Senior Physician Speaker Series
Curated and hosted by Sam Yared, MD
Topic: Alternative Investment Strategies
Guest Speakers: Encore Wealth Management- Dean M Donohue, Jonathan P Smith, Courtney Yartz, Chase M Donohue, Patrick Ritter
At the October meeting of the Senior Physicians Committee, Dr. Sam Yared, Chair, introduced speakers from Encore Wealth Management:
Dean M Donohue MBA, CFP ®, CRPC™, APMA ®, Jonathan P Smith CFP ®, CPA, CRPC™, APMA ®, BFA, Courtney Yartz CFP ®, ChFC ®, APMA ®, Chase M Donohue CFP ®, CRPC™, APMA ®, BFA™ and Patrick Ritter, CFP, APMA, BFA.
They came to discuss alternative investment strategies designed to help physicians make informed decisions about their financial futures. As Dr. Yared noted in his introduction,“ Our members wanted to explore what comes next – how to manage the resources we’ ve built over years of practice.”
Beyond Traditional Portfolios
The presenters brought a combined 50 years of experience in financial planning, retirement strategy and asset management. They began by outlining why alternative investments( a broad category that includes structured products, secured debt, private equity, real estate and commodities) have become increasingly relevant for those with higher net worth, including physicians.
For decades, most investors followed the traditional“ 60 / 40” model: 60 percent in equities, 40 percent in bonds. But as the speakers explained, market volatility and changing interest rate environments have made that balance less predictable. Diversification no longer means just mixing stocks and bonds, but rather about seeking returns that don’ t move in lockstep with the stock market.
Understanding the“ Alternatives” Spectrum
The session broke down the landscape of alternative investments in practical, accessible terms. Physicians learned that while“ alternatives” can sound complex, it is essentially a catch-all term for anything that is not stocks, bonds or cash and their common“ wrappers” as mutual funds or exchange traded funds. Alternatives may include:
1. Structured products: investments with performance tied to an index or basket of assets. They’ re engineered and“ structured” to deliver defined outcomes, making them especially appealing to physicians who value enhanced returns and careful risk management.
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