Private Wealth
Managed With
Institutional Precision
For individuals and families with $10 million or more in investable assets, HCM Private Wealth Services delivers a dedicated team of specialists, custom investment strategies, and the proven discipline of the HCM BuyLine® — all under one roof.
HCM Private Wealth — Overview
Wealth at This Level
Demands More
When your assets cross $10 million, the complexity of your financial life grows exponentially. Tax optimization, estate planning, business succession, philanthropic strategy, and investment management can no longer be managed in silos — they must be coordinated by a team that understands the full picture.
HCM Private Wealth Services was created by Vance Howard out of personal need — the recognition that high-net-worth individuals require more than off-the-shelf portfolio management. PWS delivers custom investment strategies, tax mitigation, income planning, business succession, and legacy design — all with the HCM BuyLine® overlaid for downside protection.
"PWS was created because I recognized that people like me — with complex financial lives — needed something that didn't exist in the market."
— Vance Howard, Founder & CEO
Which Describes Your Situation?
Select the statement that resonates most with your current experience.
A Complete Wealth Architecture
Every dimension of your financial life, managed with institutional discipline and personal accountability.
Custom Investment Strategies
Bespoke portfolio construction tailored to your specific risk profile, tax situation, liquidity needs, and multi-generational objectives — all overlaid with the HCM BuyLine® for downside protection.
Tax Mitigation & Optimization
Sophisticated tax-loss harvesting, asset location strategies, and coordination with your tax counsel to minimize the drag of taxation on long-term wealth accumulation.
Income Planning & Distribution
Structured income strategies designed to sustain your lifestyle, fund philanthropic goals, and optimize Social Security, RMDs, and other distribution decisions.
Business Succession Planning
Comprehensive exit and transition strategies for business owners — coordinating valuation, deal structure, tax efficiency, and post-liquidity wealth management.
Legacy & Estate Design
Intergenerational wealth transfer strategies, trust structures, and philanthropic vehicles designed to preserve your values and assets across generations.
Fiduciary Oversight & Reporting
Transparent, institutional-grade reporting with full fiduciary accountability. Your dedicated team provides consolidated performance reporting across all accounts and entities.
The Philosophy Behind
Private Wealth Services
Vance Howard built Private Wealth Services after recognizing that the most successful people in the world deserve more than a standardized portfolio. Watch how the PWS team approaches wealth management differently.
Private Wealth Services
on Your Team
A Team Built
Around You
Unlike traditional advisory relationships where you work with a single generalist, Private Wealth Services assigns you a dedicated team of specialists — each an expert in their domain, all working in concert on your behalf.
Lead Wealth Strategist
Your primary relationship manager — a senior advisor who coordinates every aspect of your financial life and serves as your single point of accountability.
Portfolio Manager
Implements and monitors your custom investment strategy, applying the HCM BuyLine® discipline to seek growth while defending against significant drawdowns.
Tax & Planning Specialist
Coordinates with your CPA and estate attorney to ensure investment decisions are optimized for your specific tax situation and long-term planning objectives.
Client Service Director
Handles all operational needs — account administration, reporting, document management, and day-to-day service requests — so your time is never wasted.
The HCM BuyLine®
Created after the losses of Black Monday in 1987, the HCM BuyLine® is a proprietary, math-based indicator designed to identify macro trends in global markets. It uses a disciplined, quantitative methodology — not subjective forecasting — to determine when portfolios should be in or out of the market.
When the market drops below the BuyLine threshold, the system signals a shift toward cash or bonds. When strength returns, it signals re-entry. The goal: reduce exposure during significant declines and participate during sustained advances.
"In an effort to help advisors and their clients navigate complex market conditions, I developed the HCM BuyLine® trend indicator to remove emotion and mathematically strive to minimize downside risk while seeking upside potential."
— Vance Howard, Founder & CEO, Howard Capital Management
The HCM BuyLine®
Click a Market Crisis to See How the BuyLine® Responded
2008 — Financial Crisis
The global financial crisis saw the S&P 500 lose over 56% of its value. The HCM BuyLine® identified the macro deterioration and signaled a shift to cash and bonds, protecting client wealth during the most consequential market event since the Great Depression.
The BuyLine® signaled an equity exit as systemic risk spread. Capital was preserved through one of the most severe market dislocations in modern history.
*Past performance does not guarantee future results. There can be no guarantee the HCM BuyLine® will perform as anticipated.
See the Difference for
Your Portfolio
This interactive tool illustrates the historical performance difference between January 2020 and December 2024. Adjust the starting balance to see how the strategies compared.
This is a hypothetical illustration based on past performance. It does not predict, project, or guarantee future results.
Jan 2020–Dec 2024
during this period
Jan 2020–Dec 2024
*Performance shown reflects the HCM ALP Growth Composite, net of the highest advisory fee tier of 2.2% annually, paid monthly. Returns are GIPS-verified and independently verified for the period January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2024. The HCM Custom Blended Benchmark is comprised of 5% S&P 500 Monthly Reinvested Index, 75% HFRX Equity Hedge Index, and 20% Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond TR Index. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investments involve risk, including possible loss of principal.
Why Sophisticated Investors
Choose HCM
In today's financial climate, you want more than a manager who tracks an index. You want a team with a defined plan — one aimed at maximizing gains and minimizing losses through every market cycle.
HCM's combination of systematic BuyLine® discipline, team-based private wealth management, and comprehensive planning capabilities creates a value proposition that is genuinely difficult to replicate elsewhere.
The HCM Difference
A Deliberate Onboarding Process
Discovery
A comprehensive conversation to understand your full financial picture, goals, concerns, and what success looks like for your family.
Strategy Design
Your team develops a customized Investment Policy Statement and comprehensive plan tailored to your specific situation.
Implementation
Accounts are established, assets transferred, and your custom strategy is implemented — with full transparency at every step.
Ongoing Partnership
Regular reviews, proactive communication, and continuous coordination across your full advisory team — for the long term.
Frequently Asked Questions
Schedule Your Private
Wealth Consultation
A complimentary, confidential 45-minute consultation with a Private Wealth Strategist. No obligation. No pressure. Just a genuine conversation about whether HCM is the right fit for your situation.