Introduction
So you want to build your portfolio and invest your savings? Great! A portfolio is a key tool for any investor, whether you’re just starting out or have been investing for years. It allows you to track your progress, measure your performance, and make informed decisions about where to allocate your money. Making smart decisions on how to invest your money can make reaching your financial goals easier and faster, so congrats on getting started!
But how do you build a well-diversified portfolio? It can seem daunting, especially if you’re not sure where to start. But don’t worry—we’re here to help. In this blog post, we’ll give you three simple tips to help you get started building a well-diversified portfolio. We’ll also provide some resources to get you started on your investing journey.
Why You Should Diversify Your Portfolio
There are many reasons why you should diversify your portfolio. Diversification can help reduce risk because it allows you to spread your investments across a number of different asset classes. This means that if one investment falls in value, your overall portfolio may not be as affected.
Diversification can also help improve returns by giving you exposure to a wider range of investments. This can provide you with the opportunity to invest in potential high-growth areas, while still having some stability from more reliable investments.
Building a diversified portfolio is not always easy, but it is worth the effort. By taking the time to understand your investment goals and risk tolerance, you can create a portfolio that meets your needs and helps you reach your financial goals.
What Assets to Include in Your Portfolio
When it comes to building your portfolio, there are a few key things you need to take into account in order to ensure that your portfolio is well-diversified. The first thing you need to do is decide what assets you want to include in your portfolio. There are a variety of assets you can choose from, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), and more.
Once you’ve decided on the assets you want to include in your portfolio, the next step is to determine how much of each asset you should allocate to your portfolio.
This will depend on factors such as your
- investment goals
- risk tolerance, and
- time horizon
For example, if you’re investing for retirement, you may want to allocate a larger percentage of your portfolio to stocks since they have the potential for higher returns over the long term.
However, if you’re investing for a shorter time horizon or have a lower risk tolerance, you may want to allocate a larger percentage of your portfolio to bonds or cash equivalents since they tend to be less volatile than stocks.
Once you’ve decided on the assets you want to include in your portfolio and how much of each asset you should allocate, the next step is to actually purchase the investments. This can be done through a variety of methods such as opening up an investment account with a broker or investing directly in ETFs or mutual funds.
If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to building your portfolio, please contact a professional. Your decisions on what to invest in shouldn’t be taken lightly. The quality of your decisions has a huge impact on the future of your retirement and financial security. Take this very seriously.
Risks To Investing and Building Your Portfolio
Needless to say, investing has risks. If you make the wrong decision, you could potentially cost yourself a lot of money. If you’re concerned with risking your hard-earned cash in the stock market and how to avoid taking less-than-prudent risks, this is for you.
Risk to investing #1 The Company You Invest In Defaults
As you can probably guess, sometimes companies go out of business and go belly up. What happens to your investment if the company dies? You lose your money. That sucks and is a reason why most investors diversify because this risk is legitimately unavoidable. The only way to protect yourself is to avoid putting all your eggs into one basket (aka investing all your money in one company). Don’t do that.
Risk to investing #2 The Company You Invest in Goes Into Reorganization
If instead of filing chapter 7, the company files chapter 13, it can mean any bonds you own in the company could also go defunct.
Risk to Investing #3 The stock market falls and you need to sell during a bear market to pay your bills
If you’re investing more than you can afford to lose (or if you’re investing money you may need in the short term) and markets crash unexpectedly, you could put yourself into a bad situation. Don’t invest the money you need in the next 3-5 years.
How to Get Started Investing and Building Your Portfolio
When it comes to building your portfolio, there are a few key things you need to keep in mind. First, you need to make sure that your portfolio is diversified. This means investing in a variety of different assets, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. By diversifying your portfolio, you’ll be able to mitigate risk and maximize returns.
Second, you need to have a clear investment strategy. This means knowing what your goals are and how you plan on achieving them. Are you looking to grow your wealth over the long term or generate income in the short term? Once you know your goals, you can develop a plan of action that will help you achieve them.
Last but not least, don’t forget to rebalance your portfolio on a regular basis. This simply means making sure that the percentage of each asset class in your portfolio matches your desired allocation. For example, if you want your portfolio to be 60% stocks and 40% bonds, make sure that’s what it is at all times. By rebalancing, you can ensure that your portfolio stays on track and aligned with your investment goals.
Conclusion
Building a portfolio doesn’t have to be complicated. By following these three simple tips, you can easily create a well-diversified portfolio that will help you reach your financial goals. And, once you get started, it’s easy to keep adding to your portfolio and diversifying your investments. So what are you waiting for? Get started building your portfolio today!
