Hawaii asset management controls equities, income securities, real estate and derivative products of these assets. Hawaii investment firms represent the customers, or “buy side,” of the investments business and the sellers, or “sell side,” are the investment bankers.

Hawaii investment management firms classify themselves by the specific type of asset they manage. Investment companies in Hawaii may dedicate themselves to a specific client base while others serve all client types, including businesses that have assets to invest.

It is important to distinguish between the three basic investment types when evaluating Hawaii investment firms:

1. Mutual funds use the contributions of individual investors to form a single fund. Hawaii investment management firms typically use mutual funds for investors that do not have a high net worth.

2. An investment agency in Hawaii forms hedge funds with contributions from members of a private partnership and typically invests in public securities or a financial derivative of a public security. Hedge funds may employ many different strategies to make a profit.

3. The source of institutional funds is pensions, endowments and foundations for non-profit organizations and is common in investment management. Hawaii firms invest in these types of funds more conservatively than mutual funds.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Select Hawaii asset management firms that look at long-term results

A high degree of diversification to minimize risk is the most common strategy for these types of investment management. Hawaii investment managers look for stocks that have a value that is not reflected in their current prices and a high earnings potential.

I recommend: Workman Securities deals in a range of investment services, including retirement planning and allows you to locate representatives by state on its website. The Service Employees International Union is the fastest growing union in North America. The SEIU promotes several investment firms in Hawaii that specialize in retirement planning.

Find an investment management company in Hawaii for wealthy investors

A unique investment management plan is frequently beneficial for affluent clients. The financial advisers for these types of clients should work closely with the investment management firm to increase the client's wealth over the long-term.

I recommend: The National Association of Active Investment Managers is a non-profit association of registered investment advisers. You can find the nearest registered adviser by providing your city and state on its website. Wealth management is one of the core businesses of Wachovia. You can locate its nearest financial center by entering your city and state or zip code on Wachovia's website.

Select investment companies in Hawaii that are local to your area

Firms based in a specific area will manage equities and bonds investments in local business more efficiently than other investment managers. Their local knowledge will put your money to good use, not only increasing your own worth, but helping other local business owners expand and prosper as well.

I recommend: Path Finder Financial Services is based in Hawaii and provides fee-only financial planning and asset management. The Bank of Hawaii is a premier investment manager that provides wealth management services to groups and individual investors.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Fund performance is the gold standard by which an investment management firm is measured. Financial analysts use standard indices and peer groups to compare the performance of different funds over the same time period. Hawaii investment services should assess fund performance over a long period, usually at least 3 years. This time frame will minimize the effect of short-term fluctuations and the business cycle.