Guess?

It wasn’t long ago that I was in my backyard yelling at my smoking lawnmower that had just stopped working.  After calming down, I did some research and tried to fix it myself.  After tinkering with the carburetor (making it worse) and unscrewing the motor (felt like a man, didn’t help), I had fixed nothing.  This is what happens when I guess at things.  Luckily, our local repairman knows his craft and the mower was repaired and my lawn cut in no time.

It’s not all that different than retirement and answering the question, “how much do I need to retire comfortably?”  Many have taken to answering that very question with a time-tested solution called “guessing.”  That’s right, guessing.  A recent study showed that 34% of the participants either “guessed” or “made up” an estimate of how much they would need to retire.

Guessing is fine if you’re trying to win a stuffed animal at Darien Lake by letting the fellow with the microphone guess your age, give or take a few years.  Would you pay him a dollar to guess how much you should be saving in order to retire?

Instead of guessing, speak with an advisor you trust.  We have a powerful tool that allows our clients to not only define their retirement goals, but to design a plan tailored to their specific needs to get there.  Along the way, when life events and changes happen, we account for them.  And at any given time, our clients always know the answer to the question, “how am I doing?”

It’s called Envision, and we’d be happy to put a plan together for you.  One that provides specific answers and recommendations that fit your life goals – instead of a guess.

Chuck Wade

(This article contains the current opinions of the author but not necessarily those of Brighton Securities Corp.  The author’s opinions are subject to change without notice. This blog post is for informational purposes only. Forecasts, estimates, and certain information contained herein should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. References to specific securities and their issuers are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended and should not be interpreted as recommendations to purchase or sell such securities).

Jargon, Big Words, and Wasting Your Time

“We are going to allocate your portfolio in such a way to minimize your downside risk while still maintaining strong cash inflows with the potential for capital appreciation.”

Did you get all of that?  I’m the one who wrote it, and I’m still not convinced!

Now, let’s try again.

“Our goal is to give you a plan to provide you with income and growth, while trying to minimize the risk that comes along with any investment.”

Better?

It is very easy for financial advisors to fall back on jargon and big words that we think make us sound smarter in front of our clients.  Truth is it does nothing except confuse and even intimidate.

When I worked at 13WHAM, my goal was to always “say it simple.”  Instead of talking about the Buffalo Bills lack of an edge rusher and lack of size in a 3-4 defensive front, isn’t it easier to just say the Bills defense can’t sack the quarterback enough?  Wit and wisdom are wonderful things, but when nobody understands what you’re saying, their time was just wasted.

The goal is the same as a Financial Advisor.  Whether you are planning for retirement, your child’s education, or starting a new life with your husband or wife.  To help you understand how to best achieve your goals in order to give you peace of mind and confidence that you’re on the right track.  That way, when we walk out the door, you’re excited to get started, not scratching your head wondering, “what did he just say?”

Chuck Wade

(This article contains the current opinions of the author but not necessarily those of Brighton Securities Corp.  The author’s opinions are subject to change without notice. This blog post is for informational purposes only. Forecasts, estimates, and certain information contained herein should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. References to specific securities and their issuers are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended and should not be interpreted as recommendations to purchase or sell such securities).

Our Team is Growing!

Brighton Securities is pleased to announce that Chuck Wade has joined our expert team of Financial Advisors.  Chuck brings several years of client relationship-building experience from his previous career as a Sports Reporter on 13 WHAM.  He is currently pursuing his MBA at The Bittner School of Business at St. John Fisher College and is excited to start this next step in his career.

We are equally excited to have Chuck here at Brighton Securities!

More on Chuck:

Time to Say “Thank You”

Goodbye to Chuck Wade 

Hometown boy makes good in living out dream

Laura Geyer

 

 

 

 

(This article contains the current opinions of the author but not necessarily those of Brighton Securities Corp. The author’s opinions are subject to change without notice. This blog post is for informational purposes only. Forecasts, estimates, and certain information contained herein should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. References to specific securities and their issuers are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended and should not be interpreted as recommendations to purchase or sell such securities).