Gary Ziegler • Madison, WI
Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc.
Investment management for clients is not an all-or-nothing proposition when it comes to building the proper allocations within a financial plan.
My work with clients always starts with a big-picture view of their needs. Do they have in place the basics such as life insurance, long-term care, college planning, etc.? What will their income needs be in retirement, and how can we allocate between income-oriented investment products and looking for asset growth in a portfolio?
For investment portfolio growth, I find that a blend of tactical and more traditional passive strategies can often provide an excellent level of diversification. While I have not believed in strictly “buy and hope” since 2008, broad indexed mutual funds can provide a good foundation for a portfolio. There is still a role for passive investments in terms of beating inflation over a longer horizon and leaning toward the fundamental market bias toward the upside.
But I think every investment portfolio has to have the capability to play both offense and defense. Over the last five years, I have introduced a higher level of tactical money management for most clients. Our firm has selected some of the top companies in the active-management industry to serve our clients and help navigate the ups and downs of the market.
While there are no guarantees with any investment approach, my belief is that a blend of tactical and passive strategies can better manage market cycles than a passive approach alone. And depending on the client’s risk profile and overall investment objectives, the tactical strategy element can be dialed up or dialed down to best fit a specific client’s needs.
Disclosure: Securities and investment advisory services offered through Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. (TFA), Transamerica Financial Group Division—member FINRA, SIPC, and registered investment advisor. Non-Securities products and services are not offered through TFA.
Photography by Nick Berard
