Do You and Your Financial Advisor Have the Right Expectations about the Stock Market?

Do You and Your Financial Advisor Have the Right Expectations about the Stock Market?

The stock market on recent days can be described as a anything but smooth for most investors. And that's somewhat understandable, because we all want to experience the continued growth of our investments.

Most advisors, on the other hand, are scrambling to manage clients’ emotions vis-a-vis encouraging them to “hang in there.” Isn't this all too familiar? Of course it is. It’s precisely what happens every single time the market enters undesirable territory.

But is this what investing in the stock market is supposed to be? An uncomfortable, highly emotional rollercoaster journey that has you living on the edge pretty much the whole time?

I believe that investing in the stock market shouldn’t be a nerve-racking ordeal. But in order to free yourself from what basically amounts to unnecessary drama, you must adhere to the scientifically proven investing approach that dictates three simple rules:

1: Avoid stock picking and focus instead on capturing market returns by building an efficient, diversified portfolio with a risk level you can live with.

2: Understand that the market will always fluctuate! Sometimes it will go up and sometimes it will dip. There’s nothing that you or anyone can do about it.

3: Use the market’s volatility to rebalance your portfolio and move on with your life.

As simple and logical as these proven rules may sound, failing to adhere to them could end up costing you countless moments of sleeplessness and unnecessary panic. 

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Want help making and KEEPING your financial resolutions? Contact us so that we can help you to  objectively evaluate your current situation and hold you accountable to make the changes you want to make. Visit LaserFG.com or call 877.656.9111 right now to book your complimentary session. 

1 Step to Resolving to Save or Increase Your Savings in 2015

1 Step to resolving to save or increase your savings in 2015

Happy New year to you! We’ve made it, and I wish you and your family nothing but the absolute best of luck in the days and months ahead! Whatever your resolutions are, I hope that you accomplish them.

Right off the bat, I’d like to be crystal clear that what I’m going to talk about here is in no way, shape, or form intended as a condemnation. Not at all. Rather, my intention is to encourage the person who needs to hear the truth in no uncertain terms about making a resolution to change certain spending habits in order to start or increase their savings.

Having said all that, if you are one of those folks who’s hoping to change your spending habits, here are a few suggestions to help you put the nail in the coffin this time around.

First of all, I’d like to congratulate you for admitting that you need to change certain spending habits. That’s really significant, because many with this issue never admit that to be the case, and by so doing simply keep the cycle going, digging deeper and deeper. So kudos to you for making that admission in the first place.

Secondly, I would suggest that if you are really serious about making such a change, you find an experienced advisor who will actually help you to make things happen. I’m not implying that you are incapable of fixing things on your own, but here’s what you must understand: we are all creatures of habit, especially when it comes to spending control. Sometimes, the only effective way to turn things around is by actually forcing yourself to do it – by not having that money available to spend in your checking account.

In other words, if you expect to suddenly become disciplined with your spending habits simply because the clock rolled over to 12:01 a.m. on January 1st, with all due respect, you are kidding yourself. That’s probably not going to happen. I’m just guessing here, but you didn’t just realized all of a sudden that your spending habits need some work, did you? Of course, you’ve known or expected there might be some unwanted behavior happening. But why did you postpone making a change you know will be better for you until the New Year? I think you get the point. Changing your spending habits can certainly be challenging, so we need to encourage you (or, perhaps, force you) to do it.

The other reason you shouldn’t try it at home by yourself is that your mind will play tricks on you by coming up with bogus, fear-centered reasons not to make the change. For example, if you start/increase your savings, you won’t have enough money to pay other pressing bills. That’s why you need a good financial advisor to help you pull it off. He/she can and should show you exactly how much you have to work with by laying out your expenses versus income. This will let you see exactly how much discretionary money you have available.

Here’s my challenge to you: Make the call, set the appointment, and let the paper do the talking – not your inner voice, which in this case might very well be corruptly biased.

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Want help making and KEEPING your financial resolutions? Contact us so that we can help you to  objectively evaluate your current situation and hold you accountable to make the changes you want to make. Visit LaserFG.com or call 877.656.9111 right now to book your complimentary session.