Investment Management

As trusted advisors, our job is to help you address the complexities of today's marketplace with professional guidance, a disciplined process, proper resources and unceasing vigilance. Our first service level is investment management only. Some of our clients only want investment management and no financial planning. As trained professionals, it is our privilege to offer you this kind of service because in your busy life, you have better things to do than keeping up with the markets.

Our investment management services include the following:

•    Help you establish your investment goals and assess your risk tolerance
•    Help you select a suitable asset allocation model and the appropriate investments based on your goals and risk tolerance
•    Monitor the performance and risk of your portfolio’s allocation and investment managers
•    Review the performance of your RJ accounts at each meeting
•    Research and monitor your employer retirement plans (401k, 403b, restricted stock, stock options, etc.) for you
•    Active tax and cost-efficient investment portfolio management for assets held at RJ. This will include manager and strategy selection
•    As requested, implementation of cost and tax efficient liquidations for unanticipated cash flow needs
•    Help you update your portfolio as your needs change
•    Review your risk tolerance every 3 – 4 years or earlier if your personal or financial situation changes
•    Coordinate the establishment of appropriate Raymond James’ accounts and related asset transfers
•    Online access to your Raymond James’ accounts
•    Depending on account activity, receive quarterly or monthly Raymond James’ account statements

How do you set up my portfolio?

When we work with a new client, the first step is to assess how much investment risk you should take. We do this by using a risk tolerance assessment along with conversations about your personal level of risk taking, your ability to withstand losses in a bear market and your goals for your money. 

After we agree upon a risk level, we invest your savings into a diversified portfolio. We believe diversification and a long-term perspective help lower your risk of loss and help increase long-term returns. We do not believe active trading or short-term trading strategies are helpful or appropriate for most investors.
We can research and manage all your investments, not just your IRAs and brokerage accounts.  We use research to manage your 401ks and 403bs, 529 education plans and annuities if you have any.  
We research investments which have low correlations with each other. A prime example of this is combining both stocks and bonds in your portfolio. Stocks are high risk, high growth.  Bonds are lower risk, lower growth. In a given year, stocks may have a good return while bonds deliver just a so-so return.  In other years, such as a bear market, the reverse happens where bonds hold up well and stocks struggle.

We use alternative investments when prudent.

We believe your portfolio needs to invest in our world. Many of our largest companies operate globally, in many different countries. Your investments need to reap the benefits of economic successes happening abroad.

How do you choose which investments to use?

We are research-driven and use many sources of professional-grade research. We incorporate third-party analysis which tells us when passive index funds may deliver better returns, and when active funds may outperform, in a given area of investing.

We do not delude ourselves, or you, that we are smarter than everyone else. If the research points in a certain direction which will give us a better return with the risk level we want, we use it.

We manage your money via our Investment Committee combining years of experience with deep knowledge, to drive our decisions.  We believe that a collection of minds is superior to any one person’s opinion or belief. That’s the team you want managing your money.  Committee members are Certified Financial Planners or they’re in-training to earn that designation.

Our portfolios primarily utilize lower-cost mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs). Occasionally, new clients will come to us owning individual stock positions. If need be, we can integrate these into our managed portfolios. 

Can you help manage my 401(k)?

Absolutely. We will research and monitor your employer retirement plans (401k, 403b, etc.). We will also help verify how much you are contributing each year, verify how much of the employer match you are receiving, and place trades in your accounts when needed. 

We can also manage your 529 education plans, employer stock purchase plans, and executive restricted stock and stock option plans. 

For all accounts under our management, we review the accounts and investments at your investment review meetings. 

Do you consider taxes when managing my accounts?

We try to moderate taxes by the choice of investments we use.  We have minimal selling and buying, which keep gains from showing up on your tax return.  We harvest losses and gains during the year, trying to net taxable gains to zero when feasible.  

When we’ve made a lot of money on an investment, we often sell over multiple years to minimize your tax bill.  For example, we purchased a mutual fund 9 years ago, and sold out of it over 3 tax years.  So, we avoided huge gains hitting a client’s tax return in a single year at higher rates.

We often custom-manage a taxable account in order to keep taxes down. 

What reports will you provide at our meetings?

•    Reports that show your performance, your rate of return, and how much money you’re making
•    Reports that show where we have your money invested, which investments
•    Reports that show you how those individual investments stack up against their peers
•    Reports that show how much of your money is going toward investment expenses, and how those expenses compare to their peers?

We review this information with you at every investment review meeting.  You always know how much money you’re making and what expenses you’re paying.