FAQ
Q: Do I have to be a self-directed investor managing my own investment portfolio to enjoy the benefits of the AlphaReturns newsletter and website?
A: No, you don’t have to manage the portfolio recommended by AlphaReturns by yourself if you are not comfortable doing so. You can take the portfolio recommendations offered by AlphaReturns to your current investment advisor or broker and ask him/her to implement it for you. Just be aware that you may encounter some resistance, especially if your current advisor/broker is employed by a large bank or Wall Street brokerage firm. By following the AlphaReturns portfolio recommendations, your advisor/broker will not be able to make much money in fees and commissions because the recommended investments do not generate high fees and commissions and trading in the portfolio is very low. Discount brokerages such as Charles Schwab, Ameritrade, Scottrade, and others may be more helpful in implementing the AlphaReturns portfolio for you since these firms are not traditional Wall Street banks or brokerages. AlphaReturns has no affiliation whatsoever with the discount brokerages mentioned above, although Mr. Shore does have a relationship with Schwab Institutional for the private trust he manages.
Q: What are Mr. Shore’s qualifications for managing investments?
A: Prior to managing institutional private trust portfolios, Mr. Shore was an executive in the computer industry and held various executive management positions within the industry. His work experience included positions with IBM, Philips Consumer Electronics, Elo Touchsystems (a Raychem company), and VA Linux Systems (now VA Software, a NASDAQ listed company). Mr. Shore’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, master’s degree in economics, and completion of the Product Development and Operations Strategy Executive Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Q: Did Mr. Shore use exactly the same types of investment choices he is now recommending in the management of his institutional portfolios?
A: Because Mr. Shore manages millions of dollars in his institutional portfolios, he is able to utilize institutional investment managers and private investment partnerships that are not available to the small investor. In some cases these institutional managers and partnerships were able to produce investment returns that may have exceeded their respective index returns over the past five years. However, the exchange traded funds (ETF’s) and mutual funds now being recommended by AlphaReturns should result in performance that is a close approximation to the results Mr. Shore achieved in his institutional portfolios. The AlphaReturns recommendations are the next best alternative for the small investor, since small investors do not have access to institutional investment managers and partnerships.
Q: How often are the AlphaReturns portfolios updated?
A: The portfolios are updated once each quarter during the first week of the first month of each calendar quarter.
Q: How about emergency situations like 9/11 when the market tumbled and the U.S. market was closed for a few days?
A: In the case of extreme market volatility or an emergency event, Mr. Shore will make his best effort to send e-mail information to all clients pertaining to portfolio changes and will also post information on the homepage of the website.