For Proper Portfolio balance, Keep It Current
Saturday, October 1st, 2011Your portfolio can require rebalancing for a variety of reasons. A run-up in the stock market might push the mix of your investments from your chosen allocation of, say, 60 percent stocks to a much riskier level of perhaps 80 percent or rapidly rising interest rates might threaten the value of your bond investments. Perhaps one sector, like financial stocks, is ready to let you harvest some profits and put them into other sectors for better diversity.
It is also possible that you are getting closer to your goal and need to adjust your asset allocation to a safer and more moderate mix. Or perhaps a shift in economic conditions, government regulations on certain industries, or the capital gains structure might make a different balance attractive and more effective in achieving your goal.
Before you make any changes to your portfolio, you should consult a financial advisor. Selling stocks for profit is going to cost you in taxes and there may be transaction fees that you need to know about. “Churn” or the frequent buying and selling of investments is a super method of giving away your profits to brokers and tax collectors. You must always consider the cost of the transactions you are making.
You may be able to balance a gain by selling some losers at the same time or by rolling the funds into an IRA. Properly navigating those transitional sales and purchases will make a big difference in the continued success of your investment efforts, so always proceed wisely and with sound advice.
Your investments will never win or lose at the same rate. They will eventually be out of balance at some time. It may be a wise move to examine your balance quarterly, but do so at least once a year. A means of rebalancing is to sell off some investments that have gained substantially in value and purchase losing investments or those that haven?t gained much.
It seems counterproductive to sell a winning horse and purchase a slow one, but never forget the investors chant: Buy low, sell high. If you do not take profits at some time and just hang in there until they evaporate, you have lost some control of managing your investments. While you don’t want to prune a blooming stock, it is okay to just let it blossom awhile, just don’t hesitate to take action when the bloom is off the rose. Choosing investments to buy and sell must never be a gamble. Get advice from a trained, trusted professional who is current with the market.
Rebalancing your portfolio can also be accomplished by purchasing additional stocks in underperforming classes to set your allocation back in balance, or try moving your continuing contributions from one place to another until balance is accomplished.
You can also invest in mutual funds that basically rebalance themselves. Index funds, for instance, are unmanaged and will periodically alter their investments to maintain the same complexion as the index, such as the S&P 500 or the NASDQ. There are also managed funds that are adjusted to keep on an even keel.
For long-term rebalancing, you can buy funds that alter their asset allocation as they get closer to maturity. You might buy a ‘Target 2045′ or ‘Retirement Fund 2050′ to reflect the year in which you will turn 65 or plan to retire. They will automatically dial down the risk as certain milestones are crossed without any attention from you.
Proper wealth management will always include strategies involving risk management, time, asset categories, and specific investments in such a way that both the return on your investment dollars and your future financial security are always maximized.
For additional information on investment reviews, financial planning, or any other wealth management topics, please visit Kennard Wealth Management Group of Ann Arbor.