When the pandemic first struck, no one was spared. Many businesses struggled, much more closed. Consequently, our investments, no matter how widely distributed, also experienced dips. Even now that 2020 is coming to a close, we’re still reeling from unprecedented losses. But while some things are beyond our control, there are decisions that we can still make. Out of curiosity, we decided to ask some of our friends how their investments are doing as well as what their next steps are. While they are by no means representative of the market or the investing public, we hope that their answers can help you make sense of your own investments.
Should I stay or should I go?
Ryan, 28, first invested in his bank’s stock product, sometime in 2019. He invested P50,000 from the get-go, choosing to purchase shares from two major corporations. “I didn’t really keep tabs on it, since I wasn’t looking to make a quick buck,” he says. He also admits that he doesn’t really know a lot about the stock market. When asked how it’s doing now, he shares that the value of his investment has gone down by more than P10,000. While he hasn’t decided what to do yet or if he would even do anything, he doesn’t think the situation to be out of the ordinary. “Everything is probably down right now anyway,” he says.
Yes, full steam ahead!
For Markus, 33, it’s a different story. When the enhanced community quarantine first started, he noticed that while many businesses were struggling to survive, two were thriving: groceries and telcos. He decided to buy shares from the latter through his online broker. “Because of the lockdown, I figured there’s bound to be an increase in profit due to the surge of Internet usage,” he says. So far, his gamble seems to be paying off as his investment actually increased by roughly 20%.
We’ll stick to the status quo.
Variable universal life policy holders Dennis, Sarah, and Elaine have an easier decision. All three of them are firmly staying in. Dennis cites two reasons for staying. “The first is insurance. The second is that investing during a pandemic is cheaper compared to pre- or post-pandemic.”
Just because you have no desire to invest right now doesn’t mean your finances have to be stagnant. After all, investing is just one aspect of wealth. There are three other pillars in the wealth generation cycle. Find out how you can strengthen them here.
