Common Investment Vehicles
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail
Without a plan in place, most people don’t have a clear idea of what retirement will look like for them, or if their expectations are even realistic.
Benefits of a Plan
- Identify long-term financial goals and the steps needed to
achieve those goals.
See your finances from a holistic point of view to understand how
your individual financial decisions can impact your overall financial picture.- Create integrated strategies that take into account different variables tied to your financial activities.
Understanding your unique picture
The first step in a Financial Fitness Plan involves taking a detailed look into a person’s current financial situation. This means examining a person’s savings, income, debts and current living expenses. A professional financial planner will collect a variety of financial documents, such as a list of debt balances and current assets, and determine where the person stands financially and what changes will need to be made to reach specified goals.

Creating your strategy
Once financial goals have been specified and alternative courses of action created and evaluated, it is time to develop an action plan. A Financial Fitness plan involves finding ways to achieve financial goals. Goals should be listed in order of importance and once the most prioritized goal has been completed, start working towards the next goal on the list.
Keeping you on track
Financial planning does not end when the financial plan is created. It requires regular evaluation to ensure that a person is on the right track towards reaching his or her goals. A Financial Fitness Plan may need to be revised on a regular basis as situations arise, such as a change in income or the loss of certain assets or investments.
Sectors of the Market
Sector investing offers targeted exposure to the stocks of companies in specific segments of the economy and can help you pursue growth, diversify your portfolio, and manage risks.
Real-estate
As the name suggests, the newest addition to the S&P sectors includes Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), as well as realtors and other companies.
Consumer Staples
Consumer staples companies provide all the necessities of life. This includes food and beverage companies, household product providers, and personal product providers. Consumer staple companies are well known, since people see their products in stores regularly.
Consumer Discretionary
Discretionary consumer products are luxury items or services that are not necessary for survival. The demand for these items depends on economic conditions and the wealth of individuals. Products include cars, jewelry, sporting goods, and electronic devices. Luxury experiences include trips, stays at hotels, or dining in a posh restaurant.
Utilities
Utility companies provide or generate electricity, water, and gas to buildings and households.
Communication Services
The communication services sector consists of companies that keep people connected. This includes internet providers and phone plan providers. The more exciting part of the sector includes media, entertainment, and interactive media & services companies.
Financials
The financial sector includes all companies involved in finance, investing, and the movement or storage of money. It includes banks, credit card issuers, credit unions, insurance companies, and mortgage real estate investment trusts (REITs).
Information Technology
The information technology – IT – sector consists of companies that develop or distribute technological items or services, and includes internet companies. Technology products include computers, microprocessors, and operating systems.
Materials
Companies within the materials sector provide the raw material needed for other sectors to function. This includes the mining companies that provide gold, zinc, and copper, and forestry companies that provide wood.
Healthcare
Health care consists of medical supply companies, pharmaceutical companies, and scientific-based operations or services that aim to improve the human body or mind.
Industrials
Industrials include a wide range of companies, from airlines and railroad companies to military weapons manufacturers. Since the range of companies is so large, the sector has 14 different industries. Two of the largest industries are Aerospace & Defense and Construction & Engineering.
Energy
The energy sector consists of all companies that play a part in the oil, gas, and consumable fuels business. This includes companies that find, drill, and extract the commodity. It also includes the companies that refine the material and companies that provide or manufacturer the equipment used in the refinement process.