Many investors must be wondering if they should review their investment portfolio now, given the volatile scenario in financial market. But is it the only trigger that should make you worry and review your investment portfolio
Does a fall in Europe and China have added to your worries? Does relatively less weak Nifty make you think if this is the opportune time to exit equity? When was the last time you reviewed your investments? Do you have a schedule to review your investments periodically? Investment portfolio review enables stable returns and easy accomplishment of targets. Although there is no fixed time of the year, when an investor should analyze his portfolio, but still let us learn about the most beneficial time to do so.
I. With radical changes in the economic conditions: Let us understand all these economic factors that demand an investment portfolio review.
Advt
1) Uncertainty in investment: During stock market fluctuations, it will be rational to review all of your portfolio investments which may get affected unfavorably and to a large degree, by the inconsistency. These investments may include mutual funds, stocks or exchange traded funds that you may hold. Your asset allocation may be skewed due to market rally or market crash. So re balance them during these times.
2) Budget briefing: One may even consider realigning their investments in the portfolio, respect to any new developments with the budget announcements. Announcements in the budget or changes in tax laws may make an attractive scheme a less attractive one or make a less attractive investment a more attractive one. So doing an investment plan review after a budget is necessary.
3) Financial year end: You must ensure you have proper investment schemes that work as channels for saving tax. If need be, you may balance some of the gains against other investment losses to reduce your tax liability.
II. Radical changes in one’s personal environment: One should consider reevaluation of his/her investments, in case of drastic changes in one’s individual situation. Here, let us consider a few examples of the same.
1) Consider a case of your job loss. In such a dismal scenario, one may think of liquidating some of his portfolio assets. Redeeming the emergency reserve and refilling the emergency reserve will take place.
2) For people with responsibility of their children, may think of investing their money into building assets with a higher return value. And, if one of the parents has left his/her full-time job to take care of the kids, then you have work towards building additional money.
3) An NRIs coming back to India or a resident becoming NRIs will need an investment portfolio review.
4) When you advance your goal or postpone your goal will demand an investment portfolio review Fundamentally, a change in one’s personal conditions as explained above, are also the indications for an individual to analyze and revise their financial portfolio. .
III. Considering a quarterly review: For a more practical approach to your portfolio assets and reserves, think about a quarterly analysis of your net worth. Let us understand what benefits you can avail out of a portfolio audit every quarter.  Doing a quarterly check, will provide you an opportunity for inspecting your overall assets’ worth.  This will also make you understand and discriminate between your productive and unproductive investments.  Quarterly review is also beneficial as it enables a timely amendment to any of the problems in the portfolio. This will also keep you grounded.  A quarterly review also helps you save your time by ensuring that you invest much of your precious time just for building your valuable financial portfolio. Conclusion: Hope we now understand when we should consider a review of our financial portfolios. To conclude review your portfolio in case of: extreme changes in the economy, or serious changes in our personal conditions, or on a quarterly basis for a deeper insight into our financial portfolio. The author is Chief Financial Planner at investment, a leading Financial Planning and Wealth Management company
