Steadfast Stewardship: Moors & Cabot, a trusted legacy of financial guidance

Courtney Bridge is Senior Vice President of Investments for Moors & Cabot, Inc, a firm with 19th-century roots and 21st-century capabilities. Courtney and her father/ business partner, Brad Buttner, have long standing Plymouth, Cape Cod, and Florida roots and relationships. Courtney holds her SIE, Series 63, 66, and 7 licenses. Courtney loves to play pickleball, tennis and golf and she and her husband can be found following their three daughters around on various courts, fields or the water. She is focused on helping to sustain generational wealth, building legacy, and has a special interest in charitable giving.

What inspired you to become a financial advisor?

My father has worked in financial services since I was in high school. From a young age we would sit in the kitchen and review stocks by hand in the newspaper and watch the tickers on the TV. I’ve always felt comfortable around numbers and had a strong desire to earn my own money. When my father dropped me off at The Captain John Boats at age 13 to become the only female deckhand on their whale watch boats, I became motivated to earn more. By working multiple jobs during high school and bartending through college I began to save, invest, and grow my portfolio. After college I had a successful career in Human Resources where I honed skills in process improvement and efficiency as a Six Sigma Black Belt, eventually becoming a Major Gift Officer for a nonprofit. For many years my father asked if I would be interested in joining his financial advisory team and enter a business partnership. I finally said “yes” in 2018 and we’ve been steadfastly focused on growing our business through excellent service and portfolio management since. At the same time, we’ve focused on enhancing our advisory services to our clients and feel more passionate than ever to help others achieve their financial success and freedom! 

What are some challenges you find in your industry?

All the challenges I have faced have made our practice stronger or more well-rounded, and I appreciate each one. In the beginning, it was difficult getting Brad’s long-time clients to feel secure with me as the new face of the practice. While the majority wholeheartedly welcomed me, those who were skeptical now call me before calling Brad or members of our support staff. I worked extra hard and went above and beyond what perhaps they were used to in order to prove my diligent work ethic, deep knowledge base, and my comfort level with managing portfolios. Another challenge we face is the ever-changing rules and regulations of our industry, and ensuring all activity and recommendations align with these expectations. It’s our job to train and be prepared to carry those through, and fortunately, we have a deep bench of compliance professionals at our organization that provide input and guidance.

How would you describe your approach to working with clients to plan and build a comprehensive portfolio?

I always remind my clients is that investing is not a one-size-fits-all approach. I tailor every account to suit the individual client. Whether it be to grow, preserve, build income, or plan for a generational legacy or charitable contribution, we tailor the portfolio to meet the objectives of each family we support. Each of these goals call for a different strategy, and we take the time to know our clients, their families, careers, risk tolerance, time horizon, and other financial partners, like their accountants or attorneys. We work with Money Guide Pro, a thorough financial planning software that integrates accounts in real time and benchmarks against their needs, wants, and wishes for now, and into the future, alongside historical market trends via a Monte Carlo simulation—and then we put their plan into action. I always say the more accurate the input, the more accurate the output!

What separates you and Brad from other financial groups, practices or partnerships?

Entering our 8th year of business together, I like to think (and believe my father would agree) that it has been smooth sailing as a productive partnership. We each bring different perspectives and that is a strength. Generationally, we have different ways of thinking about relationship management, investment selection and engagement with clients. Through different viewpoints, we’ve found that we land in a better place than we started, and the collaboration results in better outcomes. We are uniquely suited to service multi-generational clients—men, women, children, and even grandchildren. We focus on a close-knit and professional touch. As our business is referral based, we generally know “all the players” in our clients’ lives, and many have only two or three degrees of separation from one another. My father is a 13th-generation Mayflower descendant with deep Cape & Islands and South Shore roots through Buttner’s, our family clothing business. He truly values lasting relationships—no one is ever just a number. My experiences have been accretive to the partnership, too, which is fun to see as we’ve expanded our client footprint to Florida, Cape Cod, and the greater Boston area. We don’t have a call center; you call us directly and we answer the phone. We know when our clients are saving for a cruise or a graduation gift, when there is a family loss or struggle or when there is a loved one to care for, and we adjust our sails accordingly. We don’t engage in a “get, set, and forget” attitude, we treat them respectfully and equally important.

How do you maintain client trust and confidence during market volatility and uncertainty in the world?

Being proactive and communicative with our clients during times of market volatility is the baseline. We set the standard up front that we aren’t in the business of timing the markets or making rash or frequent portfolio decisions. We follow the wishes of our clients, but our job is to advise them on historical data, trends, and that unless your time horizon dictates otherwise, we are in this for the long haul. When short-term needs arise, we adjust accordingly—typically well before market volatility occurs. I recommend not to watch accounts daily, but to choose monthly or quarterly dates to snapshot , and I communicate if we need to get together sooner than their regularly scheduled reviews. Frequent and honest communication, availability, and transparency are the keys to keeping clients comfortable and minimizing their stress. 

Can you share with the readers what inspires you most?

My family—my husband and three daughters are what makes each of my days most important. I always want to be a good role model for my girls and teach them what a hard-working woman can accomplish. I am inspired to teach others about saving but also enjoying the fruits of your labor. I am inspired to help educate women about their finances and help show them that knowledge is power. Whether in a dual-income household or on your own, it is important to learn and know what comes in, what goes out, and where it stands. I hope to be that resource for people and provide support in a way that is not intimidating or complex. Legacy, community, and charitable giving are at the heart of what makes me do my best work. My entire family makes community service and charitable giving a priority. I believe what you give, you get back. We hold several organizations near to our hearts but a few are: Big Brothers Big Sisters (I have sat on the Big 3 Board in support of the Cape & Islands branches for many years and been involved since its inception 11 years ago), independent and Catholic school education (St. John Paul II, Tabor Academy, Rollins College, among others), Bluecoats of Barnstable (I am on the board of directors and assist the community in supporting fallen officers, their families and projects that may not be supported by town budgets), Camp Jabberwocky (a special needs camp on Martha’s Vineyard), the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, NAMI and mental health care in MA, and Cancer Care. My schedule is full, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Our joy has been to give back, whether it be of our time, treasure, or talent.  

Where do you see your practice going in the years ahead?

I want to see our practice maintain a personalization that you cannot get elsewhere. I’d like to add new families to our practice but not grow to where service would ever be jeopardized. My father could have left long ago and planted himself on the golf course, but he believes that he owed his clients more than handing off his business and walking away. Working alongside him, I’m able to have a greater understanding and appreciation for each account and client—he trusts me, and I would never want to let him down. Over time, I have expanded the practice, brought on new clients and extended our client base; this invigorates us to make sure we are keeping up with the trends and services I provide. I hope to continue our work in the community, build stronger relationships with our current clients and grow deeper trust with our new clients. 

To learn how Courtney and her team can help you in your financial endeavors, visit moorscabot.com or email her at cbridge@moorscabot.com.