Vote for solid investment strategies
Edward Jones - Chad Choate, AAMS
For more information about the author, click to view their website: Edward Jones
Oct 17, 2024
Florida - Sarasota, Bradenton & Charlotte Counties
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With
the presidential election just a few weeks away, the public is naturally
interested in not just the outcome but what the results will mean for issues of
national importance. As a citizen, you likely share these concerns — but how
about as an investor? After the votes are counted — or even before — should you
make some moves in anticipation of possible changes in policy?
Let’s look at the big picture first, through
the lens of history. The financial markets have performed well — and at times,
not so well — under Democratic and Republican presidents alike. And the same is
true about which party controlled Congress.
While it might be an overstatement to say that
decisions made in Washington have no effect on the markets, it’s not always so
easy to draw a direct line between what happens there and how the markets
perform. For one thing, political candidates often make promises that are not
fulfilled, or, if they are, have different results than intended. Also, other
institutions can have a significant impact on the markets. For example, the
Federal Reserve, which controls short-term interest rates, can certainly affect
many market sectors. And there will always be external events, such as foreign
conflicts and even natural disasters, that can make short-term impacts on the
investment world.
So, rather than making changes to your
portfolio in anticipation of what might happen if certain candidates get
elected, or even in response to actual policy changes, look to other factors to
drive your investment decisions.
These factors should include the following:
• Your goals – You probably have short-
and long-term goals you’d like to achieve. For your short-term goals, such as a
wedding, a down payment on a house or a long vacation, you may want to invest
in instruments that provide stability of principal. For your long-term goals,
most important of which may be a comfortable retirement, you'll need to own a
reasonable number of growth-oriented investments.
• Your risk tolerance – When
you build and maintain your investment portfolio, you'll need to accommodate
your individual risk tolerance. All investments carry some type of risk, but
you need to be comfortable with the overall risk level of your investments.
• Your time horizon – Where
you are in life is an important consideration when investing. When you are
young and just starting out in your career, you may be able to focus more on
growth, as you have time to overcome the inevitable short-term market
downturns. But as you near retirement, you may want to consolidate any gains
you may have achieved, and lower your risk level, by moving your portfolio
toward a somewhat more conservative approach. Even in retirement, though, you
will need some growth potential to stay ahead of inflation.
• Your needs for liquidity –
As you invest, you’ll need to maintain an adequate amount of cash and cash
equivalents in your holdings. Without this liquidity, you might be forced to
sell long-term investments in case you have unexpected expenses.
In any case, when it comes to
investing, you may want to pay less attention to what names are on the ballot —
and instead “vote” for the longer-term strategies that reflect your needs and
goals.
Chad
Choate III, AAMS
828
3rd Avenue West
Bradenton, FL
34205
This article was written by Edward Jones for
use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
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