The Optimal Mix of Investments

The Buckingham Strategic Partners’ Investment Policy Committee (IPC) helps firms filter the investment universe. The IPC applies a series of stringent checks to narrow the investment landscape — choosing only managers with systematic, rules-based and transparent practices. The IPC recommends primarily using mutual funds and ETFs, along with individual bonds, to build your portfolio. Utilizing these vehicles may be an inexpensive way to gain ownership in thousands of companies and significantly reduce the potential impact of bad news from any one in particular.

Yet, investment selection is never easy. With more than 20,000 funds to choose from, knowing the best option can feel quite daunting. Fortunately, research shows how to better analyze and filter fund managers and their strategies to a more optimal set for your portfolio.

The Evidence-Driven Investing™ Selection Process

This selection process uses a methodology to identify investments that best capture the characteristics of our portfolio strategy. Through a multi-layered approach—including evaluating cost and tax-efficiency—it carefully narrows the investment options for your portfolio.

Step 1

Eliminate any funds with hidden loads or 12b-1 marketing fees.

Step 2

Include only funds that are broadly diversified across stock sectors and geographic regions.

Step 3

Look for funds that implement academically sound investment strategies.

Step 4

Engage the fund managers in extensive conversations to develop a deep understanding of their teams, best practices and processes.

Step 5

Look for funds that are most effective and consistent at capturing their targeted exposures relative to the costs they charge.

Step 6

Evaluate the tradability of the fund or ETF to ensure resilience in volatile markets.

Trusted Fund Managers

The IPC applies a similar process across all stocks, bonds and alternatives in order to pick the right fund, ETF and Separately Managed Account providers available for your portfolio. This is not a one-time approach. The IPC continually re-evaluates investment providers on an ongoing basis, reviewing whether selections are right for you both today and tomorrow.

Systematic. Rules-based. Cost Effective. Transparent. Highly-tradeable. Consistent.

Dive deeper into our investment implementations:

The Importance of Keeping Fund Fees Low →

Removing Unwanted Risk in Manager Selection →

Why Not to Just Chase Recent Winners →

Company logos are property of the respective owners, and the use of these names does not imply endorsement by the owner.

Bond Implementation: Efficient Access to Bonds

When approaching fixed income, the IPC recommends using high quality, short-to-intermediate-term bonds to preserve wealth and balance other risks in the portfolio. These selections are implemented carefully, and may include using bond funds, ETFs and custom bond portfolios to deliver a cost-effective exposure.

Discover more about the bond approach.

What You Think When You Hear “Fixed-Income”What We’re Actually Using
BondsAgencies
Treasuries
Brokered CDs
TIPS
Municipal Bonds

Implementing The Right Alternatives

Alternative investments offer a unique source of risk and return that tend to provide greater diversification and return potential in comparison to a portfolio only made of stocks and bonds.

With alternatives, the IPC applies stringent sets of criteria, searching for strategies that are transparent, unique from other markets and capture a favorable risk premia to deliver better results.

The IPC remains skeptical of most alternative strategies, but has found a few approaches—like real estate, private lending, and reinsurance —that may benefit a well-constructed portfolio.

Real Estate

Real estate strategies attempt to capture the debt, rents and price appreciation of commercial real estate across the world.

Private Lending

Private lending strategies leverage technological advancements to offer competitive financing to consumers, small businesses and middle-market companies.

Reinsurance

Reinsurance strategies provide predetermined amounts of coverage to reinsurance companies covering against spikes in losses associated with natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, fires and typhoons.

Style Premia

Style Premia strategies look to capture the difference in return between certain types of stocks, bonds, commodities and currencies in a rules-based, systematic manner.

Unbiased & Disciplined—Designed for You

Your wealth is important, so there’s never a one-size-fits-all approach. Work with your advisor to find the right investments that are best suited to the strategy you outline together.

Sometimes investments can seem complicated, but with an Evidence-Driven Investing™ approach, a portfolio can be developed that you can stick with through all kinds of market cycles.

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