Not Investing Yet? Here Are 4 Simple Steps To Get You Started

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Close your eyes for a moment and envision where you’d like to be in 30 or 40 years… Are you sailing to Tahiti? Writing that book? Running your vineyard? Building a new company?

If you had trouble envisioning where you’d like to be, you’re not alone. But unless you can visualize it, unless you’ve got your destination planned, it can be hard to get there. That’s why it’s so important to start thinking about what your goals currently are – whether it’s for yourself, your career, your startup, your art, and/or your family – and take the first – or the next – steps to invest in your future.

What does investing mean? Very simply, it means putting your money somewhere you expect it to grow. It can be traditional stocks, bonds and mutual funds, or real estate, collectibles, annuities, and other things that are expected to gain value over time.

When you’re just starting out, thinking about – and setting aside money for – your future can feel like a challenge; when you’ve just set up your first lemonade stand and barely breaking even, it’s hard to think about re-investing part of your profits in lemon groves that will someday produce income for you.

The trick is to overcome inertia, get started, and make a commitment, even if it’s just a tiny first step.

Inertia is not your friend

Inertia is one of the biggest reasons people waste opportunities to started investing when they’re young.

Objects at rest tend to stay at rest:

If you’re not investing yet, or if your money is sitting in a non-income producing bank account it can be hard to get started or get moving.

Objects in motion tend to stay in motion:

If your money is constantly in motion, if you’re spending everything you make, or if your money is following the crowd to the next big glamour stock, it can be hard to slow down and take stock with a Financial Planner to build a solid foundation.

A study by Hewitt Associates found, for instance, that only 31% of employees in their 20s invest in their company’s 401K plan¹. That means almost 70% of young employees who could be investing in a matching 401k plan haven’t started taking advantage of what is essentially free money. Whether inertia is keeping them from getting started, or inertia is keeping their money in motion so that there’s none left over to invest, they are not only leaving free money on the table, they’re not letting that money grow through compounding.

According to an article in US News and World Report, if you start investing just $100 a month in your 20s, increase contributions as your income increases, and make good financial decisions along the way, you are on your way to potentially retiring with over 1 million dollars.²

How Do You Get Started?

Here are four simple steps to get you past inertia and get you started.

  • Find your motivation

We are all passionate about certain things. The more you care, the more focused you are about achieving your goals. Make a list of the things that are important to you and the things you want to achieve.

  • Find extra money

There are only two ways to “find” money – spending less or making more. While it may seem daunting – inertia again! – you’d be surprised by how easy it is to discover places you can cut back a little or spend a little less. And, while you have a lot more control over your spending than your earnings, you can also look for ways to find extra sources of income, work more hours, or even get a better paying job.

  • Move financial goals up

If you plan to save “whatever you have left” or “whatever you’ve saved” at the end of each month, don’t be surprised by how little that actually is. We all have a tendency to spend what we have, and spend more as our income goes up. You can avoid that pitfall by paying yourself first. When you prioritize saving in your budget and take that money “out of circulation,” your spending will fall in line.

  • Get advice from an adviser you trust

The world of finance and investing can be complicated and confusing. Don’t let fear of the unknown keep you from getting started. You don’t need a large amount of savings to meet with an adviser who can answer a lot of your questions. Getting a roadmap from someone who knows the territory will help you get started and may allow for a smoother journey.

Investing in your future is an investment in yourself. If you take these four simple steps, even with limited assets, you’ll be laying the foundation for a lifetime of investing in your own plans and goals, and your own vision of financial freedom.

 

All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There can be no assurance that any investing strategy will be successful. Investments offering higher potential rates of return also involve a higher level of risk.

Learn more about our Investment Management services.

Related Reading:

What is Dollar Cost Averaging?

5 Things Investors Get Wrong

5 Big Picture Things Many Investors Don’t Do

Behavioral Investing: Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus!

¹http://www.bankrate.com/finance/financial-literacy/retirement-planning-for-20-somethings-1.aspx#ixzz3JfVGNIYk
²http://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/articles/2012/07/30/7-ways-to-retire-with-1-million

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Discussing Personal Finance is Difficult for Many – but Critical

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Money can be a difficult subject for any of us to talk about, although it seems to be particularly challenging, statistically, for women.

According to a recent study released by Fidelity, 80% of women surveyed said that they had refrained from discussing financial issues with friends or family, despite the fact that over 92% of those surveyed expressed an interest in learning more about financial planning. Among those surveyed, some of the most common reasons given were that money was too personal a topic, it felt uncomfortable to talk about, or it was considered “taboo.” Additionally, women are also more likely to feel that they don’t know enough about the subject to speak about it intelligently. This is despite the fact that studies have shown that women tend to be better investors than men.

Money is, however, a critical subject that we all need to discuss – and discuss often – in relationships. A little while ago I wrote about the 7 Things Married Couples Should Discuss Today, where I talked about why it is critical that married couples go over their finances together. Marriage is not, however, the only relationship that requires having difficult conversations about money.

We need to communicate with our parents and children about money, and even friends, coworkers and extended family members in some cases.

With money playing such an important role in our daily lives, it’s critical that we learn to overcome our desire to avoid the topic and learn how to effectively and confidently communicate about financial matters.

Fortunately there are a few things you can do to make the topic of money easier to discuss:

1. Realize that difficult conversations are sometimes necessary

Whether you need to confront your parents about their retirement plans, your spouse about where to allocate investments, or your children about their spending habits money can be a difficult topic to talk about. By reminding yourself that these are conversations that you will ultimately need to have however you are setting yourself up for success.

2. Find someone knowledgeable about finances who you can trust

No one has all the answers when it comes to money, which is why it is often helpful to turn to others for ideas and suggestions. You should find someone – whether it’s a friend, family member or a financial advisor – who is knowledgeable, who you know has your best interests at heart, and with whom you feel comfortable speaking.

This will give you the opportunity to ask questions, bounce around ideas, and learn and grow. It will also give you the confidence to discuss finances with others.

3. Get educated

One of the best ways to feel comfortable discussing money with others is by learning as much about the subject as you can. Read books, ask questions, and get help when needed. By learning as much as you can, you feel more comfortable giving advice, making financial decisions and having what would otherwise be difficult conversations.

4. Don’t procrastinate when discussing finances

If there is a money-related conversation that you have been putting off, bring it up now or at the next time possible. Don’t wait!

Here are a few more suggestions for important conversation starters:

With your spouse:

  • Family’s budget
  • Retirement savings
  • Saving for children’s college fund
  • Where to invest money

With your children:

  • Allowance
  • Spending
  • Basic financial principles

With your parents:

  • Their retirement plans
  • Location of legal documents including wills, trusts and insurance paperwork

If you’re like most people, chances are there are many other subjects that you need to discuss with those you’re close to. It may be a good idea to contact a financial advisor to help you with these as well as other issues revolving around money.

Brad Sherman is a financial planner in Gaithersburg, Maryland who is committed to helping individuals and families achieve financial independence and gain confidence with regard to financial issues.

Call him today to see if his services are a good fit for your needs.

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Having the Money Conversation

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Millennials have a tremendous advantage over their Baby Boomer parents because they are comfortable talking about money. Having grown up with social media and the internet, this generation is not as private as their parents and grandparents are, especially about subjects like money and finance. The advantage is that open conversations can reduce fears and increase understanding, which can result in better decision making.

Yet, with all this comfort in discussing financial matters, many Millennials are hesitant to meet with a financial advisor. It’s one thing to gather information from family and friends or read articles about investing, it’s another to discuss your personal information with a financial advisor. That’s when it moves from theoretical to personal and that can create a great deal of fear and discomfort.

Why Fear Gets the Best of Us

How Much Do You Really Know About Finances? As educated professionals, it’s common to feel like you should know everything. After all, if you don’t understand it, a few internet searches should provide the answers!

When it comes to money matters, though, many Millennials feel like a fish out of water. Internet searches can provide information that’s both confusing and conflicting, and that doesn’t answer individual questions about strategy and direction.

Then there is the question of what information can be trusted. Is the site legitimate and can the writer’s – and site’s – motivation be trusted? While financial information is plentiful, much of it’s either very general or coming from a sales site that promises a secret formula that will turn you into a millionaire.

Financial decisions by nature are very individual and personal. Because there’s no one-size-fits-all investing strategy, personal consultations are invaluable.

Advisor motivations. Can the advisor be trusted? A trusted advisor needs to understand your circumstances, goals, dreams, and aspirations. Once they do, they can help to create a long term strategy that will help to make those dreams a reality. But you must be able to trust that your advisor will make recommendations that are most beneficial to you, the client, not the best for them, the advisor.

Addressing these concerns in an open conversation will go a long way. No one wants to be sold a product. We all want to invest money in a sound strategy. Understanding the reasons for the recommendation will help you understand how it may benefit you and help you pursue your long term goals.

Fear of not being understood. As complicated individuals we want to appear like we have everything in order. In reality, sometimes we’re confident, other times not so much.

Financial advisors have seen nearly every level of financial preparedness. They have seen financial messes and worked with clients to get things corrected. They have seen strong portfolios, weak portfolios, no portfolio, and everything in between.

Even if you don’t feel you have all your ducks in a row, an advisor can help. If you’ve made bad decisions in the past, they can make recommendations for corrective action. If you’ve been unable to get things in order on your own, working with a professional can be the fastest way to get on track.

Markets not doing as expected. This can go two ways. If you invest conservatively and the market takes off you might end up kicking yourself for not being more aggressive. If the markets are slow and you invest aggressively you can end up wishing you’d been more conservative.

When you meet with an advisor, you’re meeting with a professional who understands the investment business and who can make recommendations that are consistent with your financial goals. An advisor does not have a crystal ball; remember that long term investing is not about beating the markets, it’s about making strong financial decisions that over time will lead to increased confidence in financial matters.

Pulling the Trigger

The first step is always the hardest. This is true whether you’re trying to establish a workout routine, learn a new language, start a new job, or change your investing strategy. Resisting change is natural and we are creatures of habit. However, there comes a point when, in order to grow and progress, we have to stop making excuses and get started by meeting with a financial advisor.

Make the appointment. Even if you don’t think you know enough, have enough money to invest, have a good enough paying job, or whatever the excuses for delays have been.

Before you meet with the advisor, write down questions you have. What things have you heard and what things do you want to understand. This can guide the conversation as you begin to develop a relationship with an advisor.

A financial advisor at Sherman Wealth is someone you’ll want to get to know! You’ll want them to know everything about you and your family’s needs. As your advisor learns more about you, they’ll be able to make the appropriate recommendations as opportunities arise.

Learn more about our Financial Advisor services.

Related Reading:

The Top 10 Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor
Transparency on Both Sides

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What is Dollar Cost Averaging?

Dollar Cost Averaging

The concept of dollar cost averaging is investing a set amount of money at regular intervals. This might mean a percentage of every paycheck that is used for investing or a specific dollar amount. You might start with as little as $50 a month or $50 a pay period and that will begin to create a portfolio that pays for future needs.

Advantages of Dollar Cost Averaging

1) Establishes a habit of investing. One of the largest benefits is you begin to pay yourself first and take care of future needs today. Establishing a habit of setting aside a little money for tomorrow will help you live within your means, have more thoughtful budgeting, and be better prepared.

2) The investment is built into your budget, and you learn to live on what remains. The interesting thing about money and finances is that you tend to spend what you have. If there is a little less in the account each month you will adjust spending to accommodate for what you have. Even if it does not appear that there is money for investing you might be surprised how easy it is to “find” a small amount that can be earmarked for investments. A simple thing like bringing lunch twice a week instead of eating out can result in saving over $50 a month to use for investing.

3) Dollar cost averaging purchases shares at a set time each month regardless of where the investment price is. This means if the price is lower you purchase more shares. If the market is higher less shares are bought. The result is a greater tolerance for market fluctuations because you gain a better understanding that the markets move every day.

4) No Large Sums Required to Begin. Dollar cost averaging can be started with small amounts of money. One possible strategy is to increase monthly contributions at least annually. The more you raise the contribution amount the larger and faster your investments may grow over time.

5) Flexibility. Monthly contribution amounts can be changed at any time. The amounts can be raised or lowered depending on life events that impact your budget. In a perfect world the contributions would always increase, but sometimes that does not match real life events. The ability to adjust contributions reduces risk and allows for greater flexibility to meet current demands.

6) Great long-term strategy. Building a portfolio from the ground up can be accomplished through dollar cost averaging and regular contributions. Your investment should grow over time through both additional contributions and portfolio growth. As you receive bonuses or other financial windfalls you can make additional one time contributions as your finances allow.

When it comes to investing there are no short cuts. Starting early and making regular investments will help to provide financial security and accounts that will build over time. When you start early you are less tempted to take on more portfolio risk and are better able to reach long term financial goals.

The future is uncertain and setting aside a little each month to pay for long term financial needs is one of the soundest ways to pursue financial security.

“Dollar cost averaging does not protect against a loss in declining markets. Since such a plan involves continuous investments in securities regardless of the fluctuating price levels, the investor should consider his or her financial ability to continue such purchases through period of low price levels.”

Learn more about our Investment Management services.

Related Reading:

Tips for Millennials to Understanding the Stock Market

5 Things Investors Get Wrong

5 Big Picture Things Many Investors Don’t Do

Why and How to Get Started Investing Today

Mitigating Your Investment Volatility

The Psychology of Investing

Rebalance Your Portfolio to Stay on Track With Investments

Behavioral Investing: Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus!

 

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7 Ways to Maximize A Bonus or a Raise

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Just got a bonus or a raise? Read these tips before you start Googling airfares to Thailand…

Using a bonus or a raise to catch up in financial areas where you’ve fallen behind is a great way to jump start 2015. From paying off high interest debt to setting up a college savings plan, there are plenty of smart ways to put that chunk of change to good use.

Pay off High Interest Loans

It may feel impossible to escape the credit card damage you did in college or mounting loans. But you actually can make a dent in your debt by using your bonus for a large payment. This lowers your balance and minimizes some of those high interest charges moving forward. Get a snapshot of where you stand with the Debt Repayment Calculator from Credit Karma.

Rebalance Your Investment Portfolio

Those extra funds are a great reason to take a closer look at your assets and determine what’s working and what’s not. We can help you adjust to create the right balance between return and risk, ensuring you’re pursing both long and short-term financial goals.

Start a College Savings Plan 

Even if your kids are in diapers, it’s never too early to start saving for their college education. By starting early and using the variety of college savings programs available today, you can get a good head start on a college savings account.  There are a couple of different types of college savings savings plans and each has different features and potential tax benefits.    A financial advisor can help you determine the plan that suits your situation.  The College Savings Plan Network also offers great resources and tips for getting started.

Think About Retiring

Unless you received a really enormous bonus, we don’t mean retire now. But if you haven’t reached your company’s 401(k) contribution limits, use your bonus to max out those weekly or monthly contributions. If your employer matches… consider that bonus doubled.

Open an Investment Account

Planning for the future can be daunting, especially when you have large expenses to deal with now. But the earlier you start investing (even low monthly contributions), the longer your money has to grow.  Rather than let it sit in your checking account, create an investment account with your bonus to kick-start a financial safety net.

Prep for an Emergency

Fun? No. Smart? Yes. Unexpected issues pop up and can throw your monthly budget off track. Get prepared by setting up a fund for irregular expenses and circumstances like job loss, repairs, or costly medical bills for people and pets. A good rule of thumb is to have three to six months of expenses saved up for those worst-case scenarios.

Save for a Rainy Day

It may be tempting to book a trip somewhere warm or buy a TV that covers every square inch of your wall space. While it’s best to take care of outstanding debt and invest wisely, you deserve to have a little fun for burning the midnight oil at the office all year. Be sure to put a small portion of your bonus aside to treat yourself or your family to something special when the time is right.

 

 

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5 Big Picture Things Many Investors Don’t Do

5 Big Picture Things

These simple strategies can make a big impact on your long term portfolio.

Investing and finances can be overwhelming and confusing. Having so many options available, how is an investor to choose which direction to go. For those who seek to understand, it can become paralysis by analysis, where the more you study, the more you realize you need to know. With all of its complexity, simple investment strategies can be very effective, if the right choices are made.

Here are 5 Strategies most average investors don’t focus on, but should.

  • Have a thought out strategy with a purpose. A common mistake of investors is to put money in an account without a lot of thought as to the goals you want to achieve. Starting an investment fund without goals is like driving in a car with no destination in mind. Without a purpose for the money, it is impossible to measure the success or failure of the investment.
  • Start Early with a Time Horizon. Starting early gives your money more time to grow. The longer the money is invested, the better it can weather market fluctuations and the more likely you are to successfully reach your goals. Along these same lines, set specific goals around a time horizon. How long will each bucket of money be invested? This is a very important piece to your overall strategy because it will help evaluate the specific investments that will be most beneficial. If you are 15 years away from your goal, investment choices will be much different than if you are 5. The closer you get to the destination, the less able you are weather market fluctuations. This should be considered in your overall strategy.
  • Increase The Amount Invested Each Year. When looking over your investment strategy, separate the performance and the contributions. The performance is how much your money has grown through your investment strategies. Contributions are the dollar amount that you have added to your investment accounts. These two factors make up the total growth of your portfolio. Both of these numbers are important to your overall strategy. The account performance should be reviewed independent of contributions to help you stay on track with the right investment choices for your risk tolerance and time horizon. The amount you have added in contributions is what you have built into your budget for long term financial goals. When you increase those contributions each year, your account should grow significantly faster. Small increases are often not felt in the monthly budget.Let’s say you currently contribute 6% from your paycheck into your 401k. In addition to that you are putting $50 a month into your IRA and $50 a month into a  college fund. At the beginning of the year, increase your 401k contribution by 1%. Now you are putting away 7% in pretax dollars for retirement. Then the next quarter increase your IRA contribution to $75 a month and the quarter after that, increase your college fund contributions by $25 a month. These small increments will barely be noticed in your monthly budget. The $25 a month increase is less than $1 a day. If you are earning $50,000 a year, the 1% increase with your 401k is only around $21 a paycheck if you get paid bi-monthly, in pretax dollars. Meaning your paycheck will be reduced by less than $20 a paycheck due to the pretax allocation. If you increase the contribution at the time of your annual raise, it will only be noticed in the form of larger investment accounts.
  • Review your asset allocation as a whole picture. When you have separate investments for different financial goals, it is more of a challenge to see your portfolio in a complete picture. Having investments with different companies can increase these challenges. When you have a 401k at a current job, and maybe one or two from previous jobs, they are more difficult to keep up with. Then you might have current investments for retirement, college and savings for your first home. Taking a holistic view of all your investments will help to ensure you have the best asset allocation possible. When your allocation gets out of whack, you might end up taking on more risk than you are comfortable with, without realizing it. It is not always possible to have all your investments under one roof, especially with a current 401k. However, including these investments in all financial reviews will help you stay on track for your overall investment goals as well as ensuring your asset allocation and risk profile are appropriate.
  • Understanding what you can control. In life we like to have control over our current and future destinations. Happiness and success often come from recognizing what we can control and focusing on that. Investing is no different. We cannot control the markets and we cannot control the economy. There is a host of circumstances and events that are outside of our control. Stressing and worrying about those things is not beneficial. You can control spending and investment rate. You can control which investments you choose and the amount of risk in your portfolio. Staying focused on these elements will lead to higher comfort levels which will encourage staying the course.

Financial investing success has more to do with implementing sound strategies, rather than luck or great market timing. It is more about staying the course, than picking the “hot” stock that will make you a millionaire.

Learn more about our Investment Management services.

Related Reading:

Tips for Millennials to Understanding the Stock Market

What is Dollar Cost Averaging?

5 Things Investors Get Wrong

Why and How to Get Started Investing Today

Mitigating Your Investment Volatility

The Psychology of Investing

Rebalance Your Portfolio to Stay on Track With Investments

Behavioral Investing: Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus!

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YOLO (You Only Live Once) So You Need A Retirement Goal

Yolo Retirement Goal

When you read through blogs or scroll through hashtags and memes on social media, there is a recurrent theme among millennials regarding the live-for-today sentiment. Whether it’s the acronym, #YOLO (You only live once) or the older, maybe not-so-cool phrase, ‘Carpe Diem,’ we are constantly reminded that we should stop worrying about the future and focus on today. But when it comes to your finances, is society sending us a detrimental message?

When addressing one’s plans for retirement, it is sometimes difficult to find a happy medium between the avoidance of financial responsibilities and the overwhelming, anxiety-inducing worry over one’s financial future. Below are two very common thought processes that I see often.

1) I am not worried about the future now, I’ll deal with it later

Unfortunately, our day-to-day pressing needs and our live-for-today goals become the priority and we cannot focus on or visualize what is not right in front of us. We tell ourselves, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ Whether it’s not participating in a 401K because the extra monthly money is needed for utility bills or prolonging the start of a college savings fund for your child because you have mortgage payments to make, you are setting yourself up for a worrisome retirement.

It is important that you stop and visualize, in vivid detail, a big retirement goal. Are you visualizing being able to enjoy the finer things in life or are you just hoping to maintain the lifestyle that you are living today? What details do you see when you make this visualization?

Consider these important factors while you are visualizing:

If I continue at today’s rate-of-saving, what will my savings be at retirement?

Do I have children? Do I plan to have more children?

Do I plan to send my children to college?/Can I afford college tuition?

Do I own a home? Do I have a mortgage?

Have I planned for rising health concerns as I get older?

If something should happen to me, will my family be taken care of?/What kind of debt will they incur?

2.) I worry so much about my future financial position, that I sacrifice my daily happiness

Studies have shown that intense worrying about money or financial situations can affect many aspects of your life from mental health, to relationships, to career. When consumed with worry over your finances, it can inflict on your ability to focus thus creating a distraction and inability to enjoy the present.

While it is important to plan for the future, it should not be so overwhelming that it interferes with one’s day-to-day abilities. Ask yourself:

What am I really worried about?

Is it something in my control? If so, am I taking the necessary steps?

If it is not in my control, what steps can I take to ease my anxiety?

Do I have a financial advisor that can help to address financial concerns and alleviate unnecessary worry?

Whether you identify more with the first or second way of approaching your finances, or possibly somewhere in the middle, it is important to address your financial concerns with a trusted financial advisor. Unnecessary worry can cause you to feel paralyzed, out of control, and unable to make the right financial decisions concerning your retirement. However, failing to address future financial responsibilities, and avoidance altogether, can prove to be counterintuitive, creating anxiety and worry at a later date. Suddenly financial responsibilities show up at your door and you no longer have the option to ignore or put off. In taking small steps along the way, you can gain control of both your finances and your worry.

Call Brad Sherman at Sherman Wealth Management today and set up a no-cost financial consultation.

Learn more about our Retirement Planning services.

Related Reading:

Four Things Entrepreneurs Can do Now to Save for Retirement 

Finding Financial Independence

Your 401K Program: A Little Savings Now Goes a Long Way

How Much Money do you Need for Retirement These Days?

The Benefits of Saving Early for Retirement

Advantages of Participating in Your Workplace Retirement Plan

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