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How to invest money: your comprehensive guide to investing

You can reach your personal savings goals faster by investing strategically. A well-thought-out investment plan lets you save for your own home, your children’s education or your financial security in retirement. By investing your savings in the financial markets, you can systematically build wealth over a period of years. You also protect your assets from depreciation due to inflation, as the interest rates on savings accounts are usually lower than the inflation rate. Especially with investment strategy solutions such as strategy funds, the invested capital is less exposed to losses due to inflation, and you participate in economic growth.

Despite many advantages, every form of investment is also associated with risks. However, with the right strategy and broad diversification, these risks can be reduced.

The three pillars of investment success

A thorough understanding of financial markets and general investment topics is crucial for investment success. The more you know and the more experience you have, the more well-founded and rational your investment decisions will be. And the good thing is that because expert support is available you don’t have to shoulder the responsibility alone.

Step by step: invest money profitably

How to succeed at systematically accumulating wealth? The following steps form the basis of planning and are a guide for your personal investment plan.

Step 1: Develop an investment strategy

How well securities portfolios pay off, for example, depends about 80 percent on strategic asset allocation (SAA), which is a long-term plan for your financial goals. Tactical asset allocation (TAA) is responsible for the remaining 20 percent. The aim of TAA is to optimize risk-adjusted returns in the short term. To develop an appropriate strategy, it is worth drawing up a list of important questions:

  • Which type of investment suits your personal situation?
    Would you like to combine several investment types or choose just one option?
  • What are your short- and long-term goals?
    What are your financial goals for the next few years or decades? What returns would you be happy with?
  • How willing and able are you to take risks?
    Would you prefer to grow your wealth slowly but steadily, or are you willing to take on greater risk for higher returns? And are you able to accept a greater risk?

You should include a liquidity reserve when determining the investment amount. Your liquid assets (cash, account balances) are intended on the one hand for your living expenses, and on the other as an emergency reserve for unforeseen events.

You can best achieve your financial goals through regular saving and investing and the associated returns achieved through a disciplined investment strategy.

How to build up your assets in a targeted manner

Use our investment calculator to work out how quickly you can reach your desired asset value.

The most important investment opportunities at a glance

When deciding how to invest your money, you can choose between different asset classes and instruments.

By purchasing shares, you become a co-owner of the company and participate in its success or failure. Stock prices depend on many factors and do not necessarily behave in parallel with a company’s current profits.

Bonds (debentures) are fixed-income securities with a fixed term. With an investment, you make your money available to a company or the government under certain conditions.

In addition, you have the opportunity to invest in real estate, money market instruments, commodities and valuables.

By investing in funds, you invest in one or more asset classes. These classes combine capital from various investors to invest it, for example, in stocks, bonds or real estate.

ETFs (exchange traded funds) are also investment instruments. They map the stock market index of different companies and regions and spread the risk across various sectors and asset classes, such as stocks or commodities. 

Step 2: Find an investment

How do you save money in a particularly profitable way while taking your preferences into account? This depends on your personal needs and your investment horizon, i.e., the desired time frame. To find the right investment solution you should examine asset classes, financial instruments, companies and markets for opportunities, risks and expected returns.

The advantage of a professional investment solution from investment experts is that you can more easily derive the right approach for your securities portfolio, adhere to an investment strategy in a disciplined manner and thus protect yourself from hasty purchases and sales and the associated rising transaction costs.

Step 3: Determine your portfolio

Once you have considered all of the variables, choose your preferred investment solution. Choosing a portfolio lays the foundation for building your wealth. However, if your circumstances change over time or your values no longer align with your chosen selection, you can always revise and adjust your portfolio.

Do not forget to adjust your investment plan to changed circumstances in your life. If, for example, owning your own home is no longer a priority, you can put aside a regular amount to provide for your retirement. Not every type of investment suits your goals and needs.

Let your money work for you, but check your investments regularly and rely on facts rather than your gut feeling.

Know your money is in safe hands

Invest with UBS and decide how much advice you want from us and what decisions you’d rather make yourself. We look forward to assisting you

  • Investment strategy development
  • Suitable investment selection
  • Portfolio monitoring

How and why does money lose value?

Even though the term inflation means “more expensive,” we feel its effect through the fact that our money is worth less. As a result, you can afford fewer groceries with the same amount of money. The same applies to savings. With rising inflation, the same money will be worth less in ten years than it is today because we will be able to afford fewer goods and services with it. Therefore, it is important to offset – and ideally even surpass – any potential losses in value through the interest earnings and/or appreciation of your investments.

Conclusion

Personal finances are an emotional topic. With a strategy that’s right for you and by following a disciplined approach, you’ll be less dependent on your emotions and will know that you have chosen your investments wisely.

Avoid chasing trends or investing in companies you particularly like. Every investment should align with your values and not be driven by short-term developments or feelings. By sticking to your own strategy and reevaluating your course from time to time, you stand a good chance of achieving your financial goals.

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