Investment Management

There are four basic tenets to the Hayden Wealth Management investment philosophy.

1. Develop a Personalized Benchmark for Each Client

2. Maintain a “Ben Graham” Value Bias

3. Structure a Portfolio Offense and Defense

4. Retain a Disciplined, Long-Term Strategy

1. Develop a Personalized Benchmark for Each Client

Unlike many investment management firms that have become mechanistic and cookie-cutter in the way they manage portfolios, we believe that each individual is just that — an individual. Some face relatively near-term goals, such as paying for orthodontic braces, summer camp and college educations. Others may face long-term responsibilities, such as caring for aging parents or special needs children. Most of our clients’ ultimate goal is a comfortable retirement, but here, too, a comfortable retirement means something different for everyone.

That’s why Hayden aims to combine your goals, your time frame and your risk tolerance into a personalized, tailor-made benchmark of financial success.

2. Maintain a “Ben Graham” Value Bias

When we construct portfolios, our approach is to follow the philosophy of Professor Benjamin Graham, generally considered the father of value investing. Graham had a profound influence on his pupil Warren Buffett in grad school at Columbia University. Graham instilled the fundamental principles of value investing into Buffett — that is, to seek out companies in an effort to buy into them at a discount from their intrinsic value and then wait for their fair value to be realized. While past performance is no guarantee of future results, these types of investments historically tend to be less volatile in down markets.

3. Structure a Portfolio Offense and Defense

To help you on your financial journey, we strive to properly allocate you r portfolio so you’ll end up diversified among different asset classes and managers, thereby reducing overall portfolio risk. In structuring your portfolio, having a good offense and a good defense means investments with the potential to grow in rising markets as well as investments to help protect against dramatic losses in tough markets. (While diversification does help, it should also be understood that it does not ensure a profit. Also, while it is meant to minimize loss, diversification can not ensure against loss in a declining market.)

4. Retain a Disciplined, Long-Term Strategy

Clearly, we have no way of accurately predicting where the markets are going — up, down or sideways. Since we cannot control the markets, we try to control risk relative to the markets. A disciplined, long-term strategy, nourished by patience, is critical. Periodically, we will look at the advisability of rebalancing your portfolio. Our principals will meet with you — in person, on the phone and via e-mail —to keep you up to date on your investment performance and portfolio activity. We will also review any changes in your investment goals, risk profile or particular family situation. We believe that our accountability is clear and our clients’ trust is enhanced through our ongoing communication.

Hayden Wealth Management Group is an independent firm dedicated to being a trusted financial life advocate and resource. We seek to meet each client’s personalized benchmark of success by providing integrated financial planning and investment management based on objective advice, superior service and experienced judgment.