Protecting Your Assets
It's about balancing potential risks and rewards.
If you're already an investor, you know that market conditions change over time and some investments will outperform others. To limit your risk, it’s recommended that you spread your nest egg out across a variety of investments – something known as diversification.
Diversification happens on a couple of levels. First is asset allocation − that's when you spread your money over the three major asset classes (stocks, bonds and cash equivalents). Second is spreading your money over various investment options within a particular asset class. This is how diversification helps you balance the risks and rewards of the asset classes and the investment within the asset class itself.
How do you choose between asset classes?
Good question! Your level of risk tolerance and the amount of time you have before you need the money will help you decide what percentage of your portfolio to assign to each asset class. Depending on your age, risk tolerance, and your other assets, your "investor profile" might be described as aggressive, moderate, or conservative.
Once you've identified your profile and determined the percentages to allocate to the asset classes, the next task is to pick the options within the asset classes you want. This part depends entirely on the type of investor you are.
A moderate investor might invest a significant percentage of his or her portfolio in stock or stock funds and the balance in bonds, bond funds, or other fixed income investments. The percentage assigned to the equity asset class could be divided among different segments of the equity market, ranging from large companies to small companies or domestic to international.
The more aggressive of an investor you are and the longer you can leave your money invested, the more you might consider diversifying your investments among more volatile investments like stocks. On the other hand, if you're a more conservative investor and have a shorter time to invest, you might consider diversifying your money among less aggressive investments like bonds and cash equivalents.
Remember, no two investors are exactly alike! Only you can decide which options to choose and how much you spread your money around.
With a diversified mix of investments, you may be better able to ride out the downs of economic cycles and limit the risk to your investment portfolio while seeking the growth you want.
Diversification is an investment strategy. It does not assure a profit or guarantee against loss in a declining market. Investing may involve market risk, including the possible loss of principal.
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