Small Business Summit Center

Ian Post, Post Asset Management

[Ian Post was at the Summit in October. We were struck by the candor in his About Us page. — Andrew]

AB: What's the biggest misconception that small businesspeople have about investment managers?

IP: Generally speaking, most people are under the misconception that when they sit down with an ‘investment manager’, the person sitting across the table is looking out for their best interests. In the majority of situations, this is not the case. Under the laws which regulate brokerage firms, employees of these firms are allowed to place their own interests and those of their firms ahead of those of their clients. The investment standard of care required of brokerage employees is called suitability, a fairly low standard. Another type of firm that offers investment advice is known as a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). These independent firms are regulated by a different set of laws which require investment managers to place the interests of clients ahead of themselves and their firm. The investment standard of care required of RIA employees is that of a legal fiduciary, a much higher standard than that required of brokerage firm employees

AB: Running a small business for the first time means lots of new challenges. What part of entrepreneurship have you worked hardest on?

IP: I think everyone in business has natural strengths and weaknesses. The challenge for an entrepreneur is to focus on areas that do not come naturally. My personal strengths lie more in the technical and practical aspects of the business and less in the softer areas such as marketing. As a result, I’ve had to consciously focus my attention on marketing issues.

AB: What marketing tool worked the best for you in 2007?

IP: Face to face conversations have been the best tool. The key is to get the message out to as large an audience as possible while still taking the time necessary to explain the important subtleties of the many investment management solutions available to people.

AB: What would you do if you weren't in business for yourself?

IP: If I had unlimited resources and a healthy knee, I would probably be traveling around the world playing lower-level professional tennis tournaments. I wouldn’t win very often but I think it would be challenging and exciting.

Business Bio

Ian Andrew Post is the principal of Post Asset Management LLC. Prior to founding Post Asset Management, Mr. Post gained unique insights into the question of whether there is investment value in the security selection process while working for twelve years as an equity research analyst at companies including Citigroup, Credit Lyonnais, and Bear Stearns. The investment philosophy underpinning Post Asset Management is the culmination of Mr. Post’s extensive research into how investors can benefit by utilizing an efficient, systematic process for designing, building, and monitoring investment portfolios.

In 1998, Ian earned a Master of Business Administration degree with concentrations in Finance and Statistics from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Mr. Post also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and Public Policy from Washington University in St. Louis.

Mr. Post is a member of the CFA Institute and the New York Society of Security Analysts where he serves on the Private Wealth Management committee. Ian is a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.