Episode 18: Investing for Life: Strategies That Grow With You
Featured Guests
Wade Bramlitt, CRPC®, AIF®
Vice President, Wealth Manager
Wade began his financial services career back in 2006 with VyStar Credit Union working in various roles before moving to KY. While away, he was a Financial advisor for UBS and then Edward Jones, where he focused on developing strong relationships with his clients, helping them pursue their financial goals. In 2019, Wade moved back home to bring this experience to the community that he knows and loves, and there was no better place to do this than with VyStar Investment Services.
After graduating from Clay High School, Wade received a scholarship to wrestle for The University of Central Oklahoma where he graduated with his Bachelors in Business Administration and achieved wrestling NCAA All-American honors in 2004. He holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® designation and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® has been a registered representative since 2010.
Stefanie Starling, MBA, CFP®
Vice President, Wealth Manager
Stefanie began her career in the Financial Services Industry with Fidelity Investments. She made the move to VyStar Investment Services in order to be able to provide professional guidance and financial services to the people that live and work in her community. She enjoys helping Credit Union members pursue their financial goals during any stage of their life by understanding their individual needs using a holistic planning approach.
Stefanie has an MBA from Jacksonville University and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.
Highlights
Investing needs and strategies change across life stages; what works in your 20s may not suit your 40s, 50s, and beyond.
Women face unique challenges and opportunities in investing, including career breaks, life events, and longer life expectancy, making early planning and organization especially important.
One of women’s strengths is their long-term focus—when they create a plan, they tend to stick with it, which supports investment consistency and success.
In your 20s and 30s, it’s key to “pay yourself first”—prioritize savings and investments just like any other bill, and use this time to take on more investment risk due to a long time horizon.
Building a solid emergency fund is essential before taking investment risks; this ensures you can handle market ups and downs without needing to withdraw long-term funds.
Consistency is critical—setting a plan, maintaining a budget, and investing regularly will add up over time and leverage the power of compound growth.
Life events such as changing jobs, going through divorce, or becoming a single parent can make it easy to lose track of accounts; the first actionable step is simply “finding your accounts” and organizing your financial life.
Intimidation and embarrassment about finances are common—you’re not alone, and professionals are there to help you get organized and build confidence.
In your 30s and 40s, investment approaches become more personalized; some may shift conservative after reaching certain goals, while others who need to catch up may stay aggressive longer.
When you reach your 50s and beyond, although it’s common to want to be more conservative, it’s often a mistake to become too risk-averse; maintaining a growth component in your investment portfolio is crucial to keeping up with inflation and your long-term income needs.
Diversification remains important regardless of market trends—don’t put all your money into the latest hot sector or investment trend, but focus on a well-rounded, long-term strategy.
Ultimately, having a plan—and being willing to ask for help—are the most important factors in building long-term investment confidence and security, no matter where you are in your financial journey.
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