How Risky Are Your Investments?

Today's topic is risk, and what it means to you! It seems that, over time, our industry has developed a culture of using words that make big assumptions. The assumption is that we define and understand these words the same way. A good example is the word "risk." Does it really mean the same thing for everyone?

Risk has to do with volatility over a period of time. This means that where there is a risk of loss, there is also an opportunity to gain. People need to realize that risk is personal; it can't be defined in a textbook. The goal is to always remain pragmatic and follow the plan that you personally have put in place.

Risk could come from not having an advisor or a relationship with someone who can offer objective advice. When the volatility comes, risk often affects people's decisions, which can result in decision making that is based on emotions rather than reason. To avoid this, every investor needs to understand what their definition of risk is.

To understand what risk means to you, a great strategy is to write down your own definition. More importantly, it's important that you sit down with your advisor regularly to better understand what risk is to you, how you want to handle it, and how your team is working with you on your personal risk, your goals, and the amount of risk you're willing to take

Bottom line: Every investor should sit down and review what risk means to them. Risk is ever-evolving, as your portfolio, investments, and needs change. If it's been a while since you sat down with someone to review what risks you're willing to take when investing, give me a call or shoot me an email. I'm always available to help you identify the best investment strategies.

Where to Go for Investment Advice?

Nowadays, people receive investment information from every conceivable source. How much of it can you really trust? Are some sources more reliable than others? 

Television, the internet, and your acquaintances are only a handful of the many ways you might be getting investment information. An important thing to ask yourself is what kind of relationship, or lack of relationship, do you have with that source. The media's primary goal isn't to relay valuable information to you, but to keep you glued to the TV, watching their entertainment. They make money selling advertisements, not financial advice!

Salespeople that can only sell one particular product, one particular asset class, or one particular insurance company, aren't much better. How well do you think they are going to advise you if there is only one product they benefit from when you buy it? They are going to do nothing but drive you to their particular product rather than the product that is best for your particular situation.

When you're trying to figure out where you can go to find a trustworthy investment advice, why not go to a licensed and appropriately permitted advisor to talk about all investment assets, asset classes, and your many other investment options? We can offer you the entire array of investments are in the position to advise you across the board!

If you would like to learn more about us, check out our website at www.PyleFinancialServices.com or call us at (843) 945-4480. We look forward to hearing from you!

What Happens to Bonds in a Rising Interest Rate Environment?

Hey everyone, welcome back to our blog. Today we are going to talk about a question a lot of investors are asking right now, "What happens to the bonds I own in a rising interest rate environment?"

When interest rates go up, the value of bonds you own can go down. Since 1982, interest rates have been in a long-term downward trend. If they are going to begin to start going up, bonds could be a difficult place to be, and you may be asking yourself what to do.

What you need to do is sit down with an adviser to go over a few things, including your exposure to bonds overall, the quality of your bonds, and the maturity of the bond itself.

It's time to rethink your exposure to bonds, and you'll want to do this before interest rates rise and the value of your bonds go down.

If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!