Jake Tuff 
No matter where you’re starting from or have been investing for some time, a financial advisor can assist in creating an investment strategy tailored towards your objectives.
An advisor is not just there for investment advice; they can also support you through life events and with various financial decisions. It’s essential that you find an advisor who is a great fit for you.
Asset Allocation
Asset allocation refers to the division of your money among various investments, such as stocks and bonds. This decision should be based on both your time horizon (how long until you need the money) and risk tolerance.
Financial advisors use asset allocation as a tool to assist you in reaching your goals and objectives. They determine how much money should go into each type of investment, and they have the capacity to rebalance your portfolio if needed to ensure it remains aligned with those objectives.
Asset allocation helps to minimize risk by spreading out your investments across multiple asset classes. For instance, stock investments can be divided according to industry, market capitalization or geography; bonds may be allocated according to short or long-term issuer and maturity date.
Investment in Stocks
Investing in stocks involves purchasing shares of ownership in a company, commonly referred to as “stocks.” Stocks can be classified as either growth or value investments based on their market price.
Investment in stocks is one of the most sought-after ways for individuals to build wealth over time. Unfortunately, it can also be highly risky.
Stocks tend to have higher volatility than bonds, and can lose value when the market is down. This is because stock prices often decline when bad news about a company is released.
To successfully manage these fluctuations, investors should adopt a patient investing approach, prioritize quality companies and abstain from day trading. In the long run, those who stick with their investments usually see financial gains that exceed their original investments.
Investment in Bonds
Bonds are debt securities issued by companies, governments or other entities that guarantee to repay investors the face value of their investment at a specific date in the future. Companies, governments or other entities pay interest or coupon payments along the way (usually twice annually) until that date arrives.
Bonds can be a great way to diversify your portfolio and provide steady income in the years ahead. But investing in bonds carries risks that you should weigh before you start buying them.
Credit Risk: Issuers may fail to make interest and principal payments or default on their bonds, meaning you could potentially lose your investment.
Interest rate risk: When interest rates rise, bonds lose value.
Inflation Risk: Should inflation outpace the fixed amount of income you receive from a bond, you could potentially experience diminished purchasing power.
Many investors opt for bond mutual funds rather than purchasing individual bonds, which contain multiple types of bonds with varying maturities and interest rates. These funds offer greater diversification and may be cheaper to purchase than investing in one single bond.
Investment in Real Estate
Real estate investing can be highly rewarding and offers various ways to make money. It also serves to diversify your portfolio and reduce potential risks.
Investing in real estate is typically seen as a long-term strategy, since it takes years to recoup your initial costs. Furthermore, this sector of investing is highly cash flow dependent and recessions may make finding tenants for commercial properties difficult.
Investing in real estate is most commonly done through a real estate investment group, which pools capital from multiple investors to purchase and maintain properties. Alternatively, investors may invest through a real estate investment trust (REIT), which is a public company that owns and manages an array of real estate assets.
No matter where you’re starting from with real estate investing, it’s essential to find what works best for your individual situation. This guide can help determine the most suitable strategy and help avoid common errors.
