What Investment Risks Should I Know About?

Taken by itself, the word "risk" sounds negative. But broken down into what it really stands for in terms of investing, it begins to be a little more manageable. By understanding the different types of risk and keeping an eye on your investments, you may be able to manage your money more effectively. Remember, strategic investing doesn’t mean "taking chances" so much as "making decisions." Long-term investing and diversification may be some of the most effective strategies you can use to help manage investment risk; however, neither guarantees against investment loss.

Inflation Risk

The main risk from inflation is the danger that it will reduce your purchasing power and the returns from your investments. If your savings and investments are failing to outpace inflation, you might consider investing in growth-oriented alternatives such as stocks, stock mutual funds, variable annuities, or other vehicles.

Interest Rate Risk

Bonds and other fixed-income investments tend to be sensitive to changes in interest rates. When interest rates rise, the value of these investments falls. After all, why would someone pay full price for your bond at 2% when new bonds are being issued at 4%? Of course, the opposite is also true. When interest rates fall, existing bonds increase in value.

Economic Risk

When the economy experiences a downturn, the earnings capabilities of most firms are threatened. While some industries and companies adjust to downturns in the economy very well, others — particularly large industrial firms — take longer to react.

Market Risk

When a market experiences a downturn, it tends to pull down most of its securities with it. Afterward, the affected securities will recover at rates more closely related to their fundamental strength. Market risk affects almost all types of investments, including stocks, bonds, real estate, and others. Historically, long-term investing has been a way to minimize the effects of market risk.

Specific Risk

Events may occur that only affect a specific company or industry. For example, the death of a young company’s president may cause the value of the company’s stock to drop. It’s almost impossible to pinpoint all these influences, but diversifying your investments could help manage the effects of specific risks.

The information in this article is not intended to be tax or legal advice, and it may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. You are encouraged to seek tax or legal advice from an independent professional advisor. The content is derived from sources believed to be accurate. Neither the information presented nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. This material was written and prepared by Emerald. © 2012 Emerald Connect, Inc.

Offering general securities through SWS Financial Services, Inc. Member: FINRA/SIPC

Sample articles and reports are written and prepared by Emerald Publications and are provided for informational purposes only and not intended as a solicitation. David Osborne is a registered representative and registered investment adviser representative of SWS Financial Services, Inc., a registered broker-dealer and registered investment adviser that does not provide tax or legal advice. This website is only intended for clients and interested investors residing in states in which SWS Financial Services, Inc., or its financial advisors are qualified to provide brokerage services or investment advisory services. SWS Financial Services, Inc., does not attempt to furnish personalized investment advice or services through this website. Certain places on this site offer direct access or "links" to other websites that contain information that was created, published, maintained or otherwise posted by institutions or organizations independent of SWS Financial Services, Inc. SWS Financial Services, Inc. does not endorse, approve, certify or control these websites and does not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the information located therein. Visitors to these sites should not use or rely on the information contained therein until after consulting with an independent finance professional. SWS Financial Services does not necessarily endorse or recommend any commercial product or service described on these independent sites. SWS Financial Services, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of SWS Group, Inc. (NYSE: SWS) with offices at 1201 Elm Street, Suite 3500, Dallas, Texas, 75270, (214) 859-1800. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.