Investment Process One of our goals is to make the investment process as simple as you desire without neglecting important issues, remembering that investments are just one aspect - but an important one - of your whole financial plan. Typically, the process involves the following 8 steps: 1    Initial Information Gathering We begin by gathering information about your current financial affairs, needs, constraints and unique circumstances. We seek your participation and help by asking you to prepare a confidential fact sheet prior to our first meeting. To obtain a copy of this questionnaire: (Married couples click here); (Individuals click here). 2    Balance Sheet & Asset Allocation Reports We distill your information into preliminary reports that assist us (and you) in understanding your current situation. 3    Issue Identification We analyze your current situation with you and seek to frame the financial issues that we observe or that are of particular concern to you. 4    Determining Goals & Expectations We work with you in establishing reasonable financial goals and developing reasonable expectations. We prepare an assessment of your savings needs or anticipated cash flow in retirement. We typically use two or three alternative scenarios to compare our conclusions and make recommendations. 5    Asset Allocation & Optimization We recommend a mixture of types of investments after analyzing your goals and your tolerance for such unknowns as market volatility, inflation, interest rate and currency fluctuations, and credit risk. (Click here to see a more detailed explanation of the Asset Allocation Process.) 6    Manager Recommendations We typically recommend two or more specific money managers for each asset class represented in our recommended allocation and may recommend other specialized investments depending on investment opportunities, liquidity needs and other factors. 7    Reports We provide a full financial plan that details your financial data, your balance sheet, investment returns, your expected cash flow and taxes for the coming 12 months, your long-term investment policy (allocation), expected returns and volatility, specific manager recommendations, recommended use of tax-deferred accounts, spending and savings forecasts, stock options and restricted stock strategies, insurance coverage and estate planning. 8    Implementation We coordinate the opening of any brokerage or custodian accounts, communicate all trade information to the broker and custodian and otherwise assist you in implementing our recommendations. © Copyright 2012 - Frederic T. Kutscher Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Disclaimer