It is hard not to notice that many goods were much cheaper five years ago or even a year ago. If prices are constantly rising, it means that inflation is in the country. For example, Canada’s inflation rate rose at its fastest rate almost 40 years before May as prices of almost everything continued to increase rapidly.
According to Statistics Canada, grocery store food prices have risen 9.7% over the past year. Inflation rose in all provinces, from 7% in Saskatchewan to 11.1% in Prince Edward Island. But Canada is not the only country where inflation has reached its highest level in decades. In the USA, the inflation rate now exceeds 8.4%.
What is Inflation?
Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services rises steadily over a given period, and it also indicates the degree of depreciation of money. At the same time, some goods may noticeably increase in price, others may become cheaper, and others may not change in price.
Basically, prices for goods and services depend on supply and demand in the market, and some prices are regulated by the state. For example, if farmers have a good harvest of vegetables, the prices of tomatoes and potatoes will fall. If the state, at the same time, raises excise taxes on alcohol, the cost of these goods will go up sharply. At the same time, the general level of prices can rise only slightly. What if you need money right now? You can use the payday loan online for real-time prepayment.
Most citizens have small savings, which they seek, if not to increase, then at least to save from inflation and exchange rate fluctuations. Against the economic crisis, a completely logical question arises: how to protect your savings in 2022? Where to invest money so as not to be at a loss? Consider the most popular areas of investment and their security.
What Should an Investor do?
If you’re looking to invest money for the short term, you’re probably looking for a safe place to hide your cash before you need to access it in the not-too-distant future. As a result, you’ll want to ensure you have that money later when you need it. Don’t drastically change your approach, but keep a diversified portfolio with some inflation-safe investments.
Short-Term Investments
Volatile markets and a downturn in the economy have left many investors holding cash as the coronavirus crisis drags on, and the situation remains uncertain. Short-term investments minimize risk but at the expense of the potentially higher returns that can be obtained from the best long-term investments.
If you have a longer time horizon — at least three to five years (even longer is better) — you might want to consider investments such as stocks. Stocks offer the potential for much higher returns.
Bonds with a Longer Maturity
Corporate bonds are bonds issued by large corporations to finance their investments. They are generally considered safe and pay interest at regular intervals, perhaps quarterly or bi-annually.
Bond funds are collections of these corporate bonds from many companies, typically from different industries and companies of various sizes. This diversification means that a poorly performing bond will not hurt the overall return much. The bond fund will pay interest regularly, usually monthly.
A short-term corporate bond fund is highly liquid and can be bought and sold any day the financial markets are open. Another beneficial strategy can incorporate inflation-indexed bonds, the most common being Treasury-Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS). The “Series I” bond could also be an attractive option for those looking to maintain their purchasing power.
Precious Metals
Gold and silver, which have always been regarded as safe assets, have been actively changing their value recently. In 2021, some experts predicted an increase in the price per ounce of yellow metal from $1,050 to $1,138. Now the price is fixed at 1184 dollars.
Therefore, investments in precious metals can also be considered quite reliable. It is worth taking a closer look at such a metal as palladium, which maintains its position in the market regardless of external factors.
What Should the Citizens do?
It is impossible to prepare for a real crisis. It represents an unexpected dangerous situation that confuses people and causes panic. Inflation spares no one. No children, no older people. No rich men, no ordinary citizens. If you have money, it is at risk.
Pay Off Debts
On ordinary days, debts, loans, and mortgages are unpleasant phenomena but not very scary. If you have calculated everything in advance, the monthly payment will not be unbearable and organically fit into the expenses. However, the crisis can change everything, and the loan repayment will hurt the impoverished budget. And this, in turn, will lead to a showdown with banks, communication with collectors and, possibly, the loss of an apartment or part of the property.
So it’s in your best interest to focus on paying off all debt early and be more careful about creating new ones.
Work on Savings
Lack of savings is a big problem, even if the crisis that broke out is not global but your personal one. Savings will help you get through the troubled period. There is no intrigue in how to create them: earn more, spend less. Saving money in a financial crisis is just as difficult as saving money.
During a crisis, some companies close down, while others cut staff. It is impossible to predict in advance which category you will fall into. At the same time, if we are talking about reducing the number of employees, they will eliminate the least useful ones. Great workers will be held to the last.
Solve Health Problems
While income allows, complete a full medical examination and treat the identified diseases. Some ailments may not bother you much now. But this will not always be the case without the intervention of doctors. As a result, you will not be able to earn effectively in a crisis, and there will be nowhere to get money for treatment.
If you are a retiree, consider waiting until you receive your Social Security pension. If you can make it to the age of 70, you will lock in your biggest monthly allowance. Your monthly Social Security check will be 24% more at age 70 than if you started receiving payments at age 67.
Think separately about dental health. Treating them is always very expensive. That is why a beautiful snow-white smile speaks more about the status of a person than branded bags and expensive cars. There is a risk that there will be no money for a dentist during a crisis, so it’s better to deal with this immediately. Even if the economy does not collapse, health care will still benefit.
Fortunately, with the right investment advice, you can protect the value of your money and potentially get a higher return on investment, even in the face of inflation.
The government must continue cutting the federal budget deficit to ease price pressures. It is necessary to level the playing field in international taxation so that companies no longer have an incentive to move work and profits abroad.
