As a The Southern Company employee earning a good wage, remember when everyday products were much cheaper than they are now? That's a real-life example of inflation, an unavoidable phenomenon that erodes the value of money by pushing prices up over time. If capital isn't being put to work and making a return during inflationary periods, the purchasing power of investor capital is declining.

As a The Southern Company employee interested in investing, it is important to consider how investors have a wide range of tools at their disposal to protect their portfolios from inflation. Some prefer inflation-protected bonds, while others swear by commodities such as gold as effective inflation hedges. Investing in stocks has historically been one of the best ways to offset, or even outpace, inflation's degenerative effects on one's savings. For The Southern Company employees, it is important to account for this information when planning your finances as to create a portfolio that minimizes volatility and accounts for inflation.

We still have a tremendous amount of interest from advisors looking into commodity funds, ETFs and other inflation protection instruments to protect against potential inflation.

The inflation challenge for retirees is easier to manage when you understand the income streams The Southern Company provides. According to publicly available information, The Southern Company maintains an active defined benefit pension plan, which provides retirement income based on factors such as years of service and compensation history. The Southern Company also offers retiree healthcare benefits to eligible employees, which can provide meaningful coverage for those who retire before reaching Medicare eligibility at age 65. Aligning your The Southern Company benefits with a well-structured retirement income plan helps you see exactly how every piece fits together.