Ace Custodio, President/CEO and Co-Founder

     info@camtrading.com                    410-988-2417

With over 10 years of investment management and trading experience, Ace has the knowledge and skill to manage client assets effectively.  The CEO’s responsibility is to guide Custodio Asset Management’s future. 

Ace attended Mount St. Mary’s University from 1997 to 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Finance.   During his college career, Ace worked with financial advisers from Merrill Lynch where he learned the principles of asset allocation management.   After realizing he could outperform Merrill Lynch’s asset allocation system, Ace left the company in 2001 and began implementing his investment strategy.

In late 2001, Ace began employment at the Plexus Scientific Corporation in Columbia, Maryland, where he held the position of Information Technology Manager until his departure in December 2006.   

With their combined resources and a sound business platform, Ace and his brother Almond invested in and co-founded Custodio Asset Management in October 2005.  The brothers continued to perform research and develop their proprietary investment strategy for selected clients.

For the past three 3 years, Ace has continued to invest while researching methods to boost client’s earnings.  Since inception, the CAM portfolio growth now exceeds +180%.  The company’s transparent strategy is well disciplined and ready for the opportunities the 2009 market will present.   

Ace and his wife of 5 years are the parents of 2 young boys aged 3 years and 8 months old.  He enjoys spending time with his family and kayaking. 

                  An Interview With Ace Custodio

                      CEO, Custodio Asset Management 

Tell me about your education and employment background?

I attended Mount Saint Mary’s University from 1997 – 2001 and graduated with a B.S. in Finance.  While attending college, I worked at Merrill Lynch in Frederick Maryland.  At Merrill, I worked with financial advisers and learned how the company allocated client assets.  During my sophomore year, I began to buy and sell stocks.  During my junior and senior years, I learned about option trading. 

In the Summer of 2005, my brother and I came to realize that there are a host of financial products that are unfamiliar to the majority of investors.  We felt we had the experience and knowledge to serve the public.  Almond and I developed a business plan, established our proprietary models and launched Custodio Asset Management in October 2005.  CAM was incorporated in January of 2007.

What made you decide to start CAM?

When I graduated from Mount St. Mary’s and left Merrill Lynch, I knew investment management was my calling.  I believed I could out perform the big name institutions.  From the first day we launched our investment management system, we were on to something.  Now that we have outperformed the market for three consecutive years, our clients see that there is a simpler way to increase wealth for the long term.

What characteristics do you bring to CAM?

I am driven.  I am dedicated to providing true value and service to our clients.  I am entrepreneurial.  I like the creativity of growing our business.  I enjoy the relationships with our clients.  I believe in servicing our clients and that the investment business can be accomplished in a polite, courteous, yet professional manner.  I strive to learn and am willing to accept new ideas. 

Lastly, I am competitive.  I want the best results for our clients.  I try to examine the competition and see what they do right.  Then, we try to do it a little better.

Tell me about your family?

My brother, Almond and I are first generation immigrants from the Philippines.  Our parents were rice farmers from Cabiao, Nueva Ecija.  I was 10 years old when we came to America. 

My wife and I have two young sons, aged 4 and 8 months.  My wife is a successful attorney with an established Baltimore Law Firm. 

Family is important to us.  Almond and I take our business seriously and we try to treat each client they way we would like to be treated, like family.

What makes CAM different?

So many things.   CAM takes a proactive approach to investing.  The assets we manage are not susceptible to the daily volatility most investors experience.  We are an active investment management firm.  Our purpose is to achieve an absolute rate of return for our clients. 

Most Registered Investment Adviser firms provide passive investment allocations.  Many big-name advisers provide no market expertise and have no hands-on experience.  Many lack transparency and lack accountability.  Therefore, they often do not feel responsible for growing the client’s individual assets.  These are the very things Almond and I like about CAM. 

CAM takes a proactive and protective approach to investment management.  We expose client assets only when it is prudent.  There are approximately 252 trading days in the year.  With large firms, investors are exposed to fluctuating markets for 360 days.  At CAM, we manage that exposure to our client’s advantage.  Typical CAM client exposure is about 175 days.  For the remainder of the time, client accounts generate returns through money market funds.  We are committed to this discipline and we constantly seek to improve our trading formula.

What is the organizational structure of CAM?

CAM is a privately owned financial services corporation based in Columbia, MD.  The principal owners are Ace Custodio and Almond Custodio.  The CEO is Ace Custodio.  The Chief Investment Strategist is Almond Custodio.  Jay Kaytal is Director of Business Development.

What is CAM’s Mission?

The CAM mission is to produce superior returns to our clients through our proactive, disciplined approach to investment management.