While no two clients have identical needs, time horizon, and risk tolerance, we do find most of our clients fit a broad profile.  Our typical client is a retiree with a minimum of $250,000 in assets held for investment.  They want to keep what they have and want some long-term growth.  Their investment horizon is at least three years, and they have some tolerance for risk.

We take a conservative approach to investing.  We believe long-term investments in stocks provide the best opportunity for reaching the investor's goal.  That doesn't mean that bonds (fixed income securities) aren't an important part of the portfolio.  They are. 

Handsome returns are more a product of time in the market, not timing the market.  We advocate investing not trading.  To us, excessive trading is just another form of speculation.  Though speculating can play a valid role in a portfolio, we think it should be only a small part.  Safety and security should be the main thrust of developing a portfolio.  That's not to say that a portfolio can't have some sizzle added to it, but one must be careful not to skew the investments far afield from the investor's objective. 

There is no one perfect investment.  All investments carry some form of risk.  The objective of investing is to marry the goal of maximizing returns with an investor's acceptable level of risk.  The key to investing, as we see it, is to put a reasonable plan in place and have the discipline to follow it over the long-term.