8 Considerations Before Making Investment Decisions

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As one progresses in life, one of the main goals is attaining a certain level of financial stability. You can achieve this in several ways, one of which is through investing. Depending on various factors, you can opt for short-term or long-term investments. Whether these investments are in the property market or stocks, the approach for entry and exit for these investment options are the same.

One of the important considerations is to know which investment option you want to venture into and which interests you more. After which, you can find an appropriate partner that can offer you the ideal investment avenues and tools. For example, in the stock market, the Online Trading Platform by Maqro Capital can provide you with the necessary tools to assist in picking the right stocks to invest in yourself.

Whether you choose to go long-term or short-term, stock or property, the below consideration can help guide your decision as an investor.

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  1. Consider Your Risk Tolerance Level

As you decide where to put your money, take time to evaluate your risk appetite. In addition, assess what returns you want once at the end of your investment timeline.

It follows the risk to reward ratio theory. If you want a higher reward, you may need to risk more when investing.

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But you should ask yourself, to what level are you willing to take the risk?

  1. Factor In The Inflation Rate

While a high inflation rate may positively impact some market sectors, others can suffer adverse effects. Therefore, when making your investment decisions, you should carefully research how inflation triggers the pricing of your preferred market segment.

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It’s important to note that as inflation increases, it can lower the buying power of consumers and can reduce the currency value.

As a result, your return on investment (ROI) may increase or decrease due to inflation fluctuation. It means factoring in how much inflation can affect the sector you choose.

  1. Draw Up A Financial Plan
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To become a successful investor, you need to define your objectives and goals by having a detailed financial plan. This plan should lay down your priorities on assets and liabilities, expenditure, and savings.

Furthermore, it should allow you to evaluate the effect of the investment on your other spending. After investing, you may not access these funds for a while.

Thus, your decision to invest shouldn’t make you dig into your emergency fund to sustain yourself.

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  1. Volatility

A point to note in the market is that prices will rise and fall due to inflation, fuel prices, government bank rates, and political climate. These price fluctuations can change in a day or over time, depending on the cause.

For instance, in the stock market, volatility is inevitable, but how you react to it can determine your loss or profit.

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But, maintaining your entry and exit discipline can be a key to helping you achieve your financial objective.

  1. Consider Liquidity And Maintain An Emergency Fund

In most cases, investments will have a minimum period before you can access your funds. It’s, therefore, necessary that you factor this in and have an emergency fund account that gives you access to funds if the need arises.

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  1. Consider Mixing Up Your Investment

Look at diversifying the portfolios for your investment when choosing the investment options. Each investment option reacts to market conditions differently. For example, due to increased crude oil prices, the automobile industry may realise a reduction in returns, which lowers your ROI. On the other hand, the same crude oil factor can increase returns in the service industry.

Therefore, you can’t be totally on the losing end when you invest in different portfolios.

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  1. Look At Projections And Policies

Take time to research where the market might be heading. It can often involve ensuring you are updated on current government policies, taxes, bank rates, import and export restrictions, and possible subsidies.

If you know more about these primary market determinants, the decision on where to make your investments may be more straightforward.

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  1. Be On The Look Out For Fraudulent Investment ‘Partners’

Nowadays, everyone is looking for money, and some scammers take advantage of unsuspecting individuals to reap off. These ‘investors’ can entice one with a bargain that may seem legitimate but may end up being a scam. Examples of these can be pyramid schemes.

Therefore, it’s crucial to perform thorough research before investing, no matter how good an opportunity looks.

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Conclusion

Remember, investment returns don’t happen overnight, and you should resist the temptation to jump to a given investment idea quickly.

Taking time on the above considerations can be your key to successfully conquering your financial climb.

About the author
David Llewellyn-Smith is Chief Strategist at the MB Fund and MB Super. David is the founding publisher and editor of MacroBusiness and was the founding publisher and global economy editor of The Diplomat, the Asia Pacific’s leading geo-politics and economics portal. He is also a former gold trader and economic commentator at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the ABC and Business Spectator. He is the co-author of The Great Crash of 2008 with Ross Garnaut and was the editor of the second Garnaut Climate Change Review.