Investments

An alternative investment is an asset that is not one of the conventional investment types, such as stocks, bonds, and cash. This can include venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, real estate investments, and commodities such as gas and oil, precious metals, wine, or rare coins. 

We believe that a diversified portfolio is the key to a successful one and that is why it is so important to have a balanced mix of both conventional and alternative investments.

A fixed annuity is a type of annuity contract that allows for the accumulation of capital on a tax-deferred basis. In exchange for a lump sum of capital, a life insurance company credits the annuity account with a guaranteed fixed interest rate while guaranteeing the principal investment. A fixed annuity can be annuitized to provide the annuitant with a guaranteed income payout for a specified term or for life.

An IRA plan is an investment account individuals may establish through a broker to save for retirement. Generally, an IRA plan allows you to save money and defer taxes until you retire. IRA plans have annual contribution limits that are established by the government and rise gradually with inflation; individuals age 50 and older can make slightly higher "catch-up" contributions. Individual retirement account plans come in several forms including the Traditional IRA, the Roth IRA for individuals, the SEP IRA, and the SIMPLE IRA.

Money Management (also known as "Investment Management" or "Portfolio Management") is the process of budgeting, saving, investing, spending or otherwise overseeing the capital usage of an individual or group. 

It's often easy to forget this important process. It's not uncommon for a person to spend more time planning a vacation than they would on planning their budget, spending, and saving plans. Don't feel ashamed or embarrassed if you fall in this boat - you're not alone and we're here to help!

A Roth IRA is an individual retirement plan that is funded with after-tax dollars; the contributions are not tax deductible – although you may be able to take a tax credit of 10 to 50% of the contribution, depending on your income and life situation.

A simplified employee pension (SEP) is a retirement plan that an employer or self-employed individuals can establish. The employer is allowed a tax deduction for contributions made to the SEP plan and makes contributions to each eligible employee's SEP IRA on a discretionary basis.

A SIMPLE IRA is a retirement savings plan that can be used by most small businesses with 100 or fewer employees. "SIMPLE" stands for "Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees," and employers can choose to make a mandatory 2% retirement account contribution to all employees or an optional matching contribution of up to 3%. Employees can contribute a maximum of $12,500 annually in 2018; the maximum is increased periodically to account for inflation. Retirement savers ages 50 and older may make an additional catch-up contribution of $3,000, bringing their annual maximum to $15,500.

A Traditional IRA (individual retirement account) allows individuals to direct pretax income toward investments that can grow tax-deferred. The IRS assess no capital gains or dividend income taxes until the beneficiary makes a withdrawal. Individual taxpayers can contribute 100 % of any earned compensation up to a specified maximum dollar amount. Income thresholds may also apply. Contributions to a traditional IRA may be tax-deductible depending on the taxpayer's income, tax-filing status and other factors.

A variable annuity is a type of annuity contract that allows for the accumulation of capital on a tax-deferred basis. As opposed to a fixed annuity that offers a guaranteed interest rate and a minimum payment at annuitization, variable annuities offer investors the opportunity to generate higher rates of returns by investing in equity and bond subaccounts. If a variable annuity is annuitized for income, the income payments can vary based on the performance of the subaccounts.

A 529 plan provides tax advantages when saving and paying for higher education. There are two major types, prepaid tuition plans and savings plans. Prepaid tuition plans allow the plan holder to pay for the beneficiary's tuition and fees at designated institutions in advance. Savings plans are tax-advantaged investment vehicles, similar to IRAs. 

Rules governing the plans are laid out in Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. They are legally referred to as "Qualified Tuition Programs" and sometimes called "Section 529 plans."

Source: Sharper Insight. Smarter Investing. (n.d.). Retrieved March 7, 2019, from https://www.investopedia.com/