Catamount ​Managing Partner Recognized with Award

From Schipani PR: Catamount Wealth Management is proud to announce Laurie Stefanowicz as a first time recipient of the Five Star Professional Award. Each year, Five Star Professional conducts market‑specific research to identify service professionals who show a commitment to clients, demonstrate strong industry credentials and are evaluated on the quality of their practice.

Each year, the objective is to identify wealth managers, in a given market, who satisfy objective eligibility and evaluation criteria that are associated with providing quality services to clients. These managers are defined by individuals who help their clients prepare a financial plan and/or implement aspects of their financial plan.

The selection and nomination process are both stringent and, designed to identify the broadest possible population of high‑quality award candidates in order to ensure that eventual award winners have been drawn from a large and diverse pool. Candidates are identified by one of three sources: a firm’s nomination, peer nomination or pre‑qualification. Self‑nominations are not accepted.

The Five Star Wealth Manager award is based on 10 objective criteria:

1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser or a registered investment adviser representative

2. Active as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of 5 years

3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review

4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards

5. Accepting new clients

6. One-year client retention rate

7. Five-year client retention rate

8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered

9. Number of client households served

10. Education and professional designations.

The Five Star Award Program is the largest and most widely published award program in North America, covering more than 45 major markets. Professionals recognized as award winners are published by Five Star Professional and its partners in each market. In 2016, Five Star Professional partnered with Connecticut Magazine to find wealth managers who satisfied the eligibility and evaluation criteria. The final group selected represented less than 2% of the wealth managers in the Connecticut area.

Catamount Wealth Management, a Westport-based boutique investment advisory firm, creates and executes “Conversations with Catamount,” a series of financial wellness workshops focused on educating women in the community which Laurie voluntarily spearheads on a regular basis. For more information, visitwww.catmg.com/education/our-events/

Photo courtesy of Schipani PR