BY ROB SNELL<\/p>\n
Jan. 29 is National Puzzle Day, with puzzle celebrations
\nand events taking place at museums, libraries
\nand other venues across the country.
\nWhy this date was chosen–or why National
\nPuzzle Day even exists–is something of a mystery.
\nBut as an investor, you can find value in the concept
\nof a puzzle, specifically, in putting together the pieces
\nof your financial puzzle.<\/p>\n
What are these pieces? Here are the essential ones:<\/p>\n
Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n At different times in your life, you will have Income-producing investments, such as bonds Taxes<\/strong><\/p>\n Taxes will always be part of the investment Protection<\/strong><\/p>\n You can’t just invest for your future. You also have Also, you will need to protect your independence Legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n After working hard your whole life, you’d probably Try to put these pieces together to help complete Snell is a financial advisor with Edward Jones BY ROB SNELL Jan. 29 is National Puzzle Day, with puzzle celebrations and events taking place at museums, libraries and other venues across the country. Why this date was chosen–or why National Puzzle Day even exists–is something of a mystery….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-reports"],"yoast_head":"\r\n
\nvarious goals – purchasing a first or second home,
\nsending your children to college, enjoying a comfortable
\nretirement, and so on. While these goals
\nare diverse, they all have one thing in common: To
\nachieve them, you’ll need some growth potential in
\nyour investment portfolio. The nature and the extent
\nof the growth-oriented vehicles, such as stocks and
\nstock-based instruments, in your holdings will depend
\non your specific goals, risk tolerance and time
\nhorizon – but growth opportunities you must have.<\/p>\n
\nIncome<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nand dividend-paying stocks, can help supplement
\nyour earned income during your working years
\nand provide you with a valuable income stream
\nwhen you’re retired. Plus, bonds and other incomeproducers
\ncan help balance a portfolio that might
\notherwise be too heavy in growth vehicles – which,
\nas you know, are typically higher in risk.<\/p>\n
\nequation. Whenever possible, you’ll want to take
\nadvantage of those accounts that let you make
\ntax-deductible contributions and that provide the
\nopportunity for tax-deferred growth, such as a
\ntraditional IRA and your 401(k) or other employersponsored
\nretirement plan. You may also find that
\nyou can benefit from tax-free investments, such as
\nsome types of municipal bonds and a Roth IRA.
\n(Your Roth IRA contributions are not tax-deductible,
\nbut your earnings grow tax free, provided you’ve had
\nyour account at least five years and you don’t start
\ntaking withdrawals until you reach 59\u00bd.)<\/p>\n
\nto protect it. If something were to happen to you,
\nwould your family be able to remain in your home?
\nWould your children still be able to go to college? To
\nhelp ensure continuity and security in your family’s
\nlives, you’ll need to maintain adequate life and disability
\ninsurance.<\/p>\n
\nin your retirement years, as you no doubt would
\nwant to avoid burdening your grown children with
\nany financial burden. To attain this type of freedom,
\nyou may have to guard against the potentially catastrophic
\ncosts of long-term care, such as an extended
\nnursing home stay. A financial professional can suggest
\nways of meeting these expenses.<\/p>\n
\nlike to leave something behind to your children,
\ngrandchildren, other family members and possibly
\neven charitable institutions. To create the legacy
\nyou desire, you will need to create a comprehensive
\nestate plan. Because such a plan may involve a will,
\nliving trust and other complex legal documents, you
\nwill need to work with your legal and tax advisors.<\/p>\n
\nyour financial “puzzle” – when you do, you may well
\nlike the picture that emerges.<\/p>\n
\nFinancial in Saratoga Springs.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"