APPROACH

There are three investment consulting principles that govern our approach and that we seek to apply across all our services:

No two investors have the same objectives and aspirations
Although it is undoubtedly a cliché to say that all investors are different, it is also a truism. Perhaps the greatest benefit to be derived from using a consultant is that it provides the opportunity for an investor to receive unbiased advice on how investment styles and approaches can be blended to deliver the highest probability of delivering specified investment objectives.

Inaction is not the same as inertia
Conventional wisdom suggests that, when appointing an investment manager, they should be given a decent length of time in which to display their abilities. Why?

Because the success of any given investment approach is dependent on prevailing financial market conditions, whether selecting a fund or establishing a discretionary account, the skill of the investment manager can only be assessed accurately over a full market cycle. For some investment consultants, inaction is regarded as failure. For us, inaction is regarded as a positive outcome rather than a default position. Change is expensive and should only be undertaken when the need is compelling.

Statistics provide signals; consultants deliver conclusions
For some people numbers never lie; for others there are lies, damned lies and statistics. We believe that performance statistics are the bedrock upon which investment decisions should be built. However, it is only by combining the cold hard facts with qualitative judgements based on experience and gut-feelings that sensible conclusions can be reached.