"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." ~ Leonardo da Vinci
As a competent professional, global citizen, family steward and/or successful individual, you are undoubtedly busy with life. Business, career, family, home, travel probably come first. As a result, managing your complex financial life can sometimes become a headache, even a burden.
Wouldn’t it be a relief to have a team of trusted professionals you could count on to lighten your load? Even better, a team of people who would put your interests first, help simplify your life, advise and advocate for you, and treat you like family?
At Brown Miller Wealth Management, we are based in the Washington, DC area and have a long history of serving professionals, business owners, high net worth families, as well as endowments and foundations across the country. We are attentive, personable and process-oriented in everything we do, ensuring that solutions are clearly and simply explained, however sophisticated they may be. Our “Discover, Design, Deliver” approach enables us to build long-term relationships with clients, using a holistic wealth management process to deliver an experience and results that improves the quality of our clients’ lives.
About
Each client’s situation is unique, but there are certain common questions and concerns about wealth. Do any of these questions resonate with you?
I am inundated with financial information from multiple accounts and advisors – can you help me simplify the complexity and help me stay focused on my long-term goals?
How can I leave a legacy for my family and the causes I support?
My family has wealth now – but what are my “blind spots” and how can we be sure the wealth will endure for future generations?
Can you help me consider both personal and business concerns in my planning?
There is also commonality among people who are in the early stages of their financial journeys:
What do I need to do to ensure that I can fund my children’s education?
When and how can I retire or be "W-2 independent" with comfort and dignity?
Can I afford to buy a home?
The list goes on, from the general to the very specific. Needs may vary but one thing is universal… choosing a financial advisory team is a very personal decision. You want people you respect and trust, whose integrity you can count on. In turn, you want to be respected, understood, cared about and cared for, by everyone on the team – and you want to be sure that your interests come first. At Brown Miller, that’s who we are and what we do. As a fee-only Registered Investment Advisory firm that adheres to the fiduciary standard, we can serve as your caring team, helping you achieve your financial goals, dreams and aspirations with the highestdegree of certainty while taking the amount of risk necessary.
Clients First
We base all professional decisions on what is in our clients’ best interests. Our valued client relationships are at the center of our practice.
Integrity and Trust
Our mission is to always act with the highest ethical standards and professionalism. Our clients can trust that we will always put their interests first.
Competence
Financial markets are constantly changing, and clients deserve the best possible advice and guidance. We continuously work to enhance and improve our professional knowledge, experience and judgment.
Value
Our goal is to provide services and solutions that will help improve our clients’ long-term financial wellbeing.
Christopher W. Brown, CFP®, CIMA® Managing Principal
Chris is the founder of Brown|Miller Wealth Management, LLC, which had been a part of Wells Fargo Advisors until he and his business partner, David Miller, established it as a Registered Investment Advisory firm in 2020. The motivation for the move was the desire to deliver an exceptional fiduciary experience for clients. With over 26 years of experience as a financial advisor, Chris focuses on the complex needs unique to high net worth clients, businesses, endowments and foundations.
Chris grew up in a family dedicated to professional investment management and his father was a major influence on his decision to become a financial advisor. From a young age, he witnessed first-hand how the ownership of high-quality businesses, the power of compound interest, and a well-designed financial plan can profoundly transform and improve people’s lives: educating children and grandchildren, providing a retirement with dignity and peace of mind, fueling charity and philanthropy, and protecting loved ones from the uncertainties of life. It’s Chris’ firm belief in the importance and positive impact of his work that drives his desire to serve and deliver meaningful results for his clients.
Chris holds a degree in business administration with honors from the University of Georgia, Terry College of Business. He completed the CIMA® designation at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and completed the requirements to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®) through the College for Financial Planning.
His volunteer and leadership activities include serving as a Trustee of the University of Georgia Foundation and as a board member of the University’s Terry College of Business Alumni Board. Chris was also a long-time coach in the Arlington County NFL Youth Flag Football program. In the early 2000s, he chaired the board of St. Luke’s House, Inc., the largest mental health agency in Montgomery County, MD. Chris and his wife Stacey have two sons, Jack and George, and live in Arlington, VA.
Favorites
Sports and Hobbies - Golf, fly fishing, skiing, Georgia Bulldogs football, Washington Nationals baseball, and playing guitar in his rock & roll band, No One You Know
Travel – I enjoy places with beautiful views, wonderful people, rich history, good food, and great music. Favorite place that touches the soul: East Africa.
Books and Movies
Non-fiction:Hillbilly Elegy, The Better Angels of our Nature
Fiction:A Confederacy of Dunces, The Pillars of the Earth
Film Favs: Pulp Fiction, Shawshank Redemption, Caddy Shack, Gladiator
Anything else you love or that gets you excited?
My family, Golden Retrievers, grilling/smoking barbeque for family and friends.
Dave’s financial education started with a cautionary experience when he was right out of college. As an engineer for a tech company, he’d had tremendous success developing a phone app and benefitting from a soaring stock price on company stock options. He’d become an overnight millionaire – before losing most of the value when the tech bubble burst. He realized how much better off he would have been with the advice of a financial advisor.
In his practice, Dave is dedicated to ensuring that clients know that he truly cares for them and their families, and is committed to their financial success. He enjoys educating clients about markets, investments and financial planning. From an investment perspective, he recognizes that a certain amount of risk is necessary, but counsels clients away from taking on unnecessary financial risk.
A graduate of Dartmouth College, Dave holds a BA in Engineering as well as a Bachelor of Engineering from the college’s Thayer School of Engineering. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. Dave was recognized by Forbes Magazine as a 2020 Best in State Financial Advisor for DC*.
Since 2013, Dave has been active in fundraising for Johns Hopkins Children Center & Pediatric Food Allergy Research. He also served as treasurer of the Dartmouth Club of Washington, DC, and is a volunteer soccer coach for his daughters’ team through the Arlington Soccer Associations.
Favorites
Sport(s) or other hobbies - I’m an avid fan of the Washington Nationals baseball and Washington Capitals hockey teams. I love watching professional women’s soccer matches with my daughters.
Travel - I enjoy most any vacation where I can take a boat out on the water: driving a pontoon boat at Smith Mountain Lake, VA, sailing to Catalina Island with my dad, taking a kayak on the waves at Sandbridge Beach, or even a Disney cruise with my family. Being on the water can be peaceful and a great time to reflect, and it can also be very active and thrilling.
Anything else you love or that gets you excited?I really enjoy cooking, primarily a good stir fry in the wok, or coming up with a new, safe recipe that allows my food allergic daughter to try a common food she’s never had before.
Connect with David
* Third party rankings and recognition from ratings services are no guarantee of future investment success. Working with a highly rated adviser does not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results. Ratings should not be considered an endorsement of the adviser by any client, nor are they representative of any one client’s evaluation. Please read a more thorough disclosure and additional information about the criteria used in making these rankings below:
Forbes’ ranking algorithm is based on industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC, which does not receive compensation from the advisors or their firms in exchange for placement on a ranking. Investment performance is not a criterion.
Tim began his financial services career in 2006 and joined the Brown Miller team in 2017. He is dedicated to providing personalized, objective financial advice and always putting the clients’ interests first. While he works with a wide variety of clients, he is naturally drawn to his millennial cohort, and has a particular interest in socially responsible investing. Tim loves helping clients solve financial problems which can help remove the uncertainty and stress that many people experience.
Though born in California, Tim grew up in Gaithersburg, MD and earned a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland in College Park. A baseball and hockey fan, he enjoys watching the Washington Nationals and the Capitals. More than anything he loves spending time with his fiancée and his two dogs.
Favorites
Sports and Hobbies – Watching baseball and hockey, trying local craft beers.
Travel - I enjoy traveling the world but love Japan the most because of their blend of modern and traditional cultures and their love of baseball.
Books and Movies - Favorite movies range but I typically watch action and sci-fi movies.
Apps - Social Media in general.
Something most people wouldn’t know about you - I was born in San Diego but have lived in the DC metro nearly my whole life. I’ve been to 5 of the 7 continents.
Rosemary Yue has more than 15 years of investment, banking and customer service experience. She oversees and coordinates team operations, particularly in the areas of client service and new client onboarding. While she has learned a great deal about client service from colleagues and mentors, her greatest learning has come through her interaction with clients. Her guiding principle in her work with clients is her commitment to honor promises, whether her own or that of a team member.
Rosemary graduated with honors from Vanderbilt University, with a BS in Psychology. In her free time, she loves gardening, painting and spending time with her husband and two boys.
Favorites
Hobbies – Gardening (both flowers and vegetables/fruit) and acrylic landscape painting.
Travel - I travel to see family, but if I could, I would spend a week or two in the Shenandoah painting the mountains. I absolutely love it there as you seem much closer to the sky and everything seems wider.
Books and Movies
I am a big fan of cooking shows like the Great British Baking Show.
Quotes
“We must take care of our garden” – Voltaire in Candide. It means that you can travel the world looking for grandeur, but happiness can be found in the simple life right where you are.
Sonje joined the Brown Miller team in 2018, having previously worked in a variety of roles with Wells Fargo, including as teller and business banker. Relatively new to the investment industry, she especially enjoys interacting with clients and ensuring that whatever they need is taken care of. Sonje is responsible for all client communication.
She is originally from New York City and moved to DC in 2011. When she’s not working, she loves to explore DC’s wonderful restaurants.
Favorites
Sports – Football and Basketball
Hobbies – reading mystery novels and doing pottery
Travel – I have the most relaxing vacations in Jamaica and always feel really welcomed when I travel there.
Books – Sula – Toni Morrison
Movie – Dream Girls
Apps – Kindle book reader
Something most people wouldn’t know about you – Although I grew up in NYC, I was actually born in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Connect with Sonje
Services
Planning
Our “Discover, Design, Deliver” goals-based planning process begins with a comprehensive understanding of your unique financial goals and objectives. We assess investment risk, time horizons, and tax considerations. We also review and analyze liabilities, insurance and estate investment planning needs.
We then help you prioritize goals, track the confidence in achieving these goals, and provide an actionable roadmap towards financial wellbeing. This includes an optimal asset allocation plan and construction of a portfolio that we believe is blended for best fit.
The approved plan is implemented, monitored, and focused on the long term. As your life and the financial landscape change, we work with you to measure the impact on your goals and realign recommendations to maintain the plan’s financial objectives.
Discover
Our approach is to get to know as much about you as possible, not just about your money. We want to understand your hopes and dreams, as well as your vision for the life you want to live and the legacy you want to leave.
Design
During the Design phase, we gather data and do a comprehensive analysis of your assets, liabilities, insurance and estate planning needs. With this foundation, we can design a plan and portfolio to help you achieve your goals.
Deliver
When your approved plan is implemented, we closely monitor the investment strategy and track the progress towards your goals. As your life changes and transitions happen, we measure the impact on your goals and realign the plans and strategies accordingly.
Investment Management
Our approach to investment management is to be globally diversified using mutual funds, ETFs and individual stocks as appropriate for the individual portfolio. In the case of individual equities, we look for high quality businesses with little to no debt, where dividends are covered by free cash flow, and there is a history of annual dividend increases. Owning high quality companies at attractive valuations that also pay above average dividends with consistent annual dividend increases has proven to be a reliable investment approach over time. Fundamentally, our goal is to help you achieve the greatest level of success, with the highest degree of certainty, while taking the least amount of risk necessary.
When it comes to managing assets, we consider four primary elements:
Asset Allocation Strategy
Develop investment policy statement
Determine optimal asset allocation
Due Diligence
Analyze universe of investment options and money managers
Select “best in class” investment strategies
Portfolio Construction
Construct multi-asset, multi-style and multi-manager portfolios
Implement strategy with optimally blended portfolio
Monitoring / Risk Management
Systematically rebalance strategies and managers
On-going review of investment options
Regularly communicate progress
Contact
Brown Miller Wealth Management
8280 Greensboro Drive, Suite 220 McLean, VA 22102 703 972-1950
Brown Miller Wealth Management, LLC is an independently owned and operated financial advisory, wealth planning, and asset management firm serving professionals, business owners, and high net worth families, in addition to endowments and foundations, based in the Washington D.C. area. We bring a modern, boutique approach backed by a wealth of experience and global resources to address the often-complex challenges that can come with significant wealth.
