Understanding Risk Tolerance: A Guide for Vulcan Materials Employees Navigating Retirement Changes

Healthcare Provider Update: Vulcan Materials Company utilizes the services of various healthcare providers, primarily focusing on employer-sponsored health plans to offer coverage to its employees. This means that healthcare costs for these employees are directly influenced by the company's insurance choices and market conditions. As we approach 2026, healthcare costs are predicted to see significant escalations-especially for those covered under plans tied to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Record premium increases, with 2026 projected hikes exceeding 60% in certain states, are anticipated due to a combination of factors including skyrocketing medical expenses and the likely expiration of enhanced federal subsidies. Vulcan Materials employees, along with many others, may face a drastic increase in out-of-pocket costs, with estimates suggesting a rise of up to 75% for those reliant on ACA marketplace insurance. This forthcoming burden highlights the need for careful evaluation of health benefits and proactive financial planning as 2026 approaches. Click here to learn more

The world of investing is very subjective--the investment plan that’s right for you depends largely upon the level of comfort that you have when it comes to risk. We'd like our clients from Vulcan Materials to remember that you can’t completely avoid risk when it comes to investing, but it's possible for you to manage it.

There are two aspects of risk tolerance for Vulcan Materials employees to consider: (1) the capacity of your investment plan itself to absorb losses, and (2) how comfortable you are personally with risk. The first aspect can be quantified--the more flexibility your investment plan has when it comes to potential loss, the more risk your plan can tolerate. For example, as we’ve discussed, a long investment time horizon may allow you to take on more risk than a short time horizon.

'You can’t completely avoid risk when it comes to investing, but it is possible for you to manage it..'

The second aspect, how comfortable you are personally with risk, is more of an emotional measure, and depends on many factors, including your objectives, life stage, personality, and investment experience. Some investors are comfortable with a high degree of risk, while others can tolerate only minimal risk. Individual risk tolerance is an important factor for Vulcan Materials employees in deciding which individual investments are appropriate for them, as well as how their investment dollars should be allocated among different investment classes.

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Investors are typically grouped into three categories for purposes of discussing risk tolerance: aggressive (those who have a high degree of risk tolerance); moderate (those willing to accept some degree of risk), and conservative (those who are risk averse).