OUR FIRM
Westover Capital Advisors, LLC (“Westover” or “WCA” or “Firm”) is an SEC-registered investment
advisor which began conducting business in 1999. Westover’s office is located in Wilmington,
Delaware. Our controlling officers are Harold Murray Sawyer, Jr., President and Harold “Chip” Murray
Sawyer, III, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer.
As of December 31, 2023, Westover had $401,243,103 of clients' assets under management, all of
which was managed on a discretionary basis. As of this date, our firm did not offer advice on a non-
discretionary basis. WCA’s regulatory assets under management calculations include accrued interest
which is reported to our firm and calculated by Tamarac.
Westover offers a variety of advisory services, which include investment management, wealth
advisory, consulting and other wealth management services as disclosed, herein. Prior to WCA
rendering any of the foregoing advisory services, clients are required to enter into one or more written
agreements with WCA setting forth the relevant terms and conditions of the advisory relationship (the
“Agreement”).
When we act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest
ahead of yours. At the same time, the way we make money creates some conflicts with your interests.
You should understand and ask us about these conflicts because they can affect the investment
advice we provide you.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND WEALTH ADVISORY SERVICES
WCA works with our clients to provide individually tailored investment management and wealth
advisory services, based on the client’s unique needs and circumstances. Investment Management
and Wealth Advisory services include a broad range of services that constitute investment supervisory
services, wealth planning and consulting.
Our Firm meets with clients initially and will continue to meet with clients as needed throughout the
length of the relationship. WCA clients with investable assets of at least $1,000,000 under WCA’s
management are provided such Wealth Advisory Services as WCA and the client mutually believe is
appropriate for their individual circumstances without their payment of an additional fee. WCA clients
who are investment advisory clients and who do not meet the $1,000,000 minimum threshold may
elect to receive certain of WCA’s Wealth Advisory Services outlined herein, but they are provided as
additional services and for an additional fee.
WCA offers clients a broad range of investment management, wealth advisory and consulting
services, which may include any or all of the following services:
Investment Strategy and Research
Investment policy development
Customized asset allocation plan
In-house fundamental and quantitative research
Manager/strategy due diligence
Investment Implementation
Individual stock and bond selection
Portfolio diversification, by size, style and sector
Ongoing monitoring and rebalancing
Portfolio management
External investment oversight
Risk and liquidity management
Wealth Advisory Services
These services are included with no additional fee
for clients with assets of $1.0M AUM:
Life Planning (cash flow, net worth, stock options,
large purchase, feasibility analysis, etc.)
Tax planning
Charity and charitable trust planning
Retirement planning
Social Security planning
Estate, wealth transfer and legacy planning
Client Reporting
Monthly performance and benchmark reports
Customized benchmarking when requested
Online account access for client and third
parties
Account aggregation and consolidated
reporting
Client Appreciation
Exclusive invitation to Westover’s Annual Spring
Summit with a national presenter
Holiday party get together
Client Communications
Economic and market updates
Newsletters and market insights
Coordination with third-party advisors
Regular and convenient in person visits
Special Advisory Services
From time to time, the proper interaction of a
client relationship requires special services (e.g.,
trust services or bill paying are but two
examples). These services call for the payment of
an additional fee dependent on the complexity
of the engagement.
Clients are advised to promptly notify WCA if there are changes in their financial situation or if they
wish to place any limitations on the management of their portfolios. Clients can impose reasonable
restrictions or mandates on the management of their accounts if WCA determines, in its sole
discretion, the conditions would not materially impact the performance of a management strategy or
prove overly burdensome to the Firm’s management efforts.
Our investment management and supervision are provided on a discretionary basis and seeks to
ensure that, on a continuous basis, client portfolios are managed in a manner consistent with the
client’s identified needs and objectives. As appropriate, we also review and discuss a client's prior
investment history, as well as family composition and background.
We are an investment advisor. Accordingly, our investment recommendations are not limited to any
specific product or service which might be offered by a broker-dealer or insurance company. WCA
utilizes a broad-range of securities to meet a client’s specific needs. These securities include publicly
traded equities, fixed-income products, ETFs and occasionally options, where and when appropriate.
Because all investments involve degrees of risk, they are only implemented when we conclude they
are consistent with the client's investment objectives, tolerance for risk, liquidity and suitability. These
matters are reflected in the client’s executed Asset Allocation Agreement.
CONSULTING AND RELATED SERVICES
In addition to our Investment Management, Wealth Advisory and Special Advisory Services, WCA
offers clients a broad range of additional consulting advice and financial planning services which
include any or all of the following:
Assets Under Advisement
Private Foundation and Donor-Advised
Fund Recommendations
Financial Planning
Family philanthropy, education and
governance services and strategies
Trust and Estate Planning Advice
Philanthropic and Charitable Giving
Strategies
Family Gifting Strategies
While each of these services is available on a stand-alone basis, certain of them can also be rendered
in conjunction with investment portfolio management as part of a comprehensive wealth
management engagement (described in more detail above).
In performing these services, WCA is not required to verify any information received from the client or
from the client’s other professionals (e.g., attorneys, accountants, etc.). We are expressly authorized to
rely on such third-party information. WCA may recommend certain clients engage the Firm for
additional related services, such as Trust and/or bill-payer services (described above and below).
Clients retain absolute discretion over all decisions regarding implementation of our advice and are
under no obligation to act upon any of the recommendations made by WCA under our engagement.
Clients are advised that it remains their responsibility to promptly notify the Firm of any change in their
financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating or revising WCA’s
recommendations and/or services. A more detailed description of certain of our services follows.
ASSETS UNDER ADVISEMENT SERVICES
WCA offers clients consulting services in the form of continuous monitoring as well as our thinking
regarding the assets “held away” at other advisors and brokers. As contracted by the client, our firm
will continuously monitor a client’s non-Westover portfolio and, when and if requested, provide
recommendations to the client as to the composition and allocation of client specific holdings, the
nature and timing of the changes therein and the manner of implementing such changes. This advice
includes recommendations as to specific securities and other assets to be purchased, retained, or sold
by the client. WCA does not implement these recommendations for the client. It is solely up to the
client to implement WCA’s recommendations and the timing of such implementation. WCA may give
advice and take action with respect to any of its other clients or accounts which may differ from
advice given to an Assets Under Advisement client(s). WCA will not limit its timing or nature of action
taken with respect to any WCA Investment or Wealth Management client or other account to
accommodate implementation of an advice-only client(s).
FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES
Clients who do not qualify as Wealth Advisory clients may also elect to separately contract for
financial planning. Upon client request, we will develop a financial plan for our client and his or her
family. Included in the analysis may be subjects dealing with health care costs, choosing a strategy to
maximize social security benefits, planning for retirement, demonstrating the impact of risks and loss
tolerance to a financial plan, demonstrating the impact of market corrections, early death or
unexpected costs and providing our clients with a plan to focus on their long-term goals.
CONSULTING SERVICES
Clients not requiring a financial plan may also elect to receive investment and other financial advice
on a limited basis for a separate fee. Some of the consulting services offered include investment
advice regarding non-marketable securities, trust accounting, estate administration, preparation of
legacy tax returns, and the preparation of an Investment Policy Statements (IPS) outside of a
relationship for portfolio management.
TRUST AND ESTATE PLANNING ADVICE
Being aware of our client’s present and future financial needs and their potential interest in
establishing a financial legacy, we will assist in navigating the complexities of wealth transfer, helping
to integrate client’s vision into an estate plan. We will work with legal professionals and make
recommendations for attorneys experienced in crafting appropriate legal documents to carry out our
client’s desires. With this engagement, we may refer a client to an attorney or tax professional. WCA
will not accept nor will we pay a referral fee under these circumstances.
TAX PLANNING STRATEGIES
WCA will work with our client’s tax attorneys and accountants to develop and craft a tax strategy
which seeks to accomplish client’s tax minimization objectives. We will provide our in-depth
understanding of client’s individual tax needs, along with our knowledge of existing and proposed
national and state tax policies related to each engagement. *WCA has an affiliated tax preparation
service. Please see important disclosures regarding this service in Item 10 of this brochure.
FAMILY GIFTING, PHILANTHROPIC AND CHARITABLE STRATEGIES
We recognize that for some of our clients, family gifting and charitable giving fulfills goals of great
personal importance, providing a powerful way to enrich the lives of the donor and beneficiary. WCA
will work with the client to aid in conceptualizing their goals and will then recommend various
charitable instruments to accomplish our client’s charitable goals.
TRUST SERVICES
Should our client request and we agree to undertake the assignment, certain designated individuals
of WCA will serve as a personal trustee with regard to the accounts of the trust beneficiaries of client(s)
and will provide fiduciary investment management advice to the trust. Trust services are separate from
wealth advisory services. With this engagement, we may refer a client to an attorney or tax
professional to prepare tax returns and perform trust administration and estate settlement services for
the trust. WCA will not accept, nor will we pay referral fees when recommending professionals for
additional services. As WCA has an affiliated tax preparation entity, there is an incentive to
recommend our affiliated company. Clients are never obligated to accept our recommendations
and may use a professional of their own choosing.
BILL PAYER SERVICES
We will, upon request, provide online bill paying services to client. Clients will agree to this service in a
separate agreement. We will establish an account in the client’s name with client’s permission to pay
certain obligations of the client.