Is It Time to Stop Procrastinating About Your Financial Plan?

Some things to think about as you get started with your strategy.

Presented by Sterling Wealth Advisors

First, look at your expenses and your debt. Review your core living expenses (such as a mortgage payment, car payment, etc.). Can any core expenses be reduced? Investing aside, you position yourself to gain ground financially when income rises, debt shrinks, and expenses decrease or stabilize.

Maybe you should pay your debt first, maybe not. Some debt is “good” debt. A debt might be “good” if it brings you income. Credit card debt is generally deemed “bad” debt.

If you’ll be carrying a debt for a while, put it to a test. Weigh the interest rate on that specific debt against your potential income growth rate and your potential investment returns over the term of the debt.

Of course, paying off debts, paying down balances, and restricting new debt all works toward improving your FICO score, another tool you can use in pursuit of financial freedom (we’re talking “good” debts).¹

Implement or refine an investment strategy. You’re not going to retire solely on the elective deferrals from your paycheck; you’re to going retire (hopefully) on the interest that those accumulated assets earn over time, assisted by the power of compounding.

Manage the money you make. If you simply accumulate unmanaged assets, you have money just sitting there that may be exposed to risk – inflation risk, market risk, even legal risks. Don’t forget taxes. The greater your wealth, the more long-range potential you have to accomplish some profound things – provided your wealth is directed.

If you want to build more wealth this year or in future years, don’t go without a risk management strategy that might be instrumental in helping you retain it. Your after-tax return matters. Risk management should be part of your overall financial picture.

Request professional guidance. A considerate financial professional should educate you about the principles of wealth building. You can draw on that professional knowledge and guidance this year – and for years to come.

Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Sterling Wealth Advisors and Cambridge are not affiliated.

To learn more about Sterling Wealth Advisors, visit us on the web at www.sterlingwealthadvisorstx.com

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This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. The information herein has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments will fluctuate and when redeemed may be worth more or less than when originally invested. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding a ny Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All market indices discussed are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment. Indices do not incur management fees, costs and expenses, and cannot be invested into directly. All economic and performance data is historical and not indicative of future results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted index of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks. The NASDAQ Composite Index is a market-weighted index of all over-the-counter common stocks traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is a market-cap weighted index composed of the common stocks of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. NYSE Group, Inc. (NYSE:NYX) operates two securities exchanges: the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and NYSE Arca (formerly known as the Archipelago Exchange, or ArcaEx®, and the Pacific Exchange). NYSE Group is a leading provider of securities listing, trading and market data products and services. The New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. (NYMEX) is the world’s largest physical commodity futures exchange and the preeminent trading forum for energy and precious metals, with trading conducted through two divisions – the NYMEX Division, home to the energy, platinum, and palladium markets, and the COMEX Division, on which all other metals trade. Additional risks are associated with international investing, such as currency fluctuations, political and economi c instability and differences in accounting standards. This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specif ic point in time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events, or a guarantee of future results. MarketingPro, Inc. is not affiliated with any p erson or firm that may be providing this information to you. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional.

Citations.

1 – experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/improving-credit/improve-credit-score/ [5/30/18]