Anyone can become a better investor with motivation, risk tolerance, and education. Buying and selling stocks is only one aspect of investing. Investing is about taking calculated risks so you can achieve your financial goals. As an investor, you’re in for the long haul.
Developing a solid foundation helps you build a robust financial future. This post gives you seven steps to make you a better investor if you’re new to investing or not hitting your targets. Regardless of your starting point, you can make great strides toward investing success.
1. Define Your Investment Goals and Motivation
Your journey toward becoming a better investor starts with understanding why you’re investing. Motivations for investing can include to:
- Build wealth
- Grow retirement savings
- Make a down payment on a home
Define your financial goals and how you plan to achieve them.
Investment goals change over time. It’s helpful to reassess your goals and motivation. Ensure your goals are achievable based on your available resources. Other important considerations include the timeline for success and your risk tolerance.
2. Do Your Research: Have a Realistic View of the Markets
The markets can be unpredictable, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to investing. No matter your investment goals, understand the investment you select. Commit to learning more and expanding your knowledge of investing.
Your best bet for getting a good investment return is to:
- Educate yourself on the financial markets
- Research your options
Understand the individual dynamics of particular investments, such as their price-to-earnings ratio. Investing in stocks and other investments requires patience.
3. Diversify Your Portfolio
For long-term success and stability, diversify your investments. Investing in many assets helps to lessen your risk. You can rest knowing that you have spread out your savings and did not concentrate them in one stock or instrument. Spread your assets over various sectors, such as stocks and real estate.
Helpful tools like portfolio analysis help you sort through your investments. You can determine which ones have the most significant potential to help you reach your financial goals. Reviewing your investments and adjusting as needed for diversity is essential.
4. Consider Your Financial and Emotional Risks: What is Your Risk Tolerance?
Risk tolerance can help you manage your financial and emotional risks when investing. It can help you determine your best investment strategies, such as how much money to put in equities versus money market funds. Identify how much risk you’re willing to take and check how much you can afford to lose.
Financial risk is how much you could lose based on your resources. Emotional risk indicates how you’ll react to market volatility. If you panic when markets fluctuate, consider the cost of the likelihood of your reaction to sudden dips and rises when investing.
5. Pay Attention to Fees
Paying attention to any investment fees is in your best interests if you want to become a better investor. These fees can take a big chunk out of your return. Ensure you understand how much your investment expenses add up. These include account management or closure fees.
Look for low-cost investments such as exchange-traded funds or index funds. These types of funds generally have much lower fees than actively managed funds. Managed accounts are when an investment advisor handles all your investments.
6. Balance Flexibility and Discipline
A great investor understands how and when to be flexible and when it’s best to apply discipline. It’s helpful to make adjustments over time. For example, you can take a break from investing if you feel overwhelmed or are not hitting your objectives.
Also, rather than respond to short-term market fluctuations, you focus on the trend of your investments. If you’re having difficulty making investment decisions, a professional advisor can help.
7. Track Your Progress
Successful investing takes time. Keeping a close eye on your performance is essential. Check your progress by looking at your portfolio balance and ROI. It would help if you also track your progress on your financial goals.
Ensure you’re staying on track through savings and your finance management. Look for measures of how you’re doing. For example, when aiming for an annual 10 percent ROI, track your actual returns and make changes as necessary.
Become a Better Investor with Roberts Tax and Retirement Planning
A successful financial foundation ensures a comfortable retirement lifestyle. It’s essential to seek qualified professional advice if you need it. You can become a more informed investor with the right people in your corner while enjoying protection from unexpected risks.
With Roberts Tax and Retirement Planning, you enjoy personalized services for your retirement. Contact us at 480.270.2802 to schedule an appointment.
