Periodically, we are presented with valuable opportunities to remember what is most important in our lives. More than a year after the easing of restrictions imposed during the pandemic, we reflect on how our lives changed, particularly how we connect with others and how our family, friends, and health are what we cherish most. Though in our current day-to-day busy lives, without being prompted, we tend to forget this.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the world economy and global markets. The stock markets have experienced significant volatility, with sharp declines followed by periods of recovery and increased market uncertainty. When we hear about big drops in the markets and the doom and gloom reported in the media, it can be very easy to forget past conversations with your Portfolio Manager at Alitis. It can be easy to forget the story of Alitis and the foundation it was built upon.

In the conversations we have had with our clients since March 2020, most have been pleasantly surprised at their investment returns, especially when compared to market indices. These reference points during periods of prolonged market volatility are the cornerstones upon which Alitis carved out its strategy for shielding assets and providing consistent long-term returns. Alitis clients holding a diversified portfolio of Alitis investment pools have simply not experienced the full weight of declines in public fixed-income and equity markets that occurred in 2022.

It is all by design that Alitis has performed well against these reference points and here are a few key reasons why:

• Philosophy: The core belief around Alitis is to reduce the volatility of investments and deliver consistent returns over the long term. To accomplish this, Alitis maintains a more naturally conservative approach to investments, with the portfolios being built with the objective of being resilient during market events. Alitis was created to limit losses in times of recessions and downturns. We do not want our clients to experience what many of them went through in the 2008 Financial Crisis.
• Active Management: All the Alitis Investment Pools are actively managed, daily. At all times during the day, we have our Portfolio Managers and Analysts monitoring market activity to take advantage of opportunities or reduce risk where necessary. This is quite different from many Investment Advisors or Portfolio Managers who utilize a passive management strategy, which is when the fund’s portfolio mirrors a market index.
• Diversification: All investment firms claim to diversify, but many are only diversified through the public stock and bond markets. This type of diversification can include geography, sector, and various grades of bonds, among others. Alitis also utilizes these strategies, but what sets us apart is additional diversification through other asset classes such as Private Real Estate, Private Mortgages, Private Debt, Alternative Fixed Income, and Alternative Equities. Further to the investment diversification of each Alitis Pool, with the expertise of our Portfolio Managers, each client’s investment structure is uniquely built to meet their specific needs. This includes retirement and income planning to meet various financial goals, as well as tax and estate planning within an appropriate risk and return framework.

Once the investment discussion is over, the conversation quickly turns to the important things in life: family, friends, and health. This is where we as Portfolio Managers remember why we got into this business. It wasn’t for the charts, the graphs, the formulas, and the constant feed of market updates. It was because we enjoy helping people. It’s because of the relationships that we get to be part of. It’s because of the personal interaction with our clients. It’s because helping clients achieve success for themselves and their family is what motivates us.

Many of our clients have been referred to Alitis by other Alitis clients; great people tend to know great people. We truly want to thank every one of our wonderful clients for choosing Alitis to be your wealth management firm. We also want to thank all our clients for referring family and friends to us over the years. It is these referrals that reinforce the trust and confidence that our clients have in Alitis and our approach to helping them achieve financial success. For those who mentioned that your friends and family have experienced a rough ride with their investments, please share your experience with them or introduce them to us so we can provide the same great Alitis experience to the people you cherish most. We enjoy working with and helping our clients and would like to do the same for your friends and family. We would be happy to get to know them, answer their questions and concerns, and provide insight into their financial situation. Alitis will provide a free financial and investment review for any referrals.

Alitis stays committed to providing the best service we can for our clients. We are here to answer any questions or inquiries, in person, by phone, or by video conference that you, your family, or your friends may have.

Sincerely,

Aaron Robertson, CIM®, CFP®
Portfolio Manager
arobertson@alitis.ca

Harrison Brown, B.Sc., CFA
Associate Portfolio Manager
hbrown@alitis.ca