A “Total Portfolio Approach” and Why It Is Important

Most investors have more than one investment account. They may have an employer’s 401(k), an IRA rollover, a Roth IRA, a joint taxable account and a college 529 plan. Some accounts, such as retirement accounts, all have the same goal, while other accounts, such as a joint taxable account or a college 529 plan, may have different goals. Cash flows, or deposits or withdrawals, from various accounts may be different too.

 

For those with multiple investment accounts, a “Total Portfolio Approach” will help establish an asset allocation as well as an asset location strategy. 

• Asset allocation influences long-term expected returns and volatility.
• Asset location influences liquidity and income tax efficiency.

For example, an investor may determine that an asset allocation of 70% stocks, 25% bonds and 5% money market funds is ideal for long-term expected returns and volatility.

 

Does this mean every account will have the same asset allocation? Maybe not. First, the employer 401(k) plan may have a Stable Value Fund, which is attractive but not available in the other accounts. The 401(k) plan may not have a good U.S. small company fund or international fund choice. The Roth IRA may be the last asset to tap into and possibly leave as an inheritance, so more aggressive investments may be appropriate. An investor may need a large cash balance in the joint account to pay for a lump-sum expense within the next year, such as a new car or wedding. The beneficiary of the college 529 plan may be in high school now and the investor doesn’t want to risk a 20% drop in the stock market when the student is a senior in high school.

 

Implementing the target asset allocation in this case may mean:

• A higher allocation to bonds in the 401(k) to take advantage of the Stable Value Fund
• A larger allocation to stocks in the rollover IRA, including U.S. small company or international funds that are better than the 401(k) choices
• A more aggressive long-term Roth IRA strategy that is more than 75% in stocks
• More than 5% cash in the joint account to cover the new car or wedding
• A higher bond or cash allocation in the college 529 plan to minimize stock market risk

Using this asset location strategy will improve liquidity because there will be more money market funds in the joint account and college 529 plan, and it will be possible to withdraw from these for short-term needs.

 

Asset location can also optimize tax efficiency by having high-income or tax-inefficient investments (such as real estate, commodity or inflation-protected bond funds) in a tax-deferred account such as the IRA rollover or Roth IRA.

 

Investors should focus on what they can control. Investors cannot control the short-term direction of the stock market or interest rates, but they can control their asset allocation and asset location. A Total Portfolio Approach increases the likelihood that an investor will achieve their personal financial planning goals.

 

About Bruce J. Berno, CFP^®

Bruce J. Berno, CFP^® is the founder of Berno Financial Management, Inc. a fee-only comprehensive personal financial planning and investment advisory firm headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since 1993, Berno Financial Management has been helping individuals and families achieve financial peace of mind. For more information about Berno Financial Management, visit http://www.bernofinmgt.com/.

Your Path to Financial Peace of Mind

What does financial peace of mind mean to you? For some people, it may simply mean being able to pay all their bills every month. For others, it may mean having “x” dollars in savings and investments.

What would have to happen for you to experience financial peace of mind? Everyone has a “to-do” list. Maybe you’ve been meaning to review your 401(k) plan, consolidate your investments or have a Last Will and Testament written. Maybe you have questions about using a Health Savings Account or funding a Roth IRA for a grandchild. If you have questions, you need answers. Where do you get them?

The easiest way to achieve financial peace of mind is to understand what you can control and what you cannot control.

You cannot control: 

• The stock market
• Interest rates
• Healthcare reform policies
• Real estate prices
• The economy

You can control: 

• How much you spend and save
• Strategies to minimize income taxes
• Being properly insured
• Diversifying your investments and minimizing investment costs
• Having an estate plan for incapacity or death

Recognize that wishing for higher income or more assets will not provide you with financial peace of mind, nor will waiting to earn a higher income or accumulate more assets. The best you can do today is focus on being financially secure with the income and assets that you have. A recent survey by Merrill Lynch revealed that investors with a minimum of $1 million of investable assets believed they needed $7 million, on average, to be “financially secure.” Do you want to be the hamster racing on the wheel?

Financial peace of mind cannot be achieved alone. You must include the significant people in your life, whether that be a spouse and children, parents or grandchildren, siblings or other relatives, or significant others. Communication is critical and takes time and energy. Financial peace of mind is a great personal value to instill in your children.

Financial peace of mind comes from having goals and reasonable expectations. Have you thought about your goals and formalized them in any way? As the old saying goes, “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll never know when you get there.” If your expectations aren’t reasonable and realistic, you will never achieve peace of mind.

So what has to happen for you to achieve financial peace of mind? The first step is to clarify your top three money concerns. In other words, what keeps you up at night? Then establish how you are going to address these concerns along with a time frame and deadline for each issue.

You may wish to break the issues that bother you most into categories, such as:

• Income and expenses (paying the bills and saving and investing)
• Insurance coverage
• Income tax strategies
• Education funding
• Retirement planning
• Charitable gift planning
• Estate planning

Can you do it alone? While you can take control of your finances on your own, most people find they don’t have the time or knowledge and experience to manage their personal finances effectively. If you fall into this category, it may make sense for you to seek professional advice. The Choosing the Right Financial Advisor worksheet on our website can help you find the appropriate advisor to help you take the steps you need to reach financial peace of mind.

About Bruce J. Berno, CFP^®

Bruce J. Berno, CFP^® is the founder of Berno Financial Management, Inc. a fee-only comprehensive personal financial planning and investment advisory firm headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since 1993, Berno Financial Management has been helping individuals and families achieve financial peace of mind. For more information about Berno Financial Management, visit http://www.bernofinmgt.com/.