By leveraging a disciplined investment process, you receive transparency of information, proactive service and the trust and accountability you need to help pursue your financial goals.
Using a combination of the latest technology, team and investment committee, we regularly monitor your portfolio to ensure you are taken care of. Together we will continually evaluate your portfolio in order to help you towards your goals.
There are many factors that affect choosing an investment strategy.
The first set of factors begins with you. Our disciplined discovery process is key to understanding the right investment strategy for your specific situation.
Here are common questions we ask as we walk through the investment planning process:
The initial discovery process has to be thorough, which is why we will normally include financial planning, not just investment management, as part of the services we provide to you. We believe all of our clients should have a financial plan, which is why we view it as the skeleton of the process.
Once we get to know our clients and we have walked through the basics, we decide whether we need to create the investment plan or simply find the spot in which the funds we are going to invest fit within an already established plan.
To determine our path, we ask ourselves:
By combining the client factors and economic factors, we are very comfortable to make the asset allocation decisions. This is when we determine the answer to one very important question:
Irreplaceable capital is the amount of money we must protect from a downturn in the market. This is different than clients not wanting to lose money; no one likes to lose any money. And while that seems obvious, there are reasons why some may overreact to investment losses.
It is not only an emotional response but also a logical response. If you lose 20% of $1 million, or $200,000, you will have $800,000. If you only earn a 20% return on the $800,000, you will have $960,000! So you need a 25% return on your money to get back to the original investment. You need more money to get back to where you started. Feel that discomfort?
Irreplaceable capital is money that must be preserved as much as possible because if it’s not, you may suffer a major change in lifestyle, which could even change the entire financial plan.
Once we have made a choice on irreplaceable capital, we then need to go back to our client factors. Do you need the income from the portfolio in the near future? If so, then we will choose a strategy which provides a greater level of income. We may choose a combination of some dividend paying stocks, some capital appreciation, term deposits and bonds.
Some clients may choose an allocation of growth investments because of the potential for return and diversification. This allocation may be a smaller part of the portfolio or a larger part, this all depends on timing.
We may view domestic investments as more or less risky, and we may use global investment strategies to ensure we have diversified investments in the portfolio. They key here is to educate and prepare clients on the added risk.
Time plays a critical role in developing strategies for retirement.
During retirement planning sessions, you may be in the first stage of accumulation and have recently began to save and invest. In this situation, we may start with a more growth oriented strategy approach. However, this all depends on your answers to the initial client questions. Just because you recently started investing or you are a younger person, it doesn’t mean we automatically put you in a growth strategy and send you on your way.
If you are approaching retirement age, we may choose to sell growth investments. Let’s pretend we have a couple of great years in the market, we may save two years’ worth of funds needed to cover fixed living expenses and move them into an irreplaceable capital strategy to preserve your wealth in case there’s a market downturn the year you retire. It will allow us to preserve a cushion of time in which we don’t have to sell other assets at a lower price point.
When it comes to strategy selection, it is important to keep in mind the two categories in building a disciplined investment process. Combining investment management and financial planning provides us with guidance to create the right roadmap. We must focus on both the client category factors as well as the economic factors and work with each in tandem to create the best investment strategy for you.
This content is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice, an endorsement or recommendations for any individual. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. To determine what is appropriate for you, consult with an advisor. Alternative investments can be volatile and you should be aware that you may lose all or a portion of your investment. Additional risks are associated with international investing, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic stability, and differences in accounting standards. A diversified portfolio does not assure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market. Asset allocation cannot eliminate the risk of fluctuating prices and uncertain returns.
We will design a plan to evaluate your current financial situation and direct you toward true financial freedom.
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We are here to help you avoid your own personal retirement crisis, by putting in a financial plan using our MacDonald Wealth process.
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We will help you understand the risks to achieve your true wealth vision and develop a plan to protect those you care about most.
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Our disciplined, evidence based strategies provide your portfolio with the proactive service you need to pursue your goals.
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We will help create a comprehensive estate plan that leaves little to chance, along with teaching you how your assets will be distributed to the next generation.
Learn MoreOur passion is to help people from all walks of life find their own vision of true wealth. That means helping define what true wealth looks like for you, putting a plan in place to pursue your vision, then partnering with you to grow, protect and maintain that wealth.
In 15 minutes we can get to know you – your situation, goals and needs – then connect you with an advisor committed to helping you pursue true wealth.
Office Phone
06 843 1915
Office Hours
Mon – Fri 9:00am – 4:00pm
“We had huge concerns about retirement… There were lots of questions and we didn’t know who to talk to regarding our finances. Then Brad came across our path and he was able to answer the questions, give us direction and explain options we had not thought of, with regard to setting realistic reachable goals. Thanks Brad !!”
