Forging Strategic Partnerships to Protect Clients

​Investors rejoiced when the current bull market reached its eighth straight year of rising United States stock prices. However, as with anything as volatile as the stock market, it also leaves investors on edge as they wait for the next downturn or recession.

"Traditional firms rely on the same old portfolios which are 60 percent stocks and 40 percent bonds," says Drew Horter, founder and chief investment strategist of Horter Investment Management. "Unlike those firms, we don’t just invest our clients’ hard-earned money, then sit around and hope things go well. Our managers execute active daily management by going to a risk-off position when necessary (based on their algorithms/models), while striving to make money regardless if interest rates or stocks are going up or if they’re going down."

"We want our clients to be able to sleep at night and not worry about the stock market that keeps going up and up and up and waiting for it to come crashing down. This bull market in stocks is in its ninth year."

Today, Horter has more than 340 advisers in 39 states and manages assets of over $1.3 billion.

Because of Horter’s reputation, it has helped form a number of strategic partnerships that both expands their client base and provides more opportunities for their clients to invest. Many of the partnerships have come from the investment advisor trainings that Horter holds frequently throughout the year.

"New groups who attend our trainings often approach us after they get a feel for who our firm is and want to become a strategic partner," says Horter.

"In my opinion we are probably the best in the country to teach investment advisers on how to help as many clients as possible lower their risk/drawdown while continually servicing their clients’ portfolios."

Horter’s success has been noted in Forbes Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and Fox Business News.

"Through our industry connections, they’ve seen how we’re able to help protect financial lives with our low-volatility investment management style," says Horter. "We show our strategic partners how to provide their advisors and their clients across the country, our style of financial management that is focused on low drawdown risk."

Horter Investment Management works with CPAs and other professional networks.

"One thing we’ve been teaching CPAs with their 500 to 1000 or so clients is how to access a portfolio management system for their clients that strives to be less risky," says Horter. "We also advise them on how to have their small business clients invest their excess cash flow into qualified plans (contributing $100,000 to $400,000+ per year) and take advantage of the 2006 Tax Reform Act."

"We introduce them to our certified actuarial firm to design a qualified plan (Cash Balance and Profit Strong Plan) that can hasten their pace to reach a comfortable retirement through what we call the ‘Super 401K.’ Lots of these professionals and small business owners didn’t have any idea that they can deduct so much in their qualified retirement plans."

Instead of traditional brokerage investing models, Horter follows a fiduciary and fee based model for the client’s best interests to always be placed before the advisor’s.

"Advisors come to our trainings and partner with us because they may have clients who are pre-retirees who know that we’re in the eighth or ninth inning of this bull market. They’re bracing for the moment the market may go down and possibly lose 30 or 40 percent in the next few years," says Horter.

"They know they simply can’t have a volatile portfolio like the 40 percent bonds and 60 percent stocks. Those type of portfolios lost 30 percent back in 2008 and 2009’s Great Recession. Today, the bond market is at a 35 year low in interest rates with a likelihood of much higher rates in the future. Imagine what will happen to retirement accounts if the bond market falls apart with rising rates. These are the people that need our help most."

As Horter begins training investment advisers around the country and teaching them the Horter systems and procedures, many new advisors are working with Horter to help their clients reduce their risk and exposure.

Headquartered in Symmes Township, Horter Investment Management has licensed advisers working not only in Cincinnati, but all over the United States.

"We want to save as many financial lives as we can from another possible recession or correction like in 2008," says Horter. "Because at the end of the day, it’s not how much you were able to make, it’s how much you were able to protect your assets."

Horter Investment Management is located at 11726 Seven Gables, Cincinnati, OH 45249. For more information, call 513.984.9933 or visit www.horterinvestment.com.

Investment advisory services offered through Horter Investment Management, LLC, a SEC-Registered Investment Adviser. Horter Investment Management does not provide legal or tax advice. Investment Adviser Representatives of Horter Investment Management may only conduct business with residents of the states and jurisdictions in which they are properly registered. Insurance and annuity products are sold separately through Horter Financial Strategies, LLC. Securities transactions for Horter Investment Management clients are placed through Trust Company of America, TD Ameritrade and Jefferson National Life Insurance Company. 

Your investment advisor may recommend third-party money managers who utilize investment strategies designed to minimize portfolio volatility and reduce the risk of declines in account values.  Like any other investment strategy, this approach entails risks, including the risk that client accounts can still lose value and the risk that a defensive position may, at any given point in time, prevent client accounts from appreciating in value.