Our investment philosophy emphasizes the value of compounding long term capital growth associated primarily with equity investing while maintaining flexibility to change asset allocations away from equities when our outlook for that asset class is highly negative. Depending upon our outlook on the economy, we will actively manage the allocation of assets between stocks, bonds, and cash based on our risk and return expectations for each asset class. Having the flexibility to invest in a diverse group of asset classes during extreme periods of uncertainty removes the restrictions facing most institutional managers.
We are dedicated to proving our value by investing with a focus on finding opportunities in quality investments, at a reasonable valuation. Buy and hold is a strategy that can be profitable over the very long-term, but not for all parts of the economic cycle. At some points in the economic cycle, the conditions change and one needs to recognize that change, and adapt, all while maintaining a view of the long-term. Once we have determined the mix of assets, we will build the portfolio from the bottom up, identifying the best choices in each asset class.
Investing today requires various skills: financial analysis, credit analysis, valuation and even some psychology. Certainly, the ability to understand and decipher financial statements and the mechanics of the financial markets are rudimentary to the process of investing. However, this alone does not ensure a proper decision-making process. The recognition of geopolitical and economic issues and their effect on investor behavior is essential to successful execution of investment decision making. Even with the vast amount of information Ascend Wealth Advisors, LLC has at our disposal, it is still a difficult task trying to make the right choice at the right time. We don’t have all the answers, but we are not afraid to ask the questions. What if the unexpected occurs? How are our client’s investments positioned for potential future outcomes? Our understanding of the implications of these questions, and the answers, will guide the process of decision making at Ascend Wealth Advisors, LLC.