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Down Market Collision
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF A “DOWN MARKET” COLLIDED WITH YOUR RETIREMENT DREAMS & GOALS?
Uncertainty is a natural part of investing, and when faced with uncertainty, many investors may not always act in their own best interest.
Life itself has so many uncertainties…issues involving the family, employment, business, health…life can change with a phone call! One of the uncertainties that a “retirement minded” person has can be “farmed out” or delegated to a Trusted Advisor who is competent and cares about your concerns!
As I watched people from a distance, I’ve seen 1) people with “short-term” loss aversion sell at the first signs of adversity; 2) others “chase returns” per the latest magazine article; 3) many have “fallen in love” with a favorite stock and continue to hold it in the face of obvious unfavorable evidence; and, 4) some actually do see the “market” as a playground and believe that they have a “good luck charm” and become overconfident and call themselves “lucky” –then their seemingly “good luck” runs out and they become disillusioned.
A good coach or advisor seems to really help in times of uncertainty…AND even in times of CERTAINTY! Let’s see, who all could we think of that has a coach or advisor? DALLAS COWBOYS, NY GIANTS, TRIATHALION WINNERS, FAMOUS MUSIC ARTISTS, OLYMPIC ICE SKATING GOLD MEDALISTS, MOVIE STARS, GREAT SURGEONS who have had mentors, GOLF PROS, etc.
Wow, it seems the list is almost endless! It seems to have a coach is a smart idea (I even see people who want to tone their bodies and lose weight at the gym…have a coach)!! AND, ALL THE GLORY GOES TO THE ONE WHO IS BEING COACHED…not the coaches and advisors! That’s O.K., that’s what advisors do…they find ways to take their student professionals to the top and cause them to achieve higher and higher goals / dreams with less to worry about!
WHO IS YOUR TRUSTED COACH OR ADVISOR? How successful do you want to be? What goal or dream could you be achieving if you were not trying to handle everything in your life? Retirement issues are complicated, and there are lots of them. Each time I visit with a prospect or client, it is amazing the items that surface in our conversation that has never even been considered by a retiree. Things” to avoid”, things “to do”, and things than can be “done better” than the person facing them ever knew! It is amazing how easily a professional might see a solution that someone “going through the fog” would never see!
YOU MIGHT RESPOND, “BUT IT’S ALL ABOUT TRUST”!! Oh, believe me, IT IS ALL about trust. And if you are solicited by a financial “peddler” of financial goods who doesn’t care to put his or her arms “all the way around you” and know everything about you BEFORE they even try to lead you, RUN, BABY, RUN!! If this person only cares about your “money” and not your entire life with its goals and objectives, then RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN!
There is so much more to life than “just money” when it comes to a person’s future! Without a total coordination of ALL THAT CONCERNS A PERSON, a plan will fail! I coined a little phrase sometime back that says: “MEDIOCRITY manages portfolios, EXCELLENCE manages people” (which includes money). I encourage you to go for EXCELLENCE – you’ll see it and sense it when you find it!
I invite you to interview with me and the great team of professionals at Granite Financial Group. When we meet, we will both have a chance to see if there is a fit for our coaching, advising, and guiding you and your family (and/or business) to a great future.
Ray Griffith, CFP, is president of Granite Financial Group. He and the team of professionals can be reached at:
817 379-9323
Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. 1670 Keller Pkwy. Keller, TX 76248
Member FINRA, SIPC and Registered Investment Advisor.
Granite Group of Companies and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. are not affiliated.

Ray Griffith, CFP®