Anyone who has ever been through a recession knows that they can be truly stressful and painful experiences to endure, both personally and financially.
The worst part about the situation is that there’s often not much you can do to prevent it or improve your situation other than save as much money as possible until it’s over, which many people aren’t good at doing anyway.
In fact, some have been so shell-shocked by the experience that they end up jumping right back into debt after it’s all over, only to find themselves in the same situation a few years later.
Don’t invest in stocks
It is better to invest in things like gold or property that are tangible and will maintain their value. You could also consider investing in stocks, but it’s important to understand the risks involved. Real estate is another alternative; it offers good liquidity, limited risk, and great return.
It's best to diversify your portfolio as much as possible. Consider investing internationally if you can afford to do so. Investments may be considered risky, however when times are tough the risk may actually be worth taking. Don't forget about bonds either: they provide an income and low volatility. In this situation, less than average returns may actually work in your favor because they will help preserve capital while earning some interest.
Don’t invest in property
This advice is hard to take, but in the long run it could be one of the best decisions you ever make. Property values and home prices have been on the rise for decades and it just doesn’t seem like there is any way to stop this trend.
But with changes in the economy and people selling their homes in droves, this might be your chance to get into the market. A house that might have been worth £300,000 last year can now be yours for half that price. This is an opportunity you will never see again, so seize it while you can!
Look beyond gold
Gold is traditionally seen as the safest investment during times of economic turmoil. However, there are plenty of other options that have been shown to be better investments than gold in recent years.
For example, stocks can provide greater returns over time because they are more volatile. Plus, the stock market is still very profitable and has been doing well despite the recession. It may even get better once our economy recovers. In contrast, with the price of gold dropping below $1,000 per ounce this year for the first time since 2009, investing in gold may not be a good option anymore.
Consider bonds
Investors are often looking for ways to protect their assets in times of economic turmoil. The most common way to do this is by investing in bonds. While there are many different types of bonds, all have some form of risk.
When choosing an investment, it is important to be aware of the potential risks and rewards associated with each type. In general, longer maturity periods carry more risk due to the chance that interest rates will rise before the bond matures and lowers its value.
Short-term bonds (less than one year) carry less risk but also produce lower returns over time because interest rates may not move enough to keep up with inflation. If you want to invest your money for at least five years, then you can choose intermediate term bonds. These tend to offer higher yields, which compensates investors for the additional risk.
For long-term investments (more than five years), high yield or junk bonds may be appropriate because they come with higher risks but also promise higher returns.
Consider ETFs or Index Funds
One way to invest during a recession is to use an ETF or Index Fund. These types of investment vehicles are designed to mirror the performance of an index, which can include an index like the S&P 500, NASDAQ Composite, Dow Jones Industrial Average and more.
They also tend to have lower fees than other investments. In addition, ETFs and Index Funds allow investors to diversify their portfolios by investing in one fund with hundreds of stocks in it rather than having only one or two stocks.
With this type of approach, even if one stock goes down substantially, the investor will not be impacted because they will have many other stocks that offset that loss.
Be prepared to wait. A long time.
Investing is about patience, not luck. Sure, there are some investments that can produce quick returns, but most of the time you're going to have to wait a really long time before your investment pays off. Just like waiting for the recession to end.
We recommend investing in stocks and bonds because they provide consistent and secure returns over many years even when the market goes through tough times. They also offer diversification so that if one asset does poorly, another will do well.
In addition, these assets can be bought at different levels of risk based on how much money you want to invest. For example, an investor who has a longer-term goal might choose low-risk securities with lower potential rewards while someone with short-term goals might choose high-risk securities that carry higher potential returns.
Be realistic about what your investment needs are - don't make any drastic changes to what's working just because it's not working as quickly as it used to work. And don't put all your eggs in one basket by investing too much money or too heavily into one thing either - remember that diversification provides security!