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DESCRIPTION
OF PROGRAMS
Good Shepherd Approach
This is an actively managed, diversified
investment program which attempts to generate positive absolute returns,
with below average risk, in virtually any market environment. In
pursuit of these objectives, this approach necessarily avoids a buy-and-hold
approach and a pre-determined asset mix, both common within the industry,
and instead continually repositions client assets among those areas
of the capital markets that are perceived to be most attractive in
light of contemporaneous conditions--whatever and wherever they may
be. This is a highly flexible, "top
down" or "macro" approach. General market stock, bond and money market
mutual funds are utilized, but
special situation funds and individual securities, in both this country
and abroad, also will be used. For example, Stocks, Bonds, Notes,
Real Estate, and/or Cash equivalents will be alternately emphasized,
or totally avoided, as changing market conditions dictate. Since
the Good Shepherd program is managed primarily with an eye towards
controlling risk, and only secondarily to maximizing return, we generally
take an unleveraged, diversified approach, and any specialized holdings
typically will be kept to a minority position. This program is most
appropriate to clients who want the higher total returns characteristic
of the stock and bond markets, but want to try to avoid the severe,
prolonged sinking spells which the capital markets periodically experience.
Because it follows an actively managed as opposed to a long term
hold approach, the Good Shepherd style is not optimally tax efficient.
Acrobat Approach
This is a very actively
managed program which attempts to generate positive absolute returns
in virtually any market environment. While we take risk management
seriously, this is an aggressive approach which will invest in
any area that appear to offer the opportunity for high returns
at the time. This will include general market funds, but it also
will include individual securities and specialized sector funds
such as Gold, Internet, Japan, Biotech funds, among others. We
also may occasionally use mutual funds that hold derivatives,
leveraged positions, and/or short positions. (However, owning
a mutual fund with a short position is significantly different
from, and much safer than "selling short"--which we never do in
these programs). Such specialized funds typically are volatile,
and therefore necessarily entail meaningful risk. However, we
attempt to manage this risk by investing in such areas only briefly;
by investing therein only when perceived risk is relatively low
and the perceived return relatively high; and by restricting the
size of any such positions. This program is appropriate to clients
who want maximum flexibility, and who are willing to invest in
virtually any market that offers the promise of positive returns,
but who also wish to try to avoid the severe, prolonged sinking
spells that these various markets periodically experience. The
Acrobat approach is different from Good Shepherd primarily in
that in the former, perceived return takes precedence
over perceived risk, whereas in the latter, risk management
is emphasized over return maximization. Since holding periods
are likely to be relatively short, the Acrobat approach is not
optimally tax efficient.
Blend
In some cases it may be appropriate to combine
some of these different approaches
and thus follow a blended approach to portfolio management.
Idiosyncratic Approach
The foregoing capsule
descriptions essentially exhaust our typically available management
programs. In our experience one of these approaches, or a combination
of two or more of these approaches, should satisfy the demands
of the vast majority of investment portfolios. However, under
special circumstances we can take various other steps in order
to tailor a client's total asset management strategy to his unique
wishes. Such an idiosyncratic approach might, for example, involve
something as simple as constructing a bond ladder, or as extensive
as hiring and supervising several outside managers with specialized
expertise in certain alternative investment vehicles. We are available
to discuss such a specialized approach.
Note on Leverage in Mutual Funds: Leverage increases
an investor = s
exposure to an index
without increasing the investment amount. This increased exposure
to an index is achieved through a fund = s
use of instruments such
as derivatives (i.e. futures, swaps, options on futures) as well
as the underlying securities that enable the leveraged fund to
pursue its objective. The objective of using leverage is to multiply
the return of the index. Investing in a leveraged fund involves
certain risks, which may include increased volatility due to the
use of options or futures. The use of equity swaps involves risks
that are different for those associated with ordinary portfolio
securities transactions. Swap agreements may be considered to be
illiquid. The Aggressive Index Approach frequently uses mutual
funds that employ leverage. The other approaches may occasionally
use such a mutual fund.
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