How to Invest Smart and Dream Big! – HuffPost

My Stock Market Dream- How to Invest your Money Smarter in Stocks and Bonds.

Sadly I know that when a crash happens (you can define a crash for yourself some people freak at drop of 1%, 10%, 20% or when there is actually a full blown crisis like we had around 2008) more people will get cold feet and pull money from the market. Basically doing the opposite of what will help you build wealth: Buy High, Sell Low.

As a fiduciary financial planner my goal is to help people make smarter financial decision today and tomorrow, with that in mind to help them avoid the mistakes that leave many people just one missed paycheck away from financial ruin.

If day in and day out ignoring the apocalyptic headlines from the 24 News Cycle and making smart financial decisions were easy people may actually get better results, and feel happier with their investment choices. If that wasnt bad enough we are not deluged with an onslaught of fake news via social media like Facebook and Twitter.

My favorite part of my job is when Im helping clients make smarter financial decisions. I say smarter: this is time when we are choosing between a few options that all have benefits (and potential drawbacks) and are moving them towards their personal financial goals. Sadly, many people are fighting against making dumb financial decisions. If it was a multiple choice question all four answer you can choose from are bad for your finances. Not a great position to be in.

If I had to guess Id say 95% of working adults in America need to be saving more (anything is more than ZERO), and 99.99% could benefit from smarter financial decisions along the way. You dont have to be perfect to achieve financial independence but you do have to be proactive. Am I perfect financially my husband would say no hes too cheap. I prefer Money Maximizer (aka frugal) I know I tend to hoard money, am getting better at taking my own advice to LIVE FOR TODAY, BUT SAVE FOR TOMORROW. Get started now- the first million is the hardest.

Volatility is written into the DNA of the market. In fact, volatilityisthe market. The market may be up today, and down tomorrow or vice versa. As a financial planner Im here to tell you that volatility is par for the course when investing. Temporary declines can only be turned into permanent losses if you make some of the big investor mistakes. Embrace volatility and be aware that it is by no means the same as investment risk.

I liken speculating to gambling, you are hoping that some stock will go or down some amount over the short term. Day Traders are speculating. They often boast of amazing results when time are good, and more likely to be decimated when times are bad.

Investing is more like being the Casino. You diversify your risk across a portfolio and dont need to win on every single hand all the time. Past performance is not indicative of results, but the stock market has trended up over the long term. Bottom line, dont treat you investments or financial plan like a drunken weekend in Vegas, or you may end up with a rough Financial Hangover.

Many people often confuse these two. If you hear a hot stock tip at a party and rush out and buy it, you are most likely speculating. If you have a diversified portfolio and are putting away money on a regular basic you are more likely investing for some future goal.

Investments are just a tool to help drive a financial plan. If you are working with a Fiduciary Financial Planner you may be presented with different investment choices made for different financial goals with different taxation and time frames.

We all want great returns, but that can be relative. I often use risk based portfolios for my clients, if you are saving for a house in a few years you would most likely want to take much less risk in that portfolio that you would in your accounts for retirement that may be decades away.

Bottom line, a financial plan is road map of often simple action steps to take to get you on track for your various financial goals. Including things like investing, tax planning, estate planning, protection planning and even sometime fun stuff like spending plans. We have to have money to travel right?

Face your Financial Fears:

Procrastination is one of the biggest issues keeping people from Financial Success. The day to day movements of the stock dont really mean much for your odds of achieving financial success. If you arent invested at all they really mean nothing to you.

Not doing anything is a choice as well. Save ZERO dollars, and having ZERO dollar grow by ZERO percent will leave you with ZERO income from those investments regardless of how fabulous or successful you have been, or even how long you have delayed retiring.

Make 2017 the year you get your financial house in order, and more importantly keep it that way. Sit down with a fiduciary financial planner like David Rae to make sure you have a plan in place to stay on track for your various financial goals.

DAVID RAE, CFP, AIF is a Los Angeles-based retirement planner with DRM Wealth Management and Independent Registered Investment Advisor. He has been helping friends of the LGBT community reach their financial goals for over a decade. He is a regular contributor to the Advocate Magazine, Investopedia (named 100 Most Influential Financial Advisors) and Huffington Post as well as the author of the Financial Planner Los Angeles Blog. For more information visit his website http://www.davidraefp.com

#investin #speculation #fiduciary #financialplanner

The opinions voiced in this article are for general information only. They are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual and do not constitute. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult with your financial professional. Please remember that investment decisions should be based on an individuals goals, time horizon, and tolerance for risk. Investment in stocks will fluctuate with changes in the market conditions and indices are unmanaged measures of market conditions. It is not possible to invest directly into an index nor does past performance guarantee future results. Diversification help you spread risk throughout your portfolio, so investments that do poorly may be balanced by others that do relatively better. Neither diversification nor rebalancing can ensure a profit or protect against a loss. Article Originally Published on the Financial Planner LA Blog.

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How to Invest Smart and Dream Big! - HuffPost