10 Strategies to Prevent Wealth Erosion

By Trilogy Financial

July 18, 2024

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Are you aware of the common pitfalls that can erode your wealth and how to prevent them?

In the pursuit of financial independence, it’s not just about building wealth but also about protecting it from erosion. At Trilogy Financial, we understand the critical importance of mitigating wealth erosion to ensure long-term financial stability. Here are ten strategies to help you with asset preservation wealth & tax and achieve your financial goals.

1. Taxes

Taxes are a significant expense for everyone, but High-Net-Worth Tax Strategies can help manage and reduce their impact on your wealth. Consider maximizing contributions to retirement accounts like IRAs and 401(k)s for tax advantages, and explore health savings accounts (HSAs) for additional tax benefits.

Key Tax Strategies:

Maximize contributions to tax-advantaged retirement accounts.
Utilize HSAs for medical expenses.
Consult a tax advisor for personalized tax-saving strategies.

2. Credit Cards

High-interest credit card debt can quickly erode your wealth. Implementing a strategic approach to managing credit card debt can help reduce the financial burden and improve your net worth. One effective strategy for managing credit card debt is to use the debt avalanche or snowball methods.

Credit Card Management Strategies:

Use the debt avalanche or snowball methods to pay down high-interest debt.
Consider consolidating debt with a lower-interest personal loan or balance transfer credit card.
Create a disciplined budgeting plan to avoid accumulating new debt.

3. Depreciation

Assets like cars and electronics lose value over time, impacting your wealth. Adopting a ‘buy and hold’ approach and making strategic purchasing decisions can help mitigate the effects of depreciation.

Combating Depreciation:

Keep vehicles for longer periods.
Buy slightly used cars to avoid initial depreciation.
Invest in assets that appreciate or depreciate less over time, such as real estate or classic cars.

4. Market Cyclicality

Market volatility can cause anxiety, but a diversified investment strategy can help manage the risks associated with market fluctuations.

Navigating Market Cyclicality:

Diversify your investments across different asset classes and geographies.
*Implement dollar-cost averaging to manage investment costs.
Consult with a financial advisor to tailor a diversified portfolio.

*Dollar cost averaging involves continuous investment in securities regardless of fluctuation in price levels of such securities. An investor should consider their ability to continue purchasing through fluctuating price levels. Such a plan does not assure a profit and does not protect against loss in declining markets. (67-LPL)

5. Lack of Diversification

Putting all your investments in one basket increases risk. Diversifying your portfolio across various asset classes and sectors can reduce volatility and potential losses.

Diversification Strategies:

Invest in a mix of equities, fixed income, and alternatives.
Use broad market instruments like ETFs or mutual funds.
Regularly review and rebalance your portfolio with a financial advisor.

6. Unexpected Expenses

Unexpected expenses can disrupt your financial plans. Establishing an emergency fund is crucial to cover unforeseen costs without resorting to high-interest debt.

Preparing for Unexpected Expenses:

Build an emergency fund covering 3-6 months’ worth of expenses.
Automate savings to ensure consistent contributions to your emergency fund.
Adjust your budget to prioritize saving for emergencies.

7. Misaligned Investments

Investing without a clear plan can lead to poor financial outcomes. Aligning your investments with your financial goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon is essential.

Aligning Investments:

Define clear investment goals and time horizons.
Educate yourself about different investment types.
Seek personalized advice from a financial advisor to create Custom Investment Strategies.

8. Procrastination

Procrastination can significantly impact your wealth-building efforts. Starting early and setting achievable goals can make a big difference in your financial future.

Overcoming Procrastination:

Set short-term and long-term financial goals.
Use financial tools and apps to automate savings and investments.
Consult a financial advisor to create a tailored financial plan.

9. Lack of Planning

A comprehensive financial plan is the foundation of successful wealth management. An advantage of effective personal financial planning is that it can transform uncertainty into a roadmap for success.

Creating a Financial Plan:

Assess your current financial situation.
Set realistic and specific financial goals.
Develop a plan that allocates resources towards achieving these goals.

10. Lack of Proper Protection

Unexpected life events can derail your financial plans. Proper insurance and estate planning can protect your wealth and provide confidence.

Implementing Proper Protection:

Obtain adequate life, disability, and long-term care insurance.
Create a will and other estate planning documents for Legacy Planning.
Consult with a financial planner to assess your Financial Protection Strategies.

Conclusion

Preventing wealth erosion is as important as building wealth. By addressing these common pitfalls with strategic planning and professional guidance, you can safeguard your financial future. At Trilogy Financial, we specialize in Comprehensive Wealth Management Services, Retirement Planning for High-Net-Worth Individuals, and long term family wealth planning. Our services also include family wealth protection, risk management positions, and Custom Investment Strategies that protect and grow your wealth. Contact us today to learn how we can help you achieve your financial goals and secure a prosperous future.

Ready to Amplify Your Wealth today?

If you're ready to elevate your financial planning with our professional team, we invite you to schedule a meeting with us. At Trilogy Financial Services, our advisors in Corona are dedicated to crafting personalized financial strategies that align with your unique goals. Don't wait to start your journey towards financial success:

Schedule a Meeting: Reach out to us to arrange a one-on-one consultation with our financial professionals.
Give Us a Call: Prefer a quick conversation? Feel free to give us a call to discuss your financial needs and how we can assist. Call Us To Get Started. (844) 356-4934

Schedule a No-Strings-Attached Portfolio Review today and embark on a path to financial success guided by professional advisors. For more information and to schedule your consultation, visit www.trilogyfs.com/yourmoneyamplified. With the right knowledge and professional guidance, the journey of investing becomes an exciting venture towards achieving financial security and growth. This way, you're not just dreaming of an ideal retirement but actively working towards making it a reality.

*There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.

If you're one of the millions of Americans who received, or are expecting to receive, a tax refund, you are probably trying to decide how to spend it. The average refund this year is around $3,000, a nice chunk of change to throw at one of your goals. Rather than impulse buying that new Apple iWatch or splurging at Sephora, make the best use of this windfall by putting it towards improving your financial situation.

Build Up An Emergency Fund

Some very good friends of mine woke up recently to find that their downstairs had flooded from a burst pipe on the second level. They had to rip up their hard wood floors, replace furniture, and even replace some of the walls. Luckily, their bedroom and their child's nursery was spared, but THIS type of unexpected event is exactly why you need an emergency fund. If they didn't have cash readily available in a savings account, they might have been tempted to put charges for repairs and replacements on a high-interest credit card. Depending on your situation, you should ideally have 3-6 months of regular expenses in the bank. Use your tax refund to start, or top off, your rainy day fund.

Pay Off Debt

The power of compounding interest can work in your favor when investing, but it can also cause debt to grow faster than you might think. Credit card companies apply their interest fees to the amount that you owe initially. But every month (and sometimes every DAY!) after that, the compounding interest will apply to the principal, as well as the previous month's interest. If you want to apply the snowball method, apply your refund to the smallest account you can close out. Alternatively, you can use the “Avalanche” method, and put your refund towards the card with the highest interest rate. Paying off the smallest account might feel good, but if you have double digit interest accruing on a card, get that debt paid off as fast as you can. Take the windfall from your refund and put it towards cleaning up your personal balance sheet.

Fund an Individual Retirement Account

IRAs are one of the greatest savings vehicles you can have for retirement. These vehicles allow you to invest in the market outside of any employer-sponsored plans (like a 401K) with tax-free growth (no capital gains!) until retirement. There are two types of IRAs that are available to the general public: Roth IRAs and Traditional IRAs. With a Roth, you contribute post-tax dollars and don't have to pay income taxes on any distributions in retirement. There is, however, a phase-out limit based on income. With a traditional IRA, you do pay income taxes on distributions in retirement. However, contributions made could be tax-deductible for that tax year (contributions made from January 1st of the current year through April 15th of the following year). As of now, individuals can contribute up to $5,500 per year ($6,500 if you’re age 50 or older), or your taxable compensation for the year, if your compensation was less than this dollar limit.

Monetize Other Financial Goals

Planning to take a big family vacation to Disneyland in 5 years? Dreaming of owning a house but need to build up a sizable down payment? Wondering how you are going to pay for your pre-teen's college tuition? If you have any intermediate goals (prior to retirement), consider opening a brokerage account to help your money grow more efficiently. Statistically, the stock market has more up years than down, and historically, has recovered from those down years relatively quickly. If you have time on you side, consider monetizing these goals by participating in the market at a level that is in line with your risk tolerance.

But If You Must, Splurge…A Little

If you just can't help it, take a small percentage of your refund to treat yourself. Whether it's a nice dinner, a manicure, or checking out a movie with your spouse, take a minute to blow off some steam. Keep this amount small though as the path to wealth is paved with good decisions. Start making good habits today to delay gratification and secure a financial safety net in your future.

Retirement Planning Advice

Planning for Retirement With Your Spouse

David McDonough

July 2, 2019

Retirement is a big deal, and there are a lot of moving components to plan out. Those issues multiply when there is another individual added to the mix. My definition of retirement is the financial freedom to move into the next chapter of your life, and that next chapter is different for everyone –especially spouses! This is not the time to assume the two of you are on the same page or decide that the two of you will figure it out later. Most people know that I’m a big proponent of talking to your spouse about everything financial, and retirement is no exception. Be sure to take the guess work out of this process so you can enter the next chapter of your life in harmony.

It’s not uncommon for couples to not see eye-to-eye on retirement. About half of couples don’t agree on what age to retire[i]. Less than 10% of surveyed couples retired at the same time[ii]. And 47% disagreed on how much they would need to save for retirement[iii]. With so many areas to disagree, from where to retire to how to spend your days, how do spouses work together to achieve their cumulative goals?

I always like to recommend the couples start off by taking my financial compatibility quiz. Not only does this show the areas you may not see eye-toe-eye on, but the quiz generates a lot of conversations. Continue these conversations at monthly financial date nights to make sure that the two of you continue on the same path towards the same goals. Talk about the details – at what age do you want to retire, how do you want to spend your days in retirement, and how much of that time will be spent together. Keep in mind that most people have spent over 40 hours a week away from their spouse for decades. Retirement frees up all that time, which can be too much “togetherness” for some couples. This is why I like to take my clients through a discussion on “your time, my time, and our time,” well before it is actually time for retirement. Discussing these things in advance can allow you to compromise on issues before emotions flair and make a world of difference between living together happily in retirement or, in worst cases, filing for divorce.

Once you have an idea of what your retirement goals are, you need to formulate a plan. An experienced financial planner can be a great resource at this time, bringing up things you may not have touched on and running “what if” scenarios for you to see how your retirement dreams can be converted into actionable goals. Please start these discussions early because financial independence takes many forms, but you can’t figure out when you’re going to get there until you plan your route.

Marriage is many things, but ultimately, it is a partnership. The two of you work together to move the household forward. You may not always agree, but you find common ground by talking and sharing and compromising. If you plan ahead and plan together, you can find the right way to your coupled vision of retirement.

Take our FREE Financial Compatibility Quiz here.

[i] https://www.fidelity.com/bin-public/060_www_fidelity_com/documents/couples-retirement-fact-sheet.pdf

[ii] https://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/general/retired_spouses.pdf

[iii] https://www.fidelity.com/bin-public/060_www_fidelity_com/documents/couples-retirement-fact-sheet.pdf

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.