Edward Jones Investment

Vail Daily column: Work toward financial independence day

On July 4, we watch fireworks, attend picnics, enjoy parades and otherwise celebrate our nation's independence and the many freedoms we enjoy. But as you go through life, you'll find out how important it is to work toward another type of freedom: financial freedom. That's why you need to put strategies in place to help you work toward your own Financial Independence Day. And there's no way to “sugarcoat” this task because it can be challenging. In recent years, a combination of factors — including depressed housing prices, rising health care costs, frozen or eliminated pension plans and the financial market plunge of 2008 and early 2009 — has made it more difficult for many of us to accumulate the resources we'll need to enjoy the retirement lifestyle we've envisioned. In fact, the average American family faces a 37 percent shortfall in the income they will need in retirement, according to a recent report by consulting firm McKinsey & Company. • Save and invest more. Obviously, the younger you are, the greater the benefit you'll get by increasing your savings and investments. But whatever your age, you'll find that it pays to save and invest more. During difficult economic times, of course, it's not always easy to boost your savings and investments, but try to find ways that are as “automatic” as possible. For example, whenever you get a raise, increase your 401(k) contributions, which come directly from your paycheck. And whenever you get a windfall, such as a tax refund, try to use part of it for your IRA or another investment account. • Rebalance your portfolio. It's always a good idea to periodically rebalance your investments to make sure they are still aligned with your goals and risk tolerance. But it's especially important to rebalance as you get older and near retirement. At this stage, you'll want to decrease the volatility in your portfolio and lock in any gains you've achieved, so you may want to move some (but certainly not all) of your more aggressive investments into less volatile ones. • Consider working part time during retirement. Many Americans are now living longer and enjoying happy, healthy retirements. In fact, the concept of “retirement” has changed so that it now includes any number of activities — including part-time work in a completely different area from one's previous career.

Edward Jones Investments satellite office opening : The Bay View ...

Edward Jones Investments plans to open just its second office in the city of Milwaukee in 1,000 square feet at 2121 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., Suite 6, the first floor of the Urban View Condos building in Bay View.

Financial advisor Greg Baumgardt will run the office, which will employ him and one other person. Baumgardt said he’s been building up a client base in Bay View over the past year by going door to door and meeting with people face to face.

“It’s a very underserved market,” Baumgardt said. “There’s a lot individuals and families out there not being serviced like they should be. We believe that relationships are key to long-term success.”

Edward Jones offers investors tools to plan for retirement and their children’s education as well as tools to help retirees manage their investments. It typically works with long-term individual investors and small business owners.

Baumgardt said he selected the location at KK and Becher because of the parking lot and street visibility. He said an Edward Jones market analysis agreed with his assessment that there are enough area assets to sustain a Bay View office.

He said his client base in Bay View spans the public and private sectors, including retirees, police officers, firefighters, teachers, and other workers. “It’s a real, real mix of individuals,” which fits Edward Jones’ philosophy that the individual client comes first, he said, adding that “there are a lot of great savers in the Bay View area.”

Originally from Racine but now living on Milwaukee’s East Side, Baumgardt joined Edward Jones last year after five years at Robert W. Baird. He earned a double-major in finance and marketing from UW-Milwaukee.

In May, the build-out was going through the city permitting process, Baumgardt said, and June 23 is the expected opening date.

More info: edwardjones.com or (414) 273-8464.

wants to thank Rude's Home Furnishings and Pat Lockwood at Edward Jones for their 2011 DBI investment.

Safe Energy Investments for 2011: Analysts: Kate Warne, US investment strategist with Edward Jones, recommends a...

Investment

Investments

This volume is a general text upon investment, which aims to preserve some sort of balance and proportion in its treatment of the various topics involved, must ...

Investments Investments

The known world

When a plantation proprietor and former slave--now possessing slaves of his own--dies, his household falls apart in the wake of a slave rebellion and corrupt ...

Modern Business (Volume 23); Investment ] by Edward D. Jones