Investment management is an important part of your long-term financial plan.
Common questions we hear from clients include how and where to invest for retirement and other goals such as education for their children?
At Artisan Financial Planning we will take the time necessary to understand your goals and objectives. Are you saving for retirement, a down payment for your first home, or another goal? Together, we will determine your risk tolerance and preference as well as your general investment comfort level. We will also discuss tax planning regarding your investments particularly right before and beginning your retirement years.
We believe that clients deserve to understand their investments and how investing fits into your unique and exciting financial life journey.
Diversification
You may have heard the phrase "don’t put all your eggs in one basket."
Investment-wise this means not to hold all of one’s investments in a single stock, for example.
Diversification is the practice of building a portfolio with a variety of investments that have different expected risks and returns.
In general, diversification is important because it can reduce risk and improve portfolio return.
Our portfolios include primarily no-load, low cost mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs). We create models for clients that cover multiple asset classes including large, mid and small cap US equities, developed international and emerging markets equities, fixed income, and, as appropriate, may include specific sectors and/or alternate investments as well as a limited number of single stocks under certain circumstances.
We utilize both active and passive managers depending on our client's goals, risk assessments, and Investment Policy Statement. We use models and securities that involve active management and risk mitigation but with lower expense ratio fees typically found with passive managers.
Be in the stock market for the long-term
We do not recommend equities for short term investment or speculation. Our view is that stocks and stock mutual funds/ETFs as well as other risk assets are more appropriate for long-term time horizons.
Develop a plan and stay the course
It is difficult to beat the market especially over the long run and even more so for individual investors. Individual investors too often buy high and sell low when their emotions get the better of them. Artisan Financial Planning does not recommend market timing or day trading.
We believe that better investment results come from adopting an Investment Policy Statement (IPS) customized to each client’s personal goals, objectives and time horizon balanced with their risk tolerance and preference assessment.
The key is to follow one’s IPS through market upswings and downturns just as institutions and foundations do. At Artisan Financial Planning we will work with you to develop an IPS customized to your individual circumstances.
We will then help you stay the course over the long term. This remains especially important given the increase in market volatility since the Great Recession.
As your investment manager we will make adjustments periodically including:
- Recognizing opportunities to “tilt” towards value or growth as appropriate
- Increasing tilt toward specific sectors during certain market conditions
- Increasing tilt toward particular asset categories
- Replacing funds/ETFs as appropriate in order to achieve better alignment with goals
“The stock market is designed to transfer money from the active to the patient.” — Warren Buffett
“If you are not willing to own a stock for 10 years, do not even think about owning it for 10 minutes.” —Sir John Templeton