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Investing Basics
Getting Started with Investments and Financial Planning
by InvestorGuide Staff (Write for us!)
(Click on the links within the article to get definition of that word)
As soon as you begin to bring in enough money so that a portion of it may be set aside for investing, a plan is necessary to
take full advantage of that money. The amount of money available to invest also plays an important role in what investments can be purchased. Some investments are subject to limited access because they require certain minimum amounts. More generally, investing a greater amount of money opens the door to a portfolio with more risk and potentially greater returns. However, despite the importance of investing to your overall long-termfinancial situation, money for health, auto and life insurance and retirement plan contributions should be a higher priority, and should be budgeted for before beginning to invest. Additionally, investing should begin after high-interest debt, especially credit card debt, is paid off. Because after-tax returns will probably not exceed the interest rates paid on credit card debt, paying off the debt first will increase the amount of money you have each month.
Once those emergency savings are set aside, you can make decisions about where to invest the remainder of your money. These funds differ from emergency savings because they will be expected to outpace inflation, taxes, and other drains on finances to serve as a source of income and security over the long term. In order to achieve higher returns, your money will be subject to a somewhat higher level of risk than for the emergency funds you put in the safe but low-interest investment. One of the most important aspects of investing is determining time horizons. Put simply, it is crucial to know when you will need the money. Common time horizons are
based on large future expenses, such as retirement, college, houses or cars. Knowing when money will be needed allows for the most effective investment strategy to be tailored to fit the specific goals that have been outlined.
When funds for investing have been earmarked, it is time to decide how those funds will be augmented in the future. There are a variety of plans to maintain a steady pace of contributions to investments. Of course, the amount invested will have to be adjusted periodically as income and expenses fluctuate, but developing the habit of putting away some amount of money each month is an important part of building a successful portfolio.
Financial Planning
Many people believe that long-term financial planning is only important for the wealthy, or that it's a task best left to professionals, but in reality there are many steps that the averageinvestor can take to solidify his financial future. The first step in the financial planningprocess is to determine networth. An investor's net worth will serve as a jumping off point to begin thinking about his financial future.
Net worth is simply the sum of an investor's assets minus the sum of his debts. Assets include all of an investor's assets including real estate, securities, valuables and cash. The value to use in the calculation is the amount that all of these items could be sold for at the present time. Debts include mortgages, car loans and credit card balances, and should be subtracted from the assets to determine net worth.
Once this financial snapshot
is detailed, you can address your specific goals. Always remember to think about both assets and liabilities. It is always nice to acquire new assets, but if assets are appreciating more slowly than debt is growing, net worth is decreasing. It is important to strike a balance between building assets and managing debt.
The goal of financial planning, then, is simply to find ways to increase net worth at a steady pace. Saving money, allowing assets to appreciate, and paying down debt will all contribute to this goal. Incoming cash minus expenses will reveal how much money is available to an investor at the end of a given time period. If this value is negative, expenses are outpacing income, and the difference will have to be paid from savings, decreasing net worth. This is obviously dangerous because if the situation doesn't change, eventually the reserves will run out. If income sufficiently outpaces expenses, it might be time to start contributing to net worth in earnest by acquiring assets and eliminating debt.
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