“Financial decisions are very personal and often

diffi cult,” said PNC Wealth Management Investment

Advisor, Guillermo Araoz. “Some people feel a sense

of increasing frustration because their past decisions

may have been infl uenced by advisors who didn’t have

their best interest in mind. As a result, critical issues

are often ignored or approached in a hapless way. PNC

Wealth Management® is organized to prioritize the

needs of our clients fi rst. The PNC Wealth Management

Team strives to understand every aspect of clients’ lives

that affect fi nancial goals. We then customize solutions

designed to achieve those goals. In the following

paragraphs, we will outline typical questions that new

clients ask in an effort to help readers understand how

we do business.” >>

TAILORED INVESTMENT STRATEGY:Personalized Guidance Designed to Fit Your Overall Plan

PICTURED: LOCAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT RELATIONSHIP STRATEGIST HEATHER BAKER, AND WEALTH MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT ADVISOR GUILLERMO ARAOZ.

The material presented in this article is of a general nature and does not constitute the provision by PNC of investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice to any person, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or adopt any investment strategy. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. The information was obtained from sources deemed reliable. Such information is not guaranteed as to its accuracy. You should seek the advice of an investment professional to tailor a financial plan to your particular needs. For more information, please contact PNC at 1-888-762-6226.The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (“PNC”) uses the marketing names PNC Wealth Management® and Hawthorn, PNC Family Wealth® to provide investment, wealth management, and fiduciary services through its subsidiary, PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC Bank”), which is a Member FDIC, and to provide specific fiduciary and agency services through its subsidiary, PNC Delaware Trust Company or PNC Ohio Trust Company. PNC also uses the marketing names PNC Institutional Asset ManagementSM, PNC Retirement SolutionsSM, Vested Interest®, and PNC Institutional Advisory SolutionsSM for the various discretionary and non-discretionary institutional investment activities conducted through PNC Bank and through PNC’s subsidiary PNC Capital Advisors, LLC, a registered investment adviser (“PNC Capital Advi-sors”). Standalone custody, escrow, and directed trustee services; FDIC-insured banking products and services; and lending of funds are also provided through PNC Bank. Securities products, brokerage services, and managed account advisory services are offered by PNC Investments LLC, a registered broker-dealer and a registered investment adviser and member of FINRA and SIPC. Insurance products may be provided through PNC Insurance Services, LLC, a licensed insurance agency affiliate of PNC, or through licensed insurance agencies that are not affiliated with PNC; in either case a licensed insurance affiliate may receive compensation if you choose to purchase insurance through these programs. A decision to purchase insurance will not affect the cost or availability of other products or services from PNC or its affiliates. PNC does not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice unless, with respect to tax advice, PNC Bank has entered into a written tax services agreement. PNC does not provide services in any jurisdiction in which it is not authorized to conduct business. PNC Bank is not registered as a municipal advisor under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Act”). Investment management and related products and services provided to a “municipal entity” or “obligated person” regarding “proceeds of municipal securities” (as such terms are defined in the Act) will be provided by PNC Capital Advisors. “PNC Wealth Management,” “Hawthorn, PNC Family Wealth,” and “Vested Interest” are registered service marks and “PNC Institutional Asset Management,” “PNC Retirement Solutions,” and “PNC Institutional Advisory Solutions” are service marks of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

Investments: Not FDIC Insured. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value.Insurance: Not FDIC Insured. No Bank or Federal Government Guarantee. Not a Deposit. May Lose Value.

Who is PNC Wealth Management?Within PNC Bank, National Association (PNC Bank), the Wealth Management Group offers a broad range of investment, wealth strategy, trust and estate administration, and private banking services. We are a “Top Wealth Manager” as ranked by Barron’s, 2015 and are the 13th largest ultra-affluent provider in the US according to Bloomberg Markets, 2015. For year-end 2015, the PNC Asset Management Group had approximately $134 billion in assets under management, serving our clients from approximately 70 offices in 19 states, plus the District of Columbia. In Alabama we have three wealth offices, which are located in Huntsville, Birmingham and Mobile.

What does Fiduciary Asset Management mean?When seeking investment advice, Guillermo says, “It is critical to know the regulations that govern behavior. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) regulates all national banks and federal savings associations, and as a banking entity, PNC Bank is regulated by the OCC. PNC Bank exercises fiduciary powers subject to permission from the OCC. When exercising such powers PNC is held to a fiduciary standard of conduct.”

How does PNC Wealth Management make investment decisions?Our clients receive personalized guidance from their local Wealth Team which includes an Investment Advisor, Fiduciary Advisor, Wealth Strategist, Relationship Strategist, Client Solution Advisor, and Banking Advisor. PNC Wealth advisors will consult with you to better understand where you are in life, where you want to be, and how much risk you are willing to assume to get there. During these conversations, we will seek to identify a mix of equities, fixed income, and/or alternative investments (for qualified individuals)

that match your risk/reward tolerance. We focus on building portfolios using a disciplined process and then make tactical changes for a tailored asset management experience designed to fit your overall plan. We have found that one of the keys to successful investing is to employ a consistent, disciplined process over time. One that is centered on client participation and that is easy to understand. An Investment Policy Statement is developed for each account to capture asset allocation, instructions, and investment objectives, and which serves as our guideline for the future.

What will my portfolio look like?“We are selective about what we put in client portfolios,” says Guillermo. “Only those investment options that pass our rigorous screening process make it into our lineup. Our portfolios often contain a mix of individual stocks and bonds as well as mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs). If we use mutual funds, we will seek to utilize low cost share classes. In many cases, we can minimize the use of funds by selecting individual securities that have been researched by PNC’s investment research team. Also, for some clients we may implement advanced risk management techniques that may require the use of derivatives or other instruments such as structured notes.”

What happens after the portfolio is built? Do you set it and forget it?As a fiduciary asset manager, Guillermo says, “It is our duty to monitor client accounts and take action when necessary. Our dedicated research staff reviews the holdings in our portfolios. If we feel that a stock or bond is richly valued or faces a deteriorating outlook, we may sell that position and replace it with another investment that passes our standards. Likewise, if a mutual fund is not performing to our expectations, we may remove it. For those clients that are reinvesting the income generated by their portfolios, we will reinvest to those parts of the market we favor most. Additionally, we rebalance portfolios to adhere to the asset allocation outlined in the Investment Policy Statement.”

How often will we meet? Local Wealth Management Relationship Strategist, Heather Baker, says “Regular communication between you and your PNC team is a key to your long-term success. We stay in touch with you over the life of our relationship so you can let us know about important events that may affect your investment decisions. Based on each client’s communication preference, PNC Wealth will reach out throughout the year to schedule meetings and reviews with you. Annually, we review your Investment Policy Statement to mark your progress, to help evaluate the performance of your portfolio, and to gauge the impact of market developments.”

How much does this cost?Heather explains, “Our fees are based on a flat percentage of the assets under management. The percentage depends on the size of the account. Generally, the larger the account, the smaller the percentage applied as our fee. This fee structure is intended to put PNC Wealth in a position aligned with the client – we benefit by growing the account. There are no account opening fees or termination fees associated with PNC Wealth Management. We do not earn commissions on the securities in your account.”

PNC Wealth Management welcomes the opportunity to serve you and your family. The local PNC Wealth Management team of professionals bring the experience to help ease the complexities that wealth adds to life. Call Heather Baker, (256) 564-5758, for a consultation designed to help you feel more prepared to make financial decisions, regardless of market activity.

A sterling reputation: PNC is “Top Wealth Manager” as ranked by Barron’s, 2015, the 13th largest ultra-affluent provider in the US according to Bloomberg Markets, 2015. For year-end 2015, the PNC Asset Management Group had approximately $134 billion in assets under management, serving our clients from approximately 70 offices in 19 states.