Find investment Zen: When to buy, hold and sell

There is a wealth of ways to invest your money, but let’s face it: you probably don’t have endless time to figure them all out. And with time at a premium, using energy to keep abreast of the ins and outs of your investment portfolio can seem impossible. Although Singaporeans are on average earning more each year, the global market hasn’t been as successful recently — and that’s enough to give anyone pause before approaching today’s complex investment landscape.

One way to get to grips with the investment climate is to take advantage of a smart investment tool, which can help to identify investment opportunities. Standard Chartered Bank now offers Personalized Investment Ideas (PII), the latest tool to give investors the info they need to grow their wealth. Thanks to technological advancements like this, you can invest wisely, and without giving up your valuable time.

When it comes to your investments, you have three potential options:

Buy

Taking risks with your money is not only daunting, but can keep you up at night if you’re not confident in your choices. Which investment is right for you? There is such a huge range of investment opportunities available that opting for a select few that compliment your needs can seem difficult. 

Know this: There are times to invest aggressively and times to invest conservatively. If you’re just starting to build your portfolio, conventional wisdom tells you to take lots of risks since you have plenty of time for the market to right itself in the event of a downturn. If you are approaching retirement, however, now’s the time to stay safe with your investments and ensure you have plenty of funds to sufficiently support you later in life. 

Hold

When all is said and done, investing money is not only about accumulating wealth. Your investment is where your heart is — whether that is making a better life for your family, establishing a solid future, or funding a business idea. That’s when holding your stocks could be your safest bet, but only if you feel confident in where your money is invested.

The global market is anything but predictable, so be aware of the current climate. Uncertain times can produce huge gains and huge losses, but without an intimate knowledge of where the market is headed, a fork in your investment road can be dangerous. 

Although it is a passive investment strategy, holding can still produce gains in the long run — but that only works if time is on your side. With a 2016 average annual growth rate of 5.5% in South Asia, the market is showing positive numbers, but holding for too long could prevent you from significantly growing your portfolio.

Sell

Knowing when to let go of your investments can be tough, but there are signs out there that will alert you when it’s time. Big life changes can impact your investment goals, and your perfectly balanced portfolio can be thrown out of whack in an instant — perhaps by a marriage, retirement, or the birth of a child. 

Knowing when to let go of your investments is just as important as knowing when to buy. Treat your portfolio like a living, breathing organism: when one part gets too big, it’s time to reallocate to avoid an uneven balance. 

You may also need to sell to create liquidity. Perhaps there’s a property you’d like to invest in, or a business venture that is too good to miss. Whatever the case, selling your investments isn’t always a bad choice — but it must be done at the right time, in the right way, and with a vast breadth of market knowledge behind it.

Technology is working to make investing smarter, easier, and more profitable.

Technology-driven solutions can be the roadmap you need to know when to buy, sell, or hold — and exactly how to go about it. Software that offers bespoke solutions for each individual is essential.

The benefit of having smart investment tool crunch numbers for you, as well as a team of real people with real investment knowledge keeping an eye on things puts you in a strong position to make the decisions that work best for you. The market can change quickly, and your investment software should adapt just as fast, ensuring you’re well equipped to grow your wealth effectively.