Jonn Mason
Dear Reader
I thought having my BIO may be helpful in getting to know me; also to see how I can benefit you, your family, your employees, and your clients.
Of note are the big things that make me different. They are:
- I am not a sales person and none of the 400 plus experts in my network are sales people. We are tax experts, attorneys, PhDs, MBAs and Fiduciary Advisors.
- Thornewood Advisors USA is a fee only Fiduciary Advisor.
- I have been in practice for over 45 years.
- We are independent therefore we have zero conflicts of interest which puts us on your side of the fence.
- We bring you top tier asset management, both private and institutional along with the entire universe of the global stock markets, and the entire universe of every registered investment that exists.
- Through our sister company; 1st Financial USA we bring you the entire universe of safe money investments, Life Insurance and Annuities along with all the financial services life insurance companies provide. Additionally we have between us 134 cutting edge but conservative tax saving and wealth accumulation strategies ...
- We have every financial tool under the sun along with, among the best minds in the financial services industry we bring to bear on meeting your objectives. As opposed to being limited to only certain ones like a registered representatives, Broker Dealers and insurance agents are. (The former are all retail salespeople, they are not “Fiduciary Advisors” in the pure sense of the term)
- We educate our clients so they know what and why they are doing what we recommend.
- All strategies are legally implemented by experts using IRS codified techniques.
Just like a physician who has been in practice for a long time we cannot help seeing what works best and since we want what works the best for you; our client; we have formed prejudices. Clients are wise to follow our recommendations because we have seen what works the best for over 45 years personally and over one hundred years from history. We work for you.
Practicing Financial Strategizing and Planning isn’t just about making people rich. It is also about creating a guaranteed lifetime income so you never run out of money. It’s about voiding losses and protecting your money and retaining your gains. It’s about creating a strong client - advisor relationship. It’s about working together to make you and keep you, financially healthy. We do this by protecting the wealth you already have from loss due to market down turns, legally avoiding taxes to the extent legally possible, by avoiding inadvertent wealth transfers and by growing client’s wealth safely, efficiently and consistently.
As your partner in financial health care I look forward to working with you and providing the information and guidance needed to make important, smart decisions about wealth management including risk management, retirement planning and the tax efficient transfer of wealth to heirs and or charities.
Following is Jonn’s BIO.
Jonn T. Mason, President and Founder of Thornewood Advisors USA LLC. Jonn entered the financial services industry as an adult in 1969. In 1993 Jonn's firm, Lincoln Financial Services Inc, became a registered investment advisor. From 1993 to present Jonn's firm name has evolved from Lincoln Financial Services Inc. to Lincoln Financial LLC and then to Thornewood Advisors USA LLC. Jonn continues to serve as the principal ever since company start-up in 1993. Today he remains active in guiding the company in the financial strategies, asset management and financial planning models he pioneered. In addition, Jonn has founded and manages a second firm, which is an insurance agency which began as Jonn T. Mason and Associates and is now known as 1st Financial USA. Throughout the past 45 years, he has helped clients make wise money decisions in hard times and good times. He personally participates in the same planning strategies he recommends, which reinforces his credibility with clients.
Jonn’s firm; Thornewood Advisors USA is a Registered Investment Advisor; a Fiduciary Advisor. His primary focus is on problem-solving for small to medium size businesses as well as self-employed professionals with emphasis on tax reduction, problem-solving, business succession planning, retirement plans (qualified and non-qualified), asset management, estate planning, life insurance, disability insurance, disability business overhead insurance, and philanthropic development for non-profits. Jonn also works with individuals and seniors. He has completed all the government required Medicare & Medicaid for certifications and re-certifies every year. Within his network of professionals are certified Social Security experts and Jonn regularly teaches a Social Security optimization class. Jonn is also the WA State chapter president for SOFA a national nonprofit providing no cost financial education to corporations, unions, groups and associations across America for 30 plus years.
Jonn’s long career in the financial services industry began while he attended junior high school with after school and summer employment in the Operations Department of the second largest bank in Washington, The National Bank of Commerce, Marine Ban Corporation which later became Rainier Bank and is now part of Bank of America. When he started high school, he began working in the trust department. During college, he became a district manager with the McArthur Insurance Group Flagship Company, Bankers Life. Later Jonn held the position of Marketing Vice President first with Rainier National Life, and later with Equity Educators Life both of whom have been absorbed through multiple mergers and acquisitions. During those years and throughout his career up to and including the present, Jonn was and is privileged to be part of the design team for advanced financial planning strategies. As is common in the fields of law, medicine, accounting and others it is not possible for one person to be an expert on everything. Jonn has a network of people including people he is aware of or knows which include experts in virtually every financial area. Collectively these other professionals provide Jonn with an expertise resource pool.
Jonn left the corporate world to start his own financial planning, securities investments and insurance firm.
Jonn qualified for and holds a Washington State Insurance Agent License with corresponding nonresident licenses in several other states. In 1976, he became a stock broker and has qualified for and held an NASD Series #1 license. The NASD has changed their name to; FINRA. A series #1 license is now divided into a series 7 and several other series. Jonn also qualified for the series #6, #63, #65 and #24 Licenses. These are securities industry examinations which are prerequisites to becoming licensed. All of the examinations mentioned except the series 65 relate to broker dealers and registered sales persons and Jonn is no longer licensed as such. Jonn went on to specialize in tax shelter work for wealthy and high income clients active in oil and gas exploration, cattle feeding/breeding, motion pictures and triple net lease back programs for Penney’s and Safeway.
During the late 1970s, Jonn also began independently doing real estate development, property management, private placements and syndications, and held Washington State General Contractor license, a real estate agent and broker licenses which he still holds. He was active in developing, managing and selling commercial real estate. In 1993, he left the retail side of the securities industry, became a Registered Investment Advisor and began doing institutional asset management along with financial strategizing.
John was selected to teach financial classes for Boeing’s management, engineers and technicians for 15 years plus, until they moved their headquarters to Chicago. Jonn has also taught financial classes for professional associations, at colleges and other schools and for nonprofits. He still teaches classes for various corporations and professional groups, teaches at local colleges and offers to teach continuing education classes for CPAs. and organizations as well as for SOFA, (Society for Financial Awareness) a national nonprofit.
Jonn has 45 plus years’ experience covering a broad spectrum of the financial services industry. He now brings all this experience to bear on finding the best solutions and strategies to accomplish client’s objectives.
Jonn believes in quality over quantity. His firm is a boutique practice rather than a mill producing the most volume possible. He only works on one to three cases at a time, so there is sometimes a queue for his services, but his single minded focus on providing the best has consistently rewarded his clients.
Bullet Bio Info Summery
- Began his career with Marine Ban Corp; National Bank of Commerce which later changed its name to Rainier Bank.
- Practiced in the Financial Services Industry since 1969
- Specializing in Estate Planning & Tax Shelters
- Approved The WA State Board Of Accountancy For CE
- Former NASD Securities Principal (holder Series #1, #24, #6, #63, and #65, licenses)
- Former Vice President of Rainier National Life
- Former District Manager for Bankers Life
- Former Vice President for Equity Educators Life
- Designer of both life insurance and health insurance policies
- Author
- College Instructor
- Registered Investment Advisor
- Licensed Insurance Agent
- Licensed Real Estate Broker, ( inactive status)
- Former Licensed General Contractor, (commercial real estate development)
- US Army Veteran
- Holder of Numerous Industry Awards