Alliant Wealth Advisors

December 22, 2017Dear [redacted],A little background. [redacted] and I have been friends since we were 3 years old, for 52 years. We grew up together on the same street in a small town in upstate NY. Over the years we have stayed in touch and .gotten together when we could. Without going into...

detail, the friendship has, at times, been difficult to maintain, A year ago, he hired me as his investment advisor. It turned out that the "friend -friend'' relationship and the “client - advisor" relationships were very different.On December 1, 2017 I sent a letter explaining that at year end I would release him as a client (letter enclosed). I had had a series, of bewildering account related interactions with [redacted] which were affecting our friendship, I felt that If I turned his account over to another advisor that we could go back to the way things were. In truth [redacted] needs a local advisor. He is in Texas and I am in Virginia. He will be better served by an advisor he can visit and sit across the table from. Over the next week and a half [redacted] attempted to get me to change my mind. I've enclosed an email thread from December 5th to December 9th which he also mailed to my home on December 11 The highlighting is his. You will see that at this time he was not asking for fees, or saying I am condescending. Instead he says he trusts me and that I shouldn't "'throw him under the bus" (This is his way of saying he wants me to reconsider my decision to release him}. Also in the email thread is something I highlighted in blue ink on page 3 where he is asking me "not to follow through on my threats" (he means my resigning his accounts). Again, this is. his way of asking me not to release him. He has never been much of a charmer. On December 12th I responded that I wouldn't take him back as a client, But I offered to work with his power of attorney, his son. Apparently, that didn't go over the way I intended, and his complaint is the resultAs my wife put it, he is just being petty. He is hurt that I can no longer be his advisor, and this is his way of getting back at me.Regarding the complaints: We spent, time together during the year he was a client and we spoke frequently by phone, He did not mention any of his complaint issues during any of our conversations or meetings. He did not mention them in his enclosed December emails. His complaint is the first time I'm hearing of them*Regarding the accusation that I did not understand why he was changing his beneficiary designations and that we forced him to sign the beneficiary form electronically all I can say is that I never questioned him. He asked to change his beneficiaries and 2 days later they were changed. We used electronic means at his request because he claims that the post office misplaces his mail, or someone is stealing his mail. He documents this "mail" related concerns in the enclosed December 9th email My staff could care less whether they send the forms electronically or via USPS,Regarding his accusation that I have left him in a difficult situation:- I'm still his advisor until year end and will do whatever be asks (except stay on after 12/31),- On 1/11 I have made arrangements for someone else to work with him. See my letter enclosed.-All his requested beneficiary changes were made in November, Part of the problem here is that he insists that he didn't sign all the forms and that his accounts can't possibly be in good order.  I had been unable to convince him that he did sign everything and that his accounts reflect his beneficiary wishes.  In hindsight I should have sent him dummy forms to sign to make him happy, but this, didn't occur to me in time,Regarding his complaint that I cancelled his service due to his medical situation all I can say is that I sent the release him an December 1st and only learn of his claim of health issues via a December 6th email.Lastly, if I was such a condescending advisor why didn't he fire me? Why did I fire him?[redacted]'s portfolio performed very well while he was my client. His accounts are in order per his beneficiary wishes. There is nothing wrong. He has suffered no damages, He only goal is to get back at me by hurting my reputation and my business.Just a note that in 22 years in business myself or my firm have no client complaints, ironic that the first complaint is my longest running friend.I would appreciate It if you would choose not to make our personal interactions public. It won't reflect positively on either of us. If this is any additional information needed do not hesitate to ask,Sincerely,John F. President & Founder