Sound Practices

We help clients use seasoned disciplines throughout their investment programs.

Objectives and Guidelines • Success is not simply about finding investment managers for clients or picking asset classes. It is critical that clients and their relevant professionals confer jointly and develop an investment program's objectives and guidelines. We help clients articulate what defines success for them: subjects such as risk versus reward, comfort with various investment managers and approaches, economic and personal concerns, even the psychological aspects of various investment programs.

Asset Allocation, Manager Specification, Selection and Transition • We then initiate an extensive analytical review, beginning with asset allocation and proceeding to the specification of manager characteristics, the preparation of briefing books, interviews and the selection of managers and custodial arrangements.

Investment Performance and Attribution, Policy Supervision • Detailed monitoring begins immediately after establishing the investment management structure. Complete investment performance reports are prepared quarterly in detail or more often, if needed. Clients meet with us and the investment managers periodically. Because of our thorough initial preparation, manager changes, other than for policy reasons, are unusual. When indicated, they are pursued aggressively.

SUPPORTING SERVICES

Sharpshooter™ – Assures custodial accuracy.
Yardstick™ Indexes – A useful extension of customary performance benchmarks.
Guns and Butter™ – Special information for timely policy decisions.