Investor Diversification 101
Probably everyone can identify with the old proverb "don't put all your eggs in one basket". We all know is makes sense not to encourage such risk. The same thoughts can be applied to our investment portfolios - no one likes to think they will lose money. We are told to diversify our risk, but is investor diversification the best plan for everyone?
Depending where you are in your investment life your acceptance of risk, known as your risk profile, will change. As a young parent your risk level may be low - it is hard enough to save the money, you can't afford to lose it. As your move into your main earnings years you are a little more risk attuned. You have the ability to weather any particular losses and time to make up those losses. When you have reached retirement and are living off those investments your risk profile may be low again. In all those stages the level of portfolio diversification is likely to be different.
Diversification, by its very nature, means that while our risks are minimized our exposure to profits can also be minimized. The money we have tied up in fixed interest is not available to take advantage of a red hot stock picks or a booming property market.
For the small investor size also matters. He will not have the bottomless investment pool to be able to buy significant quantities of the prescribed, balances share portfolio, plus the property investments plus the fixed income options. Or if he tries he will end up with uneconomically sized parcels.
There are commentators out there who use the examples "Henry Ford didn't diversify, neither did Bill Gates". But in the end these are two successful examples. For all the successes there are countless failures where investors have been wiped out by over reliance in one area.
In the end, just as we are individuals, our investment diversification decisions must be tailored to our circumstances. - 23199
Depending where you are in your investment life your acceptance of risk, known as your risk profile, will change. As a young parent your risk level may be low - it is hard enough to save the money, you can't afford to lose it. As your move into your main earnings years you are a little more risk attuned. You have the ability to weather any particular losses and time to make up those losses. When you have reached retirement and are living off those investments your risk profile may be low again. In all those stages the level of portfolio diversification is likely to be different.
Diversification, by its very nature, means that while our risks are minimized our exposure to profits can also be minimized. The money we have tied up in fixed interest is not available to take advantage of a red hot stock picks or a booming property market.
For the small investor size also matters. He will not have the bottomless investment pool to be able to buy significant quantities of the prescribed, balances share portfolio, plus the property investments plus the fixed income options. Or if he tries he will end up with uneconomically sized parcels.
There are commentators out there who use the examples "Henry Ford didn't diversify, neither did Bill Gates". But in the end these are two successful examples. For all the successes there are countless failures where investors have been wiped out by over reliance in one area.
In the end, just as we are individuals, our investment diversification decisions must be tailored to our circumstances. - 23199
posted by X - Men @ 8:44 AM
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