We manage our clients' trusts, individual retirement accounts, and other portfolios using the same care and principles we would hope to see if our roles were reversed.
From the outset, we emphasize procedures that are designed to safeguard your interests and encourage regular communication. We have our clients maintain their investment accounts with third-party custodial or brokerage firms that can accommodate our role as an outside investment advisor. While many advisory firms seek full trading discretion over such accounts, we do not. Instead, we will seek your prior approval before buying or selling any securities on your behalf, and will always be available to help you understand transaction confirmations, monthly statements, and other important account information.
Our commitment to financial stewardship continues with a three-pronged approach. First, we tailor and manage each client’s portfolio to reflect their particular goals and circumstances. Second, we emphasize low-cost portfolios diversified across global asset classes – an evidence-based approach that reflects our ongoing reading of academic research and empirical data. Third, we communicate regularly with clients to support their understanding of both near-term developments in the financial markets and principles that can influence longer-term outcomes.
All of this information is ultimately reflected in each client’s personalized Investment Policy Statement (IPS).
The role of an IPS, not unlike that of an architect's blueprint, is to set forth the broad design, or asset allocation, of a client's portfolio, consistent with the goals and objectives they have described to us. It also provides us with an opportunity to outline other guidelines that will be used for the ongoing management and supervision of their portfolio. Even though investment policy statements are more commonly used by large investors such as pension funds and endowments, we regard their use as an important practice for individual investors as well, and they are just part of our overall belief in bringing appropriate institutional sensibilities to our investing work with clients.
If you would like to learn more about our thoughts on investing, please contact us here and we will provide you with an investing guide that we have prepared for individuals and families.