Category: Portfolio Management

10 Common Mistakes Made with Company Retirement Plans

Surveys say that most people don’t take full advantage of company sponsored retirement plans.
What are some of the most common mistakes?

1. Many people never participate at all, and others wait months or years to participate.
2. Failure to make enough of a contribution to obtain the full company match.
3. Failure to increase your contribution after getting a raise.
4. Failure to study the investment choices.
5. Putting too much of the money into company stock.
6. Failure to re-balance the portfolio on a regular basis.
7. Leaving the plan behind when changing jobs.
8. Failure to name a beneficiary.
9. Failure to review beneficiary information.
10. Cashing the plan out before retirement.

Market Myth #2: It’s all about beating the market.

For many amateur investors the object is to beat the market.  They are abetted in this belief by the many magazines and newsletters that make the market the benchmark of what a successful investor should emulate.  People spend hours scouring the media looking for stock tips and investing ideas as if investing was a sport, like horse race, where the object is to beat the others to the finish line.

The fact is that “beating the market” does not address any individual’s actual financial goals.  It’s a meaningless statistic.  And it’s dangerous.

The fact is that most professional investors don’t beat the market on a consistent basis.  Even index funds, designed to replicate the market, don’t actually beat the market.  At best they provide market rates of return minus a fee.  Attempting to beat the market exposes the investor to more risk than is prudent.

Your portfolio should be built around your needs and consistent with your risk tolerance.

What does this mean?  Your portfolio should provide a return that’s keeping you ahead of the cost of living, that allows you to retire in comfort, and is conservative enough that you will not be scared out of the market during the inevitable corrections.

Want to create a portfolio that’s right for you?  Contact us.

What to do when couples disagree on investing

It’s well known in the investment business that women are more risk averse than men. There are, of course, exceptions and I should qualify that by saying that’s true of “most” women and men.

In most cases this does not cause problems when couples invest. That’s because there is usually a division of labor with one spouse making most of the investment decisions. However, when spouses collaborate on investing, a significant difference of opinion can cause a lot of stress in a marriage. Differences in money management styles between two partners can ruin a marriage.

That’s the time for the couple to meet with a trusted financial advisor who can provide unbiased advice and professional expertise. Getting an intermediary involved in what could be a serious dispute usually helps. This often allows a couple to come to an understanding that both can agree works for them.

If you and your partner have disagreements about money and investing, get in touch with us.

And don’t forget to read the first three chapters of BEFORE I GO.  It’s free.

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