Meet Our In-House Investment Team: The People Behind Your Portfolio

When you trust someone with your retirement savings, one of the most important questions you can ask is simple: who is actually managing your money?

For many investors, portfolio decisions are made far away by people they will never meet, often disconnected from the advisor helping them build their retirement plan. At Oak Harvest, we believe your investments and your financial plan should work together. That is why we have an in-house investment team that collaborates directly with our advisors, helping align portfolio decisions with each client’s retirement goals, income needs, risk tolerance, and long-term financial strategy.

In this video, Troy Sharpe CFP®, CPWA®, CTS®, Founder and CEO of Oak Harvest Financial Group, introduces two members of our investment team, Charles Scavone and Chris Perras. Together, they discuss their institutional investment experience, the importance of disciplined portfolio management, how our team evaluates risk, and why having investment professionals and financial advisors working side by side can make a meaningful difference for retirees and pre-retirees.

Below, you can watch the full conversation and read the complete transcript.

Key Takeaways

• Oak Harvest has an in-house investment team that works directly with the firm’s advisors.
• The team brings experience from managing large institutional portfolios and applies that knowledge to individual retirement portfolios.
• The investment process is active, disciplined, and focused on understanding risk, corporate profitability, market conditions, and client goals.
• Advisors and investment managers communicate regularly so client portfolios and retirement plans can be more closely coordinated.
• The goal is not just to manage investments in isolation, but to help clients connect their portfolio strategy with their broader retirement plan.
• Retirees should understand who is managing their money, where their assets are held, how decisions are made, and whether their portfolio is aligned with their financial goals.

Who This Is For

This video is especially helpful if you are:

• Approaching retirement and wondering whether your current portfolio is built for the next phase of life.
• Already retired and want to know whether your investments, income plan, and risk strategy are working together.
• Comparing financial advisory firms and trying to understand what makes one investment approach different from another.
• Concerned that your portfolio may be managed separately from your retirement plan.
• Looking for a second opinion on how your investments are positioned.
• Interested in understanding how an in-house investment team can support retirement-focused financial planning.

Watch the Video

Full Transcript

Troy Sharpe (00:00.224)

I’m Troy Sharpe, founder and CEO of Oak Harvest. The kind of investment managers who’ve run tens of billions of dollars usually sit behind the walls of some far-off institution where you’ll never meet them. Here, they’re right down the hall. They’re part of a five-member team that builds your portfolio and coordinates with the advisors managing your retirement. So your investment portfolio and your financial plan actually work together. Let me introduce you to two of them now.

 

Charles, you guys spent many years together at Invesco back in the nineties. tell us how you guys first got together and what that environment was like and what it was like working with each other.

 

Charles Scavone (00:35.244)

Yeah, sure. Well thanks. yeah, we actually got together one step before that. It was at Van Camp and American Capitol when Chris and I were both associate portfolio managers on all growth funds. and it was it was a pretty amazing working environment even then. I was more of a small and mid cap earnings momentum guy. I worked with a phenomenal lead fund manager, Gary Lewis, one of the top managers in the country. Yeah, working with Gary, independent thought. And to the I I don’t care what anybody else says, right? At at the end of the day, it’s my name or his name’s on that portfolio is the manager. It better be your decision, you know? And so just independent thought and take take in as much information as you can. Be intellectually curious.

 

Troy Sharpe (01:11.201)

One thing you learned, Charles?

 

Charles Scavone (01:34.572)

Always be open to new information and be willing to pivot. That’s that’s the lesson learned. An LBO firm acquired Van Camp and American Capital. And as those financial buyers do sometimes, they sucked all the cash flow out of it. The opportunity then presented itself to go work for the Crosstown Rival that was owned by three fellows that had left American General and had formed an asset management company and were interested in growing it.

 

Chris Perras (02:04.11)

Called me up, asked me to come back to Houston and just had had our first child, Kyle, out there in San Francisco. So we moved back here and I mean he was he kind of turned over the large cap, mid-cap to large cap portion of one of the large funds to me and you know said, you know, go to work, you know, let’s tighten this thing up and and help, you know, turn it around and grow it.

 

Charles Scavone (02:35.926)

Managed to run that seven and a half billion up to twenty-eight billion and one of the top performing funds in the country. and certainly one of the largest at the time, which is is a whole nother aspect of of learning how to effectively manage capital. You you had to become very tactical in how you thought. What, you know, what are what are other investors thinking? Staying one step ahead of the curve because you were literally piloting an enormo you’re piloting the aircraft carrier. You got to get that baby turning pretty early. At the largest, were a you know a six-person team that was actually running $32 billion because we ran a very large bucket of long short money shop somewhere, whether that was Morgan Stanley, whether that were other firms, Bank of America was gonna give us an enormous slug of the bank’s capital to trade, right, back in the day, because what we were doing, particularly with the long short products, was so different from what other folks were doing.

 

Troy Sharpe (03:47.902)

Mm-hmm.

 

Troy Sharpe (03:51.522)

So Charles, you’ve mentioned structure and being process oriented and being disciplined through good and bad times to stick to that process and structure. tell us a little bit about what that means to the person who says, here oak harvest, here Charles, here’s Chris, here’s my retirement money. what do they need to know about this process and structure?

 

Charles Scavone (04:12.93)

We’re active managers. We actively engage in building portfolios one stock at a time, but constantly adjusting them given our outlook on future e economic changes, how mostly where the economy’s headed, where corporate earnings and profitability are. if you were to ask somebody what sort of investor are we, we’re we’re a high quality, large cap growth investor on the stock side for the most part. So what what does that mean? Well, we’re

 

We’re buying an expected future stream of cash flows and earnings. So, okay, well, then what do you need to look at? Corporate profitability. Well, what are the drivers of corporate profitability? Sales, margins, return on invested capital. So you keep you boil this process down into a function that can be quantified. And that’s the quantitative part of what we do. It and it narrows down the universe into something much more manageable, that then we can take our quantitative hats off and put our

 

Fundamental research hats on, and that’s the fundamental part of what we do. This process has to be dynamic. We said it’s very disciplined, which it is, but it’s not static, right? Because capital markets are anything but static. My mantra’s always been able being being able to measure, monitor, and manage risk. And so you need to have tools that give you an insight into how stocks behave given certain

 

We’ll call it environmental conditions, whether that’s during, you know, rising interest rates, falling interest rates, certain, you know, you you you you do put a a bit of a top-down overlay. But you need to people what what people a lot of times we’ll call them retail investors for lack of a better word, they don’t understand that many of these stocks behave in similar fashion, right? All semiconductor stocks behave in a similar fashion regardless of the specific in markets in which they participate.

 

Troy Sharpe (06:08.748)

Chris, you and I went on our YouTube channel. We went on air back around March twenty-third of twenty twenty in the height of the COVID panic. Can you walk us through what you were seeing at that time when most other strategists were far later on the call?

 

Chris Perras (06:23.31)

COVID was a unique event. in basically in my career, probably in your career too, Charles, I was not around during the Spanish flu. But as COVID was happening, I always try to think about are there events in the past that I might not have lived through, but other people have. So I went went to the internet and went and did a bunch of research. Took me about a day to research the Spanish flu, how the virus went through the the world essentially back then, how the death profiles looked, and what the response was from the government and other people who were in charge, and what the financial markets did. And whether we were good or lucky, the market’s path from the COVID low turned out to be near identical to what had happened during the Spanish flu, which was positive. when everyone else was talking about a depression, you know, the

 

The Fed came in and stimulated and the government came in and wrote checks and turned the economy around.

 

Troy Sharpe (07:23.855)

You could be working at a hedge fund, you could be working at at many large institutions, running, you know, tens of billions of dollars. Why did you choose to work here at Oak Harvest and an RIA?

 

Charles Scavone (07:34.094)

I was very reluctant to go back to work for an RA. Most founders of firms, most the corporate management, they just won’t leave you alone and let you do your job. And so here, I take a lot of satisfaction coming in knowing that I’m going to be able to work and do what I want to do. We’re creating the environment so that Chris can do his job, Dwayne can do his job, James can, and and Chris Myrick can as well.

 

Troy Sharpe (08:00.056)

Chris, same question to you. Could work at a large hedge fund or any institution. Why do you choose to work at Oak Harvest?

 

Chris Perras (08:06.1)

I really love the people here. I mean when I came on, I had the opportunity to work at hedge funds. I had the opportunity to move away from here. I met you. you were a small startup at the time and your vision for growing it independently, everything just meant everything to me to be part of it at a early time in the growth. And you allow people to

 

Be challenged and give everyone a lot of rope to hang themselves with, and that’s all you can ask for.

 

Charles Scavone (08:40.428)

You don’t want everybody thinking exactly the same way, you know, because then nobody’s really thinking. And and that’s that’s critically important. And Chris made a really good point, you know, people who don’t operate like this, they yeah, they they’ll look like a genius for a little while if they own they just become so emotionally attached, think AI is going to rule the world and they’ll stick with it, and they will go right off the edge of the cliff. They’ll never leave any skid marks, and they are just gonna crash on the rocks down below.

 

Troy Sharpe (09:09.934)

Chris, walk us through the the Monday morning meetings with the advisors and the investment team and compliance even in that meeting. What takes place during those meetings? What do you think the advisors get out of it? And how valuable is it for you guys to be able to share your thoughts and opinions with the advisor team?

 

Chris Perras (09:27.106)

The Monday meetings really start on Friday. the investment team gets together on Friday. We go over the portfolios, we go over news events essentially that took place during the week. And then over the weekend, we Charles and I put together our thoughts on what happened in the previous week, which is easy because it’s pretty much, you know, data that’s out there. put that together in a form for advisors. Charles usually is the one who presents it at the morning meeting on Monday morning at nine o’clock to all the advisors. The advisor can come to the investment team and we’re about 15 feet from all of them and ask, you know, what we’re doing specifically. If they have a a question on taxes, you know, for a client, you know, how certain trades might affect them, you know, we can pull that up and the investment team will look into it and and make recommendations.

 

Charles Scavone (10:20.972)

More than anything else, an advantage for for our clients is the fact that our advisors know exactly what is going into these client portfolios. And therefore, they’ve have a much higher degree of confidence in what the potential outcomes will be when they run it through their risk management and their asset allocation models to have an effect or an impact at the client level within their specific portfolios.

 

We can provide a very concise, thoughtful, you know, discipline. Here’s our strategy, here’s our portfolio.

 

Chris Perras (10:59.918)

Yeah, and we’re we’re different than most RAs and that we’re an active manager, right? We you if you looked at our portfolios, if you looked at a client portfolio, you would see one activity over a course of weeks or months, but you would see a narrowness of ideas. You’re not going to see 25 mutual funds or ETFs that when you combine them all together, look like an index fund that’s really expensive. So you basically are hiring the expertise of Charles, myself, Dwayne.

 

James and Chris and all our years experience being active managers.

 

Troy Sharpe (11:34.318)

Charles, what do think a client gains when you go into a meeting and you sit down with them? Charles, how does it change how you actually manage money if it does at all?

 

Charles Scavone (11:42.476)

These are folks that do a whole lot of things other than investment management. And they spend a lot of time reading and researching. But at the end of the day, most people will probably tell you they do more research on a pair of running shoes than they do on individual stocks. And so we try and emphasize to them that this this is all we do and that we really f are focused on it. And and that that seems to resonate. You know, previously having managed these enormous institutional funds, you never saw the end user of your product. It was always it was a broker or someone else who was selling it or reselling your product. It has been an interesting experience to actually sit in with the client and really take to heart how important it is within what they’re trying to do, right? What the what the client would like to be able to do in their lives. And you know, I understand it’s just the the financial part of it, but

 

It definitely resonates with me. I know it does with Chris as well, and it

 

Chris Perras (12:44.802)

Yeah, it’s it’s pretty cool. at least when you’re successful in helping one of your clients achieve one of their goals. I think it was a couple of years ago. One of our clients came back and drove his brand new car, sports car, back to show us drove he’d I think he’d retired to Tennessee, if I remember right, and drove his Pride sports car back here because he wanted to show us what we helped him purchase in his retirement. And it was that was pretty cool.

 

Troy Sharpe (13:12.398)

The sixty-five year old is interviewing three firms this week. We’re one of them. What would you like that person to know?

 

Charles Scavone (13:18.774)

I want them to know these are the things that I would want to know, right? And so one of them is is is my money safe? Is is compliance, is where is my money custodied? People people forget that a lot of firms there’s business risk there with that firm. And so is my money safe?

 

What are the investment folks doing with my money? And is that a separate function? Right. It’s important if if a typical RIA is just a handful of folks and they’re trying to do everything for everyone, which means by definition they’ll do none of them exceedingly well. We’ve broken that whole process up and that model to pieces and said, here’s your five person team with a tremendous amount of experience. Go back and look at their pedigree, their track record, and is this some is this someone I would want working on my behalf for my investment portfolio.

 

Troy Sharpe (14:20.962)

Chris, what’s the part of this job that you love the most?

 

Chris Perras (14:23.874)

Getting up and coming to work every day and it’s different and it’s a challenge. I’m a generalist, always been a generalist. And, you know, putting portfolios together, trying to figure out what would be the best sector, the best stock in that sector to help a portfolio, to help that portfolio meet its goals. But you know, trying to find that idea before everyone else, you know, jumps on board. That’s what I love about this.

 

Troy Sharpe (15:02.266)

That’s how we build Oak Harvest. One team, one simple fee structure, your investments and your plan working together with your interests first. If you want a second set of eyes on the portfolio, or if you’re not sure your portfolio and your plan are coordinating together, then simply reach out to us and let’s have a conversation about what’s most important to you.

➡️ Want a second set of eyes on your retirement portfolio? Reach out to Oak Harvest to schedule a visit with our team and see how your investment strategy and financial plan can work together. https://click2retire.com/in-house-investment-team

➡️ Take the free Retirement Readiness Score Quiz to get a quick snapshot of how prepared you may be for retirement and where planning gaps could exist. https://click2retire.com/readiness-score-quiz

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to have an in-house investment team?

An in-house investment team means the professionals making portfolio decisions are part of the same firm working with your financial advisor. At Oak Harvest, this allows the investment team and advisors to communicate directly about portfolio strategy, risk, taxes, retirement income needs, and each client’s broader financial plan.

Why does it matter who manages my retirement portfolio?

Your retirement portfolio may play a major role in supporting your income, lifestyle, and long-term financial security. Knowing who manages your money, how they make decisions, and how those decisions connect to your retirement plan can help you better understand whether your strategy is aligned with your goals.

How is Oak Harvest’s investment approach different?

Oak Harvest’s investment team works alongside the firm’s advisors instead of operating separately from the planning process. The team actively manages portfolios and regularly communicates with advisors so investment decisions can be considered in the context of each client’s overall retirement plan.

What is active investment management?

Active investment management means the portfolio is intentionally built and adjusted over time based on research, market conditions, risk considerations, and the investment team’s outlook. Rather than simply relying on a collection of funds or indexes, active managers make specific decisions about what to own, what to avoid, and when changes may be appropriate.

Why is coordination between a financial plan and investment portfolio important?

A retirement plan and investment portfolio should support the same goals. If your financial plan is focused on income, tax efficiency, legacy planning, or risk management, your portfolio should be built with those objectives in mind. When the two are disconnected, your investment strategy may not fully support the retirement outcome you are trying to achieve.

What questions should I ask when choosing a financial advisory firm?

Some important questions include: Who is managing my money? Where are my assets custodied? How are investment decisions made? How often does the investment team communicate with advisors? Is my portfolio customized to my retirement plan? How does the firm manage risk? These questions can help you better understand the firm’s process, structure, and approach to client care.

Can I get a second opinion on my portfolio?

Yes. If you are unsure whether your current portfolio and retirement plan are working together, you can reach out to Oak Harvest to schedule a visit with our team. A second set of eyes may help you identify potential gaps, risks, or opportunities in your current retirement strategy.

Ready to See How Your Portfolio and Retirement Plan Work Together?

If you would like a second set of eyes on your retirement portfolio, or if you are not sure whether your investments and financial plan are fully coordinated, reach out to Oak Harvest to schedule a visit with our team.

 

Disclaimer:

Hypothetical outcomes do not reflect actual results and are not guarantees of future results. Any index references herein are unmanaged and cannot be directly invested into. Past performance is no indication of future results. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal, and there can be no guarantee that any investing or tax savings strategy will be successful. Advisory services are provided through Oak Harvest Investment Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser. Insurance services are provided through Oak Harvest Insurance Services, LLC, a licensed insurance agency.