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Asset allocation - Basics

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You need to ensure your asset allocation ratio is always in line with your risk appetite. This is even more so when the markets are volatile. A sharp market movement can change the values of specific asset classes in a portfolio.


   As an investor, have you ever stuck to one product for your portfolio? Chances are no. You would have shifted from one investment option to another depending on the preference of your peer group. It could well have been debt in the 90s, equity in mid-2000, and gold in the last couple of years.


   Has the strategy been very effective? Yes and no could be the answer. It would have proved very effective if the timing was perfect and you would have got it all wrong if you had chased an investment product at the wrong time or at its peak. Adopting the second strategy is a lot easier than the first one. So, in effect, timing the market for any product is a challenging task. The best way to make use of different products is by following the asset allocation pattern.


   If the decision to allocate money across different products is a tough challenge, managing and maintaining it is even tougher a challenge. Due to variance in performances of different products, maintaining the percentage of allocation is even tougher. Hence, the asset allocation strategy requires greater discipline, better time management with respect to fund needs and long-term planning. While many know this, the challenge has been more with respect to implementation. Here are some tips to help you maintain asset allocation according to your needs:

Plan needs    

Plan your financial needs according to the short, medium and long terms. The classification will make the choice of product a lot easier. For instance, short-term needs can do away with products like property or equity, and focus on a narrow range of options.


   On the other hand, for long-term needs you need not worry about fluctuations in the performances of products in the short term.

Sustained monitoring    

Any wealth creation requires continuous focus and regular review. This could be in the form of sustained contribution at regular intervals or enhancing the contributions to the investment process. For instance, no investor can invest a sum of Rs 5 lakhs at one go for his long-term needs for the next 20-25 years in the current scenario. A 25-year-old professional may hate the prospect of investing on a monthly or annual basis for his retirement though he has the alternate option of investing Rs 20-25 lakhs at one go. At the age of 25, not many (you could even say nobody) will have access to such funds and hence, accumulation is the only option.


   It is in this context, that a regular review is a necessity, not because of the long-term nature of the investment process but also due to the change in investment capabilities of an investor. In 1995, there would have been only a handful of investors who had the ability to invest Rs 1 lakh on a monthly basis. Today, many middle income families have been managing to do that without a fret. Hence, it is important to scale up the investment amount at regular intervals to counter the inflation rate and take care of the long-term needs in life. The change is not restricted to the supply side (investment capabilities) as even the demand (fund needs) undergoes change at a rapid pace.

New options    

While asset allocation is a necessity, the basket of products needs to be reviewed, and additions and deletions may become a necessity at regular intervals. Since every decade has witnessed the emergence of new options, commitment to a single product over a very long period of time may not be feasible. Instead, move your money across products based on their risk profile.

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