ABOUT US
Partners in Long-Term Stewardship
Red Lighthouse Investment Management serves individuals, families, trusts, and select institutions. We work with clients who value a disciplined, evidence-based approach to building and preserving wealth over the long term.
Our Firm
Red Lighthouse Investment Management is an independent investment advisory firm built on the principles of academic research, disciplined portfolio construction, and long-term thinking. Our approach is designed to help clients navigate changing market conditions without losing sight of their long-term objectives.
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We believe successful investing is not driven by prediction or reaction, but by structure, diversification, and patience. By focusing on what can be controlled—costs, taxes, asset allocation, and discipline—we seek to create durable portfolios aligned with each client’s goals.
Our Approach
Our work begins with a comprehensive understanding of each client’s financial situation, objectives, and tolerance for risk. We take the time to understand not only financial resources, but also time horizon, liquidity needs, and broader planning considerations.
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Based on this understanding, we design broadly diversified portfolios using low-cost, tax-efficient investment strategies. Once a portfolio is established, we manage it with discipline, systematically rebalancing to maintain alignment with long-term objectives rather than reacting to short-term market movements.
Independence & Alignment
Red Lighthouse is compensated solely through advisory fees paid by our clients. We do not accept commissions, referral fees, or compensation from investment product providers.
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This fee-only structure allows us to provide objective advice that is fully aligned with our clients’ priorities seeking to avoid conflict of interest. Transparency and clarity are central to how we work and how we communicate with clients.
LEADERSHIP
Mark Sladkus
Founder & President
Mark Sladkus is the Founder and President of Red Lighthouse Investment Management. His experience in index construction and portfolio design provided the foundation for the firm’s investment philosophy and disciplined approach to investing.
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Prior to founding Red Lighthouse, Mark spent more than two decades creating and maintaining global equity indices. As Head of Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI), he served as Chair of the Index Committee, overseeing the selection of securities included in the MSCI family of indices, including the EAFE, Emerging Markets, and ACWI indices.
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During his tenure at MSCI, Mark oversaw the creation of the world’s first investable emerging markets index, as well as the first global value and growth index families. He also led the development of a global small-cap family of indices. His work helped shape how institutional and individual investors around the world gain exposure to global markets.
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Mark is a recipient of the William F. Sharpe Lifetime Indexing Achievement Award, named after Nobel Laureate William F. Sharpe. Other recipients of this award include John Bogle, founder of Vanguard; Paul Samuelson; Burton Malkiel; and Harry Markowitz, widely regarded as the father of Modern Portfolio Theory.
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Mark has presented to senior investment professionals, pension plans, foundations, and endowments in dozens of countries and is a recognized speaker at investment conferences worldwide.
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He holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business and a BA in Economics from Cornell University.
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Mark currently resides outside of New York City with his family.
WHO WE WORK WITH
A Relationship Built on Shared Principles
This approach is best suited for investors who:​
Value a long-term, disciplined approach to building and preserving wealth
Prefer evidence-based strategy over speculation or market timing
Seek transparency, clarity, and full alignment of interests
Understand that successful investing requires patience, consistency, and perspective
We serve individuals and families, trusts and estates, and select institutions seeking a thoughtful, enduring investment partnership.
The Red Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a fitting metaphor in the investment world, serving as a beacon to help point the way and provide guidance through uncertain waters. In Manhattan there is but one lighthouse. It is red, and it is nestled beneath the George Washington Bridge along the Hudson River. The lighthouse was immortalized in the beloved children's classic The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde Swift, with illustrations by Lynd Ward.
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That symbolism reflects our investment philosophy. Markets are powerful, unpredictable, and often noisy. Our role is to provide steady guidance, helping clients remain disciplined and focused on their long-term financial goals through changing market conditions.
