Broker Check

Investment Process

The Steps of our Investment Management Process

Self-discipline is not self-denial, and the purpose of a financial check up is not to have you do without, rather to enable you to do more.

At GHJ Financial Group, we use a multi-step Investment Management Process to maximize our clients’ ability to achieve their financial goals. This process draws from prudent investor rules, the financial planning process, institutional money management, coaching, and consulting. The basic steps are:

Step One

Get to know you/get to know us: This is an in-person meeting where we describe who we are, what we do, and how we do it. We also get a feel for your goals, your attitude toward risk and investment markets, and whether our approach and discipline is a good fit for your situation. After our initial meeting, you decide if you’d like to work with us, and we proceed to Step #2.

Step Two

Document your current situation, complete the Confidential Financial Profile: This is gathering the hard data (income, expenses, current assets and liabilities (net worth), allocations, etc.).  With this information, we can analyze asset performance, plot portfolio efficiency, evaluate taxes and costs, and determine portfolio overlap and diversification.  This is necessary so that we can do our job, which is to provide you with an integrated, consolidated, and coherent view of your overall positions, not just a part of it.  This does not require that we manage all your assets, but that we are aware of them. 

Step Three

Determine the appropriate form of asset ownership:  Are your various assets titled in the most advantageous manner?  This can be critical in minimizing taxes, liabilities, and risks from non-investment related activities.

Step Four

Present our Thoughts, Observations, Recommendations: This is the second in our series of meetings. This normally occurs 10 to 14 days after we receive all the information from Step #2. During this time we do a thorough partner analysis of your situation, which brings our diverse backgrounds and experiences together for your benefit.

Step Five

Write an Investment Policy Statement:  This will lead to agreement in direction, guidance and responsibilities (becomes our road map) for how we will accomplish your goals.  This "Road Map" keeps everyone on track and is reviewed at least once a year.

Step Six

Once the policies, contracts, and accounts are established:  We will meet again to deliver our Investment Plan & Insurance Documents notebook which will help you organize your Financial Information. We will make sure you understand your plan, and will discuss each of our responsibilities and accountabilities as we move forward together

Step Seven

Monitor your plan:  This is the critical ongoing evaluation and review of your goals, objectives, investments, cash flow – everything! Changes in job circumstances, life events, market conditions, etc. may lead to a restructuring at various points in the future.