Our Management Approach

All of our Global Explorer portfolios are designed for long-term investors.

  • We use a “core plus satellite” approach to constructing and managing each portfolio.
  • Each “core” consists of low-cost index funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that provide broad exposure to global securities markets.
  • “Satellites” consist of actively managed mutual funds, index funds or ETFs. We add them selectively to improve the portfolio’s performance.

We have also developed a Global ETF series of portfolios which feature only ETFs in the core and the satellites.

We have tax-sensitive versions of both the Global Explorer and Global ETF series as well.

Please contact us for more information.

Global Explorer 60 – Core

Portfolio Expense Ratio: 0.09%
(as of 1-1-2017)

Global Explorer 60 – Core Plus Satellite

Portfolio Expense Ratio: 0.22%
(as of 1-1-2017)

Global Explorer 20

Portfolio Characteristics

  • Volatility: Lowest
  • Equity Range: 15%-25%
  • Fixed Income Range: 75%-85%
  • Core Range: 50%-100%
  • Satellite Range: 0%-50%
  • Benchmark: See Core Portfolio Holdings below

Investment Objectives

For investors who seek preservation of capital with modest long-term appreciation.

Best fit: a very conservative investor who wants to minimize portfolio risk.

Core

Portfolio expense ratio: 0.08%

Core Plus Satellites

Portfolio expense ratio: 0.14%

The Fine Print:

The core of each portfolio is the low-cost “engine” that drives its performance. It can represent between 50% and 100% of the portfolio.

Satellites may be added to a portfolio if we believe that they can improve the portfolio’s performance. There may be times when a portfolio has no satellites and consists entirely of its core. But we may add one or more satellites representing up to 50% of the portfolio.

We add satellites for one of three reasons: (1) because we believe an active manager is skilled and can add value to the portfolio, (2) to gain exposure to an asset class not represented in the core or (3) to increase exposure to an asset class that is represented in the core.

Our portfolios have a “normal” allocation target for equities and fixed income assets. They also have “normal” allocation targets for US equities vs. international equities and US fixed income vs. international fixed income. We may adjust any of these targets by plus or minus 5%.

In the case of individual client portfolios, the ups and downs of the securities markets will affect the relative values of the individual investments in the portfolio over time. So we rebalance each portfolio annually.

The information shown above is provided only as an example of how the Global Explorer 20 portfolio might have been constructed at a point in time and as an illustration of the type of information First Ascent regularly provides about its portfolios. This information is not intended to represent the current allocation or composition of the Global Explorer 20 portfolio and should not be viewed as an investment recommendation. Contact us to obtain this information directly from First Ascent.

 

Global Explorer 40

Portfolio Characteristics

  • Volatility: Low
  • Equity Range: 35%-45%
  • Fixed Income Range: 55%-65%
  • Core Range: 50%-100%
  • Satellite Range: 0%-50%
  • Benchmark: See Core Portfolio Holdings below

Investment Objectives

For investors who seek some long-term appreciation, but place more emphasis on limiting downside volatility.

Best fit: a conservative investor who wants to limit risk.

Core

Portfolio expense ratio: 0.07%

Core Plus Satellites

Portfolio expense ratio: 0.18%

The Fine Print:

The core of each portfolio is the low-cost “engine” that drives its performance. It can represent between 50% and 100% of the portfolio.

Satellites may be added to a portfolio if we believe that they can improve the portfolio’s performance.  There may be times when a portfolio has no satellites and consists entirely of its core. But we may add one or more satellites representing up to 50% of the portfolio.

We add satellites for one of three reasons: (1) because we believe an active manager is skilled and can add value to the portfolio, (2) to gain exposure to an asset class not represented in the core or (3) to increase exposure to an asset class that is represented in the core.

Our portfolios have a “normal” allocation target for equities and fixed income assets. They also have “normal” allocation targets for US equities vs. international equities and US fixed income vs. international fixed income. We may adjust any of these targets by plus or minus 5%.

In the case of individual client portfolios, the ups and downs of the securities markets will affect the relative values of the individual investments in the portfolio over time. So we rebalance each portfolio annually.

The information shown above is provided only as an example of how the Global Explorer 40 portfolio might have been constructed at a point in time and as an illustration of the type of information First Ascent regularly provides about its portfolios.  This information is not intended to represent the current allocation or composition of the Global Explorer 40 portfolio and should not be viewed as an investment recommendation. Contact us to obtain this information directly from First Ascent.

 

Global Explorer 60

Portfolio Characteristics

  • Volatility: Moderate
  • Equity Range: 55%-65%
  • Fixed Income Range: 35%-45%
  • Core Range: 50%-100%
  • Satellite Range: 0%-50%
  • Benchmark: See Core Portfolio Holdings below

Investment Objectives

For investors who seek long-term appreciation and are willing to accept some downside volatility to achieve it.

Best fit: a “balanced” investor who can accept moderate risk.

Core

Portfolio expense ratio: 0.07%

Core Plus Satellites

Portfolio expense ratio: 0.20%

The Fine Print:

The core of each portfolio is the low-cost “engine” that drives its performance. It can represent between 50% and 100% of the portfolio.

Satellites may be added to a portfolio if we believe that they can improve the portfolio’s performance.  There may be times when a portfolio has no satellites and consists entirely of its core. But we may add one or more satellites representing up to 50% of the portfolio.

We add satellites for one of three reasons: (1) because we believe an active manager is skilled and can add value to the portfolio, (2) to gain exposure to an asset class not represented in the core or (3) to increase exposure to an asset class that is represented in the core.

Our portfolios have a “normal” allocation target for equities and fixed income assets. They also have “normal” allocation targets for US equities vs. international equities and US fixed income vs. international fixed income. We may adjust any of these targets by plus or minus 5%.

In the case of individual client portfolios, the ups and downs of the securities markets will affect the relative values of the individual investments in the portfolio over time. So we rebalance each portfolio annually.

The information shown above is provided only as an example of how the Global Explorer 60 portfolio might have been constructed at a point in time and as an illustration of the type of information First Ascent regularly provides about its portfolios.  This information is not intended to represent the current allocation or composition of the Global Explorer 60 portfolio and should not be viewed as an investment recommendation. Contact us to obtain this information directly from First Ascent.

Global Explorer 80

Portfolio Characteristics

  • Volatility: High
  • Equity Range: 75%-85%
  • Fixed Income Range: 15%-25%
  • Core Range: 50%-100%
  • Satellite Range: 0%-50%
  • Benchmark: See Core Portfolio Holdings below

Investment Objectives

For investors who seek long-term appreciation and are willing to accept downside volatility to achieve it.

Best fit: a growth-oriented investor with a higher tolerance for risk.

Core

Portfolio expense ratio: 0.07%

Core Plus Satellites

Portfolio expense ratio: 0.29%

The Fine Print:

The core of each portfolio is the low-cost “engine” that drives its performance. It can represent between 50% and 100% of the portfolio.

Satellites may be added to a portfolio if we believe that they can improve the portfolio’s performance.  There may be times when a portfolio has no satellites and consists entirely of its core. But we may add one or more satellites representing up to 50% of the portfolio.

We add satellites for one of three reasons: (1) because we believe an active manager is skilled and can add value to the portfolio, (2) to gain exposure to an asset class not represented in the core or (3) to increase exposure to an asset class that is represented in the core.

Our portfolios have a “normal” allocation target for equities and fixed income assets. They also have “normal” allocation targets for US equities vs. international equities and US fixed income vs. international fixed income. We may adjust any of these targets by plus or minus 5%.

In the case of individual client portfolios, the ups and downs of the securities markets will affect the relative values of the individual investments in the portfolio over time. So we rebalance each portfolio annually.

The information shown above is provided only as an example of how the Global Explorer 80 portfolio might have been constructed at a point in time and as an illustration of the type of information First Ascent regularly provides about its portfolios.  This information is not intended to represent the current allocation or composition of the Global Explorer 80 portfolio and should not be viewed as an investment recommendation. Contact us to obtain this information directly from First Ascent.

Global Explorer 100

Portfolio Characteristics

  • Volatility: Highest
  • Equity Range: 95%-100%
  • Fixed Income Range: 0-5%
  • Core Range: 50%-100%
  • Satellite Range: 0%-50%
  • Benchmark: See Core Portfolio Holdings below

Investment Objectives

For investors who seek to maximize capital appreciation and are willing to accept higher levels of downside volatility to achieve it.

Best fit: An aggressive investor with a high tolerance for risk.

Core

Portfolio expense ratio: 0.07%

Core Plus Satellites

Portfolio expense ratio: 0.31%

The Fine Print:

The core of each portfolio is the low-cost “engine” that drives its performance. It can represent between 50% and 100% of the portfolio.

Satellites may be added to a portfolio if we believe that they can improve the portfolio’s performance. There may be times when a portfolio has no satellites and consists entirely of its core. But we may add one or more satellites representing up to 50% of the portfolio.

We add satellites for one of three reasons: (1) because we believe an active manager is skilled and can add value to the portfolio, (2) to gain exposure to an asset class not represented in the core or (3) to increase exposure to an asset class that is represented in the core.

Our portfolios have a “normal” allocation target for equities and fixed income assets. They also have “normal” allocation targets for US equities vs. international equities and US fixed income vs. international fixed income. We may adjust any of these targets by plus or minus 5%.

In the case of individual client portfolios, the ups and downs of the securities markets will affect the relative values of the individual investments in the portfolio over time. So we rebalance each portfolio annually.

The information shown above is provided only as an example of how the Global Explorer 100 portfolio might have been constructed at a point in time and as an illustration of the type of information First Ascent regularly provides about its portfolios. This information is not intended to represent the current allocation or composition of the Global Explorer 100 portfolio and should not be viewed as an investment recommendation. Contact us to obtain this information directly from First Ascent.