DeFred G. Folts

Commercial banking

For active fixed-income, LBAM's decision-making process incorporates controlled duration decisions, sector decisions, and individual issue valuation decisions. They base interest rate and sector-related investment decisions on our economic growth forecast. The firm uses risk exposure analysis and risk budgeting models to quantify and manage risks associated with strategies that they design to add value relative to the benchmark index. Individual issue selections result from internal research generated by research specialists. They diversify holdings to reduce credit exposure to individual issuers. Eligible investments for core strategies include US dollar denominated investment-grade securities; for core plus strategies the universe of securities expands to include high yield. For passive bond indexing, LBAM seeks to take advantage of risk premiums as they are reflected in individual security prices. These premiums offer compensation for accepting credit and structure risks associated with individual issues. Explicit quantification and control of risks are at the heart of this investment process. The firm uses proprietary risk exposure analysis to analyze yield curve factors and spread-related factors. For each yield curve and spread factor, the portfolio is very closely matched to the index to ensure that the portfolio earns the same return as the index for any change in interest rates or change in sector spreads. Based on internally generated research, they integrate individual issue selections into the portfolio without disrupting the integrity of the portfolio structure. Holdings are diversified to reduce credit exposure to individual issuers. Eligible investments include securities included in the index, plus those that are their equivalents in terms of credit and structure risks. LBAM's high yield bond management decision-making process begins with a macro-economic framework for determining the appropriate portfolio structure according to defensive versus cyclical industries and appropriate quality orientation (between high BB to low B). Once they have established the overall structure, the firm determines specific industry weights and individual issuer selections. Their research analysts focus on identifying securities that exhibit improving credit fundamentals while avoiding those that experience deterioration in their credit quality. LBAM diversifies holdings to reduce credit exposure to individual issuers. Eligible investments include dollar denominated bonds rated below investment-grade including Rule 144A securities and the full range of structures such as pay-in-kind bonds, interest reset bonds and other instruments that are consistent with high yield investing.

Windhaven Investment Management broadly diversifies investment portfolios across asset classes and typically include exposure to U.S. and international stocks, fixed income securities, real estate, currencies and commodities. Assets held in Windhaven-managed client accounts are primarily in ETFs and may also invest in index funds, exchange-traded notes (ETNs), or mutual funds, and from time-to-time may include other securities. Clients typically choose from one of three strategies: Diversified Conservative, Diversified Growth, and Diversified Aggressive, or a combination of strategies, based on a client's objectives, risk tolerance, and other factors relevant to that client’s circumstances.

Windward's investment process is quantitative and highly disciplined. Each month they update and run market models using the most recent economic, market and behavioral data, including price levels, inflation and global interest rates. The models produce risk-adjusted expected returns for the firm's complete set of asset classes shown in their investment universe. They then adjust portfolio weightings to arrive at a construction that provides the highest expected return given a client's desired level of risk. The firm regularly includes gold, real estate and oil in their portfolios.

Functions as a College/University

Functions as a College/University

3EDGE is a global, multi-asset investment management firm that seeks to generate long-term, risk-adjusted returns over full market cycles by making investments in undervalued asset classes that are poised to begin a period of market outperformance due to identified catalysts. The firm focuses exclusively on top-down, portfolio allocation to create globally diversified portfolios. Their investment universe is broad and includes a wide variety of asset classes including equities, fixed income, real assets, commodities, gold and cash, as well as multiple currencies. They primarily utilize exchange traded funds (ETFs) to implement their strategy for clients.