Briaud Financial Planning, Inc. is a SEC-registered investment adviser with its principal place of
business located in Texas. Briaud Financial Planning, Inc. began conducting business in 1986.
Briaud is a fee only practice, meaning the firm is not compensated in any way for selling any
type of investment or insurance product.
Listed below are the firm's principal shareholders (i.e., those individuals and/or entities
controlling 15% or more of this company):
• Janet I Briaud, Partner / Chief Investment Officer
• Natalie Briaud Pine, Managing Partner / Advisor / Chief Compliance Officer
Briaud Financial Advisors offers the following advisory services to our clients:
INVESTMENT SUPERVISORY SERVICES ("ISS")
INDIVIDUAL PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Our firm provides continuous advice to a client regarding the investment of client funds based
on the individual needs of the client. Through personal discussions in which goals and
objectives based on a client's particular circumstances are established, we develop a client's
personal investment policy and create and manage a portfolio based on that policy. During our
data-gathering process, we determine the client’s individual objectives, time horizons, risk
tolerance, and liquidity needs. As appropriate, we also review and discuss a client's prior
investment history, as well as family composition and background.
We manage these advisory accounts on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis. Account
supervision is guided by the client's stated objectives, as well as tax considerations. Each client
has a responsibility to inform Briaud of any changes to financial circumstances or investment
objectives.
Clients may impose reasonable restrictions on investing in certain securities, types of securities,
or industry sectors.
Our investment recommendations are not limited to any specific product or service offered by
a broker-dealer or insurance company and will generally include advice regarding the following
securities:
• Exchange-listed securities
• Securities traded over-the-counter
• Corporate debt securities (other than commercial paper)
• Certificates of deposit
• Municipal securities
• Variable annuities
• Mutual fund shares
• United States governmental securities
• Options contracts on securities
• Interests in partnerships investing in real estate
• Interests in partnerships investing in oil and gas interests, commodities, and other
private equity strategies.
Because some types of investments involve certain additional degrees of risk, they will only be
implemented/recommended when consistent with the client's stated investment objectives,
tolerance for risk, liquidity and suitability.
We provide investment services to BFA Alternatives Fund, a pooled investment vehicle. We
provide two services to the BFA Alternatives fund:
• Investment management – Briaud is not compensated for this work.
• Administration – Briaud, which serves as the general partner, can charge a 1.55% annual
maintenance fee, but that fee is waived for all clients of Briaud Financial Advisors.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
We provide financial planning services. Financial planning is a personalized evaluation of a
client’s current and future financial state by using currently known variables to predict future
cash flows, asset values and withdrawal plans. Through the financial planning process, all
questions, information and analysis are considered as they impact and are impacted by the
entire financial and life situation of the client. Clients receive a written report which provides
the client with a detailed financial plan designed to assist the client achieve his or her financial
goals and objectives.
In general, the financial plan can address any or all of the following areas:
• PERSONAL: We review family records, budgeting, personal liability, estate information
and financial goals.
• TAX & CASH FLOW: We analyze the client’s income tax and spending and planning for
past, current and future years; then illustrate the impact of various investments on the
client's current income tax and future tax liability.
• INVESTMENTS: We analyze investment alternatives and their effect on the client's
portfolio.
• INSURANCE: We review existing policies to ensure proper coverage for life, health,
disability, long-term care, liability, home and automobile.
• RETIREMENT: We analyze current strategies and investment plans to help the client
achieve his or her retirement goals.
• DEATH & DISABILITY: We review the client’s cash needs at death, income needs of
surviving dependents, estate planning and disability income.
• ESTATE: We assist the client in assessing and developing long-term strategies, including
as appropriate, living trusts, wills, review estate tax, powers of attorney, asset
protection plans, nursing homes, Medicaid and elder law.
We gather required information through in-depth personal interviews. Information gathered
includes the client's current financial status, tax status, future goals, returns objectives and
attitudes towards risk. We carefully review documents supplied by the client and prepare a
written report. Should the client choose to implement the recommendations contained in the
plan, we suggest the client work closely with his/her attorney, accountant, insurance agent,
and/or stockbroker. Implementation of financial plan recommendations is entirely at the
client's discretion.
We also provide general non-securities advice on topics that may include tax and budgetary
planning, estate planning and business planning.
Typically, the financial plan is presented to the client within six months of the contract date,
provided that all information needed to prepare the financial plan has been promptly provided.
Retirement Rollovers-No Obligation/Conflict of Interest: A client leaving an employer typically
has four options (and may engage in a combination of these options): 1) leave the money in his
former employer’s plan, if permitted, 2) roll over the assets to his/her new employer’s plan, if
one is available and rollovers are permitted, 3) rollover to an Individual Retirement Account
(IRA), or 4) cash out the account value (which could, depending upon the client’s age, result in
adverse tax consequences).
Briaud Financial Advisors reviews client assets as part of the financial planning process, and in
certain circumstances may recommend a rollover from an employer retirement plan to an
IRA. In most cases, such a recommendation would not result in additional compensation to
Briaud, since employer assets are normally included in the asset under management fee
calculation. In rare cases, however, a rollover from an employer plan to an IRA might result in
additional management fees to Briaud. In such cases, under Labor Department rules, Briaud
must justify the recommendation as a fiduciary to the client.
There are various factors that Briaud Financial Advisors may consider before recommending a
rollover, including but not limited to: i) the investment options available in the plan versus the
investment options available in an IRA, ii) fees and expenses in the plan versus the fees and
expenses in an IRA, iii) the services and responsiveness of the plan’s investment professionals
versus those of Briaud Financial Advisors, iv) required minimum distributions and age
considerations, and vi) employer stock tax consequences, if any. No client is under any
obligation to roll over plan assets to an IRA managed by Briaud Financial Advisors.
When we provide investment advice to you regarding your retirement plan account or
individual retirement account, we are fiduciaries within the meaning of Title I of the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act and/or the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, which are
laws governing retirement accounts. The way we make money creates some conflicts with your
interests, so we operate under a special rule that requires us to act in your best interest and not
put our interests ahead of yours.
Under this special rule’s provisions, we must:
• Meet a professional standard of care when making investment recommendations
(give prudent advice);
• Never put our financial interests ahead of yours when making recommendations
(give loyal advice);
• Avoid misleading statements about conflicts of interest, fees, and investments;
• Follow policies and procedures designed to ensure that we give advice that is in
your best interest;
• Charge no more than is reasonable for our services; and
• Give you basic information about conflicts of interest.
AMOUNT OF MANAGED ASSETS
As of December 31, 2023, we were actively managing $691,919,723 of clients' assets on a
discretionary basis plus $13,116,476 of clients' assets on a non-discretionary basis.