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Investment Management

We Utilize a Hybrid Approach, Offering Advisory and Brokerage Solutions

We have developed a process-driven, risk-based approach to building your diversified investment portfolio. We begin by determining your personal risk tolerance and identifying a goal for each of your account types. We then help you build out a portfolio that matches your goals and target risk. Once built, we monitor your progress and recommend adjustments based upon changes to your goals and shifts in the investment landscape.

Fiduciary Duty vs. Suitability

Why is this important to you? A fiduciary responsibility is the legal obligation to provide financial advice in your best interest and holds your financial advisor to a higher standard of accountability and transparency. The benchmark standard of suitability responsibility is that financial advice should appropriately fit your needs.

ADVISORY ACCOUNT

An advisory relationship is advice-driven, incorporates a fee-based cost structure, and includes a fiduciary duty for the advisor to place the client's needs above all else. An advisory account can be a retirement (qualified) or non-retirement (non-qualified) investment vehicle and often utilizes a dynamic investment strategy.

WHAT DOES A DYNAMIC STRATEGY MEAN?

The investor may choose to incorporate multiple approaches within one portfolio, including core, alternative, and/or tactical strategies, as well as institutional third-party management.

ADVISORY ACCOUNT CHARACTERISTICS

  • Research and portfolio design provided by your money manager
  • Daily account monitoring
  • Fee-based schedule through a wrap fee; no individual trading costs
  • Full disclosure of any conflicts of interest, supporting proactive transparency to align investor and advisor
  • Option to authorize discretion to money manager
  • Well-suited for a variety of investment strategies, including short-term tactical approaches

BROKERAGE ACCOUNT

A brokerage account is transaction-oriented, incorporates a commission-based cost structure, and includes a suitability standard for making investment recommendations. A brokerage account can be a retirement (qualified) or non-retirement (non-qualified) investment vehicle and may be ideal for a passive buy-and-hold strategy.

WHAT DOES A BUY-AND-HOLD STRATEGY MEAN?

This approach is generally meant for passive, long-term investor goals. The idea is to build and maintain a stable portfolio throughout market fluctuations, with the goal of capital appreciation and/or income.

BROKERAGE ACCOUNT CHARACTERISTICS

  • Can be considered less of an emotional burden because you do not need to try to "time the market"
  • A long-term buy-and-hold strategy may help to minimize your tax burden by deferring capital gains
  • There are trading fees for individual buys and sells

Which Account Type Is Right For Me?

Simply put, your life circumstances change year over year. Factors range from portfolio complexity to risk tolerance and time horizon. Compare distinguishing features of each account type and read the accompanying profiles for examples of applied portfolio processes based on investor lifestyle.

James has just started a mid-level corporate job. With $78K in brokerage accounts, he has a limited need to make frequent trade requests or seek complex financial advice.


James may seek to shift to an advisory account as time goes on and he becomes fully-vested in his new employer plan.

Michael's $2.8 MM portfolio is in advisory accounts because he seeks active money management.


As the CEO of his family's company, he understands the potential benefits of specialization and prefers to invest in multiple institutional strategies through third-party portfolio managers.

Carrie is a self-employed attorney, with a $450K advisory account.


She prefers active management, but does not have the inclination or time to perform investment research of her own. She likes the ability to grant trading authority to her portfolio manager.

The individuals and situations depicted here are hypothetical only, and do not represent the actual performance of any particular investments or strategy. All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.

Our Investment Planning Process

We will help you to define and quantify your investment goals, create a personal risk budget, understand your family tax situation, and build and manage a fully-customized profile. This defined starting point helps us to establish where you currently are and where you want to go.

Investments in securities do not offer a fix rate of return. Principal, yield and/or share price will fluctuate with changes in market conditions and, when sold or redeemed, you may receive more or less than originally invested.  No system or financial planning strategy can guarantee future results. 

Additional compensation may apply in the form of commissions for purchase of individual stocks, bonds and through service fees (12b-1) for mutual fund transactions. Fees, charges and expenses are detailed in the Cetera Advisors LLC's ADV Part 2A.

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