Time to look at your investments

Richard Lishman considers how best to manage a portfolio.

Many professionals will have an investment portfolio. A cleverly considered set of investments can help you achieve a number of financial goals, especially if you are nearing any landmark events in your life. This can include generating the capital needed to buy a new practice and expand your business, or even to make a nest egg ready for retirement – basically, good investments give you a level of financial security that really can make all the difference.

Investments by nature, however, are not guaranteed sources of income and can be a tricky area to navigate. Even once you have committed to certain investments it’s a good idea to assess these regularly. Here are some things to consider:

Are your current investments in line with your risk profile?
All investments are a gamble, and a general rule that applies is to remember that the higher you play, the more you have to gain – and lose! Your risk profile is effectively a measure of your willingness to take risks in the investment process. This profile is a useful tool for anyone working with you to determine proper investment asset allocation for your portfolio, as it lays the guidelines for which investments will suit your goals and means that they can identify stocks, bonds, and other investments that have a similar level of risk to what you are willing to accept.