Tower Wealth Managers pledges to "disentangle" the market's mixed messages. Country Club Bank has formed an RIA affiliate called Tower Wealth Managers to in a bid to capture high-net-worth wallet share outside of its retail-banking footprint in and around Kansas City.

"The [RIA] format provides a highly effective structure for wealth-management services to institutional and high-net-worth clients," says Stephen Soden, CEO of Tower Wealth Managers and head of Country Club Bank's brokerage Country Club Financial Services. "Operating as an RIA will make it possible to expand our reach and serve clients throughout the Midwest and the nation, while continuing to provide the same experience our clients have come to expect."

Dwayne White is CIO of Tower Wealth Managers; Chad Battison, formerly a senior v.p. with SunGard and a senior manager with KPMG, has been hired to oversee strategic planning and business development for the new RIA.

Hit or miss

White, who will continue in his role as head of Country Club Bank's Country Club Trust Company subsidiary, says Tower Wealth Managers employs "independent research to disentangle the mixed messages of the broad market and the globalized economy, and eliminate both the hit or miss gamble of predictions and the inherent conflict of interest biases that exist on Wall Street." As a result, he adds, the firm is able to tap into "larger, stronger trends with opportunities for attractive investing."

In addition, Tower Wealth Managers takes allocation-risk management to "a higher level," according to White. "A portfolio with a variety of stocks in different categories such as energy, healthcare, etc., could be considered diversified," he says. "By drilling down into each stock category, however, we create specific strategies to further diversify, manage risk and tax liability, and tailor the portfolio to the client's individual needs."

As a result, says Battison, Tower Wealth Managers is "uniquely positioned when you consider that we are combining the incredible reputation and ethics that have defined the Country Club Bank organization, with the outstanding track record in building wealth that Steve and Dwayne bring to the table."

Country Club Bank's chairman Byron Thompson says the idea of launching an RIA in a volatile period doesn't faze him. "With all the uncertainty in the financial markets we are experiencing unprecedented growth, as people are seeking relationships built on a solid foundation of trust and professionalism."

Kansas City, Mo.-based Tower Wealth Managers already has more than $750 million under management. Its name comes from Country Club Bank's logo, which depicts a tower top "symbolizing strength, trust, and stability," according to the bank. -FWR

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