Investment management involves strategically constructing, managing, and monitoring a portfolio of assets—such as stocks, bonds, real estate, and alternatives—to help you achieve your financial goals. Whether you prefer to fully delegate these responsibilities or collaborate with a professional, Otium provides clear, sophisticated strategies designed to grow, preserve, and distribute your wealth with purpose and precision.
Your portfolio isn’t just a collection of investments—it’s the engine that helps drive your financial plan forward. It’s the wealth-building piece of the bigger picture.
We take care of the full process for you: from designing a personalized strategy, to implementing it, to ongoing monitoring and performance reporting.
Our philosophy is simple: invest with discipline, keep costs low, and stay globally diversified. We focus on long-term strategies—not short-term noise—while minimizing expenses such as fees and taxes. The result is a portfolio designed to grow with you and support your life goals with clarity and confidence.
Regardless of your net worth, income level, or investable balance, we dedicate the same amount of
time, effort and expertise towards the management of your portfolio.
The fees stay the same as your balance grows
– A Robo-advisor is a low barrier to entry and a low cost solution that uses sophisticated algorithms to determine your recommended mix of financial assets based on your goals and risk appetite. However, there are limitations:
(1) lack of personalization,
(2) lack of investment strategies or options,
(3) lack of empathy – no one to manage emotional rollercoasters, and
(4) little to no human interaction.
If you are looking for flexibility, customization, and/or a human touch, consider partnering with an investment manager. As an added benefit, Otium can help combine your financial plan (includes tax + retirement planning) with your portfolio to meet your objectives more efficiently.
As fee-only financial planners, we believe fees should be simple, transparent, and fair. (1) You’ll always know exactly what you’re paying, regardless of market ups and downs. (2) Because our fees don’t depend on the size of your portfolio, you can trust that our guidance is based on what’s best for you—not on keeping assets in an account. (3) Quality advice shouldn’t be limited to those with a certain net worth. Our model ensures that planning and investment expertise are available to anyone who values a comprehensive approach.
If you have the time, discipline, and patience to research investments, place trades, and regularly adjust your portfolio based on your goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon, then managing it yourself is certainly possible. The key differences come down to experience, access, and efficiency. As professional managers, we use institutional-grade tools, research, and processes to manage portfolios efficiently and effectively. We also have access to certain investments and strategies that may not be available to individual investors.
Absolutely. You’re welcome to choose your preferred custodian. For clients who don’t already have one in mind, we primarily work with Charles Schwab. They offer institutional-grade security, a wide range of investment options, advanced trading capabilities, transparent low fees, and excellent customer service.
What sets us apart is the order in which we prioritize our roles: We're a financial planner first, a risk manager second, a tax advisor third, and an investment manager last. This integrated approach allows us to truly understand who our clients are, where they stand financially today, and where they want to go in the future. By viewing the full picture—and not just the portfolio—we're able to manage risk more effectively, plan with purpose, and remain fee-conscious every step of the way.
Great question — and the truth is, the right approach depends on your goals, preferences, comfort, and the level of involvement you want in day-to-day investment decisions.
At our firm, we lead with comprehensive financial planning first — because investments are just one part of your overall financial life. Once we understand your goals, timeline, risk tolerance, tax situation, and broader financial picture, we can help determine which management style aligns best with your needs.
We build customized portfolios tailored to your unique circumstances — including your risk tolerance, objectives, time horizon, and overall financial or retirement plan. Every investment decision is grounded in the plan we build together, ensuring that your portfolio supports your long-term goals, not just short-term market movements.
We follow an open architecture investment strategy, meaning we are not tied to proprietary products or limited menus. This gives us the flexibility to choose from a wide range of investment vehicles — we're agnostic when it comes to the type of investment, and instead focus on what’s best for you.
That said, we often favor high-quality exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for their cost-efficiency, diversification, and transparency. These core holdings help mitigate overall portfolio risk while staying aligned with your personalized plan.
Yes. Before any investment decisions are made, we take the time to understand what matters most to you — including your values, comfort level with risk, investment preferences, and any specific restrictions or interests you may have.
Whether you have a desire to invest in socially responsible funds, avoid certain industries, or maintain a specific level of liquidity or diversification, we incorporate those preferences into your personalized investment strategy.
Yes — your portfolio will be monitored and rebalanced on an ongoing basis to ensure it stays aligned with your target asset allocation, goals, risk tolerance, and overall financial or retirement plan.
Over time, as markets shift and certain investments outperform or underperform, your portfolio can drift away from its intended allocation. Rebalancing helps bring your portfolio back in line — helping manage risk and maintain the right level of diversification.
Our annual rebalancing process is both disciplined and tax-aware, meaning we consider not just market movements, but also potential tax implications, cash flow needs, and changes in your personal situation before adjusting.
Absolutely! Because we lead with planning, we incorporate tax-aware investment strategies into portfolio construction and management. This may include:
Our goal is to help you keep more of what you earn, and we coordinate these strategies with your overall financial and retirement plan.
Yes — you will have secure, 24/7 access to your investment accounts.
We use Charles Schwab as our independent custodian, which means your assets are held securely in your name at one of the most trusted and established financial institutions in the industry. Through Schwab’s online portal and mobile app, you can view your portfolio, track performance, download statements, and monitor your progress toward financial goals — anytime, from anywhere.
While our full-service investment management is typically designed for clients with $500,000 or more in investable assets, we understand everyone starts somewhere.
If you're in the early stages of building wealth, we may be able to start with a financial planning-only relationship and grow with you over time. Many of our long-term clients began working with us before they reached this threshold — the key is a commitment to your financial future.
We stay in touch with you as often as needed to keep your plan on track and your mind at ease. For most clients, that includes scheduled planning and investment reviews at least annually, with many opting for semi-annual meetings.
In addition to formal meetings, you’ll receive timely updates on performance, market conditions, portfolio changes, and planning opportunities — especially when there’s something we believe you need to know or act on - on a quarterly basis.
Think of us as your financial partner, not a quarterly report. We're here when the markets move, when your life changes, and whenever you simply want a second opinion.
If you're ready to start a conversation about your financial life, schedule a complimentary introductory meeting with us today!
