Asset Allocation Strategies in Alpharetta, GA
Choose an investment mix that fits what your money needs to do.
FEE-ONLY · FIDUCIARY · INDEPENDENT RIA · MARC DANER, CFP®, ChFC® · 30+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
Give Each Part of Your Portfolio a Purpose
Asset allocation is how you divide your investments among stocks, bonds, and cash. That mix should reflect what you need the money to do, when you will use it, and how much uncertainty you can accept.
At Daner Wealth Management in Alpharetta, you work directly with Marc Daner to connect those decisions to your financial plan. We consider your existing investments together, including retirement accounts, taxable accounts, and employer shares.
Start With Your Goals and Timeline
Money for a home purchase next year has a different job than savings intended to support decades of retirement. Treating both the same can leave you taking too much risk with money you need soon or limiting growth where you have more time.
A high salary alone does not determine your investment mix. If bonuses or company shares make up much of your compensation, income may vary. Your allocation also needs to account for expenses and savings available when that income falls short.
Understand What Stocks, Bonds, and Cash Contribute
Each part of the mix has a role and a tradeoff:
- Stocks offer long-term growth potential, with prices that can fall sharply.
- Bonds can provide income and help balance stock exposure, but they can also lose value.
- Cash keeps money available for near-term needs, though inflation can reduce its purchasing power over time.
The proportions matter, as do the investments within each category. A stock allocation concentrated in one industry is different from one spread across companies and countries.
Our investment philosophy uses globally diversified funds and ETFs that track indexes or follow stated investment rules, with attention to costs. Diversification helps spread risk; it cannot prevent market losses.
Coordinate the Mix Across Accounts
An old 401(k), your current retirement plan, and a brokerage account may each look reasonable on their own. The question is whether their combined holdings give you the mix you intended. Different account purposes and tax rules can justify different holdings.
Employer stock also belongs in that picture. A diversified retirement account may not offset a large company-stock holding elsewhere. Considering an outside account in your allocation does not mean Daner manages it directly.
Selling investments that have gained value in a taxable account can create a tax bill. We weigh that cost when considering changes. New contributions may also help bring the mix closer to its target without selling existing holdings.
Build a Mix You Can Live With
A strategy needs to account for both your willingness to accept losses and your ability to absorb them. You may feel comfortable with market swings but have little flexibility if the money is needed soon.
We discuss those tradeoffs before choosing the mix. Our investment risk management work considers exposures that could interfere with your plans, including company stock and the need to sell during a downturn.
Keep the Allocation Aligned With Your Life
Markets can move your holdings away from their intended proportions. Rebalancing restores the mix; a change in your goals may call for revising the target.
A job change, approaching retirement, or a substantial planned withdrawal can prompt that review. Through portfolio management, we monitor the investments and adjust as needed. Our approach does not depend on predicting which market will perform best next.
How We’re Paid
As a fee-only firm, our primary service is comprehensive financial planning and investment management for an annual fee based on the assets we manage, generally around 1% on a tiered scale. For prospective clients who are considering our ongoing wealth management services but aren't ready to commit, we also offer the option of developing an initial comprehensive financial plan for a one-time, flat fee. We don't earn commissions from selling investment or insurance products. We'll walk you through exactly what that means for your situation before you commit to anything.
Why Work With Daner Wealth Management
Marc Daner has worked with clients in the Atlanta area for more than 30 years, and holds both the CFP® and ChFC® designations.
Daner Wealth Management is a fee-only, independent Registered Investment Adviser, which means we aren't affiliated with a brokerage or insurance company, and we're held to a fiduciary standard that requires us to act in your best interest. We don't sell annuities, insurance products, or in-house funds, and nothing we recommend earns us a commission. For clients who want an advisor required by law to put their interests first, that structure matters.
Asset Allocation Strategies Questions
There is no single mix that fits everyone. A familiar stock-and-bond ratio can be a starting point for discussion, but it does not account for your spending needs, other assets, or ability to withstand losses.
Allocation sets the proportions among investment categories. Diversification spreads exposure across and within those categories. You could hold both stocks and bonds yet remain concentrated if most were issued by the same company.
A long-term, or strategic, allocation sets a target mix around your goals and rebalances toward it. Tactical allocation changes the mix based on shorter-term market views. Daner’s approach focuses on your plan and changing circumstances rather than market forecasts.
Still have questions?
the combined mix still fits your goals and when you need the money.
