26 January 2016
Luca Sarri
Following on from Adam’s previous post The best predictor of the future is…, I’ve noticed that I am talking to more and more investors who are caught in a negative cycle concerning their investment portfolio.
Yes, 2015 was a challenging year in the markets.
Yes, volatility and unpredictability were the only constant themes throughout.
Yes, 2016 has been a difficult start.
But when you only focus on the negative, you miss the potential opportunities.
By far the most common challenge I’m discussing with investors at the moment is that too many have portfolios structured for a more stable period. This can become a problem when conditions become far more volatile. A previously sound strategy can suddenly stop being effective. Or worse, you see a big chunk of your portfolio’s value vanish.
No wonder many of you are scratching your heads!
I’m fielding questions such as:
If you’ve been asking yourself these kinds of questions, you’re not alone. But I’ll stick my neck out and suggest they are the wrong questions in the first place.
Unfortunately far too many private investment portfolios do not achieve consistent top performance. The three most common reasons I see is the investor not asking the right questions, not adjusting their approach in the face of changing market conditions, or simply ignoring reality altogether and hoping things change back in their favour. Unfortunately, hope is not a strategy…
Many are unaware that the companies, industries or sectors they are invested within could be delivering average or below average returns.
This can be due to a number of factors, such as:
Are you putting off tough decisions because you aren’t quite sure what to do, or don’t quite have the confidence? Or maybe you’re simply overwhelmed with the conflicting information that’s circulating and you’re stuck in ‘analysis paralysis’.
There’s no shame in this. The first step is accepting the reality of your situation, and it’s the hardest one to take.
However, if you’re ready to take this step there is help available for those that come next on the journey to turn things round.
…with a no obligation Portfolio Review from a firm such as CSS Investments. A breakdown of what happens and how it could help you is available here.
I wrote a previous post detailing what’s involved and the benefits of this last year, which you can read here if you missed it.
My firm, CSS Investments, offers a complementary Portfolio Review for those that qualify. It’s by far the best service we provide that offers investors an impartial perspective on your portfolio, calm people down a little and get refocused!
It takes away all the emotion of the past, looks at what’s happening now, and gives you the chance to consider how you could rebuild and move forward in a positive way. All from from a more solid foundation.
By completing a Portfolio Review you will be able to find out, with no risk or obligation, exactly how your investment portfolio has performed in comparison to competing models in the same sectors, highlighting areas of weakness and an impartial assessment of your overall asset allocation.
There will be no costs associated with this service and you don’t have to be a client.
There are however a limited number that we can do a month, so there may be a waiting list. It’s worth getting your application in early to avoid the wait.
All in all, for the time spent on this and the valuable insights you will get, we could charge over £500 for this service. Most other firms do, but that’s not how we work.
Simple.
We do this because at CSS Investments we believe an educated investor is good for the industry as a whole, as well as the economy.
There is no obligation to become a client, just a risk free way of testing us out to see if we do what we say we can.
Of course, we are a business and make a living at this. We hope that perhaps one day you will join us or refer a friend, that’s up to you. It keeps us on our toes to make sure we give you the best experience and help possible so that you might consider us in the future.
Simply click here, complete the 1 minute application form, and we’ll contact you to confirm your Review and arrange a suitable time to discuss your results.
Alternatively you can email us at portfolioreview@css-investments.com, or call one of our team on 020 7264 2360