Adaptive Asset Allocation^TM differs from traditional  asset allocation in two primary ways. 1. Market-Driven Investment Mix.
By design, traditional asset allocation strategies deliberately invest some portion of a portfolio's assets in funds that will lose money, many times locking investors into a given portfolio allocation based on their age, somewhat arbitrarily linked to their reported risk tolerance. Thus even in the strongest bull market, a 45 year-old investor is typically advised to have 25 or 30% of his investments losing money in bonds, not because there is any sign that the bull market may be ending, but simply because he is 45. Rather than pre-determine portfolio allocations based on an abstract determination of risk, our approach responds to the actual market. It may sound simple, but our goal is to invest in funds that are going UP and avoid those that are going DOWN. Consequently, if the market is strong, our model may seek to have all assets in the best-positioned stock funds. In a weak market, our model may show that the smartest thing to do is invest heavily in bond funds for a period, or even 100% in cash. In this fashion, our program takes advantage of gains and minimizes losses.  Click to see a real-life example of HORIZON^TM in action. 2. Increased Reallocation Frequency.
Adaptive Asset Allocation^TM does not “set-it-and-forget it.” We examine and adjust our investments more often—ten to eleven scheduled times a year—in response to actual market trends. This approach should not be confused with market timing, which tries to anticipate the market trend before it actually occurs. While we cannot guarantee our analysis will be right 100% of the time, in the event of a sudden downturn, our more frequent reallocation approach quickly gets you back on track, faster than any other approach. The Result of this combination is markedly better returns.
Over the long-term, this repeated pattern of small, serial adjustments into the best positioned investments puts you firmly on the path to Retirement Income Security—having the lifestyle you are accustomed to in retirement without having to worry about running out of money before you die.