What does Maxwell Bull admire in teammates? Accountability, loyalty and a team-oriented attitude.
The Morgan Stanley advisor, who is based in Denver and ranked No. 7 on this year’s Top 40 Under 40, says he’s found these attributes in colleagues who’ve played in competitive team sports before entering wealth management.
And perhaps not surprisingly, Bull’s pastimes include watching NHL and college hockey games. He credits his team’s growth this year to colleague’s “persistent outreach.”
Read on to learn more about his approach to wealth management.
To see who else made the Top 40 ranking, please
What type of clients do you serve — and how do you meet new ones?
The Fowler Bull Group serves a select clientele of affluent families, entrepreneurs, corporate executives and professional athletes, helping them address the complex challenges of managing significant wealth. Many have unique and intensive financial, wealth planning, and trust and estate needs. They appreciate candor, competence and attention to detail.
We keep a dynamic list of specific prospective clients to build relationships with. We have a targeted approach and defined strategy to earn their business. Many new relationships often come from persistent outreach from our team members.
Have you ever turned away a client for being a bad fit for your practice?
Yes. Typically we make the decision to decline new business or terminate a relationship due to a lack of respect and courtesy to our associates. It is essential everyone on our team is excited to pick up the phone and feel privileged to provide exceptional service and advice to our clients.
What was your biggest work accomplishment in 2019, and was there something that nearly kept you from achieving it?
Client portfolios were rewarded with significant value appreciation and year-over-year cash flow growth in 2019 from strategies we put in place in prior years.
The decline in long-term yields made it difficult to identify opportunities in investment-grade municipal bonds at prices and maturities we’d historically find attractive to add to portfolios.
These advisors oversaw $26 billion in combined client assets.
What was your biggest personal accomplishment in 2019?
Spent more time with my wife, son and extended family
How do you keep abreast of changes in wealth management?
Reading On Wall Street and Barron’s. Joining the monthly Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Advisor teleconference.
What trends are you watching in 2020?
Will global central banks continue to hold nominal interest rates below nominal GDP? Direction of U.S. dollar, inflation and 10-year Treasury yield.
Earning growth and dividend growth in non-U.S. versus U.S. equity markets
What qualities do you admire in your team members?
Our team shares specific key traits and values that are crucial to our success. I have found many of these characteristics can be attributed to playing an important role in competitive team sports before entering into a career in wealth management. Each member is accountable, loyal and team-oriented. In times of stress, focus and execution is sharp. Everyone can give or take constructive criticism and adapt. Individuals know their role and reasonability, and we compete together as a team to achieve shared goals.
What was the last good book you read?
I re-read “The Single Best Investment” by Lowell Miller
What TV show are you currently streaming?
Don’t stream. Typically tuning into NHL or NCAA college hockey when I do watch TV.
What goal, professional or personal, do you want to achieve in 2020?
Show more appreciation to others that have enhanced my life.
