Helen M. Donahue, CFA

While I was an economics major at Loyola University in Baltimore, I sought a summer job that would deepen my knowledge of financial markets. I ended up finding the perfect opportunity with a three-week training program at a nearby firm, learning about different asset classes and investment vehicles. This is really where my love of investment management began. As an investment adviser, what I enjoy most is the relationship aspect, taking the time to get to know what my clients are trying to achieve with their financial assets and then using those goals to guide the construction of their unique portfolios.

Some clients are investing to provide resources after retirement. Others are seeking assistance with managing generational wealth to pass to heirs. And some are seeking to fulfill philanthropic goals. Another critical part of this relationship is knowing what each client's risk tolerance is and making sure they understand what the risks are in investing. It's just as much listening to them as it is explaining and educating along the way.

Comprehensive portfolio management extends beyond the investing side of things. I partner with my clients’ tax advisers and attorneys to ensure there is a holistic approach to their wealth management. I also manage assets for institutional clients. Many of them have an investment horizon that extends in perpetuity, which allows the opportunity to assume additional risk in their portfolios and removes the constraint of managing around realizing capital gains.

Institutional assets also have goals they are trying to meet, whether it is supporting operations for a charitable organization or investing retirement assets for a company's employees. Having worked in the investment field for over 30 years, I have witnessed many market cycles and realized the importance of adhering to an investment discipline, especially during periods of speculation. I've learned that when the investing market fuels a fear of missing out on huge returns, this can lead to pockets of extreme valuation relative to the overall equity market and relative to historical valuation measures.

I believe in investing in high-quality companies that have fundamental growth drivers and that have strong balance sheets and whose earnings can support the valuation of a company's stock price. I believe in investing for the long term and I strive to have low portfolio turnover in order to manage portfolios in the most tax-efficient manner possible. Our firm also offers customized fixed income portfolio management.

Understanding your client's time horizon and income needs is critical to constructing bond portfolios. We can customize a client's bond portfolio to purchase individual bonds or invest in funds or ETFs to meet individual goals. Combining this high-quality equity approach with customized bond portfolios allows me to align clients’ investments to achieve their goals.