Stay informed and nimble –Coke
ONE YEAR after the COVID-19 pandemic, financial experts underscore that the past year has been a challenging one, but that Jamaica is on a recovery path. They are urging business owners and investors to keep focused and seize opportunities to grow during the pandemic.
Addressing the JN Fund Managers and JN Bank virtual financial seminar, which was held under the theme ‘Unlock Your Potential & Enhance Your Wealth – Refresh and Remain’, Dylan Coke, deputy general manager at JN Fund Managers, is advising investors to stay informed and to be nimble.
“The point of staying nimble is being ready to make changes in your business or your investments as the need arises. Obviously, you want to have an informed view, you want to have a very structured long-term plan. So flexibility, creativity and staying informed are all key,” he said.
He advised i nvestors to consider the following at this time:
1. Don’t waste this crisis:
“It is when there is uncertainty in the market that you find the most opportunities.
My main advice is being informed when others are acting without information.
Stay informed and stay close to your broker.”
2. We can help: “JN Fund Managers has a broad range of investment products and services, including stocks, bonds, repurchase agreements and mutual funds, which have performed creditable over the year. I would recommend the mutual funds especially for small investors. They are managed by a team of experts, so you get the benefits of expert input and guidance. Minimum investment amounts are relatively low and buying into the fund, and exiting when you need to, is a fairly seamless process.”
3. Make investing a habit: “We would strongly recommend that you make investing a habit and even more than a habit, but you make it automatic. So it shouldn’t be something that you remember to do at the end of the month if you happen to have a few dollars left.”
4. Pay yourself first: “What you would want to be doing is pay yourself first, making your investment first. Sit down with your adviser, figure out how much you want to save and when you figure out that, be a bit more aggressive and invest some more. At JN Fund Managers, our Automatic Investment Programme allows you to achieve this, by completing the necessary documentation and making arrangement your funds will be automatically remitted to us on a monthly basis to be invested in one or a combination of our mutual funds. The investment is done regularly without you needing to have any input going forward.”