Our Services
Investment Management
Designing An Asset Allocation Strategy Aligned With Your Risk Tolerances
The world of investments has become more complex every year even as technology appears to have made things simpler. In an age of robo-advisors, you might be wondering why you should engage an actual human being for investment advice. At Strait & Sound, we believe investment management is a crucial service for achieving complete financial independence. Most people need an experienced investment expert to guide them on this journey. Here is why we say this.
Many people will work, save and seek to follow a financial plan to achieve their goals. But very few people in this country will be able to realize total financial independence unless they take some form of risk on investments. A strong annual household income paired with a disciplined savings program will take you a long way. But then inflation steps in and erodes the buying power of your cash. Most of the clients we serve need investment returns that outpace the negative impacts of inflation while also covering all of their living expenses so their cash-reserves are not depleted.
Most of our clients were not born with a silver spoon in their mouths, where they inherited so much wealth that they never have to think about money again. Instead, our clients have to be smart with money, make good decisions, carefully weigh the pros and cons of each choice and practice certain disciplines. This is the only way, for the vast majority of our clients, that they will ever achieve complete financial independence.
This is where risk enters the picture. At Strait & Sound, we believe smart risks are your ally against the negative impacts of inflation, having cash-on-hand for expenses and never outliving your money. Historically, almost no other form of money management has produced the same levels of return as a sound, long-term investment strategy.
A dollar invested in 1920 and carefully watched over but never withdrawn from the markets, even with all of their ups and downs, would be worth many times that amount 100 years later, in 2020. Past results are not a guarantee of future results and we want to say for the record that we have no crystal ball to predict the future. But based on everything we can see today, we do not believe there is a better strategy for building wealth than a sound, long-term investment strategy paired with a disciplined financial plan.
Why Our Clients Invest
Our clients invest for many reasons, but the overarching goal is to have money on-hand in the future, when they’re probably not working and producing a monthly income. Some clients want to build up a sizable nest egg that they can transfer to heirs through their estate. Other clients have charitable intent, where they want to make a real difference in the world through organizations they support.
Most of our clients choose to remain in the markets even after retirement. They are comfortable taking that level of risk. Other clients want to withdraw from higher-risk options for the peace of mind of knowing their money is secure. These two psychological forces—risk and security—drive much of the behavior and many of the conversations with have with clients.
Key Take Away
“At Strait & Sound, we believe smart risks are your ally against the negative impacts of inflation, having cash-on-hand for expenses and never outliving your money.”
Our Approach To Investing
You’ve likely heard the story about a chimpanzee who picked investments side-by-side with experienced stock-brokers and the chimp’s returns were on par with the brokers. You might also be familiar with robo-advisors, where a person enters information into a computer and then it spits out a plan that is designed to produce returns that are just as good as anything a human being can produce.
Both of these stories speak to a sentiment that is widely popular today and that we believe misses the entire point about investing. Some people seem to believe that investing is all about returns. We don’t believe that. Investing is about risk—smart risks that are appropriate.
This is why our approach to investing is grounded in the psychology of risk management. No chimp and no computer can ever really understand what risk feels like and how it can erode peace of mind and a sense of well-being. Only another human being can understand this and that’s why our entire approach to investing is based on two fundamental questions:
- What goals are you trying to achieve?
- How much risk are you willing to take?
The investment strategies that our Chief Investment Officer, Daniel Barnes, recommends to clients are based on answers to these two questions. Mr. Barnes is a recognized expert in developing investment strategies which align with the risk tolerances of people who need their money to last. His approach to passive income strategies, where investment growth outpaces inflation and living expenses, is unparalleled. If you want your money to outlive you and you’re not sure how to make this happen, you really need to have a conversation with Daniel Barnes.
Who Is Helping You Navigate Investment Risks?
One of the biggest challenges with a long-term investment approach is that volatility will enter the picture. At some point along the way, markets will drop and the economic outlook will be gloomy. One need only look at the last 30 years to find several such moments. The temptation, for those who have no long-term partner guiding them, will be to make potentially catastrophic financial decisions that could be irrecoverable.
This is where we really earn our money. At Strait & Sound, our experts have weathered numerous economic cycles and successfully guided clients through them. We know how to navigate both bull and bear markets while keeping a keen eye on long-term goals. We know how to help clients work through the elation and the fears of the ups and downs that are inherent in long-term investing.
If you don’t have an expert partner who deeply understands you and will put the time and energy into building a trusted relationship with you, maybe it’s time for us to talk?
We Provide Comprehensive Wealth Management Services For People Seeking Complete Financial Independence
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