Systematic Investment Methodology
Grounded in fiduciary responsibility. Executed with discipline. Designed for long-term outcomes.
A Research-Driven Approach to Building Wealth
At Global Financial Advisory Services, every investment decision is guided by our fiduciary commitment to act in your best interests. Rather than relying on market predictions or short-term views, our Systematic Investment Methodology emphasizes asset allocation, diversification, risk management, and long-term discipline.
Our approach is built on a simple principle: portfolios should serve your goals. While every client's situation is unique, the way we make investment decisions follows a consistent, disciplined structure informed by decades of academic research.
Portfolios should be built to serve client goals. While every client's situation is unique, the way investment decisions are made follows a consistent, disciplined structure.
Our Five-Step Process
A systematic approach that integrates financial planning insights with portfolio construction and ongoing oversight.
Understanding Your Goals
Your goals define the purpose of your portfolio. We begin by developing a clear understanding of your financial objectives, time horizons, assets, account types, and personal priorities. This context informs every aspect of portfolio design and is revisited regularly as your life evolves.
Assessing Risk
Achieving long-term success requires thoughtful risk management aligned with your unique circumstances. We evaluate three key dimensions: your ability to take risk based on time horizon and income stability, your willingness to take risk reflecting comfort with temporary declines, and your need to take risk driven by return requirements.
Investment Strategy
We believe informed clients make better long-term investors. Understanding how and why portfolios are constructed increases the likelihood of maintaining discipline during both favorable and challenging market conditions. Our approach reflects core principles backed by academic research.
Building Your Portfolio
Once discovery is complete, we implement your portfolio using low-cost, systematic funds for stock allocations, high-quality bonds for stability, strategic asset location across account types, and tax-managed investments when appropriate to improve after-tax returns.
Ongoing Maintenance
A disciplined approach requires ongoing oversight including systematic rebalancing with tolerance bands, tax-loss harvesting to offset future gains, tax-efficient withdrawal strategies, and regular reviews to ensure portfolios remain aligned with your evolving goals.
The Evidence-Driven Difference
Our portfolios are built on five pillars supported by more than 50 years of peer-reviewed financial research.
Markets Are Highly Efficient
We believe current prices reflect the best estimate of value and don't try to outsmart the market. Billions of dollars traded daily means competition sets fair prices.
Risk and Reward Are Related
Higher potential returns require accepting more risk and greater fluctuations in value. We help you understand these tradeoffs and find the right balance.
Diversification Is Essential
Holding multiple types of investments reduces the risk that any single investment will drag on performance. It's been called the only free lunch in investing.
Pursue Factors of Return
Research shows that allocating more to companies with certain characteristics—smaller, higher quality, less expensive—can increase potential returns over time.
Focus on What You Can Control
Rather than predicting interest rates or market movements, we focus on setting a thoughtful strategy and following a disciplined process.
Core Investment Principles
Six key concepts guide how our portfolios are designed and managed.
Asset Allocation Is Foundational
Strategic allocation across asset classes is the primary driver of long-term returns and risk. Thoughtful diversification helps balance growth and stability.
Global Diversification Reduces Reliance
Academic evidence shows investors should own U.S., international, and emerging markets stocks rather than concentrating solely on domestic companies.
Systematic Factor Exposure
Companies that share certain characteristics—smaller in size, higher quality, less expensive—have historically outperformed the overall market.
Fixed Income for Risk Management
High-quality bonds are used primarily to reduce portfolio volatility and support stability, not to speculate on interest rates or credit cycles.
Evidence Supports Select Alternatives
In some portfolios, modest allocations to alternative strategies may enhance diversification or manage risk, with careful attention to liquidity, cost, and taxes.
Methodology Evolves With Evidence
Markets change, research advances, and client needs shift. Our process adapts deliberately through governance and research, not in reaction to short-term events.
A Partnership for the Long Term
Discovery continues for the length of our relationship. As life progresses, your financial goals, health, and values will likely change. We strive to stay on top of these changes and help you understand their impact from a financial perspective. A relationship grounded in fiduciary obligation, while effectively incorporating academic evidence, is vital to our systematic approach.
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