If you’ve been paying attention to prices over the past few years, you’ve likely felt it firsthand: your dollars don’t go as far as they used to. Food, transportation, healthcare, housing, almost everything has become more expensive. That naturally leads to a bigger question:  Is your portfolio actually keeping up with inflation? At SGL Financial, our Chicagoland financial professionals have had more conversations around this topic than almost any other over the past few years. Many people assume their portfolio […]

Few forces are as influential as compounding your rates of return when building long-term wealth. It’s the quiet engine behind many successful investors’ disciplines, growing assets, multiplying returns, and rewarding the disciplines of long-term investors. If you have accumulated $250K or more in investable assets, understanding compounding is more than a math lesson; it should become a major part of your wealth-building mindset. Compounding isn’t flashy, and it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a steady, reliable force that underlies the pursuit […]

One thing in life is certain…uncertainty! As an investor in the stock and bond markets, constant change can be your greatest challenge or, viewed differently, as a strategic opportunity if you make informed, objective decisions. Market volatility can also feel like a rollercoaster you didn’t sign up for. One day, your portfolio is soaring; the next, it’s plummeting, leaving you wondering how to safeguard your hard-earned wealth over longer periods. Our Buffalo Grove CFP® professionals understand the intricacies of market […]

Are you a high net-worth individual or a couple getting close to or already in your retirement years? Creating a comprehensive and diversified retirement plan should be on your priority list. While many people know how important it is to save for their future security, they may not understand why having a diversified investment strategy matters as much as investments.  A strong and well-thought-out retirement plan can help ensure financial security throughout your golden years – but only if it […]

Investment strategies are always a hot topic in the financial planning field. Investors want to know what their best options are, and advisors have to provide answers they can back up with research and logic. But how can an advisor help to mitigate volatility? And what should your personal asset allocation be? The answer lies in diversification, which we’ll explore in this article. By understanding the many reasons for volatility, you can then invest wisely to strive for your financial […]

A buy-and-hold investment plan is easier in theory than in practice because goals and needs shift as different life stages begin. A perfectly balanced budget could be smashed to pieces by the birth of a child or an unexpected illness, so a financial plan and corresponding investing plan need to be malleable. No one will have completely smooth spending over their lifetime, but if you can balance borrowing and saving, along with your risk tolerance and time horizon, you’ll have […]

With this year’s tax deadline around the corner, you may be reviewing your taxes now and identifying opportunities to lower your bill next year. One opportunity to improve tax efficiency is by carefully reviewing your investment plan with an investment advisor. A careful review of your investment activity for 2020 could reveal possible steps to take in 2021 to minimize your tax obligations come April 15, 2022. 1) Understand Income vs. Long-Term Capital Gains The first step toward understanding your […]