Getting Started

Welcome to InvesTech Research and congratulations on joining the elite group of investors who utilize InvesTech’s unique safety-first profit strategy.

As a new subscriber, you should initially focus your attention only on the portions of the newsletters with which you feel comfortable. It’s not important that you understand our technical indicators or the “ins and outs” of the Federal Reserve in order to profitably utilize our safety-first strategy. Investing in the stock market is a learning experience… and a long-term commitment. Within a matter of months, we’re confident you’ll begin to feel more at ease with the detailed analysis which has earned InvesTech its reputation as one of the nation’s leading advisory services.

Most new subscribers have questions about how to implement InvesTech's safety-first strategy. Following are some guidelines to assist you in getting started. In addition, we encourage you to visit our InvesTech Library web page, where you will find the InvesTech Personal Profit Guide, your step-by-step guide to using InvesTech's "safety-first" strategy, including details of our proprietary indicators.

A Special Note for New Subscribers to InvesTech

The following information will assist you in getting started with InvesTech. It involves the decisions that must be made by an investor who wishes to bring their portfolio allocation more into alignment with InvesTech’s strategy:

1. Determine your current investment portfolio size and percentage allocation by totaling the amounts you have invested in individual stocks and stock mutual funds, bonds/bond mutual funds, international stocks/funds and cash equivalents such as T-bills or money market funds.

2. Decide whether you wish to focus more on InvesTech’s mutual fund or individual stock recommendations. Generally, investors with portfolios under $50,000 find it difficult to adequately diversify a portfolio with individual stocks, and are better served using mutual funds. But many investors today, regardless of the size of their portfolio, prefer mutual funds because of their professional management and ease of use.

3. Refer to the "percentage invested" recommendation and allocations listed in the "Model Portfolio" section of the InvesTech Portfolio Strategy or announced on the Hotline Update. If you are holding a portfolio mix that is similar in composition and percent allocation to that which we are currently recommending, then it is unnecessary to make any changes at this time. Just wait for InvesTech’s next recommendation to either add new positions or take profits… and act accordingly with your own holdings.

4. Adjust your portfolio, if necessary. If your portfolio mix is dramatically different from our current recommendations, you may wish to consider changes to more closely align it with ours. For example, if you are holding 100% growth funds, and we are recommending an allocation of 60% growth stocks/funds plus 15% gold stocks/funds, you may wish to liquidate a portion of your growth position, then gradually build up to our recommended gold sector allocation.

An exception to Step 4 above would be when we warn on the Hotline or in the newsletters against new buying in a particular area. This usually means that we believe most of the profits for that sector have already been achieved and a new investment would not be advisable. In that case, it is better to wait in the safety of a money market fund for our next recommendation.

It is important to recognize that new subscribers should NOT immediately purchase all stocks and mutual funds in the model portfolios (since some may have already completed their potential for price movement). By examining the latest newsletters, a new subscriber can determine each stock or mutual fund’s recommended position (BUY/HOLD/SELL). You should then accumulate positions only in the stocks currently recommended “BUY” or “BUY/HOLD.” The objective is to bring your own portfolio into alignment with the model portfolio allocation in our publications.

NOTE: Initial recommendations regarding stocks and mutual funds are usually announced first on the InvesTech Financial Hotline, which is available online (click here) or by telephone.

Remember, InvesTech’s strategy is not a short-term market timing system, but a long-term “risk allocation” strategy based on highly sophisticated indicators. Our objective is NOT to try to forecast stock prices in advance, but to correctly assess the market environment. When market indicators point to a strong, low-risk buying opportunity, we will recommend an aggressively invested position. Conversely, we will inform you when risk has risen to an unacceptable level so that you can take steps to protect your portfolio. This risk averse strategy will allow you to preserve capital in times of market vulnerability so that you will be ready and able to take advantage of the next low-risk buying opportunity when it arrives.

PLEASE NOTE: The InvesTech Financial Hotline and website are confidential and for the use of just one individual per subscription. Any sharing of the Hotline telephone number –or your InvesTech online username and password– will result in an immediate, non-refundable cancellation of your subscription.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the model portfolios have a high-cash position?
Depending on the stock market outlook when you subscribe, you may indeed discover that InvesTech’s stock and mutual fund portfolios are defensively invested in T-bills or a money market fund. This cash reserve is adjusted according to market risk and may constitute as much as 80-100% of the portfolio when risk is extreme. This reflects our “safety-first” approach to investing in the stock market – a strategy that has proven itself through InvesTech’s long-term track record.

How can I get more specific information on stocks or funds you recommend?
A substantial amount of information is available from services such as Value Line and Morningstar. Additional stock and mutual fund research is also available on the Internet. It is recommended that all subscribers carefully evaluate the suitability of a stock or fund for their own portfolio objectives and overall tolerance for risk.

When is the Financial Hotline updated?
The InvesTech Financial Hotline is updated twice-weekly, on Tuesday after 9:30 p.m. (EST) and Friday after 12:00 Noon (EST).

How often is the Hotline telephone number changed?
To maintain confidentiality, the Hotline telephone number is changed every three months. Subscribers are alerted to an impending number change in the issue prior to the scheduled change.

How can I tell when my subscription expires?
Your subscription will expire with the year and the issue printed on your newsletter mailing envelope. For example, if the expiration printed on your envelope is V2012I05, it means your subscription will expire with the fifth issue published in 2012. You will be sent a renewal notice prior to expiration of your subscription.

What if I have questions about my subscription or problems accessing the Hotline?
Most problems can be quickly resolved with a call to our office at 406-862-7777 (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Time).

Are you able to answer specific questions about my investments?
Unfortunately, no. Our extensive subscriber base and commitment to research only permit us to respond to general questions or requests within the newsletters or on the hotline update. However, each piece of individual correspondence is reviewed and suggestions for improving our service are very much appreciated.

Do you provide money management for individual accounts?
Stack Financial Management was incorporated in 1994 in response to demand from InvesTech subscribers for personal portfolio management. SFM is separate and independent of InvesTech Research, yet employs the same safety-first philosophy and technical indicators developed by InvesTech over three decades ago.

Professional money management services are available for individual clients, corporations, trusts and retirement accounts. Clients may choose between the Capital Appreciation and Value & Dividend portfolios designed to meet the client’s specific objectives. The minimum balance required to open an account is $400,000 in cash or securities. Click here for more information or contact SFM directly at:
Stack Financial Management, Inc.
2472 Birch Glen, Suite A
Whitefish, MT 59937
800-790-5001
E-mail SFM