Many people have difficulty figuring out the proper strategy before and especially during retirement. If you are too aggressive you could lose capital and deplete assets during a downturn. If you are too conservative you may not keep up with inflation and again you risk deleting your assets. So what is the proper way to invest?
Should retirement mean ultra-conservative investments? That’s a good question. Many couples and families are urged to invest more cautiously as they get older – with the help of their financial advisor, they refine the asset allocation of their portfolio to make their investment choices a bit more conservative.
On the other hand, some people want to invest really conservatively. Perhaps they are acting reflexively, given what has happened with the stock market in recent months. Or maybe they believe in a longstanding myth: the idea that retirees should embrace fixed-income investments exclusively and leave stock market investing to younger people.
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Why do so many Americans refuse to create a financial plan?
I mean come on! The average person spends more time planning a vacation than they do trying to build financial freedom. How about you? Yes I’m taking to you. you know who you are. The guy right there flying by the seat of his pants. The gal right there with no plan – just wishful thinking…You can’t do nothing and expect God to bless the results!
64% of Americans have no financial strategy at all. That’s right – no plan whatsoever to build wealth or keep it. That finding comes from the 2009 National Consumer Survey on Personal Finance conducted by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (The survey collected data from 1,700+ U.S. residents.)
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Sometimes we need to go undercover!
Like a good detective, each week I scour the globe trying to find good information and resources for you, my reader. Sometimes I go on a little covert mission. Other times I play the part of a good sleuth trying to piece together clues. This week I was thinking a lot about the role of commodities in a portfolio. I have been using a combination of gold, silver, and agricultural commodities to help my investors since 2002.
I wasn’t convinced that there were only three asset classes – stocks, bonds, and cash. I was fully convinced that alternative investments, such as commodities played an important role in a portfolio. So in 2002, after doing a ton of research, I dove in and started adding commodities into the asset allocation mix and have been pleasantly surprised with the amazing results!
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I am so excited that football is back! I love NFL football and the Patriots are my team. Last year was a tough season for the Pats especially after losing Wes Welker to a season ending injury. The big question in the off-season was “when will this guy come back?”
Now here is a guy who defies critics time and time again! Just 8 months ago, doctors suggested Wes’ ripped-up left knee would take at least a full 12 months to heal. For those keeping track, he had both an ACL and MCL tear that both required surgery. In addition, he also needed rotator-cuff surgery. Many said his 2010 season was gone. Everyone except Wes and his teammates!
On Sunday September 12th 2010, Welker defied the odds and started the opening game of the 2010 season. Not only did Wes play, he looked no different than his pre-injury self as he hauled in 8 catches and scored 2 touchdowns. He was back in a big way!
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Someone once said to me, “You can either work for God or against Him. You can’t be ‘on the fence’ because the devil owns the fence.” I love how he put it like that…
I believe the same goes with investing. We can either attempt to invest in a way that is pleasing to God or invest in things He is against. When I meet new potential clients, I often ask two very important questions:
“Do you know where your money is?”
“Do you know how your money is invested?”
Most people answer “no’ to both of these questions. Off the top of their heads, they probably have only a rough idea of how their portfolios are allocated – and why. Most of all they are unaware they may be investing in companies profiting from abortions, pornography, gambling, embryonic stem cell research, tobacco, alcohol, homosexual activism, and a whole host of other important moral issues.
If you took time to have someone analyze your investment portfolio (401K, Roth, IRA, Mutual Fund, and other investment accounts), you would know exactly where you stand. Transparency is a characteristic of a good relationship between an investment client and an investment advisor.
Many investors do not have that kind of relationship where their advisor shares the same faith and values and I believe this is incredibly important. How about you? Do you know the details of how you are invested? If you don’t, why settle for such uncertainty? You have an alternative. I provide a boutique style of investment analysis and have access to tools that allow me to get a snapshot of your portfolio allocations, financial status, and see if your investments line up with your faith and values. Contact me to today and let’s spend 30 minutes getting to know one another and see if there may be a business fit.
Tough times hurt churches and ministries too!
The downturn has forced many of your favorite churches, ministries, and charities to amend their services and assistance. They need your help.
Your money can make a big difference to the kingdom! Many people, just like you are coming to the rescue of these organizations with life income gifts and gifts of life insurance – financial moves that have perks for donors as well as the ministries of choice.
Gift annuities. A life income gift, also known as a gift annuity, offers a donor some potentially superb benefits. A gift annuity is a simple agreement with a ministry organization, by which you make an irrevocable gift of cash, appreciated securities or real estate. In return, you (and/or one other person you select) receive a fixed annual income that the arts organization is obligated to pay to you.
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Is your investment strategy as morally conscious as you are?
Many well-educated, morally conscious investors wind up buying shares of companies whose beliefs and business practices are far removed from their own. Why? Most investors simply haven’t thought about merging their personal beliefs with their investment strategies. Some may not even be aware of where and how their money is invested.
Is it that big of a deal? Only you can answer that. For some it is, and for others it’s not. What matters to you may not matter to the next guy, and vice versa. But consider this – when you invest in a company, you own part of that company. Some investors would prefer to separate themselves from their investments, but any shareholder cannot. So what you really need to consider, based on what the company does and how they conduct business, is whether you would feel comfortable being a partial owner of that company.
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