Most portfolios aren't badly built. They're built in
isolation — without regard to the tax return they'll show up on,
the retirement income they'll eventually fund, or the other accounts
sitting somewhere else. Stonewell manages the money with those things
in view.
Asset allocation
How your money is divided among stocks, bonds, and cash is
the decision that drives most of your long-term result. We set
that mix against your timeline and what you actually need the
money to do — not against a model portfolio picked off a
shelf.
Risk tolerance
A portfolio only works if you can hold it through a bad
year. We'd rather build something slightly more conservative
that you'll stay invested in than something optimal on paper
that you abandon at the worst possible moment.
Diversification
Spreading holdings across companies, sectors, and
geographies so that no single position determines your
outcome. It's unglamorous and it's most of the job.
Rebalancing
Left alone, a portfolio drifts. Strong performers grow into
an outsized share and quietly increase your risk. Rebalancing
resets the mix back to target — and doing it with an eye
on the tax bill is where it gets done well or done carelessly.
Asset location
Not just what you own, but which account owns it. Holdings
that generate taxable income belong in tax-deferred accounts
where possible; assets you expect to grow substantially may be
better in a Roth. Same investments, different tax outcome, no
change in risk.
Tax-loss harvesting
When a position is down, selling it can capture a loss that
offsets gains elsewhere while keeping your allocation intact.
It's an annual opportunity most portfolios leave on the table.
Accounts we don't manage
Your 401(k) at work is usually the largest account we can't
hold directly. We build around it rather than ignoring it, so
the allocation you're paying us to design accounts for
everything you own — not just the part at Schwab.