Our approach to investment management is unlike most other firms.
Most wealth advisors outsource investment decisions to other asset managers through the use of mutual funds, index funds and annuities. In addition to the third-party fees assessed by these outside managers, the advisor then takes a cut in the form of asset management fees. This form of "double dipping" has the potential to significantly erode clients' investment returns.
In contrast, we don't use any managed investment products. Instead, we employ full-time investment professionals who are solely responsible for actively trading individual securities, such as stocks, bonds and options. All decisions are made in house based on in-depth research and a thorough understanding of each client's specific needs. The result is a truly custom, disciplined investment strategy built specifically to meet the needs of our clients, with no hidden fees, markups or commissions.
Individual Stocks
We utilize research platforms such as Bloomberg, Strategas and Real Vision to help us hand pick individual stocks for our clients' portfolios. Our process, Mean Variance Optimization, is derived from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business and is designed take advantage of market cycles as they happen. We do not believe a buy-and-hold strategy is the best approach, and while we don't "day trade," we also don't sit on our hands. Instead, we use a math-based approach to determine when to buy and sell a stock, and we remain disciplined in that approach.
Individual Bonds
Much like our individual stock strategy, we also hand select the bonds we hold in our clients' accounts. Through our laddering strategy, we subscribe to the quote, "When you buy the ladder, rates don't matter." This means our bond portfolios are designed to weather a dynamic interest rate environment. As rates increase, we look to capitalize on new income available to investors. We generally prefer investment-grade bonds and buy a variety of Treasury Notes, Corporate and Municipal Tax-Free Bonds.
Options
For approved clients, we also will buy and sell certain options contracts. Options can be a great way to protect a portfolio or generate additional income; however, they have their own set of unique risks. That is why we confirm our intentions with each client prior to deploying an options strategy.
We may also use options as a way to properly unwind a concentrated position that has been accumulated either from active employment or handed down from generation to generation.2