“While cash isn’t a growth asset, it will typically stay up with inflation in nominal terms if inflation is accompanied by rising short-term interest rates,” she continues.
CFP and founder of Dare to Dream Financial Planning Anna N’Jie-Konte agrees. With the epidemic demonstrating how volatile the economy can be, N’Jie-Konte advises maintaining some money in a high-yield savings account, money market account, or CD at all times.
“Having too much wealth is an underappreciated risk to one’s financial well-being,” she adds. N’Jie-Konte advises single-income households to lay up six to nine months of cash, and two-income households to set aside six months of cash.
Lassus recommends that you keep your short-term CDs until we have a better idea of what longer-term inflation might look like.
What is the best inflation-proof investment?
During inflationary periods, stocks are often a safe refuge. This is because stocks have typically produced total returns that have outperformed inflation. And certain stocks outperform others when it comes to combating inflation. Many recommended lists for 2022 include small-cap, dividend growth, consumer products, financial, energy, and emerging markets stocks. Industries that are recovering from the pandemic, such as tourism, leisure, and hospitality, are also receiving a thumbs up.
Another tried-and-true inflation hedge is real estate. For the year 2022, residential real estate is considered as a safe haven. Building supplies and home construction are likewise being advocated as inflation-busters. REITs, or publicly traded organizations that own real estate or mortgages, provide a means to invest in real estate without actually purchasing properties.
Commodity investments could be one of the most effective inflation hedges. Agriculture products and raw resources can be exchanged like securities. Gold, oil, natural gas, grain, meat, and coffee are just a few of the commodities that traders buy and sell. Using futures contracts and exchange-traded funds, investors can allocate a portion of their portfolios towards commodities.
During inflationary periods, bonds are often unpopular investments since the return does not keep pace with the loss of purchasing power. Treasury inflation-protected securities are a common exception (TIPS). As the CPI rises, the value of these government-backed bonds rises, removing the danger of inflation.
TIPS prices rose dramatically in tandem with inflation expectations in 2021. To put it another way, these inflation hedges are no longer as appealing as they were a year ago. Savings bonds, which the US Treasury offers directly to investors, are attracting some inflation-avoiders.
Are stocks a good way to protect against inflation?
You might not think of a house as a smart method to protect yourself against inflation, but if you buy it with a mortgage, it can be a great way to do so. With a long-term mortgage, you may lock in affordable financing for up to three decades at near-historically low rates.
A fixed-rate mortgage allows you to keep the majority of your housing costs in one payment. Property taxes will increase, and other costs will climb, but your monthly housing payment will remain the same. If you’re renting, that’s definitely not the case.
And, of course, owning a home entails the possibility of its value rising over time. Price appreciation is possible if additional money enters the market.
Stocks
Stocks are a solid long-term inflation hedge, even though they may be battered by nervous investors in the near term as their concerns grow. However, not all stocks are equivalent in terms of inflation protection. You’ll want to seek for organizations with pricing power, which means they can raise prices on their clients as their own costs grow.
And if a company’s profits increase over time, so should its stock price. While inflation fears may affect the stock market, the top companies are able to weather the storm thanks to their superior economics.
Gold
When inflation rises or interest rates are extremely low, gold has traditionally been a safe-haven asset for investors. When real interest rates that is, the reported rate of interest minus the inflation rate go below zero, gold tends to do well. During difficult economic times, investors often look to gold as a store of value, and it has served this purpose for a long time.
One effective way to invest in gold is to acquire it through an exchange-traded fund (ETF). This way, you won’t have to own and protect the gold yourself. Plus, ETFs provide you the option of owning actual gold or equities of gold miners, which can provide a bigger return if gold prices rise.
How will you protect yourself from inflation in 2022?
During the epidemic, there was a surge in demand for products and labor, resulting in the fastest rate of consumer price and wage inflation since the early 1990s. As the pandemic passes and spending moves toward services rather than products, we believe inflation will reduce due to greater labor supply. In the end, it should not jeopardize our base case scenario, which predicts a significantly more vibrant cycle in the 2020s than we experienced in the 2010s.
However, both prices and salaries are expected to rise at a pretty rapid pace. We believe there are three ways for investors to navigate this climate.
Look to real estate for inflation protection
Because leases are regularly reset higher, real estate investors often profit from a natural inflation hedge. Furthermore, we believe the residential and industrial real estate sectors will benefit from strong structural tailwinds. Following the global financial crisis, chronic underbuilding (compared to trend) resulted in a housing shortage in the United States. Workers’ labor is in high demand, and earnings are rising, ensuring that housing remains cheap even as home prices rise. Migration enabled by remote work is also offering opportunities.
The global trend toward e-commerce will demand additional warehouses, storage, and logistics in the industrial sector. The need for further investment is highlighted by problems in the global supply chain that became apparent in 2021. We’re also seeing an increase in demand for life science research facilities. While we prefer to invest in real estate through private markets, publicly traded real estate investment trusts (REITs) have outperformed other equities sectors during periods of rising inflation. In a nutshell, real estate is our favourite option to invest in a higher-inflation climate.
Rely on equities, especially cyclical ones, to drive capital appreciation.
While economists dispute the complexities of inflation, the fundamental principles underlying the current phase appear to be clear: Strong demand and economic growth are driving inflation. Because corporate earnings are also good in inflationary settings, equities tend to do well. We anticipate that stocks of companies that are more closely linked to economic activity and interest rates will likely outperform. Bank stock valuations, for example, have generally been linked to inflation forecasts. In cyclical industries like industrials and commodities, companies with pricing power could see strong revenue increases. Stocks that do well when growth and inflation are rare (think the digital economy) may, on the other hand, be at more risk. In our opinion, you should maintain a fair balance between the two categories, and expect a hard environment for fixed income portfolios as interest rates climb.
Avoid excess cash, and consider borrowing.
In our Long-Term Capital Market Assumptions, 80 percent of the assets we consider have a higher predicted return than inflation. Investing surplus cash in a portfolio that meets your goals and time horizon is the simplest approach to protect purchasing power. Borrowing may be prudent in the current situation. Interest rates remain low, particularly when compared to inflation. A mortgage is a straightforward approach to profit from a healthy home market. If the Federal Reserve reacts to rising inflation by boosting interest rates, borrowing expenses may become less appealing.
Key takeaways
Higher inflation is likely to persist through 2022, but it does not have to be a reason for alarm. Investors can create a portfolio that considers inflation risks and attempts to manage them. While excess cash appears unappealing, relying on equities rather than fixed income and focusing on cyclical sectors and real estate could prove to be profitable strategies. Meanwhile, while policy interest rates are still low, borrowing and settling existing liabilities may be prudent.
In the context of your individual circumstances and aspirations, your J.P. Morgan team can provide you with more information on how the present environment is influencing risk and return possibilities.
What holds up well against inflation?
- In the past, tangible assets such as real estate and commodities were seen to be inflation hedges.
- Certain sector stocks, inflation-indexed bonds, and securitized debt are examples of specialty securities that can keep a portfolio’s buying power.
- Direct and indirect investments in inflation-sensitive investments are available in a variety of ways.
Should you invest in equities while inflation is high?
Consumers, stocks, and the economy may all suffer as a result of rising inflation. When inflation is high, value stocks perform better, and when inflation is low, growth stocks perform better. When inflation is high, stocks become more volatile.
What do you do with your money when prices rise?
As a result, we sought advice from experts on how consumers should approach investing and saving during this period of rising inflation.
Invest wisely in your company’s retirement plan as well as a brokerage account.
Does gold offer inflation protection?
Gold is a proven long-term inflation hedge, but its short-term performance is less impressive. Despite this, our research demonstrates that gold can be an important part of an inflation-hedging portfolio.
How can I keep my investments safe from UK inflation?
Inflation may have dropped in recent months, but savers still have a fight on their hands if they wish to avoid its corrosive effects.
We’ll look at how taking certain risks with your money can help you keep your money’s value above inflation.
Shift longer term savings into equities
You might have some money in a savings account. After all, it’s recommended that you save away roughly six months’ worth of earnings as an emergency fund. However, you may discover that you have more than you require. If that’s the case, think about putting some of it into investments that have a better chance of long-term growth.
Equities have historically been the most successful assets for fighting inflation over the long term but you must be comfortable with your investments rising and falling in value.
Choose your investments wisely
Other investments, if you know where to search, can produce returns that are higher than inflation. Bond funds, for example, could be included in a portfolio of investments because they invest in debt issued by governments and/or enterprises seeking to raise financing. Throughout their lives, bonds pay a defined rate of interest, known as the coupon, and should refund the original capital at maturity. To spread risk, bond funds invest in a variety of debt instruments.
A financial adviser can help you create a portfolio that takes advantage of all available investment opportunities.
Maximise tax efficiency
After you’ve figured out how to fight inflation, think about how tax-efficient your assets are. ISAs and pensions are both tax-advantaged vehicles for saving and investing for the long term.
ISAs allow you to save up to 20,000 a year in tax-free growth and income on investments, as well as tax-free withdrawals. Meanwhile, depending on your taxable income, pension payments may be eligible for income tax relief of up to 45 percent.
When you can afford it and while they’re still accessible, it’s a good idea to take advantage of hefty tax breaks over time. This way, you may take advantage of compound growth or earning returns on your returns to help you keep up with inflation.
Seek expert advice
A sound investment strategy should include a diverse portfolio of assets and the use of tax-advantaged investment vehicles.
We can put together a diversified portfolio that is geared to your long-term financial goals, risk tolerance, and inflation protection. Get in contact with us right now to learn more.