Investment wealth creation and accumulation remains a long-term game, despite new products and services offered by asset managers, says Investment Solutions head of manager research Geoff Blount.
“Investors need to keep abreast of market trends and changes to avoid making unnecessary investment blunders. Not all that glitters is gold, so prudence is essential when considering new and innovative products. Sometimes a less glamorous product will outperform today’s high investment flyers and fads.
“At the same time, some of the new products may have merit,” he explains.
Blount cautions against relying on past trends.
For example, the belief that the rand would weaken because it had done so in the past saw investors who had positioned themselves for currency depreciation disappointed with their investment returns in the past two years.
According to Blount, equities are another example, with their relatively poor returns over the past five years creating the misconception that they are not a good investment.
Investors need to ensure they have an investment portfolio spanning all asset classes, namely equities, bonds, cash and property, both locally and globally. Alternatively they should appoint a professional financial adviser to assist with the diversification of the portfolio, Blount advises.
“It is imperative that investors understand their risk tolerance and the associated investment risks. They also need to pay close attention to investment charges, as these have a nasty way of growing and eating into long-term returns.”
He warns that investors will have to lower expectations: “If South Africa ontinues the trend towards low inflation and low interest rates, as seems to be the case, the days of high nominal returns are over. Investors will have to be content with lower, more realistic returns, which may not necessarily be bad in a more stable and low inflationary environment.
“The old fable of the tortoise and the hare is equally applicable in the world of investments. The slow and steady investor is the one who will stay ahead of the investor pack.” — I-Net Bridge