The Managed Account Review is an online magazine launched in August of 2011. While our magazine is new, our roots are deep and varied.
The Review recently acquired ascentfx.com, which featured managed accounts and pioneered the practice of objective commentary on managed alternative investments.
PUBLISHER: Long Keel Holdings, LLC
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Oscar Omoro
EDITORIAL BOARD:
Dr Valeriano Lisanti, Investment Manager, CenturionFX Ltd.
Mark A. Hewlett, Partner Anello Asset Management LLP
MAILING ADDRESS:
2885 Sanford Ave SW #16118
Grandville, MI 49418
(231) 930-2190
A letter to our visitors
Dear Visitor,
As I grow older, I find that many of my friends who once considered their retirement funds more than ample, now feel anxious and almost powerless as they simultaneously age, lose the ability to work or be employed, and watch in dismay over the insufficient returns on their portfolio.
For someone like me, who has spent a life involved in the financial world, perhaps it’s just that I’m more aware of such friends, who once expected to be fully retired by now, with ample cash flow, great health insurance, leisurely excursions to see the world, and plenty of money to buy gifts for the kids and grand-kids.
Unfortunately, many of my friends will find themselves unprepared for what lies before them.
Younger colleagues who are still in their prime or just starting their careers, spend more on possessions than their own security. If only for a moment they would age 40 years, look back, and see how they wasted so much money. Was it really worth it? The future was much closer than they could possibly imagine. These friends can’t identify with being sixty or seventy, much less being that age and having to give up perks and treats that they wouldn’t have thought twice about when they were younger.
They talk about investing, but they don’t do it. And Social Security? Forget it. Even if it survives the current economic crisis, you can be assured it won’t be enough to cover much more than your utility bills.
If you want a depressing experience, do a bit of research on the Social Security Administration’s website. The ratios and formulas devised at the infancy of social security were flawed. They did not expect what has evolved over the decades: an aging baby-boom generation, lagging economy, high health care costs, and extended lifespans.
Benefit reductions are inevitable. While we’re happy that life expectancies are rising, some of us haven’t prepared for an extended retirement, especially one in which we’re physically active and interested in seeing the world.
For many of my friends their financial portfolios need to be much larger than they have anticipated. Imagine for a moment how much more comfortable your retirement lifestyle would be if your investments achieved or exceeded your expectations and goals.
I certainly don’t advocate financial recklessness. The assets traded by our account managers, if put in the wrong hands, have the power to wipe out an investment. As I write this, I think about the hundreds of thousands of uninformed investors who believe that consistent returns of 10% a month or more can be counted on… depended on… to make them rich. Can traders pull off phenomenal returns? Of course. We feature one in our directory.
I believe the best approaches require diversification, not only among types of assets, but among asset managers.
Allocate a small percentage of your portfolio to alternative investments. Speak to the trader if you can (we will help you do this). Be reasonable in your expectations. Allow the trader to make mistakes (he or she will). Look for the long run. If you have to, cut your losses. And finally, enjoy your gains!
All the best,
Oscar Omoro
The Review Managed Accounts
