Howland and Assoc

02/04/2025

Yearend Letter to Clients:

In 2024, similar to Joseph Conrad's Typhoon [1902], the air was full of flying spray, and wind seemed everywhere, making the ropes and sails hum and shriek, while every loose object on deck was caught up and whirled away into the wild turmoil. Our investment system is built to navigate dark and stormy nights.

We had another great year in 2024. The composite of all our Opportunistic Growth portfolios (weighted average) gained 16 percent, following an increase of 19 percent in 2023. Our other objectives saw similar returns. The S&P 500 Equal-Weighted Index gained 11 percent last year.

The last half of 2024 was active in the stock market. Investors were upbeat through November after the conclusion of the election. December brought setbacks and fears of the future again, marking the second consecutive year without the anticipated Santa Claus rally.

In early January, the Federal Reserve cautioned about “irrational exuberance” in the market. Despite the caution, the market pushes forward with determination.

We are proud of our performance and business development. We are thriving with your support! We made great new friends last year and are excited to grow as we cross over $100 million in assets under management.

Please share the love about our business and continue to recommend us to friends who might be a good fit for our family firm. Consider your risk-conscious friends who may be ready to invest with a professional who has their best interests at heart or old friends who need long-term investment strategies handled with care. The Howland family name is on the door at our firm, and we invest alongside our clients. We have over thirty years of professional management and profitable returns using our reliable investment system building customized portfolios.

Our investment methods and marketing materials are exclusive
and confidential to reduce the vultures and time-wasters. We hope our secure informational website is not an obstacle to learning about our company. Contact any of our team members for a key to access InvestHowland.com.

Onward and upward in 2025.

Howland and Associates, LLC

Dee S. Howland, CFA®, President
[email protected]
*Text or call (813) 503-5625

Robert C. Howland, CFP®, Senior Vice President
[email protected]
*Text or call (813) 777-9717

12/27/2024

As finance gurus forecast a market that’s variously overvalued, undervalued, ready to plunge off the cliff, or blast off to new heights, remember to tune out the noise and stay invested for t…

12/09/2024

Doing well by doing good. Our Howland and Associates team donated 100 pairs of shoes to Clothes to Kids, St. Pete for our annual Shoesgiving event in 2024!
Sneakers, flip-flops, and school shoes for kiddos taking confident steps forward.

11/29/2024

Invest Like a Girl

06/20/2024

Many brilliant companies - from {{AAPL}} to {{SBUX}} - have been founded in the United States, starting out as small ventures to become international leaders in their fields. However, the world of business isn’t always as straightforward as it looks. Regardless of how well-rooted a company’s Ame...

01/30/2024

Yearend Letter to Clients

Howland and Associates is a fiduciary, and we have a duty and a responsibility to communicate our actions, truths, and beliefs.

Over decades, we have refined a well-diversified and repeatable system to manage individually tailored portfolios. Using various techniques, technologies, and professional best practices, we have built a successful investment management firm.

We know our investment machine will not work in all circumstances and our approach is not a quick way to get rich. On the other hand, we have a track record of over 30 years demonstrating our long-term focus, a relentless pursuit of performance, and an understanding of what is important to the people we serve.

We had a good year in 2023. Our average portfolio grew by 18% in 2023, while the Standard & Poor’s equal weighted index gained just 11.6%.

We bought Nvidia stock in 2022 and owned it during the first part of 2023. We sold our position during the summer after a return of 214%. Nvidia stock finished the year up 239%. We may have sold this high-flying technology stock too early; however, we are always wary of the line where a good idea goes too far, and we would rather not get caught on the backslide.

We first bought Amazon in 2017, and the price has now more than tripled. We still own it and have strong expectations from our position. The professional analysts believe Amazon earnings will grow 87% annually over the next five years.

We earn gains on smaller companies under different considerations and conditions. For example, our scrupulous method for finding attractive stocks is often similar to how large corporations identify takeover candidates. Historically, some of our biggest returns have come from takeover, merger, or buyout situations. In 2023 we had two takeovers which resulted in great gains: Stratasys and PGT Innovations (+83%).

We always try to offset taxable capital gains with losses and review every applicable portfolio to save every possible penny.

The ability for us to manage taxable gains and losses is one of the greatest advantages to owning an investment portfolio of individual stocks at Howland and Associates. (Tell your friends. We love referrals from friends and family, and we practice discretion about your business. In addition, clients earn referral fees.)

Paying less in taxes over decades is rarely factored into total personal portfolio performance. Year after year, account holders at big brokerage houses or owners of index funds and mutual funds have no tax control and are forced to swallow the tax placed on their plate.

Our portfolios managers are most concerned with building a diversified portfolio with less-than-average risk.

Our Triton portfolio (enviromentally-sensitive) suffered from a shift in sentiment. Environmental-Social-Corporate Governance (ESG) type stocks were a political hot potato after years of extraordinary gains. Over the long run, the portfolio is doing well, but 2023 was not the best period.

We will continue to focus on future earnings in 2024. A presidential election year is always fraught with speculation, noise, and uncertainty. We have learned to not make predictions or listen to polls when it comes to politics and the stock market. We will wait to see which companies will benefit from the results.

Howland and Associates is committed to serving our clients with the best possible portfolios. We spare no effort to build or buy the best systems possible for long-term, independent portfolio management. We judiciously employ new people and new technology to meet the needs of our network and are pleased with our progress.

Best wishes for a profitable 2024.

Dee S. Howland, CFA
Founder and CEO of Howland and Associates, LLC

11/24/2023

If you are close to retiring, beware of the little-known sequence of returns risk that could take a huge slice out of your retirement income.

10/30/2023

10/29/2023

08/25/2023

To my friends who are also clients of Howland and Associates: I am NOT retiring. Sorry to have made that impression. This boat is outfitted with all the latest electronics and computers. Rob and I will continue to manage your investment portfolios, even while afloat. Heck, successful investing is how we can afford a yacht. I hope you can join us aboard for a client meeting. P.S. Our staff, Ross, Alex, and Chloe will mostly be in the St. Pete office. We are all connected electronically.