Timothy E. Flatley is President and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Investment Advisors, Ltd. with forty-two years of experience in the financial services industry. Sterling Investment Advisors, Ltd., provides investment advisor services to corporations, high net worth individuals, endowments and qualified plans. Sterling’s client list includes many prominent corporations and entrepreneurs. Tim’s responsibilities include investment analysis, executive compensation plans, portfolio risk management and quantitative portfolio reporting. He has completed advanced training in technical analysis and is also a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC).
Tim has served on both public and private company boards. Tim has enjoyed coaching youth lacrosse and serving on his church’s pastoral council. He is also an active golf course rater for Golfweek Magazine and has rated over one hundred U.S. and international courses.
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Advisor Details
Firm: Sterling Investment Advisors, Ltd.
Website: Link
Phone Number: (610)560-0400 Ext: 111
Summary
Assets Under Management: 750mm
Median Account Size: 550k
Years of Experience: 49 years
Years in Current Firm: 17 years
Certifications/Designations: Chartered Financial Consultant
Articles
What challenges arise when dividing family-owned businesses among heirs?
The tens of millions of family-owned businesses in this country form the backbone of the economy, accounting for more than 60 percent of the current U.S. workforce, by some estimates. According to the PwC 2019 Family Business Survey, 62 percent of family business leaders intend to pass the company on to the next generation. Yet […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Nov 8, 2019How should you manage a concentrated position in one stock?
When working with entrepreneurs, Sterling frequently meets individuals who have a large concentration in one stock. This may happen after they sell their company in exchange for stock as the result of their company going public, or if they have been making private equity investments that are acquired or go public. After one of the […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Aug 6, 2019What steps must be taken in conducting last-minute estate planning?
An exceptional wealth advisor coordinates several aspects of a client’s life, including the intricacies of their estate plan. Estate planning is a continuous process, which should be undertaken on a regular basis. Otherwise, life gets in the way, years go by and the plan becomes less viable. Several times a year, we are referred to […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
May 20, 2019How can I invest in the cannabis industry?
There has been a rapid evolution in the cannabis industry. Formerly a taboo drug, cannabis is increasingly accepted and the subject of regulatory approval. In the United States, it is legal in 33 states to use cannabis for medical purposes. Recreational use is currently legal in 10 states and in Washington, D.C. At the federal level, […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Mar 26, 2019How can we prevent the financial victimization of our senior citizens?
The segment of the U.S. population over age 65 is growing faster than any other age group in our nation. According to Social Security Administration life tables, for a couple who are both aged 65, there is a 49 percent chance of one of them living to age 90. This presents a number of critical […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Dec 18, 2018What is the impact of rising interest rates?
After a prolonged period of zero percent short-term interest rates, the Federal Reserve has raised the federal funds target interest rate seven times to 2 percent as of the writing of this article. Previously, the Fed cut interest rates 10 times, bottoming out in December 2008, to respond to the Great Recession of 2008–09. The […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Sep 18, 2018How can investors make tax-effective charitable contributions under the new laws?
Everyone is still digesting the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 and its potential impact on their future tax bills. “Everyone,” of course, includes investors, because they’ll need to reexamine their approach to many facets of their portfolio. Among the law’s components that they’ll likely look at closely is charitable giving. Indeed, the […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
May 22, 2018What’s going on with billionaires?
It is our observation that people are curious about those who have great wealth, evidenced by persistent media coverage of their business acumen, philanthropy and entrepreneurialism. But what does it really mean to have a net worth in the thousands of millions? How did these people get to that point, and what’s important to them? […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Mar 3, 2018Should you add hedge funds to your portfolio?
We are frequently asked, “When is the stock market going to drop?” Seeing as how no one can predict the future, we instead explain our investment philosophy and suggest that implementing that philosophy might mitigate our questioner’s stock market losses. We also explain several important things to know about the stock market: First, a market […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Feb 28, 2018Why should investors be considering international markets?
A long-standing tenet of investing holds that, to earn a higher investment return, one must be willing to embrace a higher degree of risk. And, historically, small-cap stocks have had greater returns compared to their large-cap counterparts, but have carried a higher level of volatility. International stocks, meanwhile, have typically been more volatile than U.S. stocks, presenting investors with another equity category to navigate. That long-standing […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Oct 31, 2017What should investors in search of yield- and income-producing investments consider?
Income-investing was once a very straightforward exercise: In 2008, you could purchase a 10-year U.S. Treasury bond yielding 5.0 percent. This created significant income with essentially no credit risk, given the backing of the U.S. government. Then came the financial crisis. The Federal Reserve reacted by reducing short-term rates to zero, in an effort to […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Sep 12, 2017What should I consider when listing my minor children as my IRA beneficiaries?
When opening or updating IRAs and company retirement accounts, most people do not hesitate to designate their minor children as direct beneficiaries. In the absence of a surviving spouse, it is reasonable to desire that your children inherit your retirement savings. However, these same account holders are often unaware of the risks associated with not […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
May 30, 2017What are some important considerations in estate planning with a disabled child?
Many people endeavor to draft an estate plan that will meet their family’s needs when they pass. Once they truly are faced with their own mortality, these plans become an object of even greater scrutiny. However, a sudden death will not afford that luxury. We recently worked with a client who unfortunately was in the […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Mar 28, 2017How can I use options to generate income in my portfolio?
All investors seem to be in constant search of income from their portfolios. At a time when the 10-year Treasury is yielding only 2 percent, creating income from bonds is challenging. Beyond paltry yields, bonds also carry the risk of loss of principal should interest rates rise. The result is clear: The Federal Reserve has […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Dec 7, 2016What should I know about estate planning for affulent investors’ IRAs and other retirement accounts?
For those who have amassed a significant balance in an IRA, 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement account, it is essential to structure beneficiary choices in a manner that reflects their desired estate plan and takes advantage of the inherent tax benefits. With the federal estate-tax rate now at 40 percent, death-tax rates as high as […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Oct 24, 2016What should you do with old life insurance policies?
Just as your closet can accumulate a collection of old ties and handbags, you can accumulate a number of life insurance policies over time. Perhaps you purchased a policy when you first got married, a second when you bought your first home and yet another after having children. Then, when your business no longer needed […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Aug 25, 2016Where should investors turn in their search for yield?
The Federal Reserve’s zero interest-rate policy, now in its seventh year, has generated significant debate regarding the policy’s impact on our economy. What is certain is that any money an investor needs to keep liquid will earn a very low return. “Bond king” Bill Gross has dubbed the situation “fiscal repression,” for what occurs when […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Jun 1, 2016How can you secure electronic access to your financial accounts?
The internet has grown from primarily a means of communication to something deeply intertwined with all of our financial lives. People freely access their credit cards, investments and bank accounts on cell phones, tablets and computers from anywhere in the world. Financial organizations invest great sums of time and money to defend their digital fortresses, […]
By Timothy E. Flatley
Apr 11, 2016How can I best prepare for the challenges that may come with “sudden wealth”?
Two driving forces are already in play which, eventually, will result in an increasing number of people confronting the issues associated with gaining sudden wealth. The first is the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth in history, which some experts estimate to be $12 trillion. This transfer will occur over the next 25 years. The second […]