Judging by the way the markets have behaved in the last couple of years, you may be wondering if the time is right to make changes to your investment portfolio.
Pundits agree that a few rogue investors, including bargain hunters and other Johnnie-come-lately briefcase types, are rushing to dish out investment advice online without considering their long-term financial goals.
While it’s not easy to foretell when the next stormy financial turbulence is going to occur, or dish out accurate information on how to manage your investment portfolio before the volatility hits the market, we’re delighted to provide an ultimate guide to help you make powerful investment decisions.
- Your age
An essential factor to consider before making an investment decision is age. The younger the generation you invest, the better. This is because you have a good salary, fewer expenses, fewer responsibilities, more energy to absorb risk, and you’re likely to live for a more extended period to see your investment bear fruits.
As you age, you may want to take into account a variety of other factors like marriage, retirement planning, etc.
Besides, you’ll have a shorter time for your investment to provide a return.
- Understand what you’re investing in (products)
A wide array of financial products offers many benefits to investors today. The only problem is they’re complicated. It’s important to understand these products before choosing to invest in them. Knowing their intricate details ensures that they not only meet your needs but also provide handsome returns. If you are new to investments or are experienced but want to learn more, check out https://www.spaceshipinvest.com.au/.
- Prepare a financial roadmap
Before rushing to make any investment decision, and especially if you’ve never made any financial decision before, sit down and take a hard look at your entire financial situation.
The first goal to successful decision making is figuring out the risks involved. There is no guarantee that you’ll get a good return on your investments. But even when the odds are stacked against you, and you have professional advice, you can gain financial security when you have a sensible financial plan, and enjoy the benefits of managing your money.
- Consider diversifying your investments
By diversifying your investments, you can protect yourself against significant losses when returns fluctuate under different market conditions. Chances are the returns of the three main asset categories: bonds, stocks, and cash will rarely fluctuate at the same time.
One market condition that prompts one asset category to perform well many not necessarily make the other asset category do well as well. By investing in different asset categories, you spread the risk of losing money, thus making your portfolio get a smoother ride. Most celebrities are investing in other areas too, setting a good example for everyone else.
- Pay off your debts
Few investment strategies pay off well when they carry heavy loads of debt. If for instance, you owe money on credit cards, the best thing you can do under any market circumstances is to pay off the balance in full as fast as you can.
Huge payments on student loans, credit cards, or mortgages eat away your investment funds. A sense of guilt or obligation can discourage people from opening an investment account and saving for retirement before paying off debts. Nothing could be far from the truth.
Before investing, many people wonder whether to pay off or not to pay off their debts first.
- Buy cheap, sell high
Moving money from an excellent performing asset category to a poorly performing asset category may not be easy. But it can be a prudent move. By cutting back on winning assets to boost losing assets, it enables you to buy cheap and sell high.
This strategy, called rebalancing, can be done based either on your investments or the calendar. Many advisors recommend that investors rebalance their portfolios, possibly every six to twelve months.
The advantage of this strategy is that the calendar reminds you of the date to rebalance. Other advisors recommend that you should rebalance only when the value of an asset goes up or down more than a given percentage planned advance. The advantage of this strategy is that you know in advance when to rebalance. But the rule of the thumb is rebalancing works best when done infrequently.
- Risk tolerance
According to experts, the higher the investment risk, the higher the return. It’s essential to assess your level of risk before choosing an investment instrument. Once you know your risk-taking ability, you can opt for a variety of available options for that risk type.