Our Process

At  Alfonso Conrad, we’ll work one-on-one with you to formulate a plan that takes into account the changing economic marketplace, your current situation and all your goals and dreams for the future. Plus, we’ll periodically review your strategy with you to make sure you’re on track for success.

Planning Process:

We like to begin each client relationship with a plan.  Initially, it is a fact-gathering tool, organizing and consolidating information about every aspect of your financial life.  This process allows us to get to know you personally, as we discuss and establish goals, objectives and a vision of the future.  It is also an opportunity for you to get to know us, as we explain our process and philosophy.  Next, the plan serves as a road map for designing and selecting appropriate investment vehicles, strategies and processes for achieving your objectives.  Finally, it serves as a tool to review the ongoing process as the future unfolds.  We see the plan as a living, breathing tool.  It will change and grow as your life progresses and your circumstances and objectives change.

Investment Process:

In most cases, we believe the investing process should start with the basic principles of asset allocation and diversification.

Asset Allocation

Asset allocation is the distribution of a portfolio among the various asset classes of investments – stocks, bonds, cash, etc.  Throughout investment history, no single asset class has been consistently superior to another, thus it is important to own a diverse mix.  

By combining the various classes of investments the structure and stability of a portfolio can be significantly enhanced.  The different asset classes tend not to gain or lose value at the same time, so an appropriate blend of these will reduce the overall volatility of the portfolio.  Careful asset allocation can help reduce the impact of various types of risk, produce income while allowing for long-term growth, and provide the liquidity required for short-term goals.

Diversification

In addition to allocating assets among the many classes, we believe it is important to diversify within those asset classes.  For instance, this may include stock investments in companies which are large, medium, and small in size, foreign and domestic in origin, and which represent value and growth business models.   

Investment Selection

Once a properly allocated and diversified investment strategy has been chosen, we then select the investment vehicles from what's available to construct your investment portfolio.  In some cases this will be limited to an investment that is available in your qualified plan, in others it may be a product managed by another company such as a mutual fund or annuity.   We are committed to an open architecture of investment ideas and vehicles, and are consistently searching for and evaluating new ideas.  We will fully explain the benefits and drawbacks of each investment vehicle so that you can make an informed decision.