BANZA January 2016 Issue | Page 54

3-Outsource help As much as you may have an idea about what you want to do, if you feel the need to have a financial coach, don’t hesitate. An expert who knows the trends of the market and the rules that govern it is definitely an asset to have. Now that you are prepared, below are the fundamentals of investing. III. Diversify your portfolio It is never said enough, let us say it again: “Do not put all your eggs in one basket”. Do not put all your money in one company. If that company fails, you are done. Try to diversify the type of investment (stocks, real estate, commodities ...). And if you are familiar with more than one sector, diversify your sectors of investment as well. However, you do not want to have many baskets that you are not able to hold anymore. Diversify reasonably. IV. Buy low, sell high I. Invest in sectors you are familiar with Given that you have a financial coach, it is still the right thing to do. Being familiar with a sector, gives you the privilege of knowing when this or that company is failing or succeeding. This alone is enough to make you well positioned for investing in that sector. Disclaimer: while it is the right thing to do, it is not necessarily the best thing to do. History has proven that even if you ignore entirely a given sector you can still make a big hit out of it. II. The Risk/Profit relationship This is the most widely known investment fundamental. The riskier your investment, the higher the outcome, be it profit or loss. That being said, avoid being speculative about your investment. Otherwise, the chances of having a good return will be the same as winning the lottery. This is another way of saying, be mindful of the Demand/Price principle. When there is a little demand on a stock, its price is very low. Buy it. When there is a huge demand on the same stock, its price goes up. Sell it. V. Educate yourself The more you know about investments, the better. Educate yourself, not only about your specific investments but the market itself. Check its history, the number of bubbles it had, how investors react to financial storms and how they behave in the normal settings. Knowledge is power. Keep researching and updating your information.