Our Approach to Business
At Howland, we value due diligence, clear communication, and a simplified process.
Each Roman Numeral above will tell you more about our approach to business.
Our Agreement Together
Listening, loyalty, communication and responsiblity are paramount to our success. Our investment contract is written for mutual understanding and will serve us for decades together.
Our Simplified Process
We make every effort to reduce the headaches of brokerage firms, class action lawsuits, proxy votes, trust administration, retirement administration, and tax records on your behalf.
Our Communication
We are flexible with how we use technology to work together. We are comfortable using either old-fashioned or new technology. We will meet you where you are at with technology and communication.
To make communication clear, we will always include the who, what, when, where, and why.
Transition and Taxes
When significant life events or situations happen, we are there for you with administrative help and financial reports as you move forward.
We work to give you the greatest advantage with your taxes. We will create taxable gains or losses to help you better manage your other financial assets.
Due Diligence
FINRA’s Broker Check website will give you a snapshot of a firm’s policies, disclosures, discipline, registration, licensing, services and background.
Large firms lack personalized service
A Guide to Our Boutique Firm and Investment Process
Click on the links below to explore definitions, explanations, and applications
Good Company vs. Good Stock
Howland and Associates are experts at finding opportunities, discounts, and bargains.
Our secrets are our advantage. Differentiating between a good company and a good stock is often overlooked by many investors. There are many good companies, but only a few good stocks. For us to realize a profit in our investments, we must buy at a good price.
Earnings Season
Earnings season is a period when companies release detailed statements about the profitability for the most recent quarter.
Earning reports have a significant impact on our investment decisions. We have special parameters, systems, protocols, and people in place to evaluate financial data and make decisions in a timely manner.
PE Ratio
The Price/Earnings ratio measures the price of a company’s stock as compared to the earnings of the company.
We screen for low PE ratios to find attractive stocks. We understand the relative PE ratios for different companies and sectors of the market, such as airlines, utilites, or unique tech companies.
PEG Ratio
The Price/Earnings to Growth ratio (PEG ratio) is a stock’s Price/Earnings (PE) ratio divided by the growth rate of its earnings for a specified time period.
D.S. Howland, CFA pioneered the application of the PEG ratio. Since the 1980s, our competitive advantage has been our ability to compare apples to oranges to make smart investment decisions.
Uncertainty and Downturns
Many investors are frightened by economic downturns and the direction of the economy, making them more cautious about investing during uncertain times.
Howland uses economic downturns as a time to buy and has developed a disciplined and repeatable investment system to capitalize on opportunities during times of uncertainty.
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization is the total value of a company’s stock.
Market Capitalization helps Howland and Associates understand the liquidity risks of our investments.
Portfolio Allocation
Portfolio allocation is the strategic distribution of investments across different sectors or asset classes to meet the investor’s investment goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon.
We do not favor sectors or attempt to predict the future of the economy. We designed our sector neutral portfolio allocation method to enforce discipline, minimize risk, and identify the best stocks in every sector.
Bottom-Up Investing
Top-Down investing uses macro economic trends to identify investment sectors. Bottom-up investing uses fundamental financial analysis to judge a company’s health.
We want only the best stocks for our portfolios. We use bottom-up investment methods to build our portfolios one stock at a time. We understand every company in our portfolio and avoid passive stock picking.
Accurate Evaluation
Understanding requires measurment. Calculating investment returns is complicated and may require professional software. The time-weighted return (TWR) uses a geometric calculation to measure accurate investment results.
Chartered Financial Analysts are experts in understanding time, compound interest, and cash flow as factors that impact the calculation of an investment return.
Shenanigans
Financial shenanigans refer to deceptive or unethical practices to manipulate financial data to mislead investors.
We specialize in evaluating fundamental financial data. We are experts at seeing through the games, shenanigans, and half truths that companies use to mislead investors.