4 Ways to Cope with a Volatile Market

4 Strategies During a Volatile Market

By Jeffrey Eisenberg, MBA

Periods of market volatility tend to make investors nervous. However, if your portfolio is properly allocated and diversified, you increase your exposure to multiple asset classes. This portfolio strategy may improve your chances to minimize short-term volatility and enhance potential growth over the long-term. Below are some additional tactics to ensure your portfolio is best positioned to achieve your life goals.

Review Your Account
While it is always important to review the performance of your investment portfolio, it is especially so when the market becomes volatile. When we are in the midst of a bull market, it is easy to become complacent and hold investments beyond their usefulness or to allow one position to become too large a position in your portfolio. In a bear market, it is easy for investors to get spooked and sell off assets with great potential prematurely, and to overlook great buys and opportunities. A volatile market, with its larger fluctuations therefore provides an opportunity to reevaluate your portfolio and rebalance your investments according to your risk tolerance, to make sure you are best positioned for a market recovery.

Review Your Advisor Fees
There are many fees and/or commission charges associated with purchasing investments and managing your investment portfolio.

While fees for mutual funds among mutual fund companies may be similar for the same fund share class (e.g. class A, B or C), there may be an opportunity to reduce the fees you incur, while maintaining quality mutual funds.

Fees for transacting individual stocks vary quite a bit from firm to firm. Are you paying too much?

Fees charged by investment advisors usually represent the largest percentage of fees incurred by an investor, and vary widely among investment firms. Fees may be charged on a transactional basis (based on each transaction), or via a fee based structure (based on assets under management). The later is more common and provides for more transparency. Using a fee based arrangement allows you to more easily compare the annual fees you incur with your current advisor with fees you would incur with alternatives. Paying more to your advisor does not necessarily yield a greater return.

Reviewing your advisor fees may result in significant cost savings by using an independent investment advisor offering the same or more services at a lower cost. The fees you save represent additional cash flow available that can help you fund other areas of your financial plan such as insurance policy premiums, college savings plans, or retirement income stream, without affecting your current lifestyle.

Review Your Financial Plan
Are you on track with your goals, needs and priorities? Do you know your risk tolerance? If you are not sure your life circumstances have changed, or you are still contemplating this question, then it is time to review your current financial plan. If you do not currently have a financial plan, seek guidance from an independent investment advisor who will provide an unbiased personalized strategy, custom tailored to your financial situation.

It is not uncommon for the time and attention needed to allocate to your financial plan to be overshadowed by other life priorities such as work, family, children’s activities, and household chores. Reviewing your plan now, will ensure that you are currently on track and stay on track with your goals.

Seek a New Perspective from an Independent Advisor
Now that you have considered these points, ask yourself: Could my portfolio be doing better? Is my account getting the attention it needs? Is my portfolio properly allocated and diversified for my current life situation, age and risk tolerance? Are my advisor fees too high?

Don’t let your financial future become stagnant. Your financial portfolio is typically one of your largest sources of wealth and foundation for a comfortable retirement. Use the discomfort of a volatile market as the catalyst for evaluating the health and well being of your portfolio. Consider getting a “second opinion” to make sure you are staying on track.

To learn more about the advantages of using an independent local investment firm, contact SecuraWealthTM Investment Strategies. We have no propriety products, no allegiance to any single investment or insurance company, a larger universe of investment choices, a limited client base so that we can take a holistic approach and maximize individualized attention in managing your portfolio, and lower advisory fees. Our goal is your goal, to see your portfolio accumulate wealth. To learn more on how we can service your specific needs, contact Jeffrey Eisenberg for a complimentary confidential investment consultation today, at (330) 605-2564 or jeisenberg@securawealth.com. Please visit us too at www.securawealth.com.

Jeffrey Eisenberg is president and CEO of SecuraWealth Investment Strategies, a Registered Investment Advisor, providing independent fee-only based wealth management services and strategic investment portfolio strategies. SecuraWealth Investment Strategies does not provide legal or tax advice. Please contact your attorney and/or tax advisor regarding any questions you may have specific to your situation. Information contained herein was obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.