Investment Management Continued…

Investment management is the act of taking charge of your financial assets and directing them onto a path to increase their growth. It entails looking down the road to where you'd like to be in the future. Can you afford to do the things you're planning to do? You can, if you prepare for the future now by using proven investment management techniques.

There are various types of investment management, some examples are:

• Education Savings Plans

College and University costs can be quite formidable. Setting aside a small monthly amount in a savings plan will result in a welcome windfall once junior's ready to begin post-secondary education.

• Small Business Investing

Small businesses don't always stay small, but growing your business costs money. A properly planned investment strategy can provide funds for future expansion.

• Retirement Planning

After taking into account Social Security benefits, company pensions, savings and all other potential sources of income, will you still have sufficient cash flow to support the lifestyle you desire? Even if you do, you may end up with a cash flow surplus that will have income tax consequences.

• Estate Planning

You can't take it with you... so it's imperative that you devise a strategy to minimize estate taxes and maximize the funds available to your beneficiaries.

Be an Ant, not a Grasshopper

The old fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant is as relevant to us today as it was in Aesop's day. Save today to be secure tomorrow. But it's not that simple, there are pitfalls and uncertainties on the road to financial security.

· A Volatile Stock Market
Bulls and Bears, ups and downs... the roller-coaster ride of the stock market doesn't appear at first glance to be a safe place to invest your savings. Yet one must view the long term trend since you're investing for the long term. The key is balance. Invest in a wide range of stocks instead of just one. To use another old (but wise) maxim, "don't put all your eggs in one basket".

• Poorly Performing Investments

There's never any guarantee of profits and success when investing. The services of a knowledgeable investment professional can help you make informed decisions on how and where to invest for the future.

• Government Rules and Regulations

Nothing is simple, especially when the Government is involved. However, it can be well worth the effort to understand complex federal and state investment plans. This applies to business investing as well as managing your company pension plan and benefits.

• Taxes

Yes, they're inevitable. A good financial advisor can help you navigate around tax traps in order to maximize your income. It's not a matter of avoiding taxes, but of exercising control over your tax liabilities.

A Penny Saved...

Benjamin Franklin appears on the $100 bill for good reason. Like the other Founding Fathers, Franklin believed in planning for the future and laying the foundations for secure growth. This applies for your investments as well as your country. Proper and effective investment management is the key that unlocks the door to the dream we all have: a secure, worry-free financial future.

By Steve Levenstein