Personal investing is not about maximizing the value of your portfolio – it is really about using your financial resources to achieve the kind of life you want – today, and tomorrow. Is your current investment strategy going to get you there?
Is it possible you are taking on more risk, or making larger sacrifices to your current lifestyle than is necessary to achieve your goals? Have you even articulated concrete financial goals?
We believe that prudent investing must be tied to your goals. Our investment process begins with gaining a detailed understanding of your current circumstances and helping you translate your desires and priorities into quantifiable goals. A financial model is created so we can “stress test” each set of goals and assumptions to ensure a high probability of success.
This plan is used to develop an Investment Policy Statement which serves as the guidelines for your portfolio. While the investment portfolio is managed and monitored daily, the financial plan is reviewed at least annually, and whenever goals or assumptions change due to life events or important decisions that need to be made.
An IPS lays out your investment objectives, time horizon, risk tolerance, acceptable investments, target asset allocation and allowable ranges for the portfolio, and performance benchmarks. The end product of several conversations and financial analysis, the IPS ensures that we are all on the same page and provides us with the guidelines for managing your portfolio.