Posts

– Venture Capital – This Week in Venture Capital – Jason Calacanis

This week’s guest is Jason Calacanis.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Early Stage Venture Capital Panel — WTIA TechNW 2012

Panelists: — Bill Bryant, Venture Partner, Draper Fisher Jurvetson (moderator) — Bob Abbott, General Partner, Norwest Venture Partners — Ray Bradford, Par…
Video Rating: 0 / 5

Socially responsible venture capital: Ross Baird at TEDxUVA

Ross Baird, the Founder and Creative Director of Village Capital, discusses emerging methods of promoting and funding social enterprise. In the spirit of ide…
Video Rating: 3 / 5

I interviewed Drew after his panel @SFVentureSummit. Drew, cofounder of IBM Venture Capital Group which operates out of the heart of Silicon Valley, Menlo Pa…
Video Rating: 0 / 5

Trailer – Mind The Bridge Venture Camp 2013 (Angel Investing Global Forum)

WHY you should attend Mind The Bridge annual meeting. Our Venture Camp 2013 has been held in Milan (Corriere della Sera) on Nov 8-9 Entrepreneurship educatio…
Video Rating: 5 / 5

FPI Venture Capital RUS

Рекламно-информационный ролик венчурного фонда FPI Grup Venture Capital. Сценарий и идея: FPI и Александр Караваев Продюсер и режиссёр: Александр Караваев Ре…

Corporate Venture Capital Showcase – Shimpei Yamashita

At the Clean Technology Investment World Asia 2012, Mr Shimpei Yamashita, Manager for Global Strategic Ventures and Principal Investments of Sumitomo Corp., …
Video Rating: 0 / 5

Venture Capital: Oligarch Money Games (E9)

On the road again. Katie Pilbeam takes the show to the Russian black sea resort of Sochi as the city prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. There she tri…

Hypo Venture Capital Zurich, Switzerland Retirement Investing Tips


by BAIA

Consider Many Retirement Investment Options and Diversify Portfolio

Here at Hypo Venture Capital Zurich we are committed to offering our clients access to the latest and broadest range of financial services and products on the market. We know that choosing the right strategy, the right investment and the right product is no easy task in this day and age! Whether its advice, investments or financial planning we are here to answer all your questions and facilitate all your financial needs.

There are so many options for retirement investment planning that even the most ambitious person can feel daunted. But learning about retirement investment strategies as a young or middle-aged adult can save all kinds of financial worries later. The soundest approach to investing for retirement is to save slowly but persistently, and invest widely with as much information as possible.

The Best Approach to Retirement Investing

Every expert has a different recommendation for the best retirement investment decisions, but some advice is universal:

1. Figure out how much retirement income will be needed. Retirement investment calculators are available online that can predict how much a given investment will be worth or how much retirement income will be needed to maintain quality of life by retirement.

2. Start now by opening an investment retirement savings account. Even a small amount, deposited every week or every paycheck, eventually adds up to substantial savings that can be used to fund a comfortable retirement.

3. Knowledge is power. Take every opportunity to learn about retirement investments, as well as the best investment planning in general, and invest money from the aforementioned retirement account wisely as opportunities appear.

4. Create a diverse portfolio. Some stocks will go up while others go down. The real estate market might be booming while sales in other areas fall. The best retirement investment planning takes this into account and invests in several different options at once to ensure a solid investment portfolio that will do well, no matter what.

Retirement Investment Options

There are many retirement investment strategies available. While the best investment plan is always to diversify, with several investments, the following options are a key part of most investment strategies aimed at yielding retirement income:

• Annuities – An annuity works like the opposite of a mortgage. Money is invested in advance, and in retirement years the annuity pays out principle and interest on the investment.

• GICs – GICs guarantee a fixed rate of interest if money is left in an investment for a pre-arranged period. Once the term of the GIC is up, retirement funds can be reinvested again until needed.

• Stocks, Bonds, and Mutual Funds – While there are differences, each of these investment vehicles is a way to speculate by investing money where it may grow – or may, possibly, shrink. The riskier the investment, the greater the potential earning. It’s wise to invest a portion of retirement savings in riskier investments like stocks and mutual funds, if thorough research suggests that they have a good chance of succeeding in delivering a healthy return on investment.

• Home Equity – Real estate is always a smart investment, and paying off the family home before retirement is one of the smartest investments. House values will only rise over time, and home equity can also be used in a reverse mortgage or withdrawn in a lump sum home equity loan if money is needed to supplement retirement income.

The best move, for anyone thinking about investing for retirement, is to learn as much as possible about retirement investment strategies and consider all the options in selecting investments. Speaking with a qualified financial advisor is a first step on the way to a solid investment strategy, and the first step to a profitable retirement portfolio.

About the Author:

Stephen Holmes is a Senior Vice President at World Assets Advisory, with experience in the Financial Services industry spanning over 25ys and 3 Continents. Stephen currently directs the Portfolio Risk Management Group after moving from the Equity Derivatives Research Group 3yrs ago. He has a PhD in Experimental Particle Physics and has been working in the alternative investment industry since 1992. His interests include classical music, reading and he often is a guest speaker at corporate functions with a focus on ‘Technology in Society’.

Want to know more?

Hypo Venture Capital Zurich, Switzerland is an independent investment advisory firm which focuses on global equities and options markets. Our analytical tools, screening techniques, rigorous research methods and committed staff provide solid information to help our clients make the best possible investment decisions. All views, comments, statements and opinions are of the authors. For more information go to www.hypovc.com

 

Here at Hypo Venture Capital Zurich we are committed to offering our clients access to the latest and broadest range of financial services and products on the market. We know that choosing the right strategy, the right investment and the right product is no easy task in this day and age! Whether its advice, investments or financial planning we are here to answer all your questions and facilitate all your financial needs.

Find More Venture Capital Articles

The shifting focus of venture capital firms

Learn more at PwC.com – http://pwc.to/J0a5bj PwC’s Global Software Industry Leader Mark McCaffrey discusses the changing behavior of venture capitalists.

Venture Capital Analytics – CB Insights

Venture Capital Analytics - CB Insights

The world’s most extensive venture capital and angel investor database, CB Insights, offers you a quick, simple and intuitive platform to get you the data an…
Video Rating: 0 / 5

Hypo Venture Capital – Socially Responsible Investing

Here at Hypo Venture Capital we are committed to offering our clients access to the latest and broadest range of financial services and products on the market. We know that choosing the right strategy, the right investment and the right product is no easy task in this day and age! Whether its advice, investments or financial planning we are here to answer all your questions and facilitate all your financial needs.

What is socially responsible investing?

Socially responsible investing (SRI) describes an investment strategy that combines the intentions to maximize both financial return and social good. In general, socially responsible investors favor corporate practices that are environmentally responsible, support workplace diversity and increase product safety and quality.

RI strategies provide investors with the opportunity to create positive change in the world through their financial decisions while remaining focused on their long-term investment strategy.

Investing money in a socially conscious manner has gained popularity since the 1970s, though the origins of the concept can be traced back to the 17th century. The idea grew for a number of reasons, including issues regarding the environment, consumer and employee rights, and military activities.

Many individuals who were civil rights and anti-war protestors in the 1960s became investors in the 1970s and 1980s and were looking for a way to express their convictions through their investment portfolios. The first mutual fund to screen investments based on social criteria was established in 1971.

Today, more than 200 mutual funds offer investors a way to access a social investment strategy. Some funds are broad in nature, while others focus on a specific cause.

According to the Social Investment Forum, in 2007, nearly 1 out of every 9 dollars under professional management in the United States (more than $ 2.71 trillion) was involved in socially responsible investing, outpacing the overall market. Interest in this investment approach has grown significantly since the mid-1990s.

Along with funds and other professionally managed portfolios that specialize in socially responsible styles, the Social Investment Forum reports that mainstream money managers are also incorporating social and environmental screens into their investment selection processes. The approach has also taken on global dimensions, as more investors around the world seek to promote specific causes through their investment dollars.

Results can be favorable

An indication of the competitive performance of SRI funds is the performance of SRI indexes. The longest-running SRI index, the Domini 400, was started in 1990 and continues to perform competitively. When benchmarking this index against the S&P 500, the Domini 400 showed a 10.83% return vs. 10.33% total returns with the S&P 500.

Implementing social awareness in different ways

How can socially responsible investing be applied? This is something that can change from investor to investor, depending on each individual’s views. Generally, there are three ways that investors can try to effect change through their investment choices:

• Social screening. Eliminating companies from consideration for inclusion in a portfolio due to specific practices or types of business it pursues. Many social investors avoid companies whose products and business practices are harmful to individuals, communities or the environment.

• Shareholder activism. In some cases, investors or groups of investors (this can include mutual fund managers) will try to influence the behavior of a company or decisions by its board of directors. While this often is focused on improving financial performance, activism can also be a strategy to change a company’s business practices that could be considered detrimental to society.

This can involve filing shareholder resolutions on topics such as corporate governance, political contributions, gender/racial discrimination, pollution and problem labor practices, among other issues.

• Community investing. Institutions use investor capital to finance or guarantee loans to individuals or organizations to improve their own communities. Community investing projects are small and local and often focus on affordable housing, small business startups, improving community facilities and empowering minorities.

Mutual funds vs. individual investing

For most investors, mutual funds offer an easy way to gain access to the world of individual investing. Investors have a wide array of options available and the ability to select funds to invest in large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap stocks, and even in bond funds with a socially conscious angle.

Those who invest in individual securities or use a professionally managed account have the ability to be more selective in screening investments. This approach may be most appropriate for investors whose screening criteria are more specific than would occur with a mutual fund.

Themes arise with the times

Major social issues can often drive the interests of investors in terms of the social screens they favor. In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a great deal of pressure on investment managers to avoid investments in companies doing business in South Africa, at a time when the country maintained a policy of apartheid. In the 1990s, tobacco companies took center stage. Tobacco currently represents the most popular social screen employed in socially responsible mutual funds.

Today, there is increasing focus on the environment, as global warming has become a headline issue. Consumers have taken a greater interest in environmentally friendly products like hybrid cars and energy-efficient lightbulbs.

That same interest extends to investing, as more individuals seek out “green” funds. These portfolios may screen stocks of companies with poor pollution records and may seek to invest in technologies such as solar and wind power development.

Hypo Venture Capital – Investing in your priorities

A socially responsible strategy allows individuals to invest in a way that is consistent with their own priorities. As indicated by performance in recent years, choosing to invest in this manner does not mean sacrificing potential return. However, not all investments will perform in the same way.

If this method of investing interests you, work with your Hypo Venture Capital financial advisor to learn more about how SRI options can work in conjunction with your overall investment strategy. There are a number of mutual funds to choose from that can be incorporated into an existing or proposed asset allocation strategy. Alternatively, you can select specific investments that fit more particular criteria or apply your own social screens to your managed portfolio. Be sure to consider how any investment you choose matches your risk profile and your return expectations.

The most effective approach to socially responsible investing is to make sure that the execution of the strategy is consistent with your overall financial plan. Your HVC financial advisor can help you review your current asset allocation and help you consider whether social investing is right for you.

Hypo Venture Capital is an independent investment advisory firm which focuses on global equities and options markets. Our analytical tools, screening techniques, rigorous research methods and committed staff provide solid information to help our clients make the best possible investment decisions. All views, comments, statements and opinions are of the authors. For more information go to www.hypovc.com