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This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor During your working years, your primary investment goal is generally growth – you need your money to grow so that you can eventually afford the comfortable retirement lifestyle you’ve envisioned. But when you retire, should you change course and adjust your investment strategy from “offense” to “defense”? Actually, it’s not quite that simple. To begin with, even while you are working, you don’t want yo...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Next week, the 2016 Summer Olympics begin in Rio de Janeiro. One of the most compelling events is the marathon, a 26.2-mile endurance contest with roots dating back to ancient Greece. It may be that we’ve kept our interest in the marathon because it can teach us much about life – and it certainly has lessons for investors. In fact, if you were to compare investing to an Olympic sport, it would be muc...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Identity theft is a big problem. How big? Consider this: In 2015, about 13 million Americans were victimized, with a total fraud amount of $15 billion, according to Javelin Strategy & Research. That’s a lot of victims, and a lot of money. How can you protect yourself from becoming a statistic? Here are a few suggestions: • Secure your Social Security number. Identity thieves eagerly seek Social Sec...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. If you’re a golfer, you know the joys (and occasional frustrations) of the game. But you might not realize that some of the lessons you learn on the links can carry over to other areas of your life – such as retirement planning. So whether you’re already retired or are planning to retire in the next few years, consider the following suggestions: Try to overcome the “yips” When you miss those short put...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. The countdown to 2016 has just about begun. If you’re like many people, you might be mulling over some New Year’s resolutions, such as hitting the gym more, learning a new language or taking a cooking class. All are worthy goals, but why not add some financial resolutions as well? For example … … Pay yourself first. Even if you aren’t living “paycheck to paycheck,” you probably don’t have much troub...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. You may be quite willing to plan an investment strategy for your retirement years. After all, it can be enjoyable to think about traveling the world, pursuing your hobbies or participating in any of the activities you’ve associated with an active retirement. However, once you do retire, you’ll need to “shift gears” somewhat to focus on your legacy. Specifically, to protect your loved ones and ensure...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. What’s the biggest obstacle to your ability to invest successfully? Is it the ups and downs of the financial markets? Political events? The fact that you weren’t born rich? Actually, the chief hurdle you face is something over which you have control: your own emotions. Your emotions can lead to a variety of ill-advised investment behaviors, such as these: • Cutting losses – Declines in the financi...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Many people look for the “secrets” to investment success. Is it timing the market just right? Is it finding those hot stocks or getting in on the “ground floor” of the next big thing? Actually, these types of moves have little relevance to the vast majority of investors — even the most successful ones. So let’s take a look at some steps you can take that can be effective in helping you work toward...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Many people look for the “secrets” to investment success. Is it timing the market just right? Is it finding those hot stocks or getting in on the “ground floor” of the next big thing? Actually, these types of moves have little relevance to the vast majority of investors — even the most successful ones. So let’s take a look at some steps you can take that can be effective in helping you work toward...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. As you’ve no doubt noticed, your trips to the gas station have been a lot more pleasant these past several months. There’s not much doubt that low oil prices have been welcome to you as a driver. But when oil is cheap, is that good for you as an investor? There’s no clear-cut answer. But consider the following effects of low oil prices: Positive impact on economy — When you spend less at the gas pum...
Warren Buffet, the “Oracle from Omaha,” is considered one of the most successful investors in history. Yet while the investment world may seem complex, Mr. Buffet’s advice is actually pretty simple. Here are a few Buffet quotes, along with some suggestions on putting them to use: “Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down.” Essentially, this means you should look for good investment vehicles whose price may have dropped. A “bear” mark...
November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month – a month dedicated to educating the public about the need to prepare for the potentially devastating costs of long-term care. And the more you know about these expenses, the better prepared you will be to deal with them. To begin with, just how expensive is long-term care? Consider this: The average cost for a private room in a nursing home is more than $87,000 per year, according to the 2014 Cost of Care Survey produced by Genworth, a f...
As an investor, you’re well aware that, over the short term, the financial markets always move up and down. During your working years, you may feel that you have time to overcome this volatility. And you’d be basing these feelings on actual evidence: the longer the investment period, the greater the tendency of the markets to “smooth out” their performance. But what happens when you retire? Won’t you be more susceptible to market movements? You may not be as vulnerable as you might think. In...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. It probably doesn’t happen as much as you’d like, but from time to time, you have some extra disposable income. When this happens, how should you use the funds? Assuming you have adequate emergency savings — typically, three to six months’ worth of living expenses — should you pay off debts, or fund your IRA or another investment account? There’s no one “correct” answer — and the priority of these...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Everyone needs to be aware of the financial resources they will have available in retirement. But if you’re a woman, you must be particularly diligent, for a variety of reasons. And that means you’ll need to know just what to expect from Social Security. Why should you, as a woman, pay extra attention to Social Security? For one thing, women often take time off from their careers to care for chi...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. In many areas of your life, you’re probably aware that it’s useful to keep emotions out of your decision-making — and that’s certainly the case with investing. However, it can be difficult to keep your feelings from influencing your investment decisions. But you may find it easier to invest with your head, rather than your heart, if you know a little something about two different cycles: the market...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Copyright © 2014 Edward Jones. All rights reserved. Member SIPC. In many areas of your life, you’re probably aware that it’s useful to keep emotions out of your decision-making – and that’s certainly the case with investing. However, it can be difficult to keep your feelings from influencing your investment decisions, but you may find it easier to invest with your head, rather than your heart, if you k...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. You didn’t see it on your calendar, but Tax Freedom Day fell on April 21 this year, so why not mark the occasion by beginning to look for ways to become a “tax-smart” investor? Tax Freedom Day, calculated annually by the Tax Foundation, is the day on which Americans have earned enough money to pay this year’s federal, state and local taxes. Of course, Tax Freedom Day is something of a fiction, because...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. On April 22, we celebrate Earth Day – a day devoted to education and action on environmental issues. As a citizen of the world, you may have a keen interest in protecting your physical surroundings. As someone trying to reach long-term financial goals, such as a comfortable retirement, you’re probably also interested in improving your investment environment. Here are a few suggestions: • Respond to en...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Even though it’s only February, college financial aid officers are already gathering documents, crunching numbers and otherwise working to determine grants for the school year that starts this coming fall. If you have children you plan on sending to college, how will your own savings and investments affect their chances of getting financial aid? The answer depends not only on how much money you have, b...
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. About 45 percent of Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions, according to a survey from the University of Scranton. But the same survey shows that only 8 percent of us actually keep our resolutions. Perhaps this low success rate isn’t such a tragedy when our resolutions involve things like losing a little weight or learning a foreign language. But when we make financial resolutions – resol...