Managing Risk with Diversification

Two SouthState clients talking to a financial planner.

Diversification is a fundamental aspect of risk management and plays a critical role in building an investment portfolio.

When you first considered investing, it probably seemed like a good idea to focus heavily on what worked best for you from the beginning. If stocks from a particular company brought you high yields, why not double up on your original investment? The answer is diversification. It may seem counterintuitive, but diversification is a fundamental aspect of risk management, and plays a critical role in building an investment portfolio.

Effective diversification requires more than just purchasing a random bundle of investments. Otherwise, your investment may all move in the same direction in both up and down markets. Instead, investors might want to consider selecting securities that do not all move in correlation to each other. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission advises investors to diversify by asset category and within the asset category.


Diversify by Asset Categories

Asset allocation is the practice of dividing up your investment capital among different asset categories. This covers three main asset classes: stocks, bonds and cash. Some financial advisors consider this separate from diversification. Even so, the fundamental principle is the same and can be used in tandem with company-specific or industry-specific diversification.

While asset allocation may help to manage market risk, it does not provide a guarantee against market losses. It seeks to provide a cushion against market volatility .


Diversify Within Asset Categories

When it comes to diversifying within asset categories, financial advisors focus on spreading out stock among different types of companies. There are also different types of bonds to consider.

Yes, the portfolio may, at times, yield lower returns than those from investors who decide to specialize.


Putting These Concepts to Work

So, what steps can you follow to manage risk, especially as you draw closer to retirement? Here are a few tips to consider:
  1. Choose Investment Style: Investment styles further affect how you diversify your portfolios, so be sure to find one that works for you. Some of the most common options include small-cap versus large-cap, sector vs. industry, growth vs. value and domestic vs. foreign.
  2. Determine Asset Allocation: Deciding how much of your capital to invest in each category depends on a number of factors, such as your personal ability to tolerate risk and how soon you may need to liquidate investments. As an example, younger people may want more risk exposure, while people closer to retirement may want to err on the side of caution.
Overall, your general appetite for risk determines how best to diversify your investments. Contact LPL Financial for more information on how to strike the right portfolio balance. [Insert contact information here].

  • Broker                                                                          LPL Financial Form CRS


    Your Bank (“SouthState Bank”) provides referrals to financial professionals of LPL Financial LLC (“LPL”) pursuant to an agreement that allows LPL to pay the Financial Institution for these referrals. This creates an incentive for the Financial Institution to make these referrals, resulting in a conflict of interest. The Financial Institution is not a current client of LPL for brokerage or advisory services.
    Please visit https://www.lpl.com/disclosures/is-lpl-relationship-disclosure.html for more detailed information.

    *Please consult your tax-advisor for tax related issues.
    **Products and services offered through LPL Financial.

    Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC.). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. SouthState Bank, N.A. and SouthState Investment Services are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using SouthState Investment Services and may also be employees of SouthState Bank, N.A. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, SouthState Bank, N.A. or SouthState Investment Services. Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are:

    The services offered within this investment site are available exclusively through our U.S. registered representatives and are available for U.S. residents only. LPL Financial U.S. registered representatives may only conduct business with residents of the states for which they are properly registered. Please note that not all of the investments and services mentioned are available in every state.

Secure Log In

Close login menu
Login Error

Your username is valid but has a problem. Please call customer support

Our website uses cookies to ensure your online experience is as informative and relevant as possible. Please review our Privacy Policy to learn more about the information we collect.