The Balanced strategy is designed for clients who are interested in growth, but whose risk tolerance is not suited for an aggressive or growth strategy. The core investments in this strategy are expected to be securities that are perceived to have stable growth expectations. There will likely be some investments designed to provide an aspect of growth to this strategy, but these will be in the minority as compared to the more steady investments. Clients in this strategy should not feel as if their portfolios will lack risk, or that their portfolios will always increase in value and never decrease. When domestic equity markets increase, investments in this strategy may be expected to increase as well, though not to the same degree. Likewise, when domestic equity markets decrease, investments in this strategy may decrease, though not as steeply. Heritage Wealth Management sees this strategy as somewhat of a mix between equity and traditional bond investments. Downside protection is very important, but there is still the risk that at any given point in time, a client's portfolio may be worth less than it was the previous month, quarter or year. Performance in this strategy is expected to be less volatile than the broader markets. While the Balanced strategy may increase in value or decrease in value alongside the broader markets, those increases and decreases should be less pronounced, creating a performance history that more resembles moderate waves than a series of "V" representations.
There are no limits to the types of securities that may be placed in a strategy, or that Heritage Wealth Management may evaluate for a client or for inclusion in a strategy. However, investment types most typically include stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, options, and money market accounts.