Investment Planning

Planning for your future includes making educated decisions about investing. An investment is an up-front purchase of financial products with the intention of generating future profit based on interest or appreciation. The financial market offers a wide variety of different investment products for investors to purchase—from relatively straightforward investment types (called securities) like stocks and bonds to portfolios that combine these investment types, such as mutual funds, variable annuities, and variable life insurance policies.

Investors should be aware of the risk/return potential of any investment products they consider purchasing. Typically, the greater the return potential of a given investment, the greater the risk potential. Investors should also consider their own comfort with risk, the length of time they must invest, the fees charged by the investments they are considering, and their goal for the investment when making decisions.

Our financial professionals can guide you through the growing number and complexity of available investments. It is our job to ensure your investment plan fits your short- and long-term financial goals.

Different investment products can help you meet a variety of financial goals, including retirement and estate planning as well as education financing. Investment professionals can help select appropriate investment products based on your goals, comfort with risk, timeline, and a product’s fees and tax considerations.

Stocks

Stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Their value rises and falls with investor perception of the company’s potential and market factors, such as the outlook for the company’s industry, political climate, and strength of the economy.

Bonds

Bond are instruments of debt that represent loans issued by the government or a company. Investors who purchase bonds receive a stated interest rate and the promise of repayment when the bond reaches its maturity date.

Short-Term & Cash-Equivalent Investments

Short-term and cash-equivalent investments are low- or no-risk securities that generally have lower expected yields than stocks, bonds, and other investments. Cash equivalents may not yield enough to keep up with the rate of inflation. Cash-equivalent investments include the following:

Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
CDs are fixed, interest-bearing time deposits with a bank or other FDIC-insured institution. CDs are subject to early redemption penalties.

Money Market Accounts
A money market account is a portfolio-based investment that derives its value and generates interest from the purchase of a variety of short-term debt instruments, including Treasury bills, CDs, bankers’ acceptances, and commercial paper.