There are many reasons why people want to invest — some save to purchase a bigger home, others are planning to help their kids with post-secondary schooling and many are simply planning their retirement dream. What’s required to achieve these goals varies from person to person, however, for most, it comes down to three things: your objectives, your time horizon and your risk tolerance.
Whatever your investment goals may be, one of the most important things is to have a plan that lays out a strategy so that there is a clear understanding of what’s involved. It sets out the parameters of when to take action and when to be on hold. There’s always some flexibility, but most people often take great comfort in knowing they have a plan and they’re much less likely to be paralyzed by fear and uncertainty. That doesn’t mean the plan is static and your Investment Advisor should not be in touch with you at several points throughout the year. The plan should always be reviewed periodically by your Investment Advisor.
We’ve recently created a 10-part blog series that provides insights for investors in their prime earning years, addressing many of the questions that are frequently asked around investing and strategy.
Know Your Investment Style – People might be surprised to learn that it’s important to know what kind of investor style they tend to adapt because it impacts how they will navigate the market and even can influence the type of investment advisor you should be choosing. We took a closer look at this in What’s Your Investment Style?
Investor Fear & Emotion – This takes a quick look at the role that emotion and fear can have on investing. Everyone knows they should buy low and sell high, but many people find it very challenging. We take a look at some of the factors in play and provide some baseline investing tips in Why Is It So Hard To Buy Low & Sell High?
The Role of the Mutual Fund Manager – Mutual funds are a popular investment tool but there also is some confusion around them, particularly related to their management expenses. Why Do People Say: When You Purchase A Mutual Fund, You Are ‘Buying’ The Fund Manager? looks at the role that the Fund Manager plays and provides some thoughts on things to consider when looking at mutual funds.
What Does Diversification Really Mean – Diversifying your portfolio is one of the best ways to protect your investments during volatile times. But some people are confused by what that really means. The Diversification Does Not Mean Buying As Many Investment Types As You Can blog post talks about finding the right balance around what should be in your investment portfolio.
Where Does Gold Fit Into Your Portfolio – Whenever markets are particularly volatile, people often start asking about Gold, particularly when they see the price of this precious metal starting to rise. Is Gold A Safe Haven? looks at this volatile investment option that really moves up and down based on the strength of the U.S. dollar.
Dealing With Events That Investors Can’t Control – World events can have a dramatic impact on the stock markets around the world and can have an effect on stocks that don’t always seem related to what’s happening. The Impact Of World Events On Investing provides some brief insight on this phenomenon and offers some quick tips on how to react.
Worried About Retirement Planning – Many Canadians seem to be worried about their retirement plans. Poll after poll suggests people are very concerned they don’t have enough to retire. Nervous About Retirement? is a short four-minute video that answers several of the most frequently asked questions on this topic – How much money do people need to retire? Are there certain investments people should have in their portfolios in their prime earning years? Should Canadians be looking outside of the country to invest? And, how often should people review their investment strategy?
When The Market Falls, What Should You Do – This six-minute video called When The Market Falls, What Should You Do? tackles some of the frequent questions that arise when markets fall — When the market is falling and people start to panic, what should you do? Do market drops create buying opportunities? Does having a plan help? How can people protect themselves in volatile times?
Reducing Costs – When times are difficult, one option for investors is to reduce their costs. In cutting costs, people need to be sure that they understand the impact of reducing costs so that it doesn’t negatively impact them. How To Reduce The Cost Of Investing Without Sacrificing Returns encourages people to consider what their return is before making the decision to cut costs and offers four tips to help investors minimize investment expenses.
Call Me or Email Me
The prime earning years are a crucial time in helping you to achieve your investment goals while also recognizing that retirement is less than 15-20 short years away. Call me at 416-332-3863 or email me at allan@allansmall.com if you have additional questions or want some advice on how to make the best choices for you.