There are various strategies and investing philosophies that have merit, but an investor’s ability to stick with a strategy leads to success. Attempts to chase recent performance are generally unsuccessful and result in more trading costs and taxes. We believe that discipline and patience to follow a well-researched strategy rewards investors over the long-term.

We have access to more information and data about financial markets than ever before, with increasingly robust research and theories on investing. Information is disseminated immediately in our seamlessly connected world; yet, investors are still human and are prone to behavioral biases. We believe that portfolios and strategies must be developed in a scientific-like manner using both data driven research and behavioral-based evidence. We pair this scientific precision with an understanding of how personal the art of investing is for each of our clients. Through deep client relationships we are able to overlay a personalized element to our wealth management approach. By understanding what a client’s money means to him or her, we are better able to deliver the level of service our clients enjoy. This combination of Science and Art is designed to achieve both returns and a comfortable investing experience for our clients.

Investors are rewarded for taking risk in the market over long periods of time. We know there will be another market downturn, but it is not possible to know the timing of a downturn in advance. The ability to take a truly long-term view to investing is paramount to a successful investor experience. Long-term is not measured in days, months, or years, but rather in multi-year intervals.

How many investment decisions are made on a whim, a tip, or a shallow review of the facts? We call these types of investing decisions bets. Sometimes bets produce fantastic payouts, but we prefer not to rely on chance. We are committed to fully researching an investment, allocation, manager, or strategy before we act. There is a depth and quality to our research that backs every decision we make for our clients.

Many times, investors focus on the return of one stock or investment. We argue that the expected return for a single stock should be very high, since investors have the ability to diversify single stock risk by owning the market. In every investment decision, we evaluate risk-adjusted returns rather than absolute returns. Investors should be adequately compensated for the risk they take. We make every attempt to avoid taking unnecessary risks in client portfolios.