The great thing about investment is that it’s not too early, either. When you are older, preservation of capital and income are more important than growth. When you’re younger, focusing on growth and building wealth is the key. Investors should start with about 60% to 80% of the money they’ve set aside for investing in stocks and whittle that percentage down a bit as they near retirement. Taking more risk when you’re younger and playing it safe the older you get is a good strategy for anybody to follow. Stocks have been one of the most important things in the last 10 years, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore assets.
Most people who are older and looking into investments are thinking of retirement. If this is your goal, you shouldn’t go crazy with your investments. Stick to tried and tested things, rather than cryptocurrency and things that might not pay off. Although boring, the boring choices are often the best.
Do you have an emergency fund? If you don’t, this is the perfect place to start for older investors. This is 3-6 months of monthly expenses that you keep on stand by just in case something happens, like a pay cut or you lose your job. Doing a personal budget assessment before this is also going to help you. You can start by:
- Taking your annual income and subtracting your annual expenses. You may need to estimate and overstate a few things slightly so that you are safe.
- Once you’ve done this, figure out how best to build your emergency fund.
- After you establish an emergency fund look to see if there is any money left over. If there is, this means your income is covering your expenses and investing can be an option for you.
If you still wish to take a few risks with your investments because you’re confident you can afford it, you can look at unique forms of investing, such as looking to buy IPv4. Make sure you define and plan out your financial goals so you are laser focused and know what steps to take to achieve what you want to do. Based on the time you have and your overall goals, you can begin to figure out what sort of investments are suitable. An investor can never be too late to the game with the right game plan.
Although it might seem scary, investing your money and planning for your future is one of the smartest things you can do at any time. It could also help to take care of your family when you are no longer able to. Thanks for reading and leave any of your own investment advice and experience below. Come back for more soon!