Taxes are an important consideration; we are aware that after-tax returns are what really matter. We understand the benefits of long-term tax-deferred compounding, hence we are never in a rush to sell good long-term investments in order to chase short-term performance. We know that portfolio expenses matter: keeping investment management costs reasonable helps clients achieve better long-term results. It is one of the reasons we think investors should avoid mutual funds and other high-fee packaged products offered by many investment advisors and financial institutions.