Our Investment Philosophy

We keep your money working hard…for you!

It is our belief that portfolios must be structured, using the few investing principles that stand the test of time and scrutiny.  Since most individuals and even many professionals do not follow these basic tenants, this approach differentiates our firm and makes us preferable to other investment managers.

Our approach is to follow a strategy that will withstand many investing environments, requires modest trading and keeps expenses low.  This requires employing rigorous diversification in the most cost effective manner.  Initially, we evaluate possible asset allocations and attempt to incorporate as many non-correlated investments as practical.

Once an asset allocation is agreed upon, we select investments that are in keeping with the strategy.  We construct portfolios using individual securities (such as stocks, CDs and government/municipal bonds) and low cost index funds and ETFs (exchange-traded funds), when needed.  We adjust portfolios periodically to ensure they are in keeping with the desired allocation and add securities (or adjust weightings) when necessary or when we feel it is particularly timely.

Typically, we use a more passive management strategy, but with a focus on buying and holding high quality individual securities.  With the dramatic expansion of “co-mingled” products available (and being used by most investors), we believe having a portfolio of securities with few parties between you and your investment, is preferable. We endeavor to purchase great businesses at good prices and monitor them regularly to ensure they stay on a productive long-term path.   This enables us to know exactly what we own for our clients and to avoid the areas we feel are unattractive, or downright dangerous.  This way, we can control the factors within our control, minimize the negative impact of those that aren’t and help you keep a higher share of what you earn.