Attaining an impressive investment return requires taking some risk. Investors must clearly define their annual and overall returns, time horizon and acceptable level of risk tolerance before investing.
Investors should also take note of dollar cost averaging, which involves investing regularly over time to reduce market fluctuations. It may help mitigate against sudden swings.
1. Diversification
Diversify Your Investments “Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket” applies equally well when investing. Diversification involves spreading your investment dollars across different opportunities in order to decrease risk and maximize returns.
Diversification is so crucial as stocks, bonds, and other investments differ widely in nature – from cash equivalents such as money market funds and Treasury bills and short-term certificates of deposit) to riskier investments like stocks and stock mutual funds.
Each type of investment responds differently to market fluctuations, so diversifying across a variety of assets is the best way to reduce any possible declines in one particular area. You can diversify by investing in large-, mid- and small-cap stocks; geographic markets (domestic and international); industry or sector and duration – many investors use target date funds which automatically shift their exposure between equities and bonds as retirement nears.
2. Value Investing
Value investing focuses on stocks that appear undervalued relative to their revenue and earnings, in hopes that eventually their prices reflect their true intrinsic worth. Value investors tend to outperform growth investing during bull markets while growth investing may struggle during such times.
Long-term investing success requires making inexpensive purchases at bargain prices and then holding onto them over time. But investors must avoid succumbing to temptation of following trends by purchasing shares when they rise and selling when they drop – following someone else can erode investment returns even when overall strategy works well.
Long-term investing aims to achieve financial goals, such as saving for retirement or building a nest egg for future education costs. Finding an investment strategy that best meets both your objectives and personality can help you reach these objectives; for instance, value investing may suit those with analytical minds while those more risk averse may prefer growth investing’s riskier strategy.
3. Dollar Cost Averaging
Dollar-cost-averaging can be an excellent strategy for investors with long-term investment goals, whether buying individual stocks or contributing to mutual funds regularly. By forcing yourself to commit a set amount each time the market fluctuates, this approach forces you to commit a fixed amount and not alter it depending on price fluctuations.
This investing strategy works on the assumption that over time you will purchase more shares at lower prices while purchasing less during rising markets. This approach may prove especially successful during volatile or down markets where more units may be purchased for the same cost than if investing in rising markets.
Investors can employ the dollar-cost-averaging method in any investment vehicle of their choosing – including IRA accounts, individual stocks, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. But it is crucial that investors set a regular investing schedule that they stick to regardless of budget constraints; this can be done daily, weekly or monthly – over time this will become automatic and healthy habit! It’s key not to get distracted by market downturns when your tendency may be to sell off stocks quickly or invest more during higher priced market segments; while resist temptation when more investments appear during expensive market segments!
4. Rebalancing
Investment over the long term requires you to commit to regularly rebalancing your portfolio, which entails returning it back to its target percentages established in your Investment Policy Statement (IPS).
Shrewd investors use an asset allocation strategy that balances potential returns with their tolerance for risk. A long-term portfolio may, for instance, include 80% stocks and 20% bonds – but over time as investments grow in value, your asset mix may drift away from this ideal combination.
If the market recovers and your stock holdings occupy over 80% of your portfolio, selling some shares or purchasing more bonds may be necessary to return it to its initial asset allocation mix.
Rebalancing their portfolios on a set schedule, such as quarterly or annually, may be beneficial for investors to keep them on course to reaching their long-term investment goals. Others use specific asset classes (like bonds) that have drifted too far away from their target weighting in their portfolio as indicators to rebalance. No matter the frequency, rebalancing remains essential to successful investing plans that achieve long-term goals.
5. Emotional Investing
Emotions play an integral part in financial decision-making, even for the most rational investors. Unfortunately, emotions can get in the way of meeting long-term investment goals.
Market volatility provides an ideal test of your emotional control. Though it’s normal to feel anxious or excited during certain points in time, allowing emotions to take the reins could have disastrous results for your portfolio management strategy.
Long-term returns often depend on staying invested through volatile periods. Timing the market can be difficult without an established financial plan and risk tolerance plan in place, however.
Dollar cost averaging is an effective strategy to manage emotional investment decisions and can help mitigate market volatility by automating the buying process – without actually getting involved yourself – through having regular fixed dollar amounts deducted from your paycheck and invested at regular intervals, regardless of market conditions. Over time, this will result in more shares being purchased during low periods while less during high ones reducing overall market volatility impact on your portfolio.
