Watchtower Wealth Management

As a registered investment advisor (RIA), Watchtower is held to a fiduciary standard under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. This requires the firm to act in the best interests of its clients, disclose any conflicts, and avoid misleading statements — a stricter burden than the suitability standard that governs broker-dealers. The SEC and state regulators oversee RIA compliance through periodic examinations and Form ADV filings.

Watchtower does not custody client assets; instead, it directs clients to established third-party custodians such as Charles Schwab, Fidelity, or Pershing. This separation ensures that client funds and securities are held by an independent institution, protecting against misappropriation and giving clients the ability to view and verify their holdings independent of the advisor. The custody relationship is a foundational safeguard of the fee-only RIA model.

For qualified clients, Watchtower gains access to private markets — such as private equity, private credit, and real estate — through pooled vehicles like interval funds, tender-offer funds, or private placements. The firm conducts due diligence on third-party managers and structures allocations to manage liquidity and vintage-year diversification. Access is generally limited to accredited investors and qualified purchasers, reflecting regulatory thresholds set by the SEC.