Listen Carefully (Planning) – The first step in our approach is developing an investment plan and that can only be accomplished by listening carefully to our client. By listening carefully, we incorporate several factors into the investment plan including the client’s appetite for risk, time horizon, and cash flow needs. This plan is our blueprint to the analytical process of asset management. The plan can be as narrow or broad as the client wants. If we are needed to strictly manage stock investing or if the client wants a more comprehensive analysis to protect retirement assets against inflation or to pay college tuition for the grandchildren, we will tailor a plan uniquely for the client.
Proceed Cautiously (Analyzing and Diversifying) – With respect to analytics, broadly speaking, we employ a top-down approach with respect to sector analysis and a bottom-up approach with respect to company analysis. Our analysis is predominantly fundamentally based, employing tried and true techniques that have stood the test of time such as discounted cash flow analysis.
Too many people allow their investments to be concentrated in a particular asset class and/or a particular investment. We believe that, in most cases, concentration in any one asset class or investment exposes the client to unnecessary risk. Our goal is to exceed a desired rate of return while taking the least amount of risk. We believe that efficient diversification of the portfolio is a necessity to meeting that objective. Diversification is different for each portfolio since no two are alike and this requires our actively monitoring our clients’ portfolios.
Maintain Integrity (Trust) – The cornerstone of our approach is to maintain integrity from the beginning of each relationship established with a client. We talk our clients through each step of the process and tell them the truth—not necessarily what they want to hear. If a client seeks above average returns to fund a particular financial goal but is unwilling to take risk, we will tell the client that it is simply not possible. Our integrity is the primary reason that many existing clients selected us and why future clients will. Clients of Stack Asset Management know they can call in and ask any question about their portfolio and will get an answer they understand. Our integrity leads to trust which leads to peace of mind.