While it’s highly recommended that we use a financial advisor when we start to grow our investment portfolio, there are a lot of things you can do before you ever speak to a financial advisor to grow and maintain your investment portfolio. Investing, like everything else in life, has no guarantees, and even the hottest stock or the best tip may not always perform the way we would like.

Earning an income comes with taxes, and your investment incomes are no different. As your portfolio grows into retirement, it’s important to consider the difference between retirement pre-tax income and retirement after-tax income. A savvy advisor will consider your future tax liabilities to be an integral part of your overall retirement strategy.

Being financially literate in today’s economic climate is more important than ever. Understanding finances can help you make better money management decisions, budget your money properly, adequately save for college, and be financially prepared for retirement. While it may sound daunting, financial literacy starts with a budget.

Sometimes simple is best. Many of us tend to complicate our financial situation; overthinking our options while ignoring the basics.

But like anything else, the simplest rules are often the most important ones; and the ones most likely to be ignored. How many of these rules do you follow?

The growing demand for more predictability and security planning for retirement income has led an increasing number of retirees and pre-retirees to look to annuities as way to provide more stability in their investment portfolios. They are also looking to annuities as a way to replace the third leg of the retirement income stool as a guaranteed lifetime income.

High yield annuities offer interest rates, on average, that are anywhere from a half a point to two points higher than those offered through bank CDs. The same spread exists between high yield annuities and regular fixed yield annuities. Those types of interest rate differences can translate into a substantial advantage in accumulated earnings over time.

If you’re ready to start saving towards your financial goals, you may want to consider hiring a financial advisor to guide you through the maze. While robo-advisors are also available to help you with your savings goals, they are best suited for those just starting out or for those with limited funds to invest.

Remember your mid-twenties when retirement seemed like a lifetime away, and living paycheck to paycheck was not only the norm, but your reality. ‘If only I knew then what I know now’ can be heard echoing throughout offices in banks around the country.

Annuities have provided retirees with a safe and secure retirement solution for generations.  Deferred annuities have been a solid way to accumulate retirement assets on a tax deferred basis, and immediate annuities are still considered to be the soundest way to generate a dependable, guaranteed income for life, or for a specified period.

If you’re a beginning investor, it’s likely you’re concentrating on building your portfolio.  But as important as it is to build that portfolio, you should also ensure that it’s diversified.

Why is a diversified portfolio so important?

There are three key reasons why diversifying is important: