Maintaining a buy list, or wish list of companies to invest in at lower prices, gives the prepared investor an advantage when bargains become available.  One of the lessons we should have learned from stock market volatility is bargains can emerge very quickly. They can also disappear as quickly as they appeared.

I keep a list of the best companies and ETFs of specific industries or countries that I would like to own for long term growth. This gives me several important benefits.  First, I’m ready to act when something causes the market, or that specific investment, to fall. Investors have a hard time putting into practice the principle of buying low and selling high.  Having a buy list helps you stay disciplined to purchase bargains because you are prepared and looking for opportunities to buy low.

Another advantage of keeping a buy list is that it keeps you involved in the market. Market research and research of individual investments requires a great deal of time and should be done on a consistent basis.

Are you having trouble finding the time to do the necessary research to self direct your portfolio?  The Arbor Investment Planner provides the information you need to manage your portfolio, including the Arbor Asset Allocation Model Portfolio (AAAMP), trade alerts, and updates. For more information please contact me directly at KFinvest@aol.com,  281-719-8904, or visit our website at www.AAAMP.com.

One of the best investment strategies is to pay yourself first with automatic investing. Set up automatic deposits from your savings or checking to your investment accounts. Your first priority for investment is a 401K plan matched by your company. Always invest enough to get your company match.  This is even better than free money, because this is free money that can grow and take advantage of compounding.  It’s the equivalent of a 100% gain the first day. Once you have set up deposits sufficient to receive your “free money”, set up automatic investments to your Roth or Traditional IRA (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or Both: http://tinyurl.com/y9ndg8w). These retirement vehicles offer substantial tax and growth advantages.

Automatic investing has several benefits including simplicity, convenience, time savings, and keeping you disciplined. It’s too easy to find an excuse to skip an investment deposit when you have the option. Maybe you are busy or on a tight budget this month; or choose not to invest because of a market that is down or falling. Emotions, including fear and our desires for immediate gratification, can cause us to do exactly the opposite of what we should do.

Another benefit of systematic investing is that dollar cost averaging is a powerful investment strategy. Because your investment buys more shares when prices are low and less shares when prices are high; your returns can be optimized over time. By investing the same dollar amount each month the average cost of the asset being purchased is lower than buying an equal number of shares each time. In addition, investing in small regular increments removes the chance of making a large investment allocation just as the market is peaking.

Simplicity, convenience, time savings, discipline, and dollar cost averaging make paying yourself first with automatic deposits one of best strategies to grow your investment portfolio. The Arbor Investment Planner provides subscribers the information they need to successfully self direct their investments. If I can help you please feel free to call me at 281-719-8904.

More information available at: www.AAAMP.com

John Maynard Keynes

Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.

Warren Buffett

The love of money is the root of all evil.

1 Timothy 6:10 Bible

It’s time, not timing, that makes money in the market.

Investing in stock is like growing vegetables in a garden. You need to give your investments time to grow and ride out some bad weather.

The safe time to invest is when there is blood in the streets.

Mark Mobius

Investing is something you do to become wealthy, not something you do once you become wealthy.

When to stay and when to leave is the critical choice when there is a storm.

Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.

There are two times when people forget their investment principles: at the top of the market and at the bottom.

Phillip A. Lowe

Never invest in anything that promises to change your life, because it probably will, for the worse.

Predicting rain doesn’t count, building an ark does.

Laszio Birinyi

The only ones that get hurt on a roller coaster are the jumpers.

Paul Harvey

In almost every other walk of life, people buy more at lower prices; in the stock market they seem to buy more at higher prices.

James Grant

A correction takes place to determine which investments are the tennis balls and which are the eggs. You want to own the things that bounce, as in tennis balls and not in eggs.

William Berger

Most people ignore probabilities and exaggerate risk.

Ralph Wanger

Most people can self direct their investments if they have the right information.  Use the Arbor Investment Planner to help you at  www.AAAMP.com or call Ken Faulkenberry at 281-719-8904.

Many Investors are now asking “How do I invest my money using fee only advisors?”  Financial planners and mutual funds have let most investors down with poor performance and by failing to educate clients about risk management.  A lack of understanding asset allocation and risk has partly been due to the fact investors are unattached from the investment management process. 

The self directed investor is able to stay knowledgeable about his or her asset allocation and portfolio risk in a timely manner instead of receiving monthly or quarterly statements.  By using a fee only investment planning service conflicts of interest are eliminated.  The Do It Yourself Investor can use an online brokerage with extremely low commissions and avoid investments with large fees based on assets invested.  Studies show that keeping investment expenses low greatly increases long term returns.

When hiring a fee only do it yourself investment management service look for a good long term performance record and an investment style you feel comfortable with.  The Arbor Investment Planner is a conservative, risk adverse online investment planner with an excellent long term record (see www.tinyurl.com/yf3aab8) and convenient format for easy implementation.  The Arbor Asset Allocation Model Portfolio (AAAMP), Trade Alerts, and Updates are e-mailed to subscribers for a flat fee.

More Information available at: www.AAAMP.com

1.  PERFORMANCE – Building wealth in turbulent markets is the AIP record. I put my money where my mouth is!  The AAAMP is my own money. Unlike some Wall Street professionals who brag they have no conflict of interest because they don’t invest in what they recommend, I have my own money invested in the AAAMP. I don’t invest anyone’s money but my own. I just share my ability, talent, education, research, and knowledge with you for a low fee.

2. YOU STAY IN CONTROL OF YOUR ASSETS – With con artists (i.e. Madoff Ponzi scheme) and Triple A institutions (i.e. AIG) going bust it is wise to self direct your investments.

3. Achieve DIVERSIFICATION though ASSET ALLOCATION – Diversification is the single most important element of investment planning.  The AAAMP is divided into 4 asset categories and typically holds 20-40 stocks and/or ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds).

4.  The AAAMP uses an ACTIVE ASSET ALLOCATION STRATEGY for maximum portfolio flexibility. Use the information provided in the Arbor Investment Planner to avoid assets when risks are high and invest aggressively when risks are low. This is almost impossible for the average investor.  The AIP will give you the information you need to stay updated and make wise decisions.

5. PERSONALIZED SERVICE – If you have questions about the AAAMP portfolio you can e-mail me or call me personally.  AIP is not a large impersonal institution. There is never an extra charge for additional information or a chat.  I want you to succeed; you matter!  The AIP is built on results and word of mouth. I have to earn your renewal.

6. NO PENALTY FOR HIGH OR GROWING ASSETS – Most financial institutions charge a fee or percentage based on your assets. The AIP charges a flat fee.  You stay in control and pay the same low fee regardless of how large your portfolio is.

7. CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS ELIMINATED – You pay a flat fee. No fees based on trading.  Trade Alerts are only based on changing conditions and enhancing performance, not producing commissions or fees.

8. TRADE ALERTS, UPDATES, REMINDERS, AND SPECIAL ARTICLES – Concise economic and market updates and reminders keep you informed of important and/or pertinent information in a manner that requires a minimum of reading time by subscribers. Through trade alerts the planner has the ability to alert subscribers to the purchase, sale, or change in size or position of individual investments in the AAAMP. Trade alerts with specific buy and sell details are e-mailed to subscribers. This allows you to manage your own investments with confidence, knowing your decisions are being implemented for your benefit, because you are in control.

9. AAAMP Blog – www.AAAMPblog.com – A wide variety of investment related articles and interesting posts for people who want to stay informed and learn about investment management.

10. PERFORMANCE IS EASY TO MEASURE – Unlike institutions where you open your quarterly statement and find out you lost a bundle after it is too late, we report performance of the portfolio with every update.  The AAAMP is a real-time portfolio; every trade is made immediately after a trade alert is e-mailed to subscribers. Therefore the AAAMP performance figures include any expenses paid (i.e. commissions, ETF expenses). You can instantly compare the performance of the market, the AAAMP, and your own portfolio. The AIP helps you stay disciplined and focused.

When making investment decisions your emotions are often a reverse indicator of what you ought to be doing.

When everyone rushes to one side of the boat, head to the other side to avoid getting soaked.

Be sure to put your feet in the right place, and then stand firm against a hostile wind. 

Abraham Lincoln

The secret of making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them.

Peter Lynch

The intelligent investor is likely to need considerable will power to keep from following the crowd.

Benjamin Graham

Volatility signals fear, and fear leads to bad decisions.

Michael Mach

When the market’s going down, it is not because you are stupid. And when it is going up, it’s not because you are smart.

Ralph Wanger

Paralysis by analysis: a common illness suffered from the nonstop barrage of financial articles and gurus that cause a person to lay still and take no action.

The stock market is like a voting machine, polling investors on the future, not the present.

An investor should be a judge, objective and unattached. Otherwise he loses the greatest advantage in investing – freedom to act.

Self directing your investment portfolio is made easy with the Arbor Investment Planner.   www.AAAMP.com

Our goal is to own the best mix of investments by balancing the good characteristics (growth, dividend yield, cash flow, etc.) versus the risk (market, economic, interest rates, etc.) in a way that the optimum mixture of risk and return is obtained. This philosophy allows us the flexibility to invest in aggressive investments when appropriate and stay in cash and own hedges (a conservative portfolio strategy to reduce risk) when conditions require.

Another goal is to keep subscribers focused on what is important and not get caught up in fads and trends that ultimately lead to financial ruin. We stay focused on our asset allocation and our tried and true methodology which has built long term wealth. Even though we constantly look at performance, we are focused on the long term and refuse to take unnecessary risk in order to boost short term performance.

For a more in-depth view of the Arbor Asset Allocation Model Portfolio (AAAMP) philosophy:

Diversification: http://tinyurl.com/2vfl7yj

Asset Allocation and Risk Management: http://tinyurl.com/327o5pw   

Active Asset Allocation Management Strategy: http://tinyurl.com/235hduq

How to Invest in Stocks, ETFs, and Mutual Funds: http://tinyurl.com/3aafr9o

Do It Yourself Investment Management: http://tinyurl.com/y3hf7y3

Ken Faulkenberry – Portfolio Manager

        President, Arbor Investment Planner: http://tinyurl.com/34tepqt