Services
Investment Management
Most investment firms build a portfolio and leave the retirement income question for later. We start with your retirement income target, the number produced by our Replace Your Paycheck framework, and build a portfolio designed to reach it at a level of risk you can live with through any market cycle.
An Investment Approach With a Documented Method Behind It
Investment management and portfolio management in the Lake Oswego and Portland, Oregon area offers no shortage of advisors willing to put you in a diversified portfolio. What most don't offer is a named methodology, a documented process for selecting managers, and a clear explanation of how your portfolio connects to your retirement income plan.
We build portfolios using Modern Portfolio Theory, a framework rooted in academic market research that treats diversification as a mathematical discipline, not a general principle. Portfolios are globally diversified, rebalanced quarterly, and coordinated directly with your tax strategy and your Replace Your Paycheck retirement target so that no investment decision is made in isolation.
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Our Investment Philosophy
How Does Modern Portfolio Theory Work for Retirement?
Modern Portfolio Theory, developed by economist Harry Markowitz, is built on the principle that a portfolio's risk and expected return are determined not just by individual holdings but by how those holdings interact with each other. When assets are diversified across categories that don't move in lockstep, the portfolio absorbs volatility more efficiently than any single position can on its own.
For retirement-stage investors, MPT is applied to construct a globally diversified portfolio positioned to deliver the highest expected returns at a given risk level, rather than attempting to time the market or identify winning sectors. The portfolio is rebalanced quarterly to keep it aligned with its intended risk profile, regardless of short-term market noise.
This approach does not eliminate market risk. What it does is give you a portfolio built for volatility from the start, so a downturn doesn't require you to make reactive decisions at the worst possible moment.
Built for Your Risk Profile
Matched to Your Risk Tolerance, Not a Standard Model
Generic model portfolios (conservative, moderate, aggressive) are a starting point at best. The right level of investment risk for any client depends on their retirement timeline, their income sources, their tax situation, and their realistic capacity to hold through a down market without abandoning the plan.
We assess risk tolerance as a concrete part of the planning process, not a checkbox on an intake form. The portfolio we build for you reflects your actual retirement number, your actual timeline, and your actual response to loss — not the average response of someone who selected the same label you did.
How It Connects to Replace Your Paycheck
How Your Investment Account Connects to Your Retirement Plan
Inside our Replace Your Paycheck framework, your individual or joint investment account is one of three coordinated accounts that together form your retirement income structure. That account is not managed in isolation. It is built to work alongside your tax-advantaged retirement accounts and your distribution strategy, so every withdrawal decision accounts for tax consequences and income sequencing at the same time.
That coordination is what separates a retirement investment plan from a general investment portfolio. The full structure is outlined on our Retirement & Financial Planning page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Questions About Investment Management
How does Modern Portfolio Theory work for retirement investing?
Modern Portfolio Theory builds portfolios by combining assets that don't move in lockstep, so when one part of the market drops, the whole portfolio doesn't drop with it. For retirement-stage investors, MPT is applied to construct a globally diversified portfolio that delivers expected returns at a risk level the client can sustain through a downturn, rather than one optimized purely for maximum short-term gains.
What is the difference between fee-only and fee-based investment management?
We are Fee-Only
How often is my portfolio rebalanced?
Portfolios are rebalanced quarterly to keep them aligned with their intended risk profile. Rebalancing is part of a disciplined, scheduled process rather than a reactive response to short-term market movements.
How do I know my investments are actually working toward my retirement number?
We tie every portfolio directly to the retirement income target produced by our Replace Your Paycheck framework. That number — how much monthly income your savings need to sustain — becomes the benchmark against which portfolio construction, manager selection, and risk tolerance decisions are all measured.
Ready to Put Your Portfolio to Work?
Build a Portfolio That Has a Job to Do
If your investment strategy isn't connected to a specific retirement income target, it's hard to know whether it's working. Let's build one that is.