by Adam Netland, Sr. Asset Manager-Investment Department of Wealth Enhancement Group

There are always reasons not to invest, just as there are always reasons to invest.

The challenge is that the majority of us have an incredible fear of making mistakes, so we take the easy road where we are assured of not making mistakes. You can’t mess up if you do nothing, right? In reality, there are few things worse than inaction. When talking about investments, how many times have you heard a friend or even yourself saying, “I don’t want to buy now, because the stock market is probably going lower anyway”, or “I don’t want to buy now, because it’s gone up too much, so it’s too late to get in.”, or “I can’t sell now, look how good my portfolio is doing!”, or “I can’t sell now, because I’ve lost too much money”?

If these expressions sound familiar, you, too, may be a victim of investor paralysis. Investing does not simply mean placing all your hard-earned savings into the volatile stock market. There is help available to help you move forward with your investment strategy. Even in these difficult times, there are a number of actions you can do to make sure you protect your nest-egg, while also getting your money to go as far as possible.

Financial Planning – Have your goals in life changed? Have your needs changed from the last time you took a financial inventory?

Tax Strategies – Have you spoken with a professional lately to make sure you that all options have been considered in saving money on taxes?

Investment Management – Does the risk of your portfolio still match up with your time horizon and long-term investment strategy? Are you taking full advantage of your company’s retirement savings plan?

Estate Planning – Are all of your beneficiaries updated? An up-to-date estate plan can ensure that your family’s needs are met when you pass away.

So Instead of financially “hunkering down” through the recession, begin putting your investment plan into action. Starting by taking an inventory of your assets and getting your recent year’s taxes organized is a good place to start. To cover all your bases, it’s important to find an Investment Advisor that has your best interests in mind. Make sure that anyone you do business with gets to know you and understands your needs above and beyond anything else. This will help break the common investment paralysis, and keep you moving toward your long-term goals.