Providing Customized Expert Advice
Over the years, Nelson Capital has earned a great deal of recognition for their ability to create a full wealth analysis—including balance sheet, asset allocation, cash flow analysis, insurance reviews and more—for their clients. The firm’s heritage of financial planning, and philosophy of partnership with clients and their families, helps achieve their clients’ goals for every generation. “We incorporate asset projections including inflation assumptions, stress test these projections with Monte Carlo analysis, and offer scenario analysis when a client is deciding from a range of potential outcomes,” shares Darcy.
As an independent, employee-owned investment advisory firm, the services and advice at Nelson are truly unbiased. Nelson Capital has a “fee-only” structure, and does not collect any commissions, eliminating any potential conflicts of interest. The firm works closely with estate planning, tax, and insurance advisors providing holistic financial advice in collaboration with these trusted experts. Furthermore, Nelson Capital is bound by the “fiduciary” standard of care, which requires that an advisor act solely in the client’s best interest when offering personalized financial advice.
All relationship managers at Nelson Capital are either CFA charterholders or CFP® professionals, which means that client assets are in the most qualified hands possible. Leveraging an in-house research team, the firm is always on the frontlines, scouting for new opportunities to design customized and tax-efficient portfolios. A routine quarterly review process that addresses each aspect of every client’s portfolio further reinforces their respective plans. “This allows us to be nimbler during major market moves and to tailor portfolios based on individual needs,” reports Darcy.
Through this inventive and active management, Nelson Capital delivers remarkable results to clients at some of the most competitive service fees in the industry.
Darcy’s Story
For Darcy, financial planning has been ingrained in her since she was a child. She observed first-hand the extraordinary service her father and grandfather provided to clients, enabling the clients to live happy, stress-free lives. From an early age, Darcy knew that she wanted to walk in the same steps as the generations before her.
Darcy graduated with a BA from Swarthmore College, majoring in Mathematics and English Literature. She began her career at Bloomberg LP in New York City, and in 2009 went on to work as an equity derivatives sales trader at Susquehanna International Group before joining Nelson Capital in 2014. Smoot has extensive experience in equity analysis and securities trading, is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and is a member of the CFA Society of San Francisco.
Outside of work, Darcy enjoys staying active with her husband, Cliff, and their two young daughters, Aubrey (age 4) and Hannah (age 2). She shares, “We love exploring the great cycling and hiking trails that the Bay Area has to offer, and we are members of several educational museums in our area. Cooking is another passion of mine, and I love when my daughters join in and help.”