800.610.1460

PO Box 2500

Walla Walla, WA 99362

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Manager Research

• People
• Process
• Product
• Philosophy
• Performance

Our firm maintains an open architecture platform for investment strategies and focus not just on a select few separate account managers but the entire range of available managers. Most firms only have the ability to select from a narrow field or only in-house managers. Buckley Investment Group, LLC is an independent firm that is flexible and reactive with investment options.

Having the best investment managers is critical to a successful portfolio. Using a global database, we provide in-depth research on several manager choices for each asset class and present our results to the client. Managers are analyzed for these typical factors: high alpha and low beta scores; a batting average of 60 percent or better; and an r-squared ranking of .75-.80 percent. Standard deviation and tracking error are also reviewed relative to the benchmark. Up market capture and down market capture ratios are examined as well. In addition to the statistical data on performance and ranking, the following is reviewed: history of the firm; ownership and organization; references; assets under management; personnel and turnover; reputation; and integrity.

We use an investment analysis and research database called Markov Processes International, LLC (MPI). Both as a manager-research tool as well as a performance-reporting tool, MPI is powerful application. Our firm is able to conduct manager searches and compare detailed information on more than 10,000 separate account managers; 31,000 mutual funds; and 2,600 hedge funds/fund of funds. Over 100 different search criteria are available in categories such as: investment style-specific criteria; returns-based criteria (e.g. Sharpe ratio); index-relative criteria (e.g. Treynor ratio); or peer group rankings. The integrated proposal system provides us the ability to create client presentations based on specific investor information such as risk tolerance and time horizon, and view model or customized allocations of multiple managers.

The top professional separately managed account firms we engage are experienced investors and strategists. They are successful at adding value to portfolios by using active, versus passive, portfolio management. Based on reliable financial data, these managers use security selection (e.g. value/growth and small/mid/large companies), market timing and weighting; fixed income maturity and credit range as some of the factors they analyze when serving clients. These managers know that risk and return are related and they also realize the importance of broad diversification. Leveraging to beat comparable indexes is a goal of these firms while maintaining an acceptable degree of risk.

Once managers are selected, we arrange to have officers from the firms meet directly (or conference call) with the client. In addition, we negotiate their fee schedules on the client's behalf.