Wyoming Technology Business Center and StartWest Present Fred Dowd: Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Wyoming Technology Business Center and StartWest host Fred Dowd for a presentation on Entrepreneurial Success: Creative Thinking and a Balanced Life in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Time: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Heavy Appetizers and Host Bar Provided

Location: Holiday Inn

RSVP to: Heidi Peterson at the Wyoming Technology Business Center (email: hpeters4@uwyo.edu or call 307.766.6283)

About Fred Dowd:

Fred Dowd was born in Casper, WY in 1937.  His family left Wyoming shortly thereafter, and he was raised and educated in New York City and West Hartford, CT.  Despite receiving only a high school education, Fred built a money management firm that was one of the most successful in the nation, the Fred L. Dowd Company.

Upon graduation from Windsor High School, Fred worked as a machinist for United Gear and Machine in Windsor Locks, CT for a few years, moving on to sell Fuller Brush products until 1959 when he joined Phoenix Mutual Life.

Fred was a leading producer for Phoenix Mutual by 1962, later a leading producer for American General Corporation as well.  While with American General Corporation, Fred became Series 6 licensed and began selling mutual funds as well as insurance products.

In 1964, Fred participated in the lawsuit against the IRS on behalf of physicians in Colorado and their right to form professional corporations to fund meaningful retirement plans on a deductible basis as well as other professional corporation tax benefits.  The Empy Case was victorious in June 1969 at which time the IRS announced they would recognize professionals for corporate tax treatment throughout the U.S.

Having pioneered the professional corporation concept, Fred formed his own firm named Professional Corporations, Inc. to specialize in helping physicians incorporate and also to manage the necessary benefit programs for these corporations.

In 1975, the Fred L. Dowd Company began to manage the investments as well as the insurance using primary mutual funds and bank trust department common funds.  In 1985, Fred received his series 7 license, and the Dowd Company became a fully functional wealth management firm with the primary focus on growth stock portfolios, soon achieving a track record in the top 2% nationally.  He maintained this track record until the sale of his firm in 2005.

Dowd Company was the first firm in the U.S. to waive 50% of management fees if they did not outperform the S&P 500 (our benchmark) by at least 3% net of all fees and transaction costs.