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Our investment strategy

Success is not a mystery.
It is a science.

Once we have agreed your goals and risk profile, we tailor make an investment portfolio to meet your needs. Guided by a strong belief in efficient markets and academic research, we combine the right assets to help you build your wealth over the long term through well-diversified portfolios delivered in a cost effective manner. Our goal is to help you become a disciplined investor who understands and is comfortable with the investment process.

Our ten principles for smart investing

The market is an effective information processing machine. Each day, the world equity markets process billions of dollars in trades between buyers and sellers—and the real-time information they bring helps set prices.

The market’s pricing power works against mutual fund managers who try to outperform through stock picking or market timing. As evidence, only 19% of US equity mutual funds and 11% of fixed interest funds have survived and outperformed their benchmarks over the past 20 years.

Some investors select mutual funds based on their past returns. Yet, past performance offers little insight into a fund’s future returns. For example, most funds in the top quartile of previous five-year returns did not maintain a top-quartile ranking in the following five years.

The financial markets have rewarded long-term investors. People expect a positive return on the capital they supply, and historically, the equity and bond markets have provided growth of wealth that has more than offset inflation.

There is a wealth of academic research into what drives returns. Expected returns depend on current market prices and expected future cash flows. Investors can use this information to pursue higher expected returns in their portfolios.

Holding securities across many market segments can help manage overall risk. But diversifying within your home market may not be enough. Global diversification can broaden your investment universe.

You never know which market segments will outperform from year to year. By holding a globally diversified portfolio, investors are well positioned to seek returns wherever they occur.

Many people struggle to separate their emotions from investing. Markets go up and down. Reacting to current market conditions may lead to making poor investment decisions.

Daily market news and commentary can challenge your investment discipline. Some messages stir anxiety about the future, while others tempt you to chase the latest investment fad. When headlines unsettle you, consider the source and maintain a long-term perspective.

A financial adviser can offer expertise and guidance to help you focus on actions that add value. This can lead to a better investment experience. An adviser can help you to:

  • Create an investment plan to fit your needs and risk tolerance.
  • Structure a portfolio along the dimensions of expected returns.
  • Diversify globally.
  • Manage expenses, turnover and taxes.
  • Stay disciplined through market dips and swings.

Eloquent evidence

Diversification reduces risk. A lot of academic work has gone into showing that diversifying your investments is essential to protect against any shocks in any one market or geographical area. Even without the research data demonstrating the truth of this, intuitively it makes sense. Political upheavals are likely to be localised, as are natural disasters, and one economy could be doing well whilst another languishes. Being invested across the globe means that a downturn in one geography can be offset by good performance in another.

It is also the case with asset classes. Bonds and equities have often been negatively correlated, meaning that when equities have underperformed, bonds have been a cushion to absorb some of the equity weakness. Infrastructure investments, where growth frequently comes from increases in public sector spending, can take up the slack when economic growth in the private sector is weak.

At the company level, a company in a booming business area may still not provide good returns for investors if management is poor. It makes sense to own lots of companies across multiple business sectors to raise the likelihood of making good returns and reduce risk. It is impossible to predict what will happen in markets. A well-diversified investment portfolio means you don’t have to.

The four most dangerous words in investing are:
“This time it’s different.”

Education

The power of compounding—in health and wealth

Compounding is one of the most powerful forces in the world. Just ask Albert Einstein, who’s said to have called it the “eighth wonder.” The seemingly small decisions we make…

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What happens if you miss the market’s best days?

The impact of being out of the market for just a short period of time can be profound, as shown by this hypothetical investment in the stocks that make up…

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Market behaviour and the weather

Investors can focus on the daily rain clouds and sunshine the markets bring. Or they can think about the long term.
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Tuning out the noise

When you are being bombarded with market information on a daily basis it's hard to hold the line. See the difference an investment professional can make to assist you see beyond the noise
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Insights

The American election – should we be worried?

When it comes to considering how the markets will react to the result of the upcoming American election, it’s worth stepping back from the daily media noise to look over…

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What is your financial legacy?

A financial legacy is more than just the money you leave behind; it is the lasting impact of your financial decisions on future generations and society. Deciding on your financial…

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Are you your own worst enemy when it comes to investing?

Investing is a path to financial independence and building wealth. Yet the reality for many individual investors paints a different picture. The DALBAR Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behaviour (QAIB) 2024…

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Secure but shrinking: The real cost of inflation on term deposits

When it comes to growing your money, term deposits have long been heralded as a safe haven for savings. However, as renowned economist Thomas Sowell says, “there are no solutions,…

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How we go beyond quarter-to-quarter returns, to meeting your goals and growing your wealth over the long term.

Why we’re the investment consultant you can trust to act in your best interests.

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