The information in this post is the opinion of the writer and is not considered as financial advice. If you need advice of a financial nature, see your bank manager or other financial advisor.
Taking stock of your investment goals
The sharemarket will be volatile for the duration of the Covid-19 outbreak and even longer, possibly not until 2022 will there likely to be a settling down period when the markets will recover so what should your strategy be?
If you are close to retirement and have seen your funds dwindle, that is up to you. Myself I think it may pay to just ride it out because investing in the markets is a long term game.
To change funds from growth or balanced to conservative funds will be like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.
The damage has already been done. To be panicked into selling during a bear market is to take a loss and miss out on the gains once the market recovers.
A bear market is a buyer’s market and that is when it is most profitable to purchase shares.
The fund you chose for kiwisaver or mutual funds needs to be the right one.
The three main factors for choosing the right fund for you are;
1. The number of years left before you reach your country’s retirement age.
2. Whether you are going to use your kiwisaver as a deposit for your first home.
3. Your risk tolerance
Another factor is any medical condition which will reduce your chances of reaching the retirement age.be
There are three time frames which need to be considered, namely;
The short term (up to 1 year)
The medium term (within 5 years)
The long term (more than 5 years)
The number of years you have left before being eligible to withdraw your retirement fund is dependant on your age. This for most people is the criteria for choosing your fund type, (growth, balanced, or conservative,) but not necessarily because in New Zealand anyone can use part of their retirement fund as a deposit for their first home at any age. Furthermore, homebuyers are eligible for a grant depending on how long they have been enrolled in kiwisaver which makes joining kiwisaver a no-brainer.
The markets are on a rollercoaster ride, they go up and down and the worst thing which can happen is to save hard for a house deposit only to discover you have less money than what you had actually deposited in kiwisaver by the time you withdraw the money for your house deposit.
This is the reason why those saving for a house deposit in the short to medium term are advised by financial experts to invest in conservative funds.
The flip side to this is the slow returns because if you are saving money during a rising market your savings can quickly grow.
If you have zero tolerance to risk then the conservative funds may be your answer to a good night’s sleep.
Those aged forty and under may be advised to invest in Balanced or Growth Funds because they have time on their side for the markets to recover losses after a crash.
Your fund manager may be in charge of your investment but it is still your responsibility to plan for your future and set your own goals. No one can do it for you. Your goals, age, and risk profile will all determine which fund you should be in.
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#retirement income