Investment Process
YAIA is an independent asset manager that primarily utilizes no-load mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), corporate bonds, and CDs to structure client portfolios. We work intimately with our clients using the following steps:
- Conduct thorough discussions with clients to understand their overall goals & objectives, planned withdrawal needs, potential risk & return parameters, taxation issues, overall knowledge level of investments, and any other unique needs.
- Develop an appropriate long-term Asset Allocation (stock / bond ratio). Asset allocation has proven to account for over 90% of one’s overall return.
- Diversify each of those segments by appropriately selecting the proper securities. For new clients starting with large cash positions, we normally “dollar-cost average” into the stock & bond market. Essentially, that means we will invest in small segments over the course of several weeks, rather than investing all of the cash on the first day.
- Monitor, manage, and report to clients on a periodic basis how their investments have performed.
Please see our YAIA FIRM PROFILE SHEET for more detail on YAIA’s Investment Process.
For new prospects, we ask the following:
- Please read our Firm Profile Sheet and at least our latest quarterly newsletter prior to our first meeting. At the first meeting, come prepared to discuss your overall situation.
- Please bring a copy of all of your recent account statements. This will enable us to understand how your assets are currently structured, what investments you hold, any potential tax consequences, as well as several other factors.
- Once we understand your circumstances, we will discuss our Firm’s capabilities in more detail and are now able to tailor discussion topics to suit your needs.
Custodian of Choice – Primarily, we partner with Schwab Institutional as our Custodian of Choice. We also partner with other custodians on a variety of accounts, particularly 529 plans.
Client Reports – YAIA produces quarterly reports for all clients. The reports contain performance, transaction, and billing information. Schwab (or the other custodians) sends each client monthly or quarterly statements, trade confirms, corporate literature, and tax information. Anything Schwab produces, can be reproduced by YAIA.