MANAGER RESEARCH and SELECTION

At Johnson Custom Strategies, Inc. we believe that hands-on investment experience is necessary to understand and properly evaluate investment managers.  That is why only seasoned investment professionals are assigned this responsibility.

Our manager research emphasizes fundamental, qualitative analysis.  We combine this with sophisticated quantitative analysis.  We continually visit personally with investment managers at their offices in order to monitor all aspects of their business.  In addition to personal meetings, our database (both external and proprietary) includes all mutual funds in the United States and over 1,700 independent managers responsible for some 6,000+ equity and fixed income products.  Our non-traditional universe totals approximately 1,000 hedge funds.  Just as we meet and evaluate each investment firm recommended to any client, we think it is important that our clients meet their investment managers personally, whenever practical.

Research is unconstrained as to the size, location or investment philosophy of a firm.  In addition to meeting with larger, established investment organizations, we also evaluate smaller, less-well-known investment firms.  In all cases our focus is on the key investment professional(s), their investment process and likelihood of their future success.

Johnson Custom Strategies continually addresses issues related to changing markets and planning for the future.  Since 1981, Mrs. Johnson has been proactive in the identification of new investment talent.  Through the firm's extensive research network, efforts to identify the next generation of successful investment managers are ongoing.