Services

Core Services:

Specialized Services:

INvestment Management Strategies

At The Katz Group, the foundation of our investment practice is rooted in our investment advisory managed account programs.  When acting in this capacity, we are not stock brokers or transaction-based traders. Instead, we are fee-based advisors who construct, manage, and oversee diversified and customized multi-asset class portfolios. The cornerstone of our investment process has always been, and remains, a steadfast commitment to the principles of asset allocation and diversification. We are firm believers that time in the market is far more important, and prudent, than attempting to time the market.  Therefore, we encourage our clients to embrace a long-term perspective and have the patience, discipline, and courage to remain invested and diversified throughout inevitable periods of volatility. We employ a goal-based approach to investing that prioritizes the achievement of client goals over the outperformance of well-known market indices. In other words, our process seeks to challenge the traditional “return first” mentality. By leveraging innovative planning tools to track progress relative to specific future outcomes (rather than simply comparing a portfolio’s return to that of a market index), we aim to keep our clients focused on what truly matters most and help them avoid the potential pitfalls of assuming unnecessary risk to chase excess returns. Our team is dedicated to helping our clients navigate complex and turbulent markets by making sure that their portfolios are appropriately positioned for the current (and prospective) investment environment based on their risk tolerance, time horizon, and investment objectives.

For more details about our investment process, we encourage you to view our Investment Policy Statement here

Retirement planning strategies

After years of hard work, many people eagerly contemplate and look forward to retirement.  Retirement planning today has become a much more complicated and intricate task than it was in previous generations.  According to the Social Security Office of Retirement and Disability Policy, "the percentage of workers covered by a traditional defined benefit (DB) pension plan that pays a lifetime annuity, often based on years of service and final salary, has been steadily declining over the past 25 years."  This reality, along with Social Security benefits making up a smaller portion of the total retirement income solution, now forces many retirees to more heavily rely on their own savings and assets to generate sufficient retirement income.  The good news is that there is a plethora of new and innovative options available in the marketplace today that facilitate turning retiree nest eggs into reliable and sustainable income streams throughout retirement.  We create comprehensive strategies, often blending together multiple products with unique and complementary features, to help provide our clients with an efficient (current or future) retirement income solution while maintaining adequate flexibility to adapt to changing or unexpected circumstances.

Asset Protection and Risk Management strategies

It is often believed that sufficient insurance planning is as simple as checking off a list of insurance coverages in yes or no format.  This half-hearted approach is inadequate in a space that has become increasingly nuanced and often leads to a false sense of protection, particularly when it comes to life insurance.  Life insurance can help protect your family or business from financial hardship, or can be used simply to leave a legacy for your loved ones.  The death benefit that is received by your named beneficiaries is generally free of federal income tax and can be used for a variety of purposes including daily living expenses (income replacement), home expenses (pay off the mortgage), education (safeguard the college fund), retirement (ensure a comfortable retirement for your spouse), final expenses (estate taxes, funeral costs, outstanding medical bills), and business continuation.  There are many different types of products and riders available in the marketplace today.  We are committed to helping our clients confirm that they have the appropriate amount of coverage, the appropriate type of coverage that aligns with their needs and objectives, and that their coverage and policy provisions are keeping pace with the changes in their lives. 

Legal Settlement Investment Strategies

Legal settlement investment strategies are customized, comprehensive portfolios that are designed for clients who have received a lump-sum of money as a result of a personal injury lawsuit. This is a space that can often be characterized by subtleties and complexities that do not typically arise in more conventional planning situations and, therefore, requires experience and expertise. If the settlement proceeds are to be held in trust for an incapacitated individual, the proposed investment strategy may be required to be presented before a judge in order to receive court approval. There also may be various parties involved, of which careful coordination and integration is imperative. As the Advisor in these situations, we work with a team of legal and tax professionals, parents/guardians, trustees, and corporate trustees to help ensure that the investment strategy remains appropriate and continues to function in accordance with the needs of the client. We have been devising and managing investment strategies for recipients of personal injury settlements since 2010. Their stories inspire us, their resilience amazes us, and the bonds that we’ve formed are incredibly meaningful to us.

tax-efficient investment strategies

A basic risk/return mentality leads many investors to believe that the only way to generate higher returns is to assume additional risk. Taxable non-retirement accounts, however, can present an opportunity for investors to employ a variety of strategies that have the potential to enhance their after-tax returns simply by mitigating tax drag, rather than augmenting their risk profiles. Examples include utilizing tax-free securities, avoiding short-term realized capital gains, reducing portfolio turnover, and opportunistically harvesting tax losses. On a broader level, tax diversification refers to the practice of accumulating assets in various types of accounts that offer different tax treatment. This allows investors to have more flexibility when it comes to their future withdrawal strategies and more control over their tax situations. For instance, having access to retirement funds through tax-deferred and tax-free vehicles can offer savvy retirees the ability to strategically fill up a given tax-bracket before tapping into their tax-free income sources. Although we are not tax advisors (please consult your personal tax professional for specific tax related questions), we are certainly equipped with the necessary expertise and capabilities to help our clients keep more of what they earn en route to achieving more tax-efficient long-term outcomes.

Estate Planning strategies

It is a common misconception that estate planning applies only to high net-worth individuals and families with large estates who are seeking to minimize inheritance taxes. Estate planning actually applies to anyone who wants to provide financial security for his or her loved ones- it involves making sure that your assets are passed on to whom you want, when you want, and in the manner that you want.  Some people put off estate planning because they already have a will and/or trust in place, but they don't realize that many assets pass outside the provisions of a will or trust and this may result in unintended consequences. Estate planning is not something that should be done only once.  Rather, it is an ongoing process that requires regular reviews to ensure that your strategy remains reflective of your current circumstances and prevailing tax laws. Although we do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice, we frequently work closely with tax and legal specialists to assist our clients with their estate planning needs.

Advanced Planning strategies

Sometimes the optimal solution for a client’s financial needs cannot be properly developed using traditional vehicles or strategies, and requires thinking outside the box. In these instances, which often involve affluent and/or business-owner clients, we will not only draw on our team’s vast and varied industry experience, but also leverage a deep bench of professional resources. For example, Prudential’s own in-house Advanced Planning Group consists of highly knowledgeable consultants and subject matter experts who are available to assist us on a case-by-case basis in designing creative strategies that utilize sophisticated techniques to help accomplish even the most complex client goals.