Five tips for investing this year

People have a wide range of feelings and perspectives regarding investing. Some view investing as a way to grow wealth and secure a financial future, while others may view it as too risky or complex.

Some of us are confident in our investment knowledge and feel comfortable making decisions independently, while others prefer to seek guidance from financial advisors or investment professionals.

Still, others may feel nervous about the stock market and prefer to put their money in lower-risk investments such as bonds or savings accounts.

Ultimately, our feelings about investing will be influenced by our individual financial goals, risk tolerance, experience, and knowledge. Understanding our attitudes and feelings towards investing is important to make investment decisions that align with our personal financial planning values and goals.

For the next 12 months, here are some great tips to keep you focused and motivated in your investment strategy.

First off - start early! The earlier you start investing, the more time your money has to grow. The “Power of Compounding Interest” drives your investment over time, creating wealth out of your money. It’s why every financial guru recommends starting as soon as you can, even if it’s a small amount. And, apart from the value of compounding over time, it helps us develop healthy saving habits early on.

Second - diversify. Spread your investments across different asset classes and geographies to reduce risk. The proper diversification strategy is a vital step in the investment journey, needed to ensure a balance of growth and stability of the portfolio. In a nutshell, it’s about avoiding putting all our eggs in one basket.

Third - monitor and review: Regularly reviewing investments ensures they are aligned with our goals and enables us to make changes where necessary. It helps us choose and stick with investing approaches that are most suitable for our investment needs.

Fourth - stay disciplined: Stick to your investment strategy and avoid making impulsive decisions based on short-term market fluctuations. This has been one of the most valuable tips in our recent times of market volatility. Fear of missing out or losing everything can cause us to switch too early or too frequently, which erodes our wealth over time.

Fifth - create a budget. Whilst this is normally the first thing anyone does when trying to bring order and structure to their finances, it’s the first thing that we let go of when money gets tight or we start investing on a larger scale. Few people like sticking to budgets, but it remains at the heart of a healthy financial plan. 

Whether you’re starting out on your investment journey, jump starting an investment strategy or simply struggling to stay the course, these tips should hold you in good stead. Otherwise, just reach out and let’s chat!