Most of you have selected an investment company in which to invest your assets in order to buy, sell and trade stocks, mutual funds, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and precious metals. While working with an investment company, you may be self-directed or you may have a trusted advisor.
As a self-directed investor, you control how you manage your assets and your retirement portfolio. In simpler terms, a self-directed investment account offers you total control over how you want to invest your money. In other words, you are not limited to a narrow selection of funds that are selected by a financial advisor but rather you can purchase individual stocks, options, bonds, and precious metals, etc. As an investor that relies on an investment company’s advisor, you trust a person at your investment company to make decisions for you. Both options generally come with a unique fee schedule.
Advisors Versus Brokers
Both self-directed and managed investment account strategies have advantages and disadvantages, but the fact is most individual investors require the expertise of an advisor (or a broker). Note the difference between an advisor and a broker according to an Investopedia article by Zaw Thiha Tun:
- Investment advisors are paid a flat fee or percentage of AUM to advise clients on securities and/or manage portfolios.
- Brokers are paid commissions to execute trades or buy and sell assets for clients.
In fact, Tun goes on to say, “These days, it’s not uncommon to see brokers dual-registered as investment advisors.” This is important to note if you are seeking a new investment company or an agent to help you decide on the right strategy for your financial portfolio. Some brokers may be working on their own behalf or the behalf of their issuing company rather than on behalf of you.
What To Ask Your Investment Advisor
If you can manage your own assets in a self-directed account, you may receive a number of obvious advantages, but many require the guidance of an advisor. In either case, you should ask the following questions of your investment company:
- Are you providing me with a quarterly statement that discloses all costs and fees for your services? Often sponsored plans are limited to high-cost mutual funds while self-directed accounts allow individuals to select lower-cost options. Did you know that some self-serving advisors get paid more on products that have higher advisor fees or commissions.
- Are you investing in a mix of energy companies that include petroleum, oil, pipelines, and coal? Or are you on the environmental social governance (ESG) bandwagon in which many firms including banks and energy companies are being directed in certain areas that involve climate change and energy-efficiency.
- Are you working on my behalf in terms of my values? Yes, there are “liberal” companies and “conservative” companies with which to handle your investments and also to buy, sell, and trade with. The geopolitical storm has recently made this a huge consideration and one you should be directly involved with as socialism is on the minds of many. You should be making choices in the allocation process for the types of companies you believe in.
- Are you including precious metals in my portfolio mix, especially as the dollar declines? Investment advisors and brokers are well aware of the historical benefit in gold as a hedge against inflation. At this time of unrest in the US and around the world, your advisor should be recommending at least a 10% portfolio mix in gold and/or other precious metals.
- Do you have a direct relationship with an established precious metals firm? Your investment company or advisor should be able to assist you in a gold investment, but not all investment firms have a partnership for precious metals. If they do not, or if you are self-directed, you can reach out to Reagan Gold Group USA (RGGUSA) for advice on a gold supplement for your portfolio. This is critical as we see the decline of the dollar and enter into an inflationary period that may not end for some time.
Find a Reputable Precious Metals Supplier
If you have asked your investment advisor the five questions above and the answers are not what you expected to hear, you may want to rethink your investment mix. When the state of the country is on edge, it is often the best time to re-evaluate your financial portfolio and consider an investment in gold. It is important to select a reputable precious metals supplier that knows the business in these uncertain times. Contact Reagan Gold Group today and establish a gold hedge against inflation and the declining dollar. While the price of gold is slowly rising and silver is still priced low, it’s not too late to make a worthy purchase in gold or silver, or to consider a gold or silver IRA.
