INVESTMENTS
"The Investor of today does not profit from yesterday's growth"
Warren Buffet
 
Whether you are retired and living off your assets and / or still accumulate wealth; the world of investing it always seems to come down to RISK vs REWARD. Even if you stuff your money in a sock, you may have little risk of losing your capital, but you have a real risk of purchasing power loss due to inflation. The goal in an investment plan is to pursue your goals with the highest return possible for the risk you are prepared to accept. In order to avoid emotion based buying and selling, which usually costs you money, it is better to have a process and stick to it.
 
Fixed Income
Equity Investments
Mutual Funds (income-oriented) Mutual Funds (growth-oriented)
Unit Investment Trust Large Cap Growth/Value Funds
Municipal and Government Bonds Small/Mid Cap Growth/Value Funds
Money Markets International Equity Funds
    Asset Allocation Funds
    Sector Funds
Investment Accounts (Traditional)
Fee-Based Managed Account
 

Investing as a Process
Determine your objectives, your risk profile and then invest in a diversified portfolio that reflects your risk profile and objectives. Rebalance regularly. If having an investment strategy was important when you were accumulating for retirement then it is even more important when you are retired. The stock market does indeed go up and down, however, unless you are properly diversified then the effects of a major drop could be devastating.


The Process A conservative investment approach views investing as process that is an important part of a comprehensive financial plan designed to pursue your long-term goals – investment, insurance, tax and estate planning. There are enough books written on “successful investment strategies” to fill several libraries. When you get right down to it though, most of the research indicated that the most important component of investment success is diversification or strategic asset allocation.

An investment philosophy that is essentially conservative in nature includes:

Operating within your risk profile
A quantitative analysis of your existing portfolio
An investment approach structured using state-of-the-art research on portfolio design
An objective of achieving long-tern growth with the lowest possible level of risk along the way


Investment Planning - Points to Consider

What is your investment philosophy and is your portfolio in line with it?
Does your asset allocation match your risk profile?
Is your portfolio in line with your investment objectives?
Do you review your portfolio regularly?
What is the analysis indicated that you are not properly diversified and your portfolio is down? Should you wait until it comes back? If yes, how long do you stay exposed to the higher risk? If you should not wait, when should you get back into the market?

Each situation is different. Remember, the goal in an investment plan is to pursue your goals with having the highest return possible for the risk you are prepared to accept and that "asset allocation is they most important decision you have to make."