Financial Focus


A year after market low, how should you invest?


It’s been about a year since stock


prices hit their low point during the long bear market. Since then, of course, we’ve seen a big rally, but some of the decisions you made when the market was at its lowest point may still be affecting your portfolio’s performance and pros- pects. So now that we’ve reached the one-year anniversary of the market bottom, it’s a good time to see where you are today and how you can pre- pare for tomorrow. In looking back at the market


depths of a year ago, it’s important to note that we didn’t get there over- night. In fact, stock indices had fallen about 50 percent since hitting their all-time high in October 2007, which means that investors had gone through a 16-month downturn. Consequently, it’s not surprising that many people, tired of seeing gloomy investment statements month after month, decided to “play it safe” for a while by putting large sums into


fixed-rate vehicles such as Certifi- cates of Deposit (CDs). And a lot of those CDs had one-year maturities, which means they’re now coming up for renewal. When you bought your CDs a


year ago, you probably did so for their ability to preserve your prin- cipal, but in the process, you made some trade-offs. First, you accepted a relatively meager income stream, because short-term interest rates, like those paid on your CDs, were low. And second, you relinquished the growth potential you might have gotten from other investments, such as stocks. So now that we’re a year removed from the bottom of a bear market, can you use the money from your maturing CDs to help you make progress toward your financial goals? Actually, now that you may have


these maturing CDs coming due, it’s a very good time to review your overall investment strategy, possibly with the help of a professional finan- cial advisor. Take a close look at your portfolio. Is it well suited for your in- dividual risk tolerance, time horizon and long-term objectives, or do you need to make some changes? Is it too aggressive for your needs, or too con- servative? Is it properly diversified among investments suitable for your particular situation. ? While diver-


sification, by itself, cannot guarantee profits or protect against loss, it can help reduce the effects of volatility and give you more chances for suc- cess. Keep in mind that while CDs are FDIC insured, other investments carry certain risks that you should understand before investing. Of course, if you have investments


held in a brokerage account, it’s like- ly not your only portfolio — you may well be investing through your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. If so, keep in mind that you probably don’t want your investments to duplicate those inside your 401(k) account. Instead, look at your entire investment picture “holistically” and seek to diversify through all your accounts. Once you’ve reviewed your port-


folio and identified any possible gaps, you can then consider where the money from your maturing CDs can be used most effectively. You probably won’t see any fes-


tivities marking the one-year anni- versary of the market low. But you can celebrate in your own way — by embracing available investment op- portunities.


Tis article was written by Ed-


ward Jones for use by Bill Bough- ton, Leicester’s local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.


Police crack cont... Continued from page 1


munity. “We’re taking a hard stance in at-


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tempting to locate and arrest child predators,” Holloman commented. Tursday’s arrest cited John


Leonard Davis of Brookdale Road with three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child, one count of first-degree statutory sexual offense and one cont of attempt first-degree statutory sexual offense. Te alleged incidents are believed


to have taken place earlier this year.


Det. David Plyler was the lead


department official on the Davis’ case. Officers again worked with the Computer Crimes Unit in the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation. Information gathered from the


computer unit also led to the Feb. 26 arrest of Phillip Morris Driver of Riverside Drive. He is accused of having underage pornographic ma- terial on his computer. Davis, 39, was placed in the Bun-


combe County Detention Facility with a $110,000 secured bond.


Traffic causes cont... Continued from page 1


as traffic was slowing a merging to one lane south of the Elk Mountain Road exit, Etowah resident Larry Rector failed to stop properly. His Ford struck a vehicle being driven by Ox Creek Road resident


www.weavervilletribune.com


Cynthia Galarza. Galarza’s vehicle then struck a Reliable Medical Sup- ply van in front of her. Paramedics took Galarza to the


hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Woodfin police cited Rec- tor for his failure to stop.


The Weaverville Tribune March 11 - March 17, 2010 - THE TRIBUNE 5


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To learn how we can help make sense of investing for you, contact one of our financial advisors today.


Bill Boughton Financial Advisor


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61 Weaver Boulevard Weaverville, NC 28787 828-645-0341


www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC


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