INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
Our Philosophy & Our Models
Our Philosophy = Creative Thinking + Scientific Rigor + Emotional Intelligence
Successful investing is a lot like practicing good medicine. We are thoroughly grounded in what is proven to work but also open to new ideas. While we believe in owning great companies and using world-class managers, we’re also deeply committed to spending the time necessary to find and execute on more difficult investment opportunities. We will use alternative and private investments that can offer better returns at a given level of risk for our qualified clients. We are unabashed in our commitment to scouring the investment universe to find the best possible solutions for our clients and their money. We know there’s an “easier” way to manage money, but we don’t believe there’s a better way – we have chosen to take the road less traveled.
Our investment philosophy draws from design methodology, scientific method and behavioral finance. Design methodology helps our team think creatively when building and adjusting portfolios. It encourages us to question the status quo and stretch for new solutions. The scientific method requires us to draw conclusions through process and evidence, not hearsay and hope. And finally our ongoing study of behavioral finance helps us marry creative thinking, facts and emotions. This results in a winning formula: Creative Thinking + Scientific Rigor + Emotional Intelligence. Boiling this down into practical terms, we look for the best solutions on an after-tax, after-fee, risk-adjusted basis.
Our open-minded, data & EI approach has resulted in a wide menu of investments that we use in portfolios:
- Low-cost ETFs – both passive and active
- Individual Stocks, Bonds, & CDs
- Best of breed mutual funds – both passive and active
- Socially responsible, ESG & Impact Investments
- Closed-end & Interval funds
- Private equity funds & direct private equity
- Pre-IPO stocks
- Hedged stock and bond funds
- Private real estate, single-asset LLCs, (predominately Apartment Buildings)
- Qualified Opportunity Zone funds
- 529 Educational Savings Plans
We are a tight-knit team that meets weekly to discuss and implement investment strategy. We are also fortunate that our headquarters is near LAX airport as we frequently have face-to-face meetings with Vanguard, Blackstone, Capital Group, Fidelity, Blackrock, Nuveen, Neuberger Berman, Goldman Sachs, etc.
Our Models
We always consider your unique combination of needs and preferences to customize portfolios. We have also identified common goals and objectives for which we have developed model portfolios. This approach allows us to make immediate changes across accounts resulting in better performance for our clients.
Our model portfolios are designed for these objectives:
- Short-term: Enhanced cash management
- Near-term: Business or home purchase, college savings
- Long-term: Tax-exempt, tax-advantaged, tax-deferred
