The Hajdari Group Unveils Newly Pioneered Sharia-Compliant Investment Strategies Option: ‘InvestHalal’ Wealth Management for American Muslim Investors

NEW YORK, May 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The Hajdari Group (https://thehajdarigroup.com/) recently announced the creation of its newest, faith-based financial planning platform: InvestHalal. Utilizing the latest research in Sharia-compliant asset management, The Hajdari Group now offers completely exclusive asset-investment packages and counseling specifically tailored for Muslim investors.

InvestHalal: What is Sharia-Compliant Investing?

Until now, western discourse related to Sharia matters has focused largely on extremism and interpretation of strict penal codes. But pure Sharia is simply adherence to the Qur’an and the religious teachings of Islam. These codes can and have been applied to financial decisions and institutions, allowing Muslims to explore fiscal freedom without compromising their faith.

Assurance of Sharia-compliance includes working with financial planners who guard against heavily indebted companies, riba investments (interest), gharar transactions (chance, or insurance contracts) as well as any companies declared haram (forbidden). In financial planning, this is generally understood to be avoidance of companies that derive more than 5 percent of their total income from alcohol, weapons, gambling, tobacco, pork or other Sharia-prohibited sales.

Muslim clients, many of whom have avoided investment opportunities due to their own religious concerns, seek peace-of-mind investing. And that is what InvestHalal offers. Utilizing a strict code-of-ethics and series of standards established by prestigious global authorities like the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA), and the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) — gold standards for Islamic financial advice — Hajdari Group investment planning ensures scriptural compliance through rigorous screening.

“Faith-based and socially responsible investing is very appealing for many investors. But access to faith-based investment strategies has generally been unavailable in the United States to Islamic investors. The Hajdari Group has finally remedied this oversight. We are proud to be a Muslim-owned, New York-based investment firm that has taken the time, effort and scholarship necessary to ensure Sharia-compliant investment opportunities for those who wish to pursue them,” said President of the Hajdari Group, Zaim Hajdari.

The Hajdari Group Advantage: Leveraged for InvestHalal

  • Specific, defined financial goals by in-depth reviewing of individual positions: Income, assets and liabilities, current portfolio, risk tolerance and investment time horizon are all examined as deciding factors.
  • Flexible account options that are crafted from traditional investment accounts to meet Sharia-compliance. Fee-based alternatives feature quarterly fees, in addition to low or no transaction costs.
  • Assistance with the heavy paperwork often associated with investing, along with accessing and evaluating up-to-the-minute market data, research reports and other relevant financial information.
  • Asset allocation and investment diversification options that can enhance client portfolios, along with discussing the time-frames and dollar amounts needed to meet retirement and other goals.
  • A wide variety of investment alternatives and services structured to individual needs: retirement, education, tax and estate planning, as well as other Sharia-compliant wealth allocation.
  • Working with other professional advisors like tax specialists and attorneys to help facilitate smooth financial coordination across the spectrum.
  • Consistent, reliable financial advisor availability enables clients to evaluate the performance of their investments on a regular basis, with assurance of Sharia-compliance and steady progress toward ultimate financial goals.

And finally, because clients must trust that their advisors will maintain discretion and professionalism at all times, The Hajdari Group has always considered client confidentiality to be among its highest priorities.

About The Hajdari Group

Based in New York City, the Hajdari Group is an independent, boutique wealth-management firm founded by Zaim Hajdari — an experienced former-JPMorgan Chase investment manager who oversaw $3 billion in client assets. The Hajdari Group provides financial planning and wealth-management services to middle and high-income individuals and families. Other services include 401(k) rollover advice, retirement planning, college planning and estate planning. Most recently, the Hajdari Group has expanded its services by creating InvestHalal, a Sharia-based investment platform exclusively for Muslim investors. Learn more at: www.TheHajdariGroup.com.

The Hajdari Group (“Hajdari Group”) is a registered investment advisor*.  Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Hajdari Group and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.

*Registration of an investment advisor does not imply any specific level of skill or training. 

Contact:

Zaim Hajdari
212-381-0050
zaim@thehajdarigroup.com

cnbc-logoNEW YORK, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Zaim Hajdari, a New York City-based wealth manager, has been named one of the “2012 Best Advisers for Doctors” according to industry publication Medical Economics. Only those meeting stringent standards in experience, educational background and noteworthy achievements made the list–Hajdari is one of only 10 in New York State so honored.

“Physicians are highly intelligent people,” Hajdari told the magazine. “But they need–and want–to devote their time and energy to keeping up with clinical advances and taking care of patients.” Hajdari makes it easy for them, working collaboratively with his physician clients’ attorneys and CPAs to help them achieve their financial and life goals, “If we can take that load off their shoulders, they’ll have more time for their family and patients.”

It’s a tough time for doctors, and Hajdari is glad he can be there for them. The Medical Economics article introducing the best advisers noted such problems as declining reimbursements and reams of regulations, as well as fallout from the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile doctors may be paying off medical school loans and hoping they’ll be able to save a few dollars to put their own children through college.

To maneuver around these problems and help doctors maintain their fiscal health, advisers have to know about the economics of a medical practice and be familiar with the investing vehicles each client needs. They also have to be able to manage risk, to guide their clients between the dangers of trying to avoid risk altogether–sacrificing portfolio performance–and taking too much risk, possibly destroying their portfolios beyond repair.

“I get a lot of satisfaction working with doctors,” said Hajdari. “Just as they must be pleased to diagnose an illness and prescribe a course of treatment that brings a patient back to optimum health, I enjoy taking care of doctors’ financial health, putting my skills to work helping to make sure their hard-earned money is not wasted and saving them from worry.”

Indeed, Hajdari has long been committed to healthcare professionals: Earlier in 2012, Dental Practice Report honored him as one of the best financial advisers for dentists, based on credentials, educational background and experience.

About The Hajdari Group The Hajdari Group ( www.thehajdarigroup.com ) is an independent firm in New York City. President and founder Zaim Hajdari is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor with 18 years experience. Our advisors provide financial planning and investment management services to high-net-worth individuals and families. Other services include 401(k) rollover advice, retirement planning, college planning and estate planning. Hajdari is also the Branch Manager offering securities through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/ SIPC. Hajdari was formerly an investment manager with JPMorgan Chase where he oversaw over $3 billion in client assets.

NEW YORK, April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Zaim Hajdari, a New York City-based wealth manager, has taken a look back at first-quarter market results and is announcing a reason to celebrate while sounding a note of caution.

“Performance like this is good for an entire year, let alone a quarter,” said Hajdari. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 11%, to close out March at 14,578.54. “And the good news is that even after this big run-up, I think equities are fairly valued—they’re not overpriced.” That being said, he warned against thinking this would continue, noting such a pace was not sustainable. In fact, he said there might very well be a selloff, as investors who did well decide to take some chips off the table. But that doesn’t mean everyone should.

Even though the second quarter may not be as good, Hajdari is telling his clients who aren’t planning to use their invested money for at least five years to stay in equities. “I’m still overweight equities,” he said, advising against an over-caution that might lead investors to putting too much into fixed income. Not only would they miss out on potential future equity gains, they’d be especially vulnerable to a rise in interest rates, he said.

The Dow wasn’t the only index rising. The S&P 500 did almost as well, rising more than 10% in the same quarter. Indeed, all 10 S&P sectors were up this quarter, which seems to prove the adage that a rising tide lifts all boats. Particularly strong were health care, up about 15%, and consumer staples, up about 13%. Small cap stocks overall also did well, with the NASDAQ, generally comprising smaller companies, rising 8.21%, and the Russell 2000 index of small cap companies up 12.03%.

The main index that’s down is the CBOE Volatility Index, which is often used as a proxy for market fear. It plunged about 30%, in a sign of investor optimism, that is, a belief that there will be no huge movements in either direction.

Equities are not the only sign of a robust economy: Housing may be turning a corner. Fannie Mae posted a record $7.6 billion in quarterly earnings. Nevertheless, employment remains stubborn: In March, the economy added only 88,000 jobs, the lowest monthly gain since last June. Although that’s not enough to put a damper on what was overall a very good start to the year, it does show there is room for improvement on the economy.

Overall, however, Hajdari says he’s cautiously optimistic.

About The Hajdari Group
The Hajdari Group (www.thehajdarigroup.com) is an independent firm in New York City. President and founder Zaim Hajdari is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor with 18 years experience. Our advisors provide financial planning and investment management services to high-net-worth individuals and families. Other services include 401(k) rollover advice, retirement planning, college planning and estate planning.

Hajdari is also the Branch Manager, RJFS “Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/ SIPC” and was formerly an investment manager with JPMorgan Chase where he oversaw over $3 billion in client assets.

The information contained in this report does not purport to be a complete description of the securities, markets, or developments referred to in this material. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and does not constitute a recommendation. Any opinions are those of [FA NAME] and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. Every investor’s situation is unique and you should consider your investment goals, risk tolerance and time horizon before making any investment. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected. Investments mentioned may not be suitable for all investors. There is an inverse relationship between interest rate movements and fixed income prices. Generally, when interest rates rise, fixed income prices fall and when interest rates fall, fixed income prices generally rise. Be sure to contact a qualified professional regarding your particular situation before making any investment or withdrawal decision. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), commonly known as “The Dow”, is an index representing 30 stock of companies maintained and reviewed by the editors of the Wall Street Journal. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index of 500 widely held stocks that’s generally considered representative of the U.S. stock market.The NASDAQ composite is an unmanaged index of securities traded on the NASDAQ system. The Russell 2000 index is an unmanaged index of small cap securities which generally involve greater risks.

Investments related to a specific sector, where companies engage in business related to a particular industry, are subject to fierce competition, the possibility of products and services being to rapid obsolescence and limited diversification. The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX®) is a key measure of market expectations of near-term volatility conveyed by S&P 500 stock index option prices. Since its introduction in 1993, VIX has been considered by many to be the world’s premier barometer of investor sentiment and market volatility. Keep in mind that individuals cannot invest directly in any index, and index performance does not include transaction costs or other fees, which will affect actual investment performance. Individual investor’s results will vary. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Zaim Hajdari, president of The Hajdari Group, shares his story and the personal service he proudly offers at his financial services firm, The Hajdari Group. The Hajdari Group can advise you with consolidating your investments, investing for the future, planning for retirement, investing and saving for college and much more. It’s their mission to provide you with solid advice so you can make the right decisions for your future.

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March 18, 2013, 12:00 P.M. ET
Managing Wealth As You Age
By Carrie Coolidge.

A study by Harvard University entitled The Age of Reason found that about half of the population in their eighties suffers from significant cognitive impairment, effectively rendering them incapable of making important financial decisions. Approximately one-fifth of people between 70 and 80 are likely to suffer from either cognitive impairment or dementia severe enough that it is medically diagnosable. The study further found that the ability to make effective financial decisions peaks during middle age, then declines substantially over time. As a result, older investors can become vulnerable to fraud or just seriously mismanage their wealth. So it is wise that high net worth investors implement a wealth management strategy while they still have agile minds.

There are three phenomena related to cognitive function and how it is impacted by aging, according to Gautam Mukunda of Harvard Business School. The first is the difference between crystallized and fluid intelligence. “Crystallized intelligence is what we use for routine tasks, and it actually increases into people’s sixties,” he explains. Fluid intelligence, on the other hand, is the ability to handle novel tasks. “Unfortunately, on average this starts to decrease when people are in their twenties,” Mukunda adds. “Because most tasks are routine, declines in fluid intelligence can often go undetected for prolonged periods.”

The second issue, and in some ways the most important, is a decline in metacognitive abilities— essentially a person’s ability to assess their own capabilities. “So as people age, their own assessments of their ability to keep performing at a high level can become less reliable,” says Mukunda, an associate professor in the Organizational Behavior Unit.

The third phenomenon is the impact on personality. “Contrary to the normal idea that people mellow with age, in fact what aging seems to do most often is exaggerate people’s personality traits, almost turning them into caricatures of themselves,” says Mukunda. “It is important to note, however, that all of these are just general tendencies. There will always be particular individuals who can maintain extraordinarily high functioning into their eighties or even their nineties, and any judgments you make always have to take that possibility into account.”

Still, even though there are exceptions to the rule, it is prudent to plan for the possibility of being mentally out of it. Investors should arrange their affairs so that someone they trust has a fiduciary duty—the requirement to put a client’s financial interest first and foremost—and the power to handle their finances should they become incapacitated, recommends John M. Olivieri, a partner in the Private Clients Interest Group at White & Case.

The simplest tool is the power of attorney, allowing someone else to act as the investor’s agent and make financial decisions. It can be made to be effective immediately, or it can come into play in the event the investor loses their critical faculties. “The latter type, known as a springing power because it springs into effect in the event of incapacity, can be more cumbersome to use, because the agent will have to prove that the investor is incapacitated before using it,” Olivieri warns.

It’s also wise to have one or more replacements lined up in the event that the original surrogate is unable to perform their duties. The estate and trust lawyer further recommends all investors consider putting in a durable power of attorney in place at an early age. “I am 44 and I have one,” he says. “Old age is not the only thing that leads to incapacity— one can be incapacitated by a car accident, for example.”

Another way to manage mental decline is through a revocable trust, which is basically a vehicle for holding title to assets. “As long as the investor is alive and competent, he or she can put assets in the trust, remove assets from the trust, and as the name implies, amend or revoke the trust,” says Olivieri. Typically, the investor is the sole beneficiary of his or her trust during his or her lifetime, but he can also be the sole trustee, which means he also retains full control over investing the trust’s assets.

But, should he start losing his ability to make wise decisions, the investor can hand over the management of his or her affairs to a trustee. “If this is done, the investor still retains ultimate control, because by exercising the power to amend or revoke, he can change the trustee at any point,” adds Olivieri. That should provide someone who is declining gradually a degree of comfort that they aren’t being totally sidelined from their own financial affairs.

The trouble arises if you don’t recognize that you are deteriorating, but have an inflated sense of your abilities. As with the power of attorney, you can write in a trust provision that allows a trustee to “spring in” if you can no longer make sound calls.

Again, it’s a good idea to line up one or two alternative trustees, in the event that the original trustee is unable to perform his or her duties. Also note that the successor trustee will only have power over those assets that the investor has actually transferred to the trust prior to becoming incapacitated. A power of attorney can authorize an agent to add assets to a pre-existing revocable trust. So it’s always smart to have both a revocable trust and a power of attorney in place, says Olivieri.

Making someone else a co-owner of his or her investment account, in lieu of the above, “creates many traps for the unwary,” warns Olivieri. “There are both tax and non-tax problems with making someone a co-owner.” Consider this option only after a competent tax advisor has explained the tax implications.

While a financial adviser should be consulted, “he or she should not act as agent or as trustee of a revocable trust in the case of incapacity,” says Olivieri. “Someone who is more aware of the investor’s personal needs, such as nursing care, household expenses, etc., is in a better position to manage the investor’s finances. That person, in turn, can hire an advisor to assist with asset management.”

IRAs present special difficulties. All other assets can be transferred to a revocable trust, so the trustee can manage them; IRAs cannot be transferred to anyone or any entity. Olivieri says that “a power of attorney is the only way to arrange for someone else to manage an investor’s IRA.”

Incapacity is also, it turns out, not the only reason to have a revocable trust. “They also save on the time and expense associated with probate at death, and can provide privacy,” says Olivieri.

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