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FUND & INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT WITH A CFS®
Creating a financial plan is one thing. Analyzing and implementing the underlying investments for that plan to succeed is another. Get the most out of your plan with a Certified Fund Specialist® who will unlock the potential expenses, fees, risks, taxes and intricacies that your funds and investments will face over time, and educate you on how to position your portfolio to meet the challenges you're up against in retirement without having a pension.

Financial success hinges on strategic navigation of your investments through all market conditions...

Times change. So should your strategies.

Cracks are showing in the old mainstays of retirement planning: The 60/40 Portfolio and The 4% Withdrawal Rule. Those two planning strategies were developed and utilized during the era where company pension plans and Social Security covered the bulk of a retiree's non-discretionary and discretionary expenses (a.k.a. needs & wants). However, that era is at its end. Every year the number of Americans retiring with a traditional Defined Benefit Pension decreases, while at the same time the number of people who own investment funds increases. The math is clear...without a pension, the reliance on retirement savings and investments is what will define your lifestyle now, and for the remainder of your life.

What a CFS® can do for you...

A Certified Fund Specialist® has the knowledge and skills to make your path to wealth simpler by providing professional guidance and analysis in choosing the investments that can lead to reaching your financial goals, while creating the income you'll rely upon throughout retirement.
Tailored Strategies with a CFS®
  • Tax-Efficient Investment Fund Strategies
  • Monthly Dividend & Interest Income Plans
  • Low-Cost Fund Fees Analysis
  • Fund Type-to-Investment Account Optimization
  • Factor-Based & Multi Factor-Based Fund Exploration
  • Automated DRIPs (Dividend Reinvestment Plans)
  • Sector Fund Rotation Opportunities
  • Growth & Income Focused Portfolios
  • Advanced Fund Analysis and Selection
  • Interactive Asset Allocation and Portfolio Construction

2022 performance of a $1,000,000 investment account using both the 60/40 Portfolio and 4% Rule strategies

($40,000 of withdrawals factored in to total return with SPY and AGG dividends included as part of monthly 4% Rule withdrawals. See "* Assumptions" below.)

$1,000,000 at market open on Jan. 3, 2022

  • End of Q1 account value
    $936,967
    includes 3 months of $3,333.33 withdrawals
  • End of Q2 account value
    $819,008
    includes 3 months of $3,333.33 withdrawals
  • End of Q3 account value
    $769,953
    includes 3 months of $3,333.33 withdrawals
  • End of Q4 account value
    $798,299
    includes 3 months of $3,333.33 withdrawals

$798,299 at market close on Dec. 30, 2022

(-20.17%) Return on Principal for 2022

However, adding in the 4% of withdrawals gives you...

(-16.17%) Total Return for 2022

Pop Money Quiz

If you had utilized this exact 60/40 Portfolio and 4% Withdrawal Rule strategies with that original $1,000,000 back on January 3rd of 2022, what would your 4% Rule annual income be for calendar year 2023? A) $39,914 B) $31,931 C) $40,000 D) $33,532
Answer: B) $31,931 ("4% Rule" equals 4% of Jan. 3, 2023 $798,299 starting account value, representing a 20% decline in annual withdrawal income from the previous year. $3,333.33/mo. in 2022 drops to $2,660.91/mo. in 2023)

Working with a thrivealike Financial Professional can unlock doors to Growth & Income Strategies utilizing investment funds where you don't just have to deplete your principal to generate income, and keep your money working for you longer.

Investment Fund Types

Let a Certified Fund Specialist® be the key to unlocking the intricacies amongst different investment fund types, evaluating their advantages, risks and potential so you can confidently set your plan towards financial freedom in motion.
  • Mutual Funds
  • Exchange Traded Funds (ETF)
  • Closed-End Funds
  • Open-End Funds
  • Passive Funds
  • Active Funds
  • Index Funds
  • Themed Funds
  • Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT)
  • Unit Investment Trusts (UIT)

Benefits of Fund Investing

Professional Management
Fund managers give you access to expert risk analysis, valuable insights and skillful selection to help maximize potential returns and minimize risk.
Diversification
Recent years have shown how critical the use of diversification can be to lower the risk against sharp declines of individual stocks, bonds and sectors.
Opportunities
Actively managed funds utilize flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions, where short-term volatility can lead to pinpointing long-term opportunities.
Convenience
Funds give you access to an array of investments in one easy instrument, with the ability to auto-rebalance your portfolio for optimal performance.
Economies of Scale
A fund can create cost savings and access to high volume discounts that DIY investors may not be able to achieve when rebalancing and trading.
Liquidity
A fund's size can increase liquidity, giving investors more control over their returns with less potential to be forced into selling assets at a discount.

"There are three Cs in life: Choice. Chance. Change. You must make a choice to take a chance, or your life will never change."

- Zig Ziglar

Don't just survive alone in a maze of investments...

  • 7,393

    registered Mutual Funds in the U.S.

  • 5,996

    number of individual stocks listed on U.S. exchanges

  • $49.1 trillion

    total amount of outstanding bonds issued in the U.S.

  • 2,632

    Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) listed on U.S. exchanges

  • 4.4 Billion

    number of single stock option contracts traded annually on U.S. options exchanges

Thrive with us! We'll handle it.

GET STARTED WITH A CFS®

Fund & Investment Management with a CFS®

Cancel Anytime
No trading fees. No commissions. No platform fees.
Our investment fee is linked to the assets we manage, aligning our focus with your financial growth
Annual fee (billed monthly) 1.00%
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What You Get...
  • thrivealike Certified Fund Specialist® as your personal Financial Advisor
  • Actionable and on-going advice from your dedicated thrivealike Financial Advisor & CFS®
  • thrivealike Virtual Onboarding
  • Existing Investment Portfolio Analysis
  • Personal Financial Website
  • Encrypted Digital Vault
  • Retirement Income Plan with your CFS®
  • Virtual Review Meetings (your choice of semi-annually or quarterly)
  • Tax Minimization Strategies (for pre and post-retirement)
  • Compare drawdown Principal strategy vs. Dividends & Interest strategies
  • Targeted tax-efficient investment & income strategies
  • Dividend & interest monthly income plans
  • Low-cost investment fund fee analysis
  • Fund type-to-investment account optimization
  • Factor-based & multi factor-based fund exploration
  • Automated DRIPs (Dividend Reinvestment Plans)
  • Sector fund rotation opportunities
  • Growth & Income focused fund portfolios
  • Advanced fund analysis and selection
  • Interactive asset allocation and portfolio construction
  • Lifetime income needs analysis
  • And More...

Not sure where to start? Schedule your free consultation with a thrivealike Financial Professional

The idea of retirement is an exciting time in one's life, but without a pension it can also be a scary prospect. One way to help ease the anxiety and become more confident about your financial future would be working with someone who is trained to find solutions to the risks and challenges you will face in retirement.
1. Share a little info
Create your financial snapshot by sharing basic information about you and your finances, what stage of Retirement Planning you are in (pre or post), and your current plan to recreate your paycheck in retirement without having a pension .
2. Free consultation
Uncover the potential of your retirement goals in just 15 minutes! Your virtual consultation with a thrivealike Financial Professional will give you an understanding of where you stand and what it will take to get you closer to financial freedom.
3. Decide to thrive
Harness the power of financial expertise with a thrivealike Certified Specialist who will create a customized plan with investment strategies tailored for you and the unique challenges you face when retiring without a pension.

Don't wait...Schedule your free consultation below

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INVESTMENT & RETIREMENT INSIGHTS
*Assumptions:1) $1,000,000 portfolio with purchases of $600,000 SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY:NYSE) and $400,000 iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG:NYSE) both bought at the market open on January 3, 2022.2) 4% Withdrawal Rule: 4% of beginning $1,000,000 account value = $40,000 Annual Income ($3,333.33 withdrawn at the close of every month). 4% Withdrawal Rule also incorporates any dividends received in any month for calendar year 2022, allowing portfolio owner to sell less shares each month to meet the $3,333.33 monthly withdrawal amount of the applied 4% Rule strategy.3) All monthly withdrawals and accompanying share sales done at the market close on last trading day of each month.4) No trading fees or commissions were applied to purchases or sales of SPY and AGG.5) No taxes were withheld from monthly withdrawals.6) Dividends received by SPY and AGG are for share ownership in calendar year 2022 only. 7) SPY historical dividends 8) AGG historical dividends 9) SPY historical prices 10) AGG historical prices
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