Wesley Oler IV April 2021 Blogs

The Value and Importance of Community Centers

Community centers are crucial parts of any town. They’re a place where people can gather on weekends, where children and teenagers can hang out with their friends, where sports teams can meet up and practice, and so much more. These community centers are a central part of how a town operates and thrives, making them crucial assets to your community. Not many places can see the value and importance these places bring to their cities, however; some places don’t have a community center at all. That’s why it’s important to see the benefits of having community centers around—here are a few of them.

Impact on Youth Community centers are safe, stable locations where young people can gather. There are plenty of things for children and teens to do at these community centers: work out in adequately equipped workout rooms, dance, practice martial arts, play sports like basketball, and much more. These centers give young people a place to learn discipline, healthy habits, and teamwork through the mentorship and guidance of others either working at the center or attending from the community. After-school programs offer refuge for at-risk youth, which helps to reduce crime rates and other costs to the community. Essentially, community centers are a healthy outlet for young people to learn and grow safely.

Opportunities for Education Education extends beyond the classroom, and people can expand their knowledge for little-to-no cost at community centers. In Orlando, children can get help with homework, be tutored for standardized tests, participate in book clubs, and more to learn when school lets out.

Adults can build on skills at these centers that they might not necessarily have, and they can get help from services to receive job training or have their resume looked over.

Active and Healthy Community It’s easy to start or continue a healthy lifestyle when visiting a community center. Living healthily and staying active are both essential to a happy life, so by taking advantage of what community centers have to offer, you’ll make yourself happier and healthier—on average, adults under 65 who exercise regularly save $1,230 a year in medical costs. It’s important to note that community centers aren’t just for young people. No matter your age, there’s something available to keep you active at a community center: walking clubs, fitness programs, and other activities exist to help you stay both physically and culturally sound.

Protecting Your Portfolio During a Plunge in the Stock Market

The stock market is always fluctuating, and not always for the better. While it’s great to see the stock market go up, being involved in investing means you’re aware there will be times the market takes a plunge as well. That doesn’t mean you should sell your investments when things take a turn for the worse—rather, it just means you should be aware of their movements and what you’re willing to lose. You don’t have to sit idly and hope for the best, either. It’s impossible to avoid risk entirely when playing the investment game, but there are strategies that can help you protect your portfolio to the best of your ability.

Diversification Diversification is a strategy that mixes various investments within a portfolio, all of which have distinct asset types and investment vehicles. This limits the exposure to any single asset or risk in your portfolio. Diversifying your portfolio will theoretically yield higher long-term results and lower the risk of individual holdings or security. During a market downturn, a well-diversified portfolio will outperform a concentrated one. To eliminate most, if not all, unsystematic risk to your portfolio, include 12, 18, or even 30 stocks within it.

Stop Losses Another way to protect your portfolio is to issue a stop-loss order. These are orders placed with a broker to buy or sell a specific stock at a certain price. It limits the investor’s loss on a security position; if you place a stop-loss order for $15, for example, your shares will be sold at the market price once the stock drops below $15. Those in favor of stop-loss orders argue that they protect you from rapidly changing markets, while those against stop-loss orders say that all types of stops will turn temporary losses into permanent ones. This is why you should plan these orders well if you choose to place one.

Dividends One of the more uncommon methods of protection is investing in dividend-paying stocks.

Dividends account for a significant portion of a stock’s return; sometimes, it can be the entire amount of a total return. It’s proven that companies that pay dividends deliver above-average returns; in addition to investment income, companies that pay dividends generally grow their earnings faster than those who don’t. Those who grow faster earn higher share prices, which then generates higher capital gains. This protects your portfolio by increasing the amount of your overall return. When the market takes a downturn, dividends provide a cushion that usually results in lower volatility. They also act as a good hedge against inflation.

Companies that both pay dividends and possess pricing power will protect your portfolio in ways that fixed-income investments can’t match. Investing in “dividend aristocrats,” or companies that have been increasing dividends for 25 consecutive years, provides you with further protection since you can be certain you’ll get a payout from these companies.