🎧 Ira Koyner Featured on the Influential Entrepreneurs Podcast, Episode 2

A powerful conversation with Ira Koyner on the fundamentals of investing at Triathlon Partners: Volatility vs. Diversification.

In this episode of the Influential Entrepreneurs podcast, Ira Koyner—founder of Triathlon Partners—dives into the true purpose of investment diversification: limiting losses and creating more consistent long-term returns.

While many investors and advisors assume diversification means simply owning a wide variety of assets, Ira challenges that notion. He explains how holding dozens of mutual funds and ETFs often results in overlapping positions and high correlations—leaving portfolios more exposed than expected during market selloffs.

Instead, Ira advocates for using strategies and products specifically designed to reduce volatility and protect against downturns.

Tune in to discover how to build a truly diversified portfolio and avoid some of the most common mistakes in portfolio construction.

Listen to the Full Interview

💡 What You’ll Learn from This Episode

✅ Why owning dozens of mutual funds and ETFs may not provide real diversification
📉 How true diversification is rooted in managing volatility, not just mixing asset classes
🔒 The role of loss-limiting products like RILAs, indexed annuities, and IULs in portfolio protection
🧠 How to educate clients about volatility using visual tools like bell curves and simulations
📊 Why fewer, high-quality holdings often outperform portfolios packed with redundant products
💡 How to align your portfolio with your financial goals—not just traditional allocation models
🧾 Tax-smart diversification strategies for high-income individuals and recently divorced clients
🔁 Roth IRA conversion tips: when to do it, how much to convert, and how to avoid tax pitfalls
🏡 Why the “dream house” analogy can help investors grasp the concept of quality over quantity
🎯 The ultimate purpose of diversification: to stay in control of your retirement timeline

In this thought-provoking episode of Influential Entrepreneurs, Ira Koyner returns to challenge long-standing assumptions about diversification and redefine what it truly means to build a resilient investment portfolio.

Beyond the Surface: What Diversification Isn’t

Many investors assume they’re diversified because they own dozens of mutual funds and ETFs. But as Ira explains, these products often hold similar underlying assets—leading to redundancy, not protection. “Having 30 or 40 funds doesn’t reduce your risk,” he says. “It just complicates your portfolio.”

Instead of focusing on quantity, Ira urges a focus on volatility management. Diversification isn’t about how many products you own—it’s about owning the right mix of assets that behave differently under various market conditions.

The Role of Volatility

Traditional 60/40 stock-bond allocations may no longer offer the buffer investors expect. Ira argues that true diversification should reduce portfolio losses, especially during down markets. That requires incorporating low-volatility products with built-in protections—like floors that limit downside risk.

Registered Index-Linked Annuities (RILAs)

Fixed Indexed Annuities

Indexed Universal Life (IUL) policies

Structured notes

These solutions offer equity-like gains but with greater protection during downturns—keeping investors more confident and on track toward their goals.

Educating Clients: Making Volatility Understandable

Rather than overwhelming clients with technical jargon, Ira uses visuals—like bell curves and historical simulations—to demonstrate how low-volatility products can smooth out returns. Once clients see the difference, they better understand why minimizing volatility is essential to long-term success.

Quality Over Quantity

A key theme throughout the episode: fewer, higher-quality holdings lead to better outcomes. Ira typically builds portfolios using just 5–7 carefully selected strategies, each offering a unique contribution to risk management and growth.

“Would you rather own your dream house, or three average homes you don’t love?” Ira asks. The same principle applies to your investments: focus on quality, not just diversification by volume.

Tax Efficiency: A Hidden Lever for Long-Term Wealth

For high-income earners—especially post-divorce—Ira emphasizes tax-aware investing. He discusses:

Using tax-deferred products to minimize income taxes
Keeping coupon-bearing investments in tax-advantaged accounts
Allocating capital-gains assets to taxable accounts for step-up basis advantages
Strategically converting traditional retirement accounts to Roth IRAs

“Taxes are always there,” Ira reminds listeners. “But if I can save my clients money on the way in, during, or on the way out, we’re already several steps ahead.”

Key Takeaway
The episode closes with a powerful truth:

“The goal of diversification is to reduce volatility—not to collect products. If your portfolio drops right before retirement, you’re not in control—the market is. The right strategy ensures you stay on your timeline.”

Triathlon Partners LLC is an investment advisor firm specializing in wealth advisory, insurance solutions and investment management. We offer permanent life insurance, annuities and long term care insurance along with asset management to assist our clients achieve the financial objectives. Ira Koyner established Triathlon Partners, in Weston CT, as an independent firm to offer his clients the wide selection of products

APPOINMENTS

Ira Koyner Phone Call

We’re always ready to help you. Grab it today