It takes time to build trust with a financial advisor. Whether discussing a real estate acquisition, a college savings plan or generational disbursements, faith in our wealth managers often appears to take as long to accrue as the growth of our portfolios. So when a financial management team we trust deeply increases its strength and broadens its services by merging with another well-respected organization, it’s not unusual to feel that good fortune has smiled upon us. “We view this new partnership as an exceptional opportunity to better serve our current clients,” That’s the feeling investors with Bridges Investment Management and McCarthy Group, LLC must have experienced when they learned that these two venerable Omaha-based firms recently established a partnership. Clients of both companies will yield the benefits of an expansion of client services, additional investment expertise and enhanced plans for long-term growth. “We view this new partnership as an exceptional opportunity to better serve our current clients,” explained Edson (Ted) Bridges III, CEO of Bridges Investment Management, “while positioning our companies for future growth and innovation.” Mike McCarthy, chairman of McCarthy Group, LLC, called the partnership a “perfect fit” given each firm’s familiarity with the other, and because “the Bridges family of companies has operated in much the same way the McCarthy companies have, adhering to similar core values, sharing a similar vision for success and driving results for investors.” https://vimeo.com/172023422 Together, Bridges and McCarthy will create a robust and comprehensive wealth management platform with the intention of growing a client base that already includes entrepreneurs, business owners, high net worth individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The company has announced that Mr. Bridges will serve as president and CEO of the newly formed Bridges Investment Management and Provident Trust Company. The Bridges management and client services team will also remain in place, as will their day-to-day operating authority. As it has done for six decades, the privately owned wealth management firm will offer an individualized service model that continues to feature this unique combination: Investment expertise and innovation. Commitment to capital preservation. Focus on long-term investing. Delivery of exceptional customer service built on relationships and trust. Personal commitment to ethics, integrity, and transparency. As a privately owned company, Bridges Investment Management and Provident Trust Company will remain free of affiliations to any investment bank, brokerage house or insurance company. This independence avoids any obligation to promote unnecessary products and allows the wealth managers to remain focused on each of their individual accounts. The Bridges executive team is confident that the newly formed firm will continue to make a personal connection with each client, to facilitate an easy process for each client, and to remain accountable for exceptional service that fulfills a client’s unique needs. Bridges will also continue its holistic approach to high net worth family wealth management, employing its team of experts in investment management, tax, trusts, estates and philanthropy to maximize a client’s wealth after taxes over several generations. Their collaborative team-based approach is perfectly positioned to manage the assets of high net worth individuals. The firm is prepared to handle all daily wealth management operations such as investment management, asset allocation, trust administration, and tax and charitable planning. Additionally, the Bridges team as part of its concierge service will attend to daily wealth management obligations, including bill payments, handling legal obligations, home and car purchases, and even general ledger accounting. The Bridges executive team is confident that the newly formed firm will continue to make a personal connection with each client, to facilitate an easy process for each client, and to remain accountable for exceptional service that fulfills a client’s unique needs. The Bridges-McCarthy merger allows the newly formed firm to develop further as the financial quarterback for clients across the Midwest. The company remains determined to maintain continuity of services as well as expanded offerings, regardless of who leads the collaborative team. The firm also increases the already impressive combined experience of wealth managers, staff members and executives. This knowledge base is especially significant when approaching wealth management nuances such as generational transitions. By teaming with another highly trusted firm, Bridges employs better risk management policies and procedures. This development includes employing more comprehensive information systems to further maximize the client experience and secure client assets. The merger of these two trusted and venerable firms promises to benefit individuals and organizations in Omaha and across the Midwest. Bridges Investment Management and Provident Trust Company is positioned to grow internally as a comprehensive wealth strategist while maintaining the trust and individual attention that has led to sixty years of impressive growth. While the staff and philosophy will remain the same, the client’s portfolio appears to be the greatest beneficiary of this exciting financial union.