In my role, I meet with prospective families searching for a new financial planner. Many people we meet have a specific issue they are trying to solve, but some just have a general sense they could do better.

Recently I asked a potential new family how much they were paying their current financial advisor; they said, “Nothing.” Nothing? In reviewing their statements, we knew they were getting charged 1.00% on the value of the managed assets plus additional fees on the underlying holdings, but I wanted to ensure they knew the answer. After an awkward silence, I asked them if they knew their asset allocation or long-term performance. They didn’t have a good answer for either question.

As a client of Hill Investment Group, we take pride in the clarity and simplicity of our communications and reporting. We always want you to know your asset allocation, portfolio performance, and fees. While many in our industry hide from these vital signs, we lean into ensuring you know them. Awareness brings several benefits to our relationships. If this message seems obvious, we agree, and yet it is rare that we meet with folks who have a clear sense of these three vital answers.

If you have a friend or family member that doesn’t know or can’t get the answers to these “vital signs,” there’s good news. We can help. 

Click here to schedule a Discovery meeting with PJ.

In my experience, most people are reluctant to speak to a new advisor. Often, the hesitation is rooted in logistics: the obligatory transition process involving opening accounts and selling their assets sounds daunting. As part of our Hillfolio service level, we’ve built out a sweet start-to-finish process of setting up an account, approving asset transfers, and, most importantly, setting up a monthly contribution. It generally takes about 25 minutes – less time than it takes to watch an episode of your favorite Netflix show. You can set up your account securely and seamlessly from your phone or with a couple clicks of your computer mouse. We are always here to make this process feel effortless for you, every step of the way.

The process boils down to these 4 simple steps

1. Answer a few straightforward questions so we can understand your current situation and future goals,
2. Choose the account(s) you want to open,
3. Electronically sign a form that gives us permission to transfer your assets into a low cost globally diversified portfolio of nearly 13,000 companies,
4. Set up a monthly contribution that aligns with your budget and goals,

No paper. No 800 numbers. No sales gibberish. No hidden fees. We’ll also set you up with our app so you’ll get a notification when we rebalance your portfolio (at no extra charge). 

Ready to talk? Just pick a time on this calendar.

At the risk of gushing, I am proud of you. I’m proud, because none of you (our clients) called us in panic or concern when the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 800 points on October 10.

A friend sent me a mid-day message that day: “Are your phones blowing up? People are losing their minds right now.” My message back: “You know we prepare folks to take the long view. Not one call.” As I publish this post on October 30, the market remains cranky. Who knows what’s in store in the short run? So far, Hill Investment Group clients, I remain delighted over your resolve, your mental toughness, your non-reaction when baited. Don’t get me wrong, I derive no pleasure from watching steep market declines. To an extent, I blame the media pundits. I can barely stomach the way they seize on the short-term gyrations to provide empty explanations. It grates on me to watch them leverage the market’s equivalent of a car crash, preying on our human frailties, knowing full well that fear will drive eyeballs their way. That said, there is rare advice to be mined out of the media. For example, The Wall Street Journal just released an amazing piece by UCLA behavioral economist Shlomo Benartzi, “The High Financial Price of Our Short Attention Spans.” Dr. Benartzi has so much good advice, I’d have to quote nearly the entire article to share my favorite parts. Perhaps this subhead will suffice: “Focus on the most relevant information, not the most available.” Or this: “Your biggest mistakes will come from overreacting to the latest stock swings, not underreacting.” Now, go read the rest (by clicking the link above). One way we strive to keep our clients on course here at HIG when others are “losing their minds” is to remind them of these simple, but powerful lessons:

1. Allocate intentionally. Your asset allocation was a decision we made together, based on the mix most likely to help you achieve your unique goals. Any random day (or month, or even year or few) shouldn’t change that.
2. Diversify globally. Your globally diversified portfolio typically includes roughly 12,000 stocks from the US and beyond. You’re already set to receive appropriate exposure to risks and expected returns from worldwide markets.
3. Rebalance habitually. Rebalancing sounds easy, but it takes guts, and is hugely important. It’s as close as we get to leveraging market moves, trimming high-flying asset classes (selling high) and restoring recent underdogs (buying low), according to your personalized portfolio plans.
4. Take the Long View.® Everything we do is about putting the math on your side. What happens in the short run is tough to predict. But we know what the science of investing says, and we’ve built your portfolio accordingly.

Combined, these four principles suggest that simple discipline may be the most important ingredient of all in becoming a world-class investor. I couldn’t tell you whether we’ve just experienced a random blip or the beginning of a bigger correction. But I am confident that we’ve prepared our clients for either outcome, and nearly any other permutation we may encounter.