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Time for financial spring cleaning You may or may not engage in many of the typical activities of "spring cleaning" - de-cluttering the attic, reorganizing your closets, touching up the paint, etc. - but you can almost certainly benefit from "sprucing up" your financial situation. As you survey your financial landscape, what areas might you want to tidy up? Here are a few suggestions: • Clear your portfolio of "redundant" investments. Over time, you may have built a sizable investment portfolio. But if you have too many investments that look alike, you may actually be hindering your progress toward your goals. After all, if you own a dozen stocks of companies in the same industry, they're all likely to be buffeted by the same economic forces. Look for opportunities to replace some of these "redundancies" with different types of securities, taking into account your risk tolerance and time horizon. Given the present slump in the markets this is a perfect time to put your finances in order. Contact an investment advisor for help. • Organize your financial records. If you're like those of us who file our taxes at the last minute, now is the perfect time to organize your financial records, because you've probably got them close at hand. And it's not just a matter of having your financial statements in nice, neat piles. Once you've got these documents together, you might see opportunities to consolidate some of your accounts. For example, you may have accounts with different banks and financial services companies, By moving them all to one provider, you could save some fees and reduce your paperwork, but, more importantly, you may find that such a move actually helps you better manage your investments. You'll know exactly what you're invested in, and it will be easier to follow a single investment strategy. • Review your "systematic" investments. Many years ago, you might have started systematically moving money from your checking account into an investment. But perhaps the circumstances of your life have changed and you may be able to save more or you may want to make changes the type of investment you are using. Check your automatic investments to see if they still make sense for your current situation. • Check your beneficiaries. Beneficiary designations on financial documents - insurance policies, RRSP accounts etc. - are extremely important, because they supersede even the instructions in your will. Over time, your family situation may have changed, through death, divorce, remarriage or the birth of new children, so you should periodically review all your beneficiary designations. • Examine your insurance coverage. When you have a young family, you need a certain amount of life insurance coverage to provide for some major expenses - such as your mortgage, college for your kids, perhaps some retirement funds for your spouse. But when your children have grown, your mortgage is paid and your spouse has decades' worth of retirement savings, your insurance needs may change considerably. At the same time, you may find other uses for insurance. Take some time and review your insurance coverage with a professional.
By following these "spring cleaning" suggestions, you can help put your financial house in order for the seasons to follow. |
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