Honest answers to the questions we get most. If yours isn’t here, just ask.

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The strategy

What exactly do you offer? We’re a fiduciary financial advisor. We help with everyday planning and low-cost index investing, but our specialty is diversified, rules-based, leveraged portfolios built for long-term growth. You choose from a menu of portfolios, from more moderate to more aggressive, or we build a custom one with you.

What does “leveraged” actually mean here? We use leveraged ETFs to get more market exposure than your cash alone would buy — spread across multiple asset classes, never concentrated in one bet. 

What’s the “tactical” part? Our system follows predefined rules that adjust exposure as conditions change — trimming risk when volatility increases and increasing it when markets are steady. The point is to take emotion out of it. The rules decide, not our gut or the day’s headlines.

How are these “rules” selected? These rules are selected using backtesting. The practice of looking at historical market data and running simulations of various rules to see what works. This doesn’t guarantee future results and there are plenty of risks with backtesting. But we do our best to account for those risks such as survivorship bias and curve fitting. 

Can I pick my own portfolio? Yes. There’s a menu of pre-built compositions, and a custom option if you want to dial it yourself with us. However, if you select a portfolio we don’t feel aligns with your stated goals we will recommend an alternative portfolio composition. 

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The risks (read this part)

Isn’t leverage really risky? Yes. It’s dangerous, and we won’t pretend otherwise. Our entire approach is about applying it carefully — diversified, rules-based, and over a long horizon — so the risk is managed, not eliminated. We see it like driving a car. Driving is the most risky thing most of us do. But the mechanical advantage over walking is worth it. These strategies can still lose significant value and aren’t appropriate for everyone. We like to compare it to getting an affordable 30 year mortgage. It is leverage but very different from a payday loan or high interest credit card debt. Both are leverage, but the pros and cons couldn’t be more different. 

How bad can the drawdowns get? Steep. Drops of 50%+ are part of the territory for leveraged ETFs, not a sign something broke. If a decline like that would make you sell, we need to know that upfront. This doesn’t mean you can’t use Leveraged ETFs, but we need to design a portfolio with the right mix of leveraged and non-leveraged funds so that we stay within your risk tolerance. Believe it or not you can design portfolios with leveraged ETFs that let you cap your maximum drop in value to whatever percentage point you choose. Allocating 50% to a 3X ETF you can obtain 3*50% = 150% exposure while still having 50% of your portfolio in cash. Limiting your drawdown to 50% before rebalancing. 

Why not just buy a 3X ETF and hold it myself? Honestly, some disciplined people can. But a single, undiversified 3X fund can lose almost its entire value in a severe downturn — and almost no one actually holds through that; they sell at the bottom. Our job is to build something diversified and risk-managed enough that you can actually stay invested long enough for it to work. 

Doesn’t volatility decay hurt leveraged ETFs over time? It can, especially in choppy, sideways markets — it’s a real limitation we design around with diversification and tactical adjustments rather than ignore. It’s also one of the big reasons single-asset, buy-and-forget leverage is riskier than people assume.

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Performance & cost

Can I see the performance numbers? Yes — we walk you through historical results, including longer simulations that account for leverage costs, during a consultation, with full disclosures. They’re hypothetical and backtested, don’t represent actual client returns, and aren’t a promise of future results. We’d rather show them in context than post a cherry-picked chart.

What does it cost? We charge 2% or less on client portfolios with many portfolios being charged 1%. The underlying ETFs carry their own expense ratios, like any fund. We’re a fiduciary — no commissions, and nothing we’re paid to push.

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Getting started

What’s the minimum to start? Generally, $25,000 to begin, or a commitment to invest $500/month. If you’re not there yet, we’d rather you wait until you are.

Where is my money held? Do you hold it? No. Your assets sit in your own account at Interactive Brokers. You keep ownership and full visibility at all times — we manage the strategy through trade authorization only, and we never take custody of your money. You can also download tax documents and performance reports directly from Interactive Brokers. 

How can I withdraw money? To withdraw money simply send an email to info@tinescapital.com stating how much you would like us to liquidate from your investments. Typically, after 1 business day you will then be able to login and transfer the money to your bank account or other desired location. 

Why Interactive Brokers, and why a margin account? IBKR keeps costs low and gives us the tools to run the strategy properly. A margin account (rather than cash) lets the proceeds from a sale be reused immediately, so tactical trades don’t get held up waiting for funds to settle. It’s about mechanics — not borrowing to pile on extra leverage.

What accounts can I use? A regular brokerage account works, but Traditional and Roth IRAs offer better tax shelter for tactical strategies. Not sure which fits? We’ll help you figure it out. 

How long do I need to stay invested? There is no requirement. You can deposit or withdraw money anytime. However, if you really want to have your money grow and work for you having a long-time horizon such as 10+ years gives you better options. 

Are you a fiduciary? Yes, we’re legally obligated to act in your best interest, full stop.

How do I get started? Drop us a message below, with when you would like us to reach out and we will do our best to accommodate. We can often respond in as little as an hour. We’ll talk through your situation, whether this is even a fit, and what makes sense from there. No pressure, no obligation.

Tines Capital, LLC is an Investment Advisor registered with the State of Oklahoma. All views, expressions, and opinions included in this communication are subject to change. This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended as tax, accounting or legal advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as an endorsement of any company, security, fund, or other securities or non-securities offering. This communication should not be relied upon as the sole factor in an investment making decision.

Past performance is no indication of future results. Investment in securities involves significant risk and has the potential for partial or complete loss of funds invested. It should not be assumed that any recommendations made will be profitable or similar to the performance noted in this publication.

The information herein is provided “AS IS” and without warranties of any kind either express or implied. To the fullest extent permissible pursuant to applicable laws, Tines Capital, LLC (referred to as “TC”) disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, non-infringement, and suitability for a particular purpose.

All opinions and estimates constitute TC’s judgment as of the date of this communication and are subject to change without notice. TC does not warrant that the information will be free from error. The information should not be relied upon for purposes of transacting securities or other investments. Your use of the information is at your sole risk. 

Under no circumstances shall TC be liable for any direct, indirect, special or consequential damages that result from the use of, or the inability to use, the information provided herein, even if TC or a TC authorized representative has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Information contained herein should not be considered a solicitation to buy, an offer to sell, or a recommendation of any security in any jurisdiction where such offer, solicitation, or recommendation would be unlawful or unauthorized.