Investment Philosophy

Investing is a means to an end.

Clients hire us to manage their wealth for two primary reasons. First, to benefit from our experience and expertise. Second, to free themselves from the complexity and anxiety that comes with wealth management. Let us help you simplify and manage your investments so you can focus on other things in life.

What is Our Investment Philosophy?

Portfolio design is as much art as it is science. Our investment philosophy is based on doing what’s right for clients. The process is results driven and not just return driven. Yes, our goal is to deliver competitive returns, but we don’t judge our value solely on beating a specific benchmark. Our passion is developing portfolios to help clients meet their goals while paying particular attention to downside risk. We are guided by a commitment to honesty and integrity.


Our investment philosophy is driven by the following core beliefs:

  • Diversification is Essential We provide diversification across asset classes, investment styles and managers. Some commentators have stated that diversification does not work, or will not work in our current environment. Our view is there has never been a better time for a diversified portfolio.
  • Investment Vehicles Matter We believe mutual funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETF’s) are the best investment vehicles available for our clients to achieve broad diversification. These tools allow us to diversify portfolios in ways that can not be done with a single manager or a group of individual stocks.
  • An Investment Policy Must be Defined
    An Investment Policy provides the framework and discipline for making investment decisions. An Investment Policy describes each client’s unique objectives, goals, risk tolerance, target asset allocation and parameters for managing the portfolio.
  • Taxes and Expenses Matter
    Taxes and expenses are two elements of investing we have some control over. For many clients, taxes will be the biggest drag on their investment returns. In addition, the fees charged by investment products, and advisors, are also critically important. We want to minimize both taxes and investment expenses whenever possible.
  • Research is Critical
    In depth research helps us minimize emotional decisions and maintain our discipline when managing client portfolios. We analyze both fundamental and technical market indicators in addition to detailed research on investment vehicles.
  • Indexing and Active Management Can Both be Effective
    While empirical evidence suggests it is difficult for investment managers to beat their relevant index, we are aware that there are talented managers who may add value.
  • Avoiding Major Shocks is Important
    Particularly for retirees, avoiding a major shock to their portfolio is more important than capturing all of the upside of a bull market.