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!

Three Important Financial Questions to Ask Yourself

One of the greatest fears of retired people is whether or not they will outlive their money. This is often a worry for people who have medical conditions that require 24-hour care. Money goes quickly when you have an ailment, and while the doctor ensures that your vital signs are looking good, we want to ensure that you're financially healthy, too.

There are multiple questions that you can ask yourself in order to figure this out.

1. Do you have enough money? 
   
2. Is it being managed correctly?
3. How do you know the answer to both of these questions?

The only way to find out the answer to this third question is to speak with us and allow us to get a financial pulse with you. We can help you with financial planning, retirement planning, income planning, and protection planning. 

Please contact us if you're in need of financial relief. We are here to help you.

How Can You Manage the Taxes on Required Minimum Distributions from an IRA?

Hello everyone, today we are talking about how to manage required minimum distributions in IRA accounts. This is a great example of why you need a good team, and a tax professional that works well with your financial advisor. 

A lot of you may not know this, but there are ways you can defer taxes on a distribution that most people think you have to take all of right now. There are many ways to manage required minimum distributions from an IRA account. One way is to defer a portion of your taxations of those distributions until your 85th birthday.

Deferring a portion of your taxes on your required minimum distribution is not only an effective way of tax planning, but another reason why you want your team working with your tax specialist. You want your tax specialist and financial advisor communicating about your specific needs, income, and the benefits you may receive from deferring some of your required minimum distributions until your 85th birthday.

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

What's the Difference Between Long-Term and Short-Term Capital Gains?

Here at Pyle Financial Services, we act as a fiduciary, not a salesman, to protect your interest above ours. Today, want to discuss how you can grow money in the stock market efficiently!

The growth of a portfolio is taxed as either short-term or a long-term capital gains rates. Short-term rates are for investments held for less than 12 months and are the same as your income tax rate. Long-term capital gains are for investments held for more than 12 months. 

While many advisers will hold their clients' investments for at least 12 months to ensure long-term capital gains, there are other strategies available to manage not only the short-term capital gains, but to eventually eliminate or significantly reduce long-term capital gains. It's not just about how much you make, it's about how much you keep! 

If you have any questions about how we can help you keep more of what you make, give us a call or visit us at www.PyleFinancialServices.com. We would love to give you a hand! 

How to Plan, Protect, and Grow Your Money for the Future

If you're a professional athlete or a very successful young person, it's important that you plan for a financially stable future. You have a lot of wealth right now, but do you know how to sustain yourself in the long run? 

It's important that you develop a financial plan, and that you stick to it. I urge you to create and follow a written financial plan. Studies show that if you have a plan written down, you are more likely to save more money than if you just had a plan in mind.

Another important consideration is understanding your own personal investment philosophy, because everyone likes to put their money in different places. 

What we like to remind our younger clients about from time to time is that financial planning is only one part of wealth management. This doesn't always mean that you have to invest your wealth to manage it properly. Everyone has different solutions to their financial problems, and we're always available to consult with you to figure out the best way to handle your wealth.

We're not here to sell you a product. We're looking out for your financial well-being. 

Please contact us with any questions or concerns that you have. 

How Can You Stay Ahead of the Retirement Curve?

Saving for retirement is an important task, but planning it out can be tough. Today, we are going to be talking about retirement income and planning, which is something we focus on at Pyle Financial Services. 

If you are about to retire or are already retired, the tips we share today are going to help you in the areas of retirement income, concerns about retirement, and working towards having peace of mind about your overall retirement plan. 

One of the biggest problems retirees face today is low interest rates. Not getting income or a very low rate of income in bonds has caused retirees to have to get comfortable moving out of the bond asset class into other investments.

When I ask retirees what their greatest fear is, they most often respond with an answer like, "outliving my money."As a retiree, you have to know and plan for your risk factors. There are different asset classes out there, but in the planning world, everything cycles. The "set it and forget it" mentality can be dangerous. You need a financial professional to look out for your interests and understand the risks you are willing to take so your asset class lines up accordingly. 

If you find yourself watching your investments like a hawk in the media, do yourself a favor and stop. It does you no good to listen to the noise of what the media has to say about the financial world. Find a trusted adviser who can give you the facts that you can trust. 

If you have any questions for us, be sure to give us a call or send us a quick email. We would be glad to help out!

Have You Planned for Your Retirement?

Planning for retirement is one of the biggest concerns that most Americans have today. Luckily, this is one of our specialties at Pyle Financial Services. 

Many people have concerns about retiring because of low interest rates. Not getting income, or a very low rate of income in bonds has forced retirees to move out of bonds and into other forms of retirement investments. 

Retirees often tell me that they're worried about outliving their money. In today's environment, retirees must remember that markets all cycle, whether it's interest rates we're talking about or gold & silver. You can't get attached to one asset class.

One of the ways to maintain a peace of mind in this turbulent environment is to remember your specific needs should always be focused on, and not the overall volatility of the market. Not everything that the media reports will affect your investments, and the markets will always be swinging up and down. One bad market report doesn't spell certain doom for your retirement. 

One unconventional recommendation we make is to quit focusing so much on your investments. The media puts out a lot of noise that you simply don't need to hear. 

If you're really concerned about your investment, then I'd recommend hiring an adviser who can tell you the truth of the matter and help you to get into a better position for retirement based on your needs. You will need a transitional plan from working to retiring, and we can help you form a smooth plan.

Be sure to visit www.scottpylepresents.com to watch a free online seminar and request a free retirement readiness kit.

As always, if you're looking for someone that you can trust your finances with, look no further than our team.

What to Expect in Our Personal Consultation

If you're interested in using our services, then we can set up a personal consultation. You will be interviewing us, and we will be interviewing you about your life goals and your financial goals. This is so that we know how we can best serve you.

The best way to prepare for our consultation is to write down the things that frustrate you about your finances, and the things you like and dislike about your current finances. We need to know as much about your current financial situation as possible in order to improve it moving forward. With that being said, we also need to know where you'd like to move forward to, so we need to know your ambitions. 

Keep in mind that our free consultation is not a sales pitch. It's about being honest and very direct so that we can decide if we're ready to take the next step.

If we decide that you're ready for the next step, only then will you have to invest your time in us by pulling Wills, Trusts, Financial statements, bank statements and budgets. 

If you're ready to take this next step with us, please reach out to us. We would be very happy to speak with you!

Are You Looking for a Personal Financial Adviser?

Here at Pyle Financial Services, we serve as a fiduciary that protects your best interests. We are not salespeople, a fiduciary duty is a legal obligation that applies to us because we are in a position of trust. What this means for you is that your interests will always be held above our own. We're highly knowledgeable of our profession, and when you put your full trust in us to serve you, we don't take that responsibility lightly.

For us, process, planning and communication are extremely important. We're here to serve your needs, your goals, and your desires. We will help create a financial road-map for you so that you can reach your goals. We form real relationships with our clients, and this is because we need to know our clients well in order to help them accomplish their missions. 

You don't have to worry about us selling a product to you. We are here to be your trusted advisers, and we want to do what's good for you. 

We look forward to serving you, and feel free to reach out to us at any time!