How the pieces fit together
Diversification is less about owning many things and more about owning things that do not all fall together. Two funds with different names can hold much the same companies, and a portfolio can look spread out while behaving as though it is not.
Where families usually get stuck
Volatility is the price of the return, not a sign that something has broken. What matters is whether a fall in value forces you to sell something you would rather have kept, which is a question about your plan rather than about the market.
What it means for your household
Most people come to us with a decision already in front of them rather than a portfolio question. A business is being sold, a parent's estate needs sorting out, or a child is buying a first home and the money has to come from somewhere.
