Like it or not, we live in interesting times. More than a decade after the Global Financial Crisis, the global economy is facing fresh headwinds creating uncertainty for policy makers and investors alike.
This time around it’s not a debt crisis, although debt levels are extremely high, but geopolitical instability. The ongoing US-China trade war and Brexit confusion in Europe have increased market uncertainty and volatility and put a spoke in the wheel of global growth. Against this backdrop, there has even been speculation that the Reserve Bank may need to resort to ‘unconventional measures’ such as negative interest rates and quantitative easing to boost growth.
It seems more than likely that bank deposit rates will stay low, and probably go even lower, for some time. That means investors seeking yield will continue to look to property and shares with sustainable dividends.
If retirement is still a long way off, you can afford to ride out short-term market fluctuations. Even so, it’s important to make sure you are comfortable with the level of risk and investment mix in your portfolio. If you are close to retirement or already there, you need to have enough cash or ready income to fund your pension needs without having to sell assets during a period of market weakness. For the balance of your portfolio, you need a mix of investments that will allow you to sleep at night but still provide growth for the decades ahead. When markets recover, you want to catch the upswing.
Successful investing requires patience but also adaptability. If you would like to discuss your overall portfolio in the light of market developments, give us a call.
