Investing is something that should be part of your everyday life. It may be as simple as leaving your money in a company retirement plan or as complex as attempting to actively manage your own stock portfolio.
However you invest your money, there are common mistakes that most investors fall prey to but that you can easily avoid with proper planning and application.
When it comes to investing, it’s important to keep in mind that fees shouldn’t be the sole factor driving your investment choices.
Fees can certainly impact your overall returns and it is important to understand what the fees are and whether you are receiving added value for what you are paying. But fees should not be the only factor driving your investment decisions. Instead, it’s important to consider all of the relevant factors when making investment choices to ensure that you are making informed decisions that align with your long-term financial goals. Your goals should be the primary driver of your investment choices, not fees.
The purpose of investing is to maximize your returns. However, the more you make when you sell investments for a profit, the greater your capital gains tax. Thankfully, capital gains receive more favourable tax treatment than ordinary income and there are legal strategies to minimize your capital gains tax even further.
Mark Twain once said “Buy land. They don’t make it anymore.”
Real estate has long been considered its own asset class within a well-diversified portfolio. The combination of income, tax efficiencies, and capital appreciation, along with the benefits of diversification, should make real estate a consideration for your investment portfolio.
However, there could also be risks to think about, such as a real estate market downturn, and dependent on the investment approach you take, managing and maintaining real estate can be labour intensive and sometimes costly. Your decision to invest in real estate will be dependent on your own risk tolerance, time horizon, and investment goals.
Passive investing is often seen as a low-cost, minimal-effort way to invest. While this is somewhat true, it is not the whole story. There are still risks and costs to address when considering investing in a passive fund.
A passive fund attempts to mirror the performance of its benchmark index by holding the securities of that index in the same weightings as the index. No active investment decisions are made.
One of the greatest risks is the inherent potential for passive funds to underperform their benchmark indices.