Investment Management Services

Our Principles for Investing Success

Our studies of successful investing lead us again and again to one broad theme: Focus on those things that are within one’s control. Too many put their focus on the ups and downs of the market, trying to time the market, what’s happening in the economy, and what’s happening in the world. Below is a list of sound principles that we believe are within one’s control.

① INVEST WITH A PLAN

An investment plan should start with a clear goal or objective that is both measurable and attainable. Success should not depend on outsize investment returns, nor upon impractical saving or spending requirements. A sound investment plan can help avoid common investing mistakes, such as performance chasing, selling out of fear, and marketing timing.

② BALANCE RISK & RETURN

A suitable risk profile will balance your willingness, ability, and need to take risk. Generally-speaking, there is a positive relationship between risk and return. It is important to invest where the risk you are taking is compensated by the return you are receiving.

③ DIVERSIFY BROADLY & GLOBALLY

A sound investment strategy starts with a suitable asset allocation that is consistent with the portfolio objective. The allocation should be built upon reasonable expectations for risk and returns and should be diversified across different assets classes, market capitalizations, and factors.

④ MINIMIZE COST

Invest while keeping costs low (e.g. transaction costs, taxes, etc.) Costs will only drag down returns over time.

⑤ MAINTAIN PERSPECTIVE & DISCIPLINE

Invest for the long-term. Short-term market fluctuations should not affect your decisions, behavior, or outlook.

Investment Management Platforms

Strategic Wealth Management (SWM) is a comprehensive, open-architecture, fee-based investment platform created to help deliver highly customized advice and exceptional service to clients. The platform provides a foundation to help develop a successful relationship by thoroughly understanding your long-term financial goals and offering flexible strategies to help achieve them. With those goals in mind, we have the flexibility to choose from more than 8,000 mutual funds from 450 fund families, individual stocks and bonds, exchange-traded products (ETP), unit investment trusts (UIT), several fee-based variable annuities, and certain alternative investments to build your portfolio. Some additional benefits include:

Flexibility to customize portfolios to address each client’s unique financial situation
Ability to create a more flexible core/satellite strategy by adding positions that complement existing holdings and fine-tuning their portfolio’s overall risk/return characteristics
Ability to wrap multiple types of investments in one account

Brokerage Platform is when a commission or fee is paid only on a per transaction basis. Some scenarios where a brokerage account may be suitable are:

Investors who plan to buy only a few securities and follow a buy and hold strategy for a long period of time.
Inherited stock with no near-term plan to sell
Stock options/ grants with an intention to hold

All investing involves risk including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk. Rebalancing a portfolio may cause investors to incur tax liabilities and/or transactions costs and does not assure a profit or protect against loss.