History shows that when people invest and stay invested, they're more likely to earn positive returns in the long run. When markets start to fluctuate, it may be tempting to make financial decisions in reaction to changes to your portfolio. But people who base their financial decisions on emotion often end up buying when the market is high and selling when prices are low. These investors ultimately have a harder time reaching their long-term financial goals.
How can you avoid making these common investing mistakes? Consider these investment strategies, which can help you reduce the risks associated with investing and potentially earn more consistent returns over time. Strategy 1: Asset allocation Appropriate asset allocation refers to the way you weight the investments in your portfolio to try to meet a specific objective — and it may be the single most important factor in the success of your portfolio. For instance, if your goal is to pursue growth, and you're willing to take on market risk to reach that goal, you may decide to place as much as 80% of your assets in stocks and as little as 20% in bonds. Before you decide how you'll divide the asset classes in your portfolio, make sure you know your investment timeframe and the possible risks and rewards of each asset class. Risks and rewards of major asset classesStocks
Strategy 2: Portfolio diversificationAsset allocation and portfolio diversification go hand in hand. Portfolio diversification is the process of selecting a variety of investments within each asset class to help reduce investment risk. Diversification across asset classes may also help lessen the impact of major market swings on your portfolio. How portfolio diversification worksIf you were to invest in the stock of just one company, you'd be taking on greater risk by relying solely on the performance of that company to grow your investment. This is known as "single-security risk" — the risk that your investment will fluctuate widely in value with the price of one holding. But if you instead buy stocks in 15 or 20 companies in several different industries, you can reduce the potential for a substantial loss. If the return on one investment is falling, the return on another may be rising, which may help offset the poor performer. Keep in mind, this doesn’t eliminate risk, and there is no guarantee against investment loss. Strategy 3: Dollar-cost averagingDollar-cost averaging is a disciplined investment strategy that can help smooth out the effects of market fluctuations in your portfolio. With this approach, you apply a specific dollar amount toward the purchase of stocks, bonds and/or mutual funds on a regular basis. As a result, you purchase more shares when prices are low and fewer shares when prices are high. Over time, the average cost of your shares will usually be lower than the average price of those shares. And because this strategy is systematic, it can help you avoid making emotional investment decisions.
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