Shareholders can spot a tall tale!
Finally, the campaigning is over and we have a new President. Some investors are looking to you for guidance as to what it all means.
You can discuss which sectors might be affected based on campaign speeches. You can also mention a couple of stocks in the portfolio that might be affected on a short term basis. Of course, campaign speeches are made to be thrown in the trash once a candidate takes office. Campaign pledges become irrelevant once the realities of the office face the new President—in this case, President Donald Trump.
The real goal of what you tell shareholders is that their money is still safe with you no matter who is in office. In most cases, you and your colleagues have spent many years developing an investment process that dictates what you buy, how long you hold and under what conditions you might sell. You are actually getting the chance to drip on your clients again to explain what makes your investment process special and what differentiates you from your competitors. Using the key messages you may have developed for media interviews, briefly explain your investment process. The 3-4 crucial steps will do. Keep it very simple. Remember, you are reassuring shareholders. Now is not the time to confuse them with eight-syllable words.
If geo-political events are a critical part of your investment strategy, you need to state this. If geo-political events affect your strategy, you need to explain how and why you are able to navigate any situation no matter how choppy the waters and still protect their investment. A recent example of a major world event and how the fund handled the turbulence would be appropriate here.
So, remember, take advantage of a new President coming in to tell your shareholders again why they invested in the fund in the first place!
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