Investment Management
As a registered investment advisory firm, we have a fiduciary obligation to act in your best interest. Given the relationship between risk and return, a fundamental step in determining your investment allocation is the determination of the amount of risk you are willing to take. Wheelhouse will work with you to identify your investment goals and objectives to create a portfolio strategy to help you meet your retirement goals.
Our financial assets must weather a multitude of uncertain conditions, including market swings, economic downturns, fluctuating interest rates, rising inflation, and changes in our own lives.
Building a flexible, renewable, and sustainable financial portfolio is a lot like building a weather-resistant home. The overall strength of a house is dependent on how well its components — the walls, floors, roof, and foundation — work together as a singular unit.
The Foundation
The foundational elements of a financial portfolio are typically the most protected assets — money you can’t afford to lose. This is the money you need to pay your bills, to eat, and to keep a roof over your head — now and in the future. In your fiscal house, the walls and roof are the elements that could be rebuilt over time, but the foundation is the element needed to provide stability for the rest of the house. Generally, the financial products that make up the foundation include:
Checking, savings, CD accounts — protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Government bonds — protected by the U.S. Treasury Department
Traditional fixed and fixed index annuities – subject to the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company
The Walls
The walls of a financial portfolio represent the first level of risk in a portfolio. They are composed of investments that can provide various benefits, like income, cash flow, and inflation protection, but unlike the assets in the foundation, they are subject to risk including the loss of principal. It’s important that the walls are coordinated with assets in both the foundation and the roof because frequently they represent hard-working elements that may contribute significantly to your goals with a moderate level of risk.
The Roof
Stocks
Mutual Funds
Exchange-traded Funds
The roof of your fiscal house is represented by the highest level of risk your portfolio can tolerate. These investments provide growth opportunities, but your principal and any capital appreciation can be lost during periods of declining values due to market forces beyond your control — similar to the way a thunderstorm or hail storm could damage the roof of your home. This is why it’s so important to incorporate into your financial portfolio design a stable foundation and strong walls. If the roof is ever damaged due to market volatility, it should not cause the entire fiscal house to crumble.
The Fencing
Finally, as a means to help protect your loved ones after your death, you may want to consider building a fence around your fiscal house, represented by life insurance. The death benefit provided by life insurance can help replace your lost income, help your family cover the various taxes that may be due on your assets and, of course, help with the funeral and other final expenses. Annuities can also be an option by providing steady and reliable income for the rest of your life — and that of your spouse.