The Importance of Asset Allocation and Diversification

As we flip the calendar and enter 2024, many people create New Year’s Resolutions, largely designed to improve an aspect of their lives.  Many of these goals are exercise, diet, or financial based.  One area we always encourage people to review at the start of each year is their investment portfolio, the risk associated with […]

The Importance of Asset Allocation and Diversification

Not only has recent market volatility resulted in renewed anxiety for many investors, it has also been a stern reminder of the value of having a proper mix of assets in your portfolio.  The concepts of asset allocation and diversification can be traced all the way back to a 4th century text, the Babylonian Talmud, which […]

The Importance of Tax Diversification

When most people think of diversification, they primarily focus on a proper mix of portfolio assets.  As we have noted in the past, we target an asset mix of non-correlating assets for our clients.  This could include stock, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, REITs, etc.  However, one area of diversification that is often ignored is […]

Diworsification – Can You Take Diversification Too Far?

Key Takeaways: Conventional wisdom tells us that investing all our money into any one asset type carries an inordinate amount of risk, but is it possible to spread our investments over too many asset types?  The term diworsification was coined by Peter Lynch in his 1989 book, “One Up On Wall Street”. He used the […]

Diworsification – Can You Take Diversification Too Far?

Key Takeaways: Diversification can be overdone – there is a point where adding another investment to your portfolio can be harmful to the risk/return profile The goal of portfolio diversification is to reduce volatility – owning assets that don’t always move in sync with one another. Naively attempting to diversify your portfolio by investing in […]

The Importance of Asset Allocation and Diversification

Not only has recent market volatility resulted in renewed anxiety for many investors, it has also been a stern reminder of the value of having a proper mix of assets in your portfolio.  The concepts of asset allocation and diversification can be traced all the way back to a 4th century text, the Babylonian Talmud, which […]

The Importance of Asset Allocation and Diversification

Not only has recent market volatility resulted in renewed anxiety for many investors, it has also been a stern reminder of the value of having a proper mix of assets in your portfolio.  The concepts of asset allocation and diversification can be traced all the way back to a 4th century text, the Babylonian Talmud, […]

The End of an Era – What We are Watching For in ‘24

For many years until the last, investors had been living under the same mantra of “There Is No Alternative” (TINA) to owning equities, helping prop up stock prices as yields on fixed income were too paltry to bother with. Times have changed; TINA ushered out and TARA welcomed in. Positive real rates are achievable, meaning […]

Entrepreneurs & Business Owners

COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES “…The professionals at Ballast, with their expertise and knowledge, were able to prepare our businesses for a safe and secure transition…” This testimonial is from a client of Ballast, Inc. Clients are not compensated for sharing their opinions and experiences with our firm.  Any compensation creates a conflict of interest and any client’s […]

Taxes in Retirement – Case Studies

Key Takeaways: When you’ve spent your adult life working and saving, retirement is a big change. One item that will both change and remain the same is taxes. Your income sources will be different, each with their own intricacies in the tax code, but at the end of the day, you will still likely be […]

Taxes in Retirement – Case Studies

Ballast team

Key Takeaways: Your sources of income will change, but you will still owe taxes in retirement. In general, your principal (or “cost basis”) will be returned to you tax-free. A diversified portfolio protects in down markets and provides flexibility when planning for taxes.     When you’ve spent your adult life working and saving, retirement […]

Markets are Digesting a TON of Information

Over the last few months, market volatility has dramatically increased.  The CBOE Volatility Index or VIX, created by the Chicago Board Options Exchange, is a real-time market index representing the market’s expectations for volatility over the coming 30 days.  The VIX started the year at just over 17 and has already reached over 28 during […]