bonds, CDs, and other fixed income securities.

A customized solution is constructed for you from a range of strategies and services provided by Linch Financial. 

 

 

 

About Us

Linch Financial is a Registered Investment Advisory firm based in Southlake, Texas, which is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. We are dedicated to helping our clients live their dreams by providing integrated financial planning and investment strategies for every stage of life.

We operate as an independent firm that is fee-only, to provide truly objective wealth management solutions for our clients. We'll do everything we can to help you meet your financial goals and challenges, so you can live the life you envision with peace of mind. We put honesty, integrity and trust before everything else. Each member of Linch Financial shares important core values and beliefs, centered around a devoted commitment to our clients.

 

Our Custodian of Accounts

Linch Financial has selected Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) as primary custodian for our clients’ accounts. Schwab Advisor Services serves independent investment advisory firms like ours and includes the custody, trading and support services of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Having Schwab act as custodian for client assets provides us access to a wide range of services that help us serve our clients. Schwab Advisor Services, which includes the custody, trading and support services of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”), is the leading provider of those services to independent investment advisors.

By using Schwab as primary custodian, Linch Financial has access to a wide range of products and services that help us serve our clients, including:

-Wide array of investment account types including retirement accounts, charitable giving, and education accounts.
-Full range of investment options such as stocks, mutual funds, bonds, exchange traded funds, CDs and other investments.
-Technology and service support so investors can access all their accounts online and view positions, balances and account histories in one place.

Linch Financial will facilitate the opening of client accounts at our custodian, and manage the accounts for the client. All check deposits are to be made payable to our custodian. The custodian will send, by mail or email, trade confirmations and monthly statements to the client. Accounts are always available for viewing on the custodian website.

These materials have been independently produced by Linch Financial. Linch Financial is independent of, and has no affiliation with, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. or any of its affiliates (“Schwab”). Schwab is a registered broker-dealer and member SIPC. Schwab has not created, supplied, licensed, endorsed, or otherwise sanctioned these materials nor has Schwab independently verified any of the information in them. Linch Financial provides you with investment advice, while Schwab maintains custody of your assets in a brokerage account and will affect transactions for your account on our instruction.

 

Account Safety

The Charles Schwab Corporation is one of the nation’s leading providers of financial services. Through their operating subsidiaries, they provide securities brokerage, money management and financial advisory services to individual investors, independent investment advisors, and corporate and retirement plan sponsors and participants.

The Charles Schwab Corporation is financially stable, and they are committed to their continued financial health. Their capital structure and liquidity are sound, and their internal controls and business standards are designed to keep client assets safe. They maintain a disciplined focus on risk management and strive to operate the firm conservatively to minimize investment risks. They know that their success ultimately depends on how they serve all of their clients and their confidence in Schwab. Financial results and more information about The Charles Schwab Corporation’s business and financial condition can be viewed at any time at www.aboutschwab.com.

 

 Account Protection

• SIPC protected/FDIC insured-Our custodian provides SIPC, FDIC and supplemental protection. The Securities Investors Protection Corporation (sipc.org) protects customers up to $500K per customer for all accounts held in the same capacity.. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (fdic.gov) protects deposit accounts. Lastly, Excess SIPC provides up to an additional $149.5M coverage.

 

Privacy

We do not share your financial information with any individual or organization. However, at your request, we will discuss your situation with others, such as your CPA or attorney.

 

Client References

Available upon request.

 

High Net Worth Clients

Linch Financial's investment strategy caters to high net worth clients. Minimum investment of $250,000 desired.

 

Free Portfolio Analysis

Contact us to schedule your complimentary financial review. There is no cost or obligation to review your current situation. We look forward to meeting you.