Factors Affecting Investing in 2017

Investing in 2017
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Benjamin Alderson is a Senior Area Manager for deVere Group, the world’s largest independent financial consultancy group. Through his work, Benjamin Alderson provides key investment advice to international clients and keeps up with emerging trends in the industry.

The analytics sector, specifically big data, is poised to make a significant impact on the financial industry in 2017. With growing technology budgets, financial companies are allocating more resources toward their IT departments, which will allow them to develop more robust artificial intelligence and other analytical technologies. Experts predict that these pushes toward technology spending will lead to increased profit margins, and consequently higher performing financial stocks.

With interest rates beginning to rise for the first time in years, the way that companies borrow money will likely shift beginning in 2017. As a result, the types of investment opportunities will inherently change.

Experts are still looking upon US equities favorably, however. Most predict that earnings will see an uptick of around 8 percent in the next year, while the global GDP is expected to increase by as much as 3.5 percent.

Setting Up a Personal Budget

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Benjamin Alderson received his BA in business economics from Durham University in Great Britain. Now leading as president and CEO of New York City-based financial consultancy deVere USA, Benjamin Alderson helps international clients to procure insurance and build investments, savings, and pensions.

The first step toward building financial security is creating a personal budget. A tool used to decide ahead of time how your money will be spent, a budget helps you to prioritize your values and reach your financial goals.

To set up a budget, first track your spending, or look back over your statements and receipts to see where your money is going. Then, list income and expenses, making sure that income is greater than or equal to your total expenses. Make adjustments to expenses as needed to live within your means, and revisit your budget often to make any necessary changes.

To save money, use credit cards sparingly or not at all, as interest is expensive. Automatic transfers make it easy to put aside money each month to grow your savings, and experts recommend building an emergency fund equal to three to six months’ worth of expenses. Further, paying with cash will help you to keep track of your flexible expenses and make sure you know where your money is going.

Amid Market Volatility, High Net Worth Investors Scale Up Activity

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Benjamin Alderson is a respected financial executive who guides deVere USA, Inc., as president and CEO. He emphasizes tax efficient structures in counseling a largely international clientele. In a recent blog article, Benjamin Alderson looked at an early 2016 survey that deVere undertook with 767 clients worldwide, each holding more than $1.5 million in investible assets. The basic question was whether they planned to invest more over the upcoming year.

Despite expectations of market volatility, a resounding 76 percent of the high net worth (HNW) respondents answered yes. The basic reason is simple: market shifts, whether up or down, represent vital selling and buying opportunities that can help investors solidify their overall positions over the long term.

With no bottoming-out in sight, it seems that many HNW investors see a bottom approaching and are looking for opportunities to purchase at attractive prices. The optimal approach seems to mimic Warren Buffet’s maxim that one should run counter to the masses and “be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.”

Study Finds Building Retirement Funds Number One Goal for 2016

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With more than 15 years of experience working in finance, Benjamin Alderson works as senior area manager of deVere USA Inc., based in New York City. Possessing years of experience in the business, Benjamin Alderson advises clients on 401K rollover options, non-discretionary portfolio management, and education planning.

On his website, Mr. Alderson discusses the results of a deVere Group survey, which concluded during the last two months of 2015. The poll surveyed 655 high-net-worth clients with investable assets of more than $1.5 million. The results found that the top three financial resolutions for the new year included building funds for retirement (41%), viewing personal investment portfolios more frequently (27%), and saving more money to leave loved ones (23%). Various other resolutions accounted for the remaining nine percent.

When asked about the poll, deVere chief executive officer Nigel Green stated that he feels similar results would be achieved if the same poll were conducted for middle-income earners. He believes that wealth allows individuals and their families to achieve the lifestyles they seek, so there would be parallels across different income brackets.