What’s Your Investment Philosophy?
One concept you may hear financial advisors discuss is the notion of an investment philosophy.
Understanding your investment philosophy can help your advisor understand your tolerance for risk, the timeframe in which you need to accumulate wealth, and how you think investments are related to your financial goals.
Here’s an example:
- Don’t try to time the market
- Invest for the long term
- Diversification is key
- Keep costs low
- Keep taxes low
- Maintain discipline
- Don’t make investment decisions based upon headlines
If you’re unsure of what investment philosophy is right for you, your financial advisor can help you formulate one, based upon your principles, tolerance for risk, level of acceptance of investment costs, and upon your time horizon.
Having a clear investment philosophy gives you a yardstick against which to measure investment decisions. It can help you avoid investment fads and align your decision making with your financial goals.
Would you like an advisor to help you explore an investment philosophy? Click here to let us know you’re interested.
Five Great Times to Consult a Financial Planner
Buying a home? Planning for college tuition? Looking forward to retirement?
Most of us recognize a certified financial planner can help us achieve these goals; however, too often we don’t seek the help and advice we need until these catalysts are upon us. Even so, turning to a professional for advice when one of these life events becomes a reality is better than not seeking professional support at all. So here’s a look at a few life prompts that often lead to the need for help.
You’re Starting a Family
In the US, the average cost of raising a child through the age of 17 is $233,610. This figure is based on data compiled in the most recent Expenditures on Children by Families report completed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This amount does not include college tuition or inflation.
It’s a smart move to review your finances with a certified planner as you approach parenthood. Your mid- and long-term goals are likely to change. Your insurance needs might be on the flux. And a financial planner can walk you through these issues and others, such as saving for a child’s college education.
You’re Buying or Selling a Home
Whether you’re a youngster buying your first home or a near-retiree selling a home, it’s a good idea to talk strategy with a financial planning professional. Before you begin searching for a home, a planner can help you determine how much debt you can afford, how much cash to put down, and how to juggle a real estate purchase with other financial goals. If you’re selling, a financial planner can help you understand choices for investing your equity.
You’re Getting Married — or Divorced
Few things change a financial position or impact financial goals like a change in marital status. In addition to managing emotional ups or downs, couples or individuals will need to navigate new financial expectations and considerations. An advisor can offer thoughtful advice for dealing with this topsy-turvy time in your life.
You Received an Inheritance or Another Type of Financial Windfall
A sudden influx of cash — or the anticipation of a windfall — may have you questioning where to invest it. A financial planner can help you look beyond that question and consider how such an event can impact your financial outlook. Most planners will help you make decisions with goals in mind, rather than looking at an inheritance or a windfall as an isolated event.
You’re Approaching Retirement
Pro Tip: You are always approaching retirement. There’s no better time to begin retirement planning than when you are young; however, even if you’ve waited longer than you’d like, an experienced, thoughtful advisor can help. Your medical needs will change. Your required income may change. You probably have an idea of how you’d like to spend your time when you’re no longer working, and a financial planner can help you achieve that idea. He or she can also help you with issues like estate planning, which usually become more urgent as you’re nearing retirement.
Regardless of the stage of life where you find yourself, there’s always a benefit to putting some focus on your financial goals — the way you might focus on your family or yourself. When you work with an advisor on an ongoing basis, you’ll have someone who knows you, understands your desires relative to your financial position, and who can guide you toward staying on track.
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Introducing Arbor Group Advisors
CLEVELAND, OHIO — Richard Anderson, Ted Lorenzen, & Michael Primerano announced today the formation of Arbor Group Advisors, Northeast Ohio’s newest financial planning and wealth management firm. The company recently completed a move to its headquarters located in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
The newly formed company will offer services to help individuals and families enhance financial returns and mitigate risk, achieving balance between wealth preservation and portfolio growth.
“We think of our work as helping clients make informed decisions, with an awareness of their options,” said Ted Lorenzen, founding member of the newly formed company. “We help people engage in a process of discovery, strategy, decision making, and continuous review. Whether their goals include saving for retirement, starting a business, funding an education, or simply aligning a life they love with their financial means. Our enjoyable planning process helps people create a vision and follow it.”
The firm’s partners hail from a variety of financial planning firms — some of them large and well known, others from smaller practices tightly focused on various disciplines within financial planning.
“We’ve brought together a variety of professionals under one roof who can help people and small businesses achieve financial success,” explained Michael Primerano, CFP®, AIF®, the firm’s founding member. “The average experience of our partners spans more than two decades. We believe we’ve assembled the right group of people to offer boutique services, along with resources you might expect to find at much larger firms.”
Arbor Group Advisors services include personal financial and retirement planning, estate planning, investment management, insurance analysis and acquisition, education funding, management of group retirement plans, assistance with Medicare planning, and charitable planning.
“We offer a host of ‘family CFO’ services, and we customize those services around the unique goals and aspirations of the individuals, families, and small businesses we serve,” Michael Primerano added.
The company’s new headquarters is located at 5900 Landerbook Drive, Mayfield Heights. Its web address is www.arborgroupadvisors.com.
Arbor Group Advisors is a Cleveland-based wealth advisor serving individuals, families, defined contribution plans, and institutions. Its team of investment advisors and financial planners offer comprehensive service and a client-centric approach to planning.