Making Informed Investment Decisions

As the global markets are still recovering from the hard-hitting subprime crisis of 2008, taking market factors into consideration have never been so important ever before. It is also necessary that investors consider their long-term goals and not just short-term interests before making an investment. This helps with avoiding a bad or rash investment decision. Let us have a look at some of the important points that demand consideration at the time of an investment:

1. Having an emergency repository of funds: It is a given that all investors must compulsorily have an emergency fund of sorts to help them cope with future exigencies, such as sudden falls in the market, unemployment, and so on. This emergency fund can be built using a portion of the monthly salary over a considerable period of time or alternatively, channeling a large part of the same towards building the fund over a lesser period of time. This would depend on personal choices and financial ability, etc.

2. Assessing one’s financial position: Before entering the world of investing, it is extremely important that potential investors take time and conduct an assessment of their financial position. This step is mainly to help potential investors understand their financial risk-taking capacity and also their plan-goal compatibility, while taking the market conditions into consideration.

3. Pre-caution from fraud: Given that the markets are still only just recovering, it is not rare to find fraudulent practitioners in the world of finance and investment. Therefore, it is always advisable to be on the alert for fraud. One way to avoid entering into deals with fraudulent companies is by investigating their authenticity through research, and also checking with friends and family who are also aware of and are engaged in investment.

4. Types of assets and spreading investment risk: Out of stocks, bonds and cash, seldom does one see the simultaneous rise of all three types of assets at the same time. Therefore, it is best if the investor spreads his or her risk and decides to invest in more than one type. That way, in the event that the value of your investment in one type falls, the investment in the other is still available to compensate or fall back on.