“Investing isn’t about beating others at their game.

It’s about controlling yourself at your own game.”

— Benjamin Graham

Our 4 Core Investment Beliefs

1

Markets go up over the long-run,
up and down in the short-run

We’re focused on the long-term, not temporary changes in price.

2

You can’t consistently time the market

Selling before the drop and buying back in before the rally sounds great, but it’s next to impossible to do consistently.

3

Fees are inversely related to performance

We aim to minimize taxes, turnover, and internal expenses on our investments.

“In investing, you get what you don’t pay for.”

— John C. Bogle (Founder, Vanguard)

4

Behavior is the biggest determinant of your success as an investor

Investment allocation is the easy part. Staying disciplined is the hard part.

As a result of these beliefs, we favor diversified low-cost investing strategies.

Our Investment Process

1

Define the purpose of the dollars being invested

There’s a big difference between investing for retirement in 30 years and investing for your kid’s college that starts in 2 years.

2

Define when you will need the money you are investing (time horizon)

How risky an investment is depends on how long you hold it. We’ll make sure the assets you invest in match when you’ll actually need the money.

3

Define how much risk you are willing to take

We can all afford the upside in investing, but we better first make sure we can afford the downside.

4

Determine investment allocation

What you invest in will be a direct result of your clearly defined purpose, time horizon, and risk preference.

5

Write your strategy down in an
Investment Policy Statement (IPS)

An IPS is the documentation of your purpose, time horizon, risk preference, and investment allocation. Think of an it as a “note to future self” for when your emotions inevitably amp up.

6

Execute and monitor the strategy

We’ll change your investment strategy when your purpose, time horizon, and risk preference change. Not because the market went up or down 2%.

Trusted Custodians

Ataroke never has custody of your money. If you invest with us, your money will be held at either Altruist or Charles Schwab (which one depends on the types of investments you have and your personal preference). We simply advise the custodian what investments to buy and sell on your behalf.