ServicesInvestment Management
Investment Management in Red Bank
We build and run investment portfolios around your goals: asset allocation, fund selection, rebalancing and tax-aware trading. Before we place a single trade, you get our scope of work and every fee in writing, so you know what you pay and what you get for it.
What investment management covers
Investment management is the day-to-day work of running a portfolio. That means choosing the mix of stocks, bonds and cash that fits your timeline, picking the funds or securities that fill each slot, and keeping that mix on target as markets move. A portfolio left alone drifts. After a strong year for stocks, a 60/40 allocation can quietly become 70/30, which means more risk than you signed up for.
We hold the Series 7 and SIE licenses, the securities registrations required to recommend and place trades in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and ETFs. We work with clients at our office or by phone and video, from Red Bank out to Holmdel and Long Branch.
This service is the right call when you have savings beyond a cash reserve for unexpected bills, more than one account to coordinate, or a goal far enough out that how the money is invested matters as much as how much you save. If you want the bigger picture first, our financial planning page covers how the portfolio fits the rest of your finances.
What the work includes
Target asset allocation
We set a written target for each asset class based on when you need the money and how much decline you can sit through. The target is the yardstick for every later decision.
Fund and security selection
We compare expense ratios, tracking error and overlap before choosing holdings. Two funds with different names can own many of the same companies, and we check for that.
Rebalancing to set bands
Instead of trading on a calendar out of habit, we rebalance when an asset class drifts past a set band. That keeps trading costs and taxable sales down.
Tax-aware placement and trading
Tax-inefficient holdings such as taxable bond funds generally belong in IRAs and 401(k)s, while broad stock index funds often sit better in taxable accounts. When we sell, we choose specific tax lots and watch for wash-sale conflicts across your accounts.
Account coordination
Old 401(k)s, IRAs, a brokerage account and a spouse's plan are treated as one portfolio. We look at what each account holds so the whole adds up to your target.
Written reviews
You get periodic reports showing holdings, performance against a stated benchmark, trades made and fees charged.
Signs your portfolio needs a manager
You can't name what you pay
Fund expense ratios, account fees and advisory fees add up and are rarely shown in one place. If you don't know the total, it is worth finding out.
Too much in one stock
Employer stock or a single inherited position can grow into a large share of your net worth. One company's bad year then becomes your bad year.
Accounts scattered across firms
Several old workplace plans and an IRA or two make it hard to see your real allocation, and easy to own the same thing four times.
Cash sitting idle
Large balances left in a settlement or savings account for years lose ground to inflation. Money meant for long-term goals usually needs a plan.
No rebalancing since you opened it
If you set the allocation years ago and never touched it, market moves have likely shifted your risk level without you deciding to.
How we take on your portfolio
- 1
Introductory meeting
We talk through your goals, timeline and current accounts. You leave knowing whether this service fits and what we would need from you.
- 2
Statement and cost-basis review
We go through your recent statements, holdings and cost basis. That shows current fees, overlap and any gains that would be taxed if sold.
- 3
Written proposal
You receive a written scope: the target allocation, the accounts we would manage, how and when we rebalance, and every fee involved. Nothing is added later that isn't on that page.
- 4
Account setup and transition
Once you agree, we handle the transfer paperwork. Where selling a position would trigger a large taxable gain, we may phase the move over time.
- 5
Ongoing oversight
We monitor drift, review holdings and meet with you on the schedule in your agreement, updating the plan when your life or goals change.
How the management fee is set
The price of investment management comes down to the size and complexity of what we oversee, plus the way we are paid for that oversight. During the proposal step we put the fee structure and the expected total on paper, before you sign anything. If a charge is not in that document, you will not see it later.
- Portfolio size
- The dollar value of the assets we oversee is usually the biggest single factor in what you pay.
- How many accounts, and which kinds
- Keeping taxable accounts, traditional IRAs, Roth accounts and a spouse's workplace plan working as one portfolio takes more hours than running a single account.
- What you already own
- Concentrated stock positions, shares with a low cost basis and older products that carry surrender charges call for extra analysis before any sale.
- Fund expenses inside the portfolio
- The expense ratios charged by the funds themselves sit apart from our fee. We show both side by side so the full cost is visible.
Investment management questions
Something not covered here? (732) 696-7479
Can you promise a certain return?
No. Nobody can honestly promise investment returns, and you should be wary of anyone who does. What we can control is cost, diversification, tax efficiency and discipline in sticking to your allocation.
What do the Series 7 and SIE licenses mean for me?
The SIE covers core securities industry knowledge, and the Series 7 allows us to recommend and place trades in a broad range of securities. Together they mean we are registered to handle the investment side of your portfolio directly.
Do I have to move all my accounts to work with you?
Not necessarily. Some accounts, such as a current employer 401(k), usually stay with the plan, and we can recommend an allocation within its fund menu. Your written proposal spells out which accounts we manage and which we only advise on.
Will selling my current funds create a tax bill?
It can, in taxable accounts. We check cost basis first and, where a sale would realize a large gain, we may keep a position, sell it in stages or pair gains with available losses. Inside IRAs and 401(k)s, trades generally have no immediate tax effect.
How often will we talk?
The review schedule is written into your agreement, and you can reach us by phone between reviews. We also reach out after major life events or when a portfolio drifts past its bands.
See your portfolio laid out clearly
Bring your recent statements to an introductory meeting. We will talk through what you hold and what it costs, and explain how we would manage it, with the scope and fees put in writing afterward.