Client Solutions

• Investments are a means to achieving objectives and life goals and not an end in themselves.
• Goals have different timescales and a different degree of importance in terms of achievement.
• Importance and timescale, and client’s individual approach to investment risk will then help to identify the appropriate investment mix for each goal.
• Understanding client preferences including Ethical and Social Impact investing opportunities results in specific recommendations.
• Assets are segregated into separate investment pools aligned to specific goals to give the best chance of achieving those goals.
• ‘Core’ holdings are invested in ‘passive’ investments. A ‘passive’ approach is where investment is made in ‘index tracking’ funds. These have significantly lower charges and are not subject to the influence or additional costs of expensive and often ineffective fund managers.
• The best ‘tax wrappers’ are selected to create the most efficient tax environment; always focusing on the importance and timescale of the achievement of the objective.
• In order to ensure that a coherent investment mix can be established and maintained investments are, where appropriate, brought onto a common platform.

For core holdings:

• Research shows that over 90% of a portfolio’s return is derived from overall asset allocation (proportion in shares, gilts, property etc) rather than stock selection or market timing. Based on the importance and timescale of the objective and an acceptable degree of risk we will invest client funds in one of our 7 asset allocation models.
• A key part of the overall investment strategy is to rebalance the portfolio at the end of each year to return it to its original asset mix.
• This rebalancing is the opposite of most ‘herd’ investment approach (sell low, buy high) and leads to enhanced long term returns as well as maintaining the originally agreed degree of volatility.

For non-core holdings:

• Where a client’s attitude to risk for non-core holdings is different; we are happy to discuss active management on a client by client basis.

• We will review with clients the performance of the investments allocated to ‘pools’ against the required rate of return each year.
• Importantly clients will know what progress they are making towards the achievement of their goals and objectives.
• We will make any changes we feel are required while there is still time to act.
• Should a client experience a specific life event that necessitates a review of investment strategy this can be done at any time.

• Bogle, John C. (2007) The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: John Wiley & Sons (ask us for a copy)
• Bernstein, William. (2001) The Intelligent Asset Allocator; McGraw Hill
• Estrada, Javier. (2007) Black Swans and Market Timing; IESE Business School
• Brinson, Gary P; Hood, L. Randolph; Beebower, Gilbert P. (1986) Determinants of Portfolio Performance; Financial Analysts Journal
• Kay, John. (2009) The Long and Short of it; The Erasmus Press Ltd