Investment Management
- Asset allocation
- Selection of individual securities, funds and ETFs
- Diversification of investments
- Holistic review of all assets as part of overall plan
- Continual monitoring of investments
Risk Management
- Determining adequate level of life insurance
- Is long-term care insurance needed
- Protecting you home and assets
Budgeting and Credit
- Budget preparation
- Planning schedules for debt repayment
- Sources for savings
- Strategies for smoothing uneven incomes
At Blue Spark Financial, we believe in a holistic approach to financial planning. Movement in each piece of your plan impacts the other pieces, so we consider all your goals as a whole. For example, your retirement income strategies can impact your college savings and estate planning goals. We think the appropriate allocation of investments for your specific objectives and risk tolerance is one of the most important components in developing an investment portfolio. Through a well-planned, diversified approach to wealth building, we aim to give you the peace of mind, freedom and security that comes with a solid financial blueprint.
Fundamental Principles
Our investment philosophy centers on the fact that markets do not rise forever, nor do they fall forever. Using a logical method of investing and rebalancing, we guide our clients to invest according to their unique personal goals, balancing risk and return for their own situations.
We keep in mind certain fundamental principles when designing an investment portfolio. The purpose is to fund current and future financial objectives, so every portfolio must take into account each person’s goals, tolerance for risk, need for current income or liquidity, and many other considerations such as income and estate taxes. A main objective is to reduce risk through diversification. We consider risk to be another word for volatility, the likelihood of a given investment fluctuating in value from year to year. Diversification is intended to reduce volatility.
We do not chase the highest returns nor do we aim to catch the top or the bottom of a changing market. We advocate a measured approach, using a combination of low-cost index ETFs and a select group of actively managed mutual funds. We work with your CPA to overlay those investments to achieve optimal tax efficiency, because the bottom line is what you get to keep. That helps our clients sleep at night.
It’s important to remember that no one can predict the future. In fact, it’s the difference of opinion that makes a market. Investment and economic experts, all provided with the same information, often come to different conclusions. We do not suggest that we, or that any of the asset managers or mutual fund managers that we recommend, will make the correct decision every time. We do believe, however, that studying the historic trends and relationships of investment classes and the philosophies and approaches of successful investment managers can provide valuable insight.
