By FBNQuest
If you are looking to invest some money that you intend to use in the not-so-distant future, then you face the challenge of the delicate balance between making a decent return on your investment and ensuring that you can get all of it back when you need it.
In seeking a place to invest or save your cash for the short term, your priority should be for you to get your money back at a particular time. This is crucial because you often need to have the money in a specific time to meet obligations such as a down payment on a house, wedding expenses, your children’s tuition, or to meet your budget for a scheduled vacation.
On the other hand, while you want to keep your money safe, you also want a decent return on your savings. It is unlikely that you will earn as much in a short-term investment as you would in a long-term financial instrument.
Long term investments usually offer greater returns, but their prices are more volatile than short-term investments. While the company stock price may rise multiple folds over several years, it could decline during the next few months. You may also face the challenge of finding a buyer for the long-term asset that you have purchased.
Short-term investments, however, are often highly liquid, allowing you to cash out quickly should the need arise.
But because short term investments often present lower returns than longer-term investments, some people do not bother to invest at all. You are better off investing it in an interest-earning instrument.
You should also avoid taking excessive risk in a search for higher returns. Unusually high yielding instruments present unacceptable and greater risk. In some cases, such instruments are disguised as Ponzi schemes or similar arrangements.
Suitable short-term investments are typically characterized by stability in value, liquidity and low transaction costs. These features mean that your money will be safe and accessible when you need to use it, which is a significant reason to have a short-term investment. If you are investing money for three (3) years or less, a few principles will help you.
- Set reasonable expectations because short-term investments typically have lower potential returns than long-term investments.
- Focus more on the safety of your investment than the return.
- A little extra return may not be worth the additional risk.
Consider the FBNQuest Money Market Fund offered by FBNQuest Asset Management. It is a pool of money collected from many investors to invest in securities like treasury bills, commercial papers, banker’s acceptances and certificates of deposits. It is well suited for and adaptable to any investor type.
The Fund offers attractive returns, safety and liquidity to short term investors. You are better off using the power of a collective investment scheme like this to access higher returns for your investment than what you could earn if you made the same investment by yourself.