All journeys have one thing in common, a destination...and here are some events in your life you may wish to save for:- Putting your child through private education.
- The wedding of your dreams.
- A new home.
- Your retirement.
Of course, you may not want to invest for any other reason than to make the most of your money. Unit trusts in general has a proven record over the long term to help you do just that.
Understanding risks and returns
Why investors should understand the meaning of risks? There is a direct relationship between risk and reward. A fundamental principle of investment is the risk reward trade-off associated with every investment decision made. The higher the risk, the greater the reward, but the reverse is also true! There are generally, three basic types of investment risk :
*General market risk that relates to a broad range of investments and is largely dependent on economic conditions and internal markets.
*Market sector risk that relates to a particular sector of a market, for example, financial stocks will perform better than plantation stocks at a particular period of time. This form of risk can be managed by carefully monitoring the economic scene with a view to identifying the winners and losers.
*Specific risks that relates to the performance of a particular security or property in an investment portfolio. For example, the performance of a specific company's share. The specific risk that one investment will not perform, over another can be minimised by carefully investigating and researching before buying and performing regular ongoing checks.
Since unit trusts invest in marketable securities, they are exposed to market environments. Fund managers seek to mitigate risks by building a broadly based portfolio.
Different types of funds involve different degrees of risk. Bond funds have historically proven to have less risk to capital than equity funds, since they are affected less by the fluctuations of the stock market. While equity investment can be more risky, it is more likely than a bond fund to provide long-term capital growth.
Benefits of Unit Trusts
*Access to markets and overseas opportunities. Unit trusts give you the opportunity to invest in specialised and/or overseas markets. Again, it would be difficult or impossible for an individual to access such markets directly due to limited capital resources as well as time required to be spent on careful research to gain in-depth knowledge of these markets.
*Low minimum investment. With as little as RM1,000, you can invest into a wide range of securities that you might otherwise not have access to. There are also regular savings plans which start from as low as RM100 so that you can continuously build on your investments.
*Professional management. Few of us are investment experts. The great thing about investing in unit trusts is that you leave your money in the hands of experienced professionals who devote their time to ongoing research and managing the funds.
*Spreading the risks. As a unit trust buys into a range of securities, the investment risk is reduced. This is because if any particular security proves to be a bad investment, the impact on such a diversified portfolio is not as significant as having put all eggs in one basket.
*Investments to cater to different objectives. There are many types of funds to meet a variety of financial objectives and an investor can use a portfolio of funds to achieve his or her objectives.
Investors would have different objectives when they invest. If you are planning to invest for your retirement 30 years later, you might consider using growth-oriented equity funds that have traditionally delivered healthy returns over a longer period. Other funds such as bond funds are suitable for those who prefer steady returns with lower risks.
Choosing the right fund for you
*What are your goals? Before you invest, determine your objectives and time horizon, and then balance them against the risks you are prepared to take. For example, if your goal is to accumulate wealth over a long period of time, your portfolio may comprise more equity funds than bond funds to focus on capital growth.
*What is your risk tolerance? It is not enough to want the highest returns on your investments as risks and returns go hand in hand. A high risk-taker would be prepared to weather a few knocks in exchange for the possibility of higher rewards. A more conservative investor would opt for steady but relatively lower returns and greater stability.
*Think medium to long-term. Most unit trusts offer potentially good returns over the long run. However, be prepared to hold onto your investments as unit trusts are regarded as medium to long-term investments
Just like many other investments, the value of unit trusts can rise and fall on a daily basis. But don't panic. If an investment temporarily falls, this can sometimes provide an excellent opportunity to invest more money, averaging your price when the market offers good value.
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