With dozens of unique investment styles and methods for people to consider, picking the right solution can feel a bit overwhelming.
There are investment opportunities that balance risk and earnings.
Some opportunities maximize yield but also can be volatile, and there are also reliable opportunities that minimize risk alongside long-term earnings.
Most people do not understand the intricacies of investing enough to make the most informed decision on a whim. It takes careful research, planning, and consideration to ensure that the right strategy is selected. For most, a long-term investment strategy that yields big rewards over years and decades is the right solution.
Today, we’ll talk about which long-term investment strategies are best suited for people seeking security above all else.
Don’t Panic
The biggest piece of advice professionals give to those investing for the long-term is to never panic over a short-term change in market conditions. Whether it relates to bonds, stocks or another type of investment, a short-term dip or crash may not be representative of the conditions that’ll unfold over the remaining years or decades of your investment. As such, panicking during a crash or drop in investment value could solidify losses permanently, whereas a potential rebound may erase those losses – and then some.
Ultimately, the average annual yield on your investment is what matters – when investing for the long-term, a bad year doesn’t mean the end of the world.
Understand the Yields
For those who are new to investing or have no experience whatsoever, a big tell-tale sign of how risky or safe an investment is can be the annual yield. When looking at the reported interest rate, you’ll be able to gauge whether (or not) there is a substantial risk. Simply put, the higher the annual yield or interest rate, the more risk is usually involved – using an interest rate calculator to determine how much you can earn over the long-term.
Look at Precedent
There are a variety of investment opportunities out there: some perform better than others over the long-term. When considering how to invest safely, it is vital that you look to the past for evidence.
For instance, penny stocks tend to be quite volatile and have a high rate of investment failure for those who buy into them. US treasury bonds, on the other hand, tend to perform steadily and have very little propensity for risk in the short-, medium- or long-term. As such, long-term investment decisions should be backed up by precedent that suggests the investment performs well and remains stable over time.
Consider Taxes
Not all investments are created equal in the world of taxation. Whereas some investments will result in relatively few taxes being applied at the time you’re ready to withdraw, others may be taxed as normal income. While this shouldn’t be the primary decision in how to invest long-term, it is a factor worth considering – especially if the tax difference between investment strategies is 15% of profit versus 35%.
With so many factors to consider when investing, it is important to understand what’s at stake. With long-term investing that seeks to avoid risks, there are fewer worries – but it is nevertheless important to be well-informed. By considering the role that taxes, yield, and precedent can have (along with maintaining a stable outlook for the long-term), you’ll be able to steadily grow an investment for years and decades to come.