Page 33 - Leisure Living Magazine Holiday 2017

Investment Questions And Concerns Of 2017
By Christopher McIntire, President, McIntire Retirement Services www.mcintireretirementservices.com
Hello folks,
I thought I could reflect upon what my cli- ents have said regarding their biggest concerns through 2017, and what we have been assisting them with, looking into 2018 and beyond. The first question has been the record highs of the stock market, as we have gone through 2017, and should they keep investing in it?
Not everyone puts 100% of their money di- rectly into the stock market. A well diversified portfolio for a conservative minded investor should limit direct exposure to stocks as an asset class by design. There could be some bond type holdings, real estate or even gold in certain port- folios. More aggressive minded investors would typically want more stock exposure and less in assets like bonds. All assets have some degree of risk, so be certain you are aware of the fluc- tuation in value that can occur in whatever you choose to invest in.
We have also seen unprecedented amounts of money moving away from saving type accounts and invested into mainly conservative portfolios. Cash has been building up and the rates at the typical bank have not improved much despite a few rate increases this year. I would expect this to continue into 2018 as interest rates will improve gradually and that might not be good enough for folks with cash sitting on the sidelines.
We have been assisting our folks to explore their Long Term Care (LTC) options as they go through retirement. There are more options than ever before as insurance companies have been moving away from the stand alone LTC poli- cies which were mostly a “use it or lose it” type of policy. Rate increases here have also soured policy holders as an option to leverage the risk of spending their savings down because of a pro- longed stay in an assisted living or nursing home type of facility. I will say this is where the free market has worked very well as many more com-
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panies are in this market. That helps with pricing and options for the consumer.
The next concern for our clients has been in- come planning, pension buyouts and rollovers. The biggest concern for most retirees is running out of “income” and being a burden on their chil- dren. Thankfully, there are many options to build an income generating portfolio between pre- ferred stocks, certain annuities, life insurance as an income vehicle and other assets, we can pro- vide a wide array of choices for our clients and folks like you.
I would expect these trends to continue into 2018 and with some uncertainty on the geopoliti- cal stage, ala North Korea and Iran; I would think most investors have some doubts looking into the crystal ball as well.
Happy Holidays to All!
Investment advisory services offered through Brook- stone Capital Management, LLC (BCM), a registered in- vestment advisor. BCM and McIntire Retirement Services are independent of each other. Insurance products and ser- vices are not offered through BCM but are offered and sold through individually licensed and appointed agents.
Information provided is not intended as tax or legal advice, and should not be relied on as such. You are en- couraged to seek tax or legal advice from an independent professional.
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