What Is Asset Allocation And How To Do It?

What is meant by asset allocation?

The act of dividing the capital into several segments and expanding the asset portfolio is called asset allocation. In general, capital divides into several categories: cash, securities, stocks, and capital assets such as real estate and automobiles.

Each of these has its characteristics, and as a result, different strategies need to purchase and maintain them.

Asset allocation terms are used interchangeably. However, they point to different aspects of risk management. Asset allocation uses to describe a type of money management strategy that describes how capital distributes among asset classes in an investment portfolio. Diversification, on the other hand, describes the allocation of capital in those assets.

The main goal of these strategies is to maximize the expected returns while minimizing the potential risk.

These strategies include determining the investor’s investment time, risk tolerance, and sometimes taking into account broader economic conditions.

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Simply put, the main idea of asset allocation and diversification strategies is to keep all your eggs in one basket. Combining types of assets and unrelated assets is the most effective way to create a balanced portfolio.

What strengthens the combination of these two strategies is that risk is distributed not only between different asset classes but also within those assets. Even some financial experts believe that determining the strategy of asset allocation is more important than choosing individual investments.

Asset allocation model, tailored to your taste:

Although it is always advisable to own an asset (I.e., stocks, or real estate) rather than a capital lender (I.e., equity securities), exceptions can be made depending on the circumstances. For example, consider a retiree who has a capital of about a hundred dollars, is not looking to raise funds and start a new business, and wants to earn a living and a little increase in welfare.

In this way, he will prefer to make a safe investment by buying bonds and earning a profit; while a young employee who has just graduated from university is very thirsty to increase his capital. He takes stock of market fluctuations and steps forward with all his might to develop his fund because he does not need daily living expenses, and as a result, he will seek more prosperity with risky investments. Accordingly, the asset allocation model should be reasonably proportional to your view of investing.

All investment markets are risky and commensurate with their returns; In other words, there is no risk-free investment. However, it is possible to make a safer investment with “asset allocation” because these markets are not affected by the same factors and have different risks. In simple terms, asset allocation means the financial resources division between different asset groups, such as stocks, participation bonds, investment funds, real estate, deposits, and other investment places.

In this way, real estate may increase in price at the end of the year, while stock market shares will decline, as a result of which real estate profits will offset the stock loss. Also, each of the investment groups should divide into various sub-branches alone. For example, if you allocate 40% of your capital to a stock exchange, we recommended that you use this “asset allocation” to purchase various shares.

In summary, asset allocation is key to the success of an investment for the following reasons:

1. Expand and diversify your assets to be in the best position to achieve financial goals; considering what your investment horizon is and how risky you are.

2. According to data from mutual funds and research, 90% of the different portfolio results go back to how their assets are allocated, contrary to what most people think.

Types of asset allocation models:

In general, according to the goals of investors, consider four models for asset allocation; Included: capital maintenance, income, balanced, and growth.

• Capital conservation:
  

This model is suitable for those who want to return on their deposits for all twelve months of the year and are not willing to risk a little on the principal. These people usually spend their money to pay for university tuition, buy a car or start a new business; therefore, they consider the capital preservation model. In fact, in this model, the investor wants to increase his capital in such a way that the least risk is realized on the principle of fund. To achieve this, it makes deposits or investments that have high security with low returns.

• Income:
  

Portfolios that embedded for monetization include fixed-income investments, such as bonds or stocks of large and established companies that earn a reasonable and, of course, fixed profit each year. People who are about to retire generally follow this pattern. Another example is a family with a single mother caring for several young children. In this case, the mother’s family probably has no income source other than her husband’s insurance and does not want to incur much risk on the principal.

• Balanced:
  

A balanced portfolio is a model between capital and income models. For most people, this model is the best option, because the reason for this choice is more psychological than financial. After all, a person with a conservative investment does not expect sudden capital growth. In this case, the investor pursues two goals, on the one hand, long-term capital growth and on the other hand, earning a steady income. A mix of fixed-income assets with low volatility growth is an ideal target for such investors. These people generally invest in two asset groups, including medium-term deposits and the purchase of shares of leading listed companies (most of these companies pay a fixed annual dividend, and their stock value fluctuates slightly with long-term growth).

• Development:
  

The growth asset allocation model is suitable for someone who is just starting and looking to increase their investment in the long run. In this case, the capital does not require a fixed income for the investor, because he earns enough income from his workplace to make a living. Therefore, this model is suitable for people who are at risk and mainly younger. In fact, investors who follow this model do not seek the company’s annual profit by buying its shares but seek to increase the value of the purchased shares by bearing higher risk.

Conclusion

Asset allocation and diversification are one of the key concepts in the theory of modern portfolio management strategies.

The main goal of developing an asset allocation strategy is to maximize the expected returns while minimizing risk. Risk distribution among asset classes increases portfolio returns.

Finally, we conclude that even for personal investments, we must pay close attention to how our assets arrange in different categories.

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NB: The purpose of this website is to provide a general understanding of personal finance, basic financial concepts, and information. It’s not intended to advise on tax, insurance, investment, or any product and service. Since each of us has our own unique situation, you should have all the appropriate information to understand and make the right decision to fit with your needs and your financial goals. I hope that you will succeed in building your financial future.