Insight
KCS Coronavirus Business Continuity Plan
March 14, 2020
Over the next several weeks, coronavirus will be changing the way we all live and work. KCS is dedicated to ensuring that our business—including our ability to monitor and manage your assets—continues uninterrupted during this difficult period.
First, rest assured that Fidelity, who custodies the vast majority of KCS-managed accounts, has its own coronavirus contingency plan, which can be accessed here. Their processes and systems allow most of their employees to work from home and still provide the same level of service as before. Recordkeeping, pricing, statements, transactions, etc. will in no way be disrupted by the virus.
At KCS, we also have the ability to work from home. At this point, all 8 of us are healthy and are coming into the office on most days. Already, however, several of us are working from home on occasion. While in the office, we are practicing frequent handwashing, using hand sanitizer, avoiding touching our faces or communal surfaces, and implementing social distancing (no handshaking, for example). All this is being done to minimize each of our chances of contracting COVID-19.
Should we all need to work from home at some point, very little will change in the way KCS functions. All of us will be on our regular email and available as usual. We will continue to have access to all your account information and other files via our cloud servers. Communication among us will be facilitated by Microsoft Teams, our cloud-based collaboration platform. Trading and account rebalancing, along with regular monitoring of your accounts, will continue as usual.
If we are all working from home, there will only be two changes from your standpoint:
1. Client meetings will become virtual using Zoom or another videoconferencing platform. We will send you instructions on accessing and using videoconferencing in advance of any meetings.
2. If you call us by phone, you will be directed to voicemail, which can be left either in the general voicemail box or in individual boxes. Our voicemail system is set up to email us when we receive a voicemail and we are able to listen without calling in. Even so, emailing us directly may result in a faster response.
Here are our email addresses for your reference:
Ken Waltzer: ken@kcswealth.com
Laura Gilman: laura@kcswealth.com
Scott Gaynor: scott@kcswealth.com
Katrina Soelter: katrina@kcswealth.com
Nick Nejad: nick@kcswealth.com
Bradley (Buddy) Griffiths: bradley@kcswealth.com
Gayle Fuhr: gayle@kcswealth.com
Kellie Weidenheimer: kellie@kcswealth.com
The next few weeks will be difficult for all of us, but we believe that Americans will come together to beat this new illness. Rest assured that KCS is doing everything we can to aid in this fight and to maintain all our services during this challenging time.
Yours truly,
The KCS Team
KCS Wealth Advisory is a registered investment adviser. Our services include discretionary management of individual and institutional investment accounts, along with personalized financial, estate and tax planning services.
Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance. The economic forecasts set forth in the presentation may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision. Other methods may produce different results, and the results for different periods may vary depending upon market conditions and portfolio composition. This email does not represent an offer to buy or sell securities.
Investment advisory services offered through KCS Wealth Advisory, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Clearing, custody services and other brokerage services provided to clients of KCS Wealth Advisory are offered by Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE/SIPC. Fidelity and KCS Wealth Advisory are unaffiliated entities.
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