Signature Moves – From the Strategy That Built Your Wealth to One That Sustains It
The moments that shape our lives often shape the kind of financial guidance we need beside us. And while clients may be facing those moments for the first time, our experienced advisors have helped many others through similar situations before – developing their own distinct way of guiding people through uncertainty, important decisions, and what comes next.
Signature Moves highlights those approaches, so people can more easily recognize the advisor they’ll want beside them when life happens.
Meet Steven Durk, Partner at Hightower Signature Wealth in San Ramon, California.
Steven’s Signature Move
Helping investors prepare the portfolio they’ve built to provide dependable retirement income.
Who This is For
You’ve spent decades growing your portfolio. Now you also need it to generate reliable income, withstand market downturns, support your lifestyle, and do it all in a tax-efficient way.
- You’re within a few years of retirement or recently retired – and thinking seriously about how your assets can become income
- Your wealth may be concentrated: in employer stock, low cost-basis positions, or a handful of investments that drove your success and now carry outsized exposure
- You value stability and predictability over chasing performance, and you want a custom strategy built around your unique circumstances
The approach that helped you build wealth isn’t necessarily the one that will equip you for what’s next.
Where You Are Today
You’ve done what most investors hope to achieve: you’ve built meaningful wealth. Now you’re facing a different investment challenge – how do you move from growing your portfolio to relying on it for income?
What You’re Going Through
The transition into retirement changes more than your lifestyle. It changes what your investments must accomplish – and which risks matter most.
- The biggest risks in retirement aren’t always the ones investors are watching – a market decline early in retirement can permanently change what your portfolio is capable of providing, even if markets eventually recover.
- The investments that helped build your wealth can gradually become your greatest source of risk if they’ve grown to dominate your portfolio
- Retirement isn’t one-size-fits-all: your income needs, tax situation, concentrated holdings, and goals deserve more than a standard allocation
You’re looking for an experienced advisor who understands that preparing for retirement means looking at your portfolio differently than you did while building it.
Steven’s 3-Step Approach
- Redefine your portfolio’s job – before touching a single holding, get clear on what your portfolio now needs to accomplish: how much income, starting when, with how much certainty and at what tax cost
- Understand how your portfolio behaves under retirement conditions – examine your portfolio through the lens of retirement, focusing on valuation, volatility, and the sequence-of-returns exposure that a standard review may overlook
- Prepare your portfolio for retirement – develop a personalized plan which includes repositioning holdings around your income needs, tax situation, timeline, and goals – drawing on institutional fixed income experience and dividend-focused investments where appropriate
Signature Perspective
“Retirement changes the job your portfolio has to do. I help make sure your strategy changes with it.” – Steven Durk
What You’ll Experience
- A candid assessment of what your portfolio can realistically provide – its strengths, exposures, and tradeoffs – and whether it aligns with your expectations
- A disciplined evaluation of the risks that matter most in retirement – including concentration, taxes, income durability, and market exposure – not just investment performance
- A customized retirement income strategy designed around your life , holdings, and goals – supported by in-house tax planning and institutional fixed income experience rather than a standardized allocation
Where You’ll Be Tomorrow
You move from wondering whether your portfolio is ready for retirement to knowing it’s been intentionally prepared for what’s next.
Connect With Steven
If you’re approaching retirement and want a fresh perspective on how your portfolio should evolve , talk with Steven.
This material is for general information and educational purposes only. Information is based on data gathered from what we believe are reliable sources. It is not guaranteed as to accuracy, does not purport to be complete and is not intended to be used as a primary basis for investment decisions.
Connect with our advisors
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Steven Durk
Director, Team Lead
Find answers to your questions about Hightower Signature Wealth
Hightower Signature Wealth is a fiduciary wealth management practice that provides investment management, financial planning, estate strategies, insurance, and banking solutions. We work with families, business owners, professionals, women, and retirees across more than 40 offices nationwide. Our advisors take the time to understand your financial priorities, develop a plan around your goals, and adjust that plan as your life and circumstances evolve.
Hightower Signature Wealth provides a broad range of wealth management services designed to address different aspects of your financial life. Our capabilities include investment management, financial planning, retirement planning, estate strategies, insurance and risk management, banking solutions, and charitable giving strategies. By considering these areas together, our advisors can develop a coordinated approach based on your goals, priorities, financial circumstances, and plans for the future.
Hightower Signature Wealth advisors work with a broad range of clients, including women, families, business owners, professionals, retirees, and high-net-worth individuals navigating major life or financial transitions. Rather than applying a generic playbook, each advisor tailors the plan to a client’s specific goals and current stage of life – from early-career decisions to multigenerational wealth transfer.
Yes. Hightower Signature Wealth advisors serve as fiduciaries, which means they are committed to acting in their clients’ interests when providing investment advice. We offer fee-based advisory services, with fees depending on the services provided and the specifics of your relationship. Your advisor will discuss the applicable fee structure with you so you can understand how you are charged and what services are included.
Hightower Signature Wealth has more than 40 offices nationwide, allowing our advisors to serve individuals, families, and organizations across the country. Depending on your location and preferences, you may be able to work with an advisor locally or connect with a team in another market. Visit our Locations page to explore our office locations, learn more about the teams in each market, and find an office near you.
Getting started with Hightower Signature Wealth is simple. Complete our online contact form with some basic information about yourself and what you are looking for, and we’ll connect you with an advisor who can discuss your needs and financial priorities. That initial conversation is an opportunity to learn more about our approach, ask questions, and determine whether working with a Hightower Signature Wealth advisor may be a good fit.
Your first conversation is an opportunity for us to learn more about you, your financial circumstances, and what you hope to accomplish. An advisor may ask about your goals, current investments, family considerations, business interests, and other priorities that could influence your financial plan. You’ll also have an opportunity to ask questions, learn about our approach, and discuss what working together could look like.
