The Russia-Ukraine war has further contributed to increasing food and gas costs, and it will continue to exert pressure on the cost of products and services as long as consumer demand remains strong. Hopefully, you’ve considered how inflation affects your assets. If so, here are several assets that have withstood the test of time in terms of helping investors beat inflation.

Inflation is one of the most urgent issues. You may have discovered that your grocery bill has increased even though you’re purchasing the same food. In that case, you’re witnessing the effects of the newest inflation boom. While prices for products and services continue to climb, the more painful element for consumers is that we don’t know how long it will persist or how we should respond financially. For the average consumer, higher costs may imply restricting any splurge purchasing to prevent a significant knock to your pocket. If you invest, you’re probably concerned about your money losing value in the market. With no respite likely in the immediate future, those who haven’t already bolstered their portfolio with inflationary investments still have time to do so. Here are some areas where you should put your money right now.

Firstly, Understanding Inflation

In 10 years, a rupee will not be worth the same amount of money. It is inflation. Inflation is the rising prices for goods and services across an economy over time. The “inflation rate” is computed as a percentage change in a price index (a representative sample of goods and services) from one year to the next. The consumer price index (CPI) is the most used in the United States. However, economists may also use the producer’s price index (PPI) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index.

Inflation of less than 2.3 percent is considered modest. It gets classified as mild between 2.3 and 3.3 percent and high between 3.3 and 4.9 percent. Inflation of more than 4.9 percent gets regarded as highly high.

Inflation isn’t always a terrible thing. Economists want to see modest, steady growth in prices because it indicates a healthy economy: firms are creating, consumers are purchasing, business, employment, and salaries are all increasing.

How exactly does inflation affect your money’s purchasing power?

Inflation can undermine your buying power, even if you retain positive returns. Investors should consider the implications of inflation on their portfolios since failure can erode buying power and reduce profits.

And cash is not the only thing that depreciates.

Those with low-interest bank accounts essentially incur losses during these inflationary times because the interest they give out gets consumed by the fall in value. Indeed, investments with fixed rates of return or interest will have their real-dollar earnings reduced during inflation.

While inflation affects all investors, income-seeking investors get struck particularly severely.

Investments that help you fight inflation?

Some asset types, in particular, lend themselves well to inflation-targeted investing.

• Appreciation-oriented investments: Select assets that provide appreciation or growth rather than just income. Company stock is an excellent example.
• Real assets: Inflation devalues nominal assets like conventional bonds since they get valued on the fixed interests they deliver, which depreciates as inflation soars. These real assets are tangible items that possess intrinsic worth. Consequently, their value grows in lockstep with inflation.
• Assets possessing variable interest rates: In an inflationary atmosphere, everything that has a fixed rate will incur a loss. These offer your money a positive chance since they grow with inflation.

Effective Inflation Hedging Assets?

Inflation is taking place. However, to reduce the effect, you can consider investments that profit directly or indirectly from it. Investors must construct portfolios that outperform inflation.

When inflation is rising, certain investments do well. Selecting among these assets should consider your objectives and the severity of the inflationary environment.

• Commodities: Commodities, another well-known inflation hedge, come into play here. Natural gas, oil, corn, wheat, and precious metals, are examples of raw materials. They may be exchanged on the futures market, which is where commodities futures contracts are acquired and sold at a later date. Commodity exchange-traded funds and commodity stocks are also available. In essence, commodities act as a natural inflation hedge. Commodity investors can earn a significant return on their investments when commodity prices rise to help fuel inflation in consumer products. Commodity price inflation has substantially contributed to the recent year’s inflationary pressures. As a result, in today’s inflationary climate, commodities exposure can provide inflation protection while also spreading the effect of inflation on one’s portfolio. Considering the commodities market’s fragility, experts advise engaging in commodities via a diverse investment vehicle, like a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund. Historically, gold has been a popular item for safeguarding your portfolio against inflation. Because gold prices are likely to track inflation, investing in gold gives you a higher chance of increasing your buying power on prospective investment returns. Although actual gold is preferred, it might be harder to get owing to the greater barrier to entry. However, gold ETFs make it easier to gain access to gold. When deciding how much to devote to commodities in your portfolio, investors should consider diversification because we don’t know which commodity will excel year after year.

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• Real estate: One of the numerous benefits of investing in real estate is that it protects your money from inflation. This asset class has inherent value, pays steady dividends, and is a perfect inflation hedge. Because real estate is a need in everyday life, it can keep pace with inflation. People will always want to house, and many enterprises will require a physical site. Regardless of the situation of the economy or the markets, everyone utilizes real estate. And, while returns may fall, overall (real estate) will be more stable, with a relatively swift comeback when conditions improve. In an inflationary economy, the value of the real estate, like commodities, tends to rise even faster. Since you’re retaining an asset that increases or appreciates (at) the same pace as inflation, hard assets automatically hedge (against inflation). Real estate is a physical asset, but it is also an illiquid one. However, you can explore other unconventional real estate investment vehicles like REITs and fractional ownership, which are more liquid investments that can be purchased and sold quickly in the market. In many circumstances, you may acquire a group of REITs through a mutual fund or an ETF. Investors should select assets that provide an income stream. It is another advantage real estate investments may provide if inflation rises because renters must still pay rent.
• Stocks: Investing in a diverse stock portfolio is a good approach to combat inflation. For instance, from July 2012 through July 2022, the S&P 500—a prominent benchmark for US stocks—produced an annualized return of approximately 11%. (with dividends reinvested). After adjusting for inflation, the average yearly return is still at 8.3 percent. Even with today’s significant price increases, you would have soundly defeated growing prices: Inflation climbed at an annualized pace of around 2.9 percent between July 2012 and July 2022. To profit from this kind of historic growth, there’s no need to resort to choosing specific companies, which can be time-consuming and quite hazardous. Begin by selecting an S&P 500 index fund or ETF that tracks the index’s return while keeping fees to a minimum. They provide straightforward, low-cost diversification since they comprise hundreds of stocks, reducing risk and portfolio management difficulties. Passive index investing is the simplest approach to getting into equities and does not require stock-picking ability. Technology and other growth equities, which beat the general market, are the best inflation hedges. Consumer goods firms and those in the defense sector that generate necessities for people perform well. Remember that stock investing is never without risk. You may incur losses in the near term, and you have no control over the firms the fund invests in.

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The Bottom Line?

Inflation may eat away at your money. So, investment for inflation is critical for wealth preservation. Despite constant concerns about increasing inflation, protect your savings. Holding one or more of these asset types has several advantages, including your long-term purchasing power. You or your investment adviser can change your plan to account for the degree of inflation.

If you are considering investing in real estate, Assetmonk is here to help you. Assetmonk is a well-known GrowthTech platform in India. It provides its investors with Grade-A commercial real estate assets at reasonable costs, with a guaranteed annual IRR of up to 21%. It also provides investors with the option of fractional ownership. It encourages investors to diversify their assets. Our asset and real estate specialists can also help you.