We all save for rainy days, and investing is a good way to save. However, you must plan meticulously and wisely with a clear financial goal to make intelligent investment decisions. You must know about short term investments and tips to avoid jeopardising your financial future.
Understanding fundamentals can make a big difference and help you find the best way to invest money for maximum profits. This article examines basic tips for short term investments.
Table of Contents
Key Points
- Meticulous planning with clear investment goals is crucial for making intelligent short term investment decisions, and these goals should align with your life objectives like retirement or buying a house.
- Understanding and evaluating risk factors is essential, especially in short term investing, where market cycles are brief and high-risk assets like stocks should generally be avoided.
- Diversify by considering all available investment assets like fixed deposits, bonds, and digital savings accounts, each with its own risk and liquidity profile suitable for different timeframes.
- Knowledge of the business cycle and market trends can significantly influence your returns and risks, with technical analysis serving as a useful tool for short term investment strategies.
- Professional financial advice can provide customised investment plans aligned with your goals and risk appetite, ultimately aiming to minimise losses and maximise profits in short term investments.
Establish Investment Goals
The right and best way to start investing are by setting investment goals. We all want to achieve something in life and have a list of to-do things, such as buying a house, gifting a car to parents, travelling the world, or owning something exclusive. These targets can be as common as saving for retirement or sending children abroad for studies. Of course, you need funds to bring these dreams to reality.
Therefore, it is crucial that you decide on a clear goal. It will also help you determine the right investment plan and method to achieve them within the stipulated time. Once you are clear about what you are investing for, it will be easier to assess the amount that you need to reach the goal.
Determine Risk Factors
You are investing for a reason, and any risk will hamper your journey to reach that goal. So, when you evaluate an investment plan, ensure it poses a minimum level of risk. A business or market cycle commonly lasts for not more than three years, and you might not have enough time to recover the loss. Hence, avoid choosing high-risk assets like stocks.
One of the most critical tips when making short term investments is to opt for volatile assets, as you have a maximum of three years to invest. Another tip is to reduce the complex nature of assets.
Consider All Investment Assets
When it comes to short term investments, you have a plethora of options to select from such as fixed deposits, stocks, bonds, and precious metals. Apart from risks, you have to consider several other factors to choose the best financial instrument, such as liquidity, timeframe, etc. Also, you must consider your goals and also assess your risk appetite.
Cash is certainly a preferred asset to manage risks and liquidity, making it a good option for short horizons. You can choose to go with a digital savings account as it is good for short term investments.
Securities that have a maturity period of three years or less, such as bonds, are also recommended.
Understand the Business Cycle
Before you zero in on your investment plan, seek knowledge of the business cycle as it affects returns and risks significantly. Reconsider your financial strategy at particular times based on the market trade-in cycles.
For example, from 1950-2021, most gains in S&P 500 have been between November to April while the average has been relatively static from May to October.
If the assessment shows a negative trend, then consider buying in a small quantity and shorting. On the other hand, if the market trend is positive, then prefer buying with little shorting. When the market is not favorable, the chances of successful trading drop considerably.
Use Technical Analysis for Short Term Investments
Wall Street has an old saying, “Never fight the tape”. No matter if you are aware or not but the market is always looking forward and pricing in whatever’s happening. So, everything that we know about company management, earnings, and other market factors is already priced into the stock. Hence, it is important that you understand analysis to stay ahead of everyone.
Technical analysis will help you study and analyze stocks using past patterns and prices to estimate future events. In short term investment, this can be a vital tool to understand how to make maximum profits and eliminate uncertainties.
Align Goal Timeframe with Assets
If you know the specific time horizon, then invest in assets that align with your timeframe. Here are a few examples to understand this point better. Let’s say you want to save for making a down payment for your house or car that’s due in six months, so consider short term government bonds and AAA-rated corporate debt bonds.
On the other hand, if a down payment due date for an already purchased product is due in six months, with the remaining price to be paid in 12 months, then go for products that have varying durations of 6-12 months like a laddered certificate of deposit (CD).
Conclusion
We are sure that the above-mentioned short term investment tips combined with the right financial tools in place will help you make the best investment decision. You can seek assistance from a professional financial advisor who can customise a plan to meet your goals. Remember that the objective of any investment is to minimise losses and maximise profits, and short term investment is no exception.
This article is for information and educational purposes only and does not form a recommendation to invest or otherwise. The investments referred to in this article may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser.