Since 2007, Measured Risk Portfolios has specialized in developing disciplined investment strategies, including the proprietary SynthEquity® investment strategy.
SynthEquity® is an options-based investment approach that combines the benefits of the long-run uncapped upside potential of the S&P 500 Index, with proactively defined calendar year risk.
Popularized by Modern Portfolio Theory, traditional diversification has served as the standardized investment strategy to manage risk and reward, typically through what’s commonly referred to as the “60/40 Portfolio”. While diversification may have its benefits, it may also have more drawbacks than is appreciated.
Measured Risk Portfolios believes SynthEquity® offers advantages compared to traditional diversification due to its ability to potentially deliver compelling returns in the strongest markets and provide confidence in the most challenging markets.
Founders Larry Kriesmer, CLU, ChFC, and Bernard Surovsky each have 30 years of experience in Financial Services and 20 years of experience trading options-based investment strategies.
Our Story
The foundation of our firm is built on decades of experience stewarding client assets through market volatility.
Founding partners Larry and Bernard first joined forces over 20 years ago at MML Investors Services, Inc. where they shared the challenges of managing portfolios that were built using traditional diversification during the Dot-Com market crash of the early 2000s.
Recognizing the limitations of conventional diversification and seeking greater flexibility to address their clients’ needs, in 2007, they made the pivotal decision to go independent, establishing their own Independent Registered Investment Advisory firm. Shortly after, they offer the first version of their proprietary options trading strategy, specifically created to address the issues they faced during the last severe market downturn.
Today, this strategy is known as SynthEquity® (Synthetic- Equity), which is designed to limit substantial risk without sacrificing the long-run upside potential of the US equity markets.
Their strategy faced immediate real-world trial by fire one year after its launch, in 2008 during the Global Financial Crisis, where SynthEquity® proved its effectiveness under extreme market duress. Their ability to navigate this crisis, and strengthen client relationships—validated their methodology and reinforced their commitment to redefining risk management.
Building on this success, they expanded their offering in the years that followed, making their investment strategy available to a broader audience through Separately Managed Accounts as Third-Party Asset Managers.
In 2024, they took their vision a step further, trademarking the term SynthEquity® to better define their innovative, re-imagined approach to risk management—an evolution of their core philosophy that continues to challenge the status quo of traditional investing.
SynthEquity® investment strategies seek to provide a “floor” against significant market losses over a rolling one-year period that varies by fund. However, actual losses may vary based on market conditions and the composition of each strategy’s options portfolio. While each strategy seeks to limit losses to the target described in its applicable prospectus by the end of each rolling one-year period, there is no guarantee that it will achieve this objective.