Seven Reasons Financial Planning Is So Important

July 21, 2016 by Sam Curmaci

They say that money isn’t everything but we all know that some days, money is everything. This is especially true when you are low on cash. That is when you have bills to pay and unexpected things pop up. You also need money to retire, though you may not be putting money away like you should. You may want to hire a financial planner to help you with your finances because it is really important to plan your finances.

Here are some reasons why financial planning is so important.

Understand your income. People get their paychecks yet they don’t really think about the money that they make. They are not prepared when tax season comes around and they owe a lot of money because they didn’t get enough money withheld. This is also true with business owners. They need to plan to hold a percentage of their earning so that they are prepared to pay taxes quarterly.
Set a budget. To live financially responsible, you need a budget. You need to know how much money you get each month (or week). You need to plan out where you are going to spend your money. Things like electric, groceries, and other expenses are necessary, though you should also plan for some fun expenses.
Take care of your family. Part of financial planning is making sure that, if something would happen to you, your family is going to be well taken care of. You want to make sure that you have insurance policies all set up so that your children will be able to live like they are used to.
Start saving money. A savings account is important. Many people call it a “rainy day” fund because it can be used in the event of an emergency so that a setback won’t ruin you financially. You should try to have a few months of expenses saved away, in the event that you lose your job or are hurt in an accident.
Making smart investments. It is important to put money away as investments so that you can keep earning more money. Financial advisors are great at helping to make your money work for you, though you can decide if you want to use high risk stocks or accounts that are safer.
Plan for your retirement. Many people are not able to retire when they would like to, because they don’t have the funds to do so. You need to make sure that you are saving money regularly so that you will be able to retire when you want to. You need to have enough so that you can live comfortably, without working.
Become financially responsible. Many people try to be smart with their money, though without knowing much about money, theymay not be doing everything that they can do to have a comfortable life. Once you learn about money coming in, budgeting, saving, investing, and more, you will know that you are doing everything that you can to be financially responsible.

Once you have a financial plan in place, you should do everything that you can to stay on track. A financial planner will help to make sure that you are spending your money smartly. They are also great at making your money work for you so that you can live comfortably now and when you retire. They will also make sure that your family is going to be well taken care of. Once you are financially responsible, youwill be amazed at how many people have no idea where their money is going.

Contact us for help with your finances. It is our goal to ensure that you have enough money to live comfortably and to retire in the future.

Reasons to Start Financial Planning Today

July 7, 2016 by Sam Curmaci

If you go strictly by what you read or watch on the news, then you know that the present economy is volatile. It goes up and down based on world events and domestic markets, but, all in all, it can’t be predicted. It’s hard to know where to invest your money, especially if you’re just about to retire and you want to live on your dividends for a long time. The basic reality is that your Social Security check every month is only a drop in the bucket. With your impending lump-sum distribution from your retirement plan or the estimated payments that you will receive from structured annuities, you still need financial planning. Fortunately, there’s good news for people in your shoes. Here, we look at a recent report on the outlook for retiring high-earners:

Forbes.com’s Andrew Biggs did a comparison of the median disposable income of U.S. retirees 65 and older with the median disposable incomes of counterparts in other developed countries. He found that the U.S. average income was $26,250, which places our retirees at #3 (behind retirees in Luxembourg and Norway). The reason for our high level of retiree disposable income compared to other countries is that we have low income taxes.

Biggs also noted that two-thirds of U.S. retirees pay no taxes on their retirement and payroll income. While you are in a higher income bracket perhaps than the median retirees discussed above, you know that your proposed income stacks up well. Now, you can sleep better at night. But, what do you do with that income? How do you make it grow?

Structure Your Investments Based on Current and Future Trends

The age-old advice still holds true. Don’t put all of your retirement eggs in one basket. Build a portfolio of retirement investments, even if that means moving your money around. It means that you don’t have to keep your money invested in the same mutual funds and other portfolio options you chose in your last job. Once you reach that official retirement age with your employer, the question is not really about which rollover to take. It’s about restructuring. You want a combination of high-yield, medium-yield, and low-yield investments, and your strategy should account for the risks associated with each investment type.

Consider Taking a Few Risks

While some high earners pursue a diverse investment strategy, recognizing that investments like capital bonds for government building projects pay off over the long run, they are afraid to take the biggest risks. At the retirement age, it is understandable that you don’t want to lose your retirement savings because you are foolish. Maybe you will start small and risk a small percentage of extra income. Tech startup investments are an example because they can generate double-digit returns (i.e. Instagram), but that isn’t always the case.

Go Tech: Portfolios With Angel Investments

Your portfolio could include some angel investments, for example, if you want to capitalize on tech. A recent Forbes report found the following: “On average, if executed strategically, venture investors should aim to achieve 10x returns on individual investments, but across a portfolio, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 25%.”

You Need Some Expert Guidance

I am here to help you understand how you can restructure your retirement income to include a range of sensible investments. We can build in the acceptable levels of risk for portions of your portfolio based on your needs. It’s never too late to adjust your financial planning strategy and to take advantage of new trends in the market, especially with double-digit returns possible. These can always be adjusted in the future.

For information on investing retirement wealth, please contact us today.

Financial Planning for Retirement: 3 Ways to Increase Your Retirement Savings

June 16, 2016 by Sam Curmaci

As retirement draws closer, you become more conscious of the need to set money aside now. You have the extra money to spend on vacations, new vehicles, and entertainment, but as your retirement looms nearer, you want to focus your financial planning in a different direction. Increasing your retirement savings may enable you to retire sooner or help you keep living the life you want throughout your retirement years. Following a few simple steps now will help you make those changes.

Assign Percentages

You already know that a certain percentage of your income should be going to your savings account. Chances are, you’ve already assigned a percentage of your paycheck to retirement, too. There are, however, some other areas where a simple percentage check can help put your spending in perspective. Calculate what you’re spending now, then make some shifts to help increase your savings.

Entertainment spending: how much are you really spending on movies, events out with your spouse, and other entertainment expenses? Calculate a specific percentage, then look for ways to shave one or two percentage points from it.
Food and drinks: As you near retirement, you no longer have to worry about feeding your entire family at every meal. That means that your food spending should have decreased–but has it? Expensive meat choices, regular trips to your favorite restaurant, and that morning stop for coffee all add up fast.
Vacation: You’ve waited for years to be able to vacation with your spouse anywhere you like. While taking vacations is great, take a hard look at what percentage of your income those trips actually represent. If you really want to increase your retirement savings, start looking for ways to save money even when you’re out to relax. Giving yourself a vacation budget won’t cut into the fun. It will ensure that you can have fun later, too!

Write a Better Budget

When was the last time you actually sat down to look at your budget with your spouse? Taking the time to look over your spending now seems silly. After all, the kids are out of the house. You have extra money left over that you’ve never had before! Writing out your budget and including the things that are really important to both of you, however, can help you and your spouse get on the same page and develop a better appreciation for how much money you really need to live on. Since that budget may continue well into your retirement years, those are great things to know! Make sure it includes things like:

Salon expenses, including your wife getting her hair done
Replacing clothing that has worn out, from work clothes to the clothes you wear for leisure activities
“Fun money” for each member of your family that you can spend the way you want, without needing to check with the other party
Hobbies and interests that add a regular expense to your budget, especially the ones that you might feel obligated to buy new equipment for (classes that you take and pay for every month, sports equipment that needs to be replaced, etc)

Writing out a budget will make it easier for you to stick to a plan–and help you keep on track even when it would be easier to pull out your card and make a purchase.

Track Your Spending

You’ve checked the percentages. You’ve written your budget. Now, there’s one last crucial step to seeing just how much you’re actually spending–and therefore how much more could make it to retirement savings. For at least a month–and six months might be more realistic–track your actual purchases to discover exactly where your money is going. This process can help you see things like:

Where you’re wasting unnecessary money
How often impulse purchases are interfering with your savings plan
How often you’re really going out to eat, stopping at your favorite coffee shop, or hitting the movie theater
How much your favorite hobby really costs your family

The longer you track your actual spending, the more realistic your account will be–and the better the odds will be that you’ll get a real picture of how much money you need for retirement as well as how much more you can invest now. Looking for more ways to improve that retirement account? Contact us today for more information.

What You Need To Know About Financial Planning

May 26, 2016 by Sam Curmaci

Financial planning is so important for everyone. It is more than just getting ready for retirement. It also involves thinking about how you spend money and what you spend money on. You need to look into your assets and your debts.

Financial planning is not a once and done kind of thing. It is important to revisit your financial plan often, especially if you have changes like an income increase or decrease.

It is never too late to start planning to have better finances. Some people think that since they waited too late, there is no point in trying to plan for your future. However, whether you started to plan for your future when you were younger or, even if you didn’t, the time to start planning is now.

Here are some things to think about when you are planning for your financial future.

Look at where you are in your finances and where you want to be. Examine your assets and debts. Examine where you spend your money. Where can you cut back in order to save a little more money? Do you really need to go out to eat every week? Do you need a brand new car? Fancy vacations? Or would you rather be a little more comfortable in your retirement.
Determine how much money you will need to retire. Really think about where you want to be when you retire. How much money will you need to live comfortably? How much money would you like if you want to live the same way that you live now? Don’t forget that you may get some money when you retire, though you may just want to think of that as extra income for unnecessary expenses.
Think about your living situation. Where do you want to live when you retire? Do you want to move or stay in the house where you are now? Can you find a smaller place with a smaller monthly payment? If you move now, it will be easier and you can invest the money that you are saving each month.
Work as long as you can. The longer that you work, the more money that you can save and put toward your retirement. Even if you are almost at the age where you want to retire, if you wait an extra few years, you will be amazed at how much you can save if you really cut back and invest.
Delay your social security payments. The longer that you wait to collect social security, the more money you will get. Even if you can wait to retire just a few more years, the extra money will be worth it.
Get help. Financial planners are worth the cost. They might find places where you can cut back so that you can save more. They will help you invest your money wisely so that you will be prepared for the future. Though you should cut back on your spending, don’t skimp on finding help so that your future can look bright.

Financial planning can be scary. You might not like what you see, unless you make some changes. You need to cut back on spending so that you can save, save, and save some more. You may also want to think about getting a smaller home so that you can put that money towards saving for retirement. If you haven’t thought of saving for retirement yet, don’t worry, if you can work a few extra years, you can get yourself a nice little nest egg.

Hiring a Quality Financial Advisor Will Increase Your Wealth

April 28, 2016 by Sam Curmaci

Creating wealth takes many of the same principles and values that managing the wealth does once it’s acquired. Successful people understand this concept, yet either don’t have the time or the inclination to become a specialist in wealth management. Successful people also understand the usefulness of delegation, and when it comes to wealth management this means hiring a financial advisor.

Hiring a Quality Financial Advisor Will Increase Your Wealth

There are many areas in finance where efficiency in wealth management can result in the creation of more wealth. Areas such as analyzing tax implications, investments, rebalancing assets, and risk management: are a few areas where expert management can be profitable.

The money saved and made from the empirical knowledge of a professional financial advisor, will pay for their service in itself. This is a win-win situation for clients, when they hire a quality financial advisor to manage their wealth.

Not Every Financial Advisor is the Same

While there are many financial advisors to choose from in the industry, not all of them are the right fit for you. This type of service is relationship-based, and so finding a financial advisor you can relate to is fundamentally important. Of course they need to have the skills and knowledge to properly manage your wealth, but misunderstandings will ensue if there isn’t a comfortable professional relationship.

Consider the background and specialties of the financial advisor, but more importantly consider if a working relationship can be accomplished with mutual understanding. Your wealth management is an important delegated task, which should be handled by a firm you trust and can understand. In the end, the cost of hiring a quality financial advisor you can relate to, will pay for itself.

Delegating Wealth Management

Consulting services are valuable because of the proven strategies and empirical knowledge they bring, in regards to the industries they serve. A financial advisor serves the financial industry, which includes:

Investments
Retirement
Asset Management
Risk Liabilities
Taxes
Business Management

Of course, there are subsets within these sectors as well. S.A.C. Investments is an independent investment management firm that specializes in retirement. This involves all of these sections of the industry, yet with an emphasis on wealth management designed for retirement. It’s important to choose a financial advisor that specializes in your interests.

The consulting process is by nature seemingly vague, yet structured around proven strategies: designed to bring tailored solutions for the wealth management of each individual client. This structure here at S.A.C. Investments goes like this:

Assess Your Needs and Objectives
Determine Optimum Asset Allocation
Select Appropriate Investments

This strategy is designed to simplify the process, while containing the detailed essential strategies needed to effectively accomplish the objectives we set. Such essentials include: portfolio management, analyzing tax implications, risk analysis, keeping you informed, and finding optimal balance with investments for long-term stability.

Summary

The goal of S.A.C. Investments is to effectively manage our client’s investments and monitor risks, so they can enjoy retirement without the full-time job of wealth management. We strive to create strong, trusting relationships with our clients for mutual understanding around unified goals. Delegating your wealth management is an important task, and we understand how important it is to handle our client’s portfolios with integrity and clarity.

Finding the right financial advisor you can understand and trust is key, but they should also have the skills and ability to effectively manage your wealth. If this type of professional relationship is found, hiring a financial advisor will end up making you money. Not only this, but it’ll save you the time and stress managing wealth brings. The first step is to contact us, and see if we’re the right fit as your financial advisor.

SAC Investments

Financial Services Ft. Lauderdale Florida

Call Today! (954)763-2816

Sam Curmaci, President of Investments

Seven Reasons Financial Planning Is So Important

Reasons to Start Financial Planning Today

Structure Your Investments Based on Current and Future Trends

Consider Taking a Few Risks

Go Tech: Portfolios With Angel Investments

You Need Some Expert Guidance

Financial Planning for Retirement: 3 Ways to Increase Your Retirement Savings

Assign Percentages

Write a Better Budget

Track Your Spending

What You Need To Know About Financial Planning

Hiring a Quality Financial Advisor Will Increase Your Wealth

Hiring a Quality Financial Advisor Will Increase Your Wealth

Not Every Financial Advisor is the Same

Delegating Wealth Management

Summary

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