James Clear, author of the popular book Atomic Habits, put it best when he said:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are the outcome of your habits.\u201d<\/p>\n
It makes sense, right?<\/p>\n
The habits you practice on a daily basis define who you are, which is why as an investor you want to make sure you are intentional<\/strong> about your habits.<\/p>\n Implementing the right habits can often be the difference between having a high net worth and losing everything overnight.<\/p>\n So, what makes for successful investing habits?<\/p>\n Here are five habits we believe differentiate the good investors from the great.<\/p>\n Let’s dive in.<\/p>\n This is a foundational habit that every investor should be practicing: slow and steady wins the race. <\/strong><\/p>\n Not many of us receive an unexpected inheritance or a big bonus to start investing with. Most of us have a monthly income<\/a> along with our expenses and commitments.<\/p>\n That means that saving and investing needs to be part of your monthly budget<\/strong>. It needs to be regular and it needs to be a habit. How much? It depends on your goals, but investment experts recommend saving at least 10% of your monthly income. If you save and invest regularly, your investments will grow steadily over time.<\/p>\n Successful investors prefer saving and investing every month, rather than investing whenever they feel like it or when the market timing is right. Why? Because they are strategic bout how they invest. It’s not<\/strong> gambling<\/a>.<\/p>\n Diversifying your investments<\/a> is what allows you to minimise risk while increasing your overall return. It allows your portfolio to remain stable during a market downturn, or for your portfolio to grow even faster during a bull market<\/a>.<\/p>\n The best investors don\u2019t put all their eggs in one basket, which means they don\u2019t put all their money in one asset or in one company. With diversification, you get a better balance between your risks and returns<\/a>, and that helps you outperform those who don\u2019t.<\/p>\n The best investors invest in both the stock market<\/a> as well as alternative investments such as P2P investing<\/a> in order to gain exposure to the best assets.<\/p>\n The best investors know themselves.<\/p>\n Understanding your emotions and how you react to different market trends is a core investing habit. If you are someone who gets anxious when the stock market goes down, then it\u2019s best not to invest in volatile assets. If you\u2019re an investor who prefers managing your own portfolio, then you want to pick a strategy that allows you to be in control.<\/p>\n The funny thing is this:<\/p>\n You really won\u2019t know what you\u2019re most comfortable with until you do some experimenting.<\/p>\n That’s why it\u2019s worth dipping your toes into various types of investments first. Once you do know what works best for you, you then want to create a plan and stick to it. <\/strong>This could be creating a specific asset allocation that fits your goals and needs, and setting a fixed monthly investing budget.<\/p>\n The best investors know how they react to market trends and set up a plan and strategy to fit their personality.<\/p>\n The most successful investors are in it for the long run.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because they know that time in the market <\/em>beats timing of the market.<\/p>\n So, if you want to make the most of your investments, you want to be maximising the use of compound interest.<\/a> The first 5 years of investing won\u2019t add a lot to your portfolio: but the last 3 years of a 30 year investing career will. That\u2019s where the difference is.<\/strong><\/p>\n The best investors are disciplined and stick to their plan – looking at the long term. Often, having a big goal such as FIRE<\/a> or a college fund can help encourage long-term investing.<\/p>\n Unless picking stocks is your passion, most people want to set and forget their investments.<\/p>\n They don\u2019t want to check the news every day, learn what a P\/E ratio is and rebalance their portfolios every week. Most investors treat investing as an engine to grow their net worth and make more money, not as a leisurely pastime.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why the most successful investors prefer investment strategies and assets that are low<\/strong> maintenance (emphasis on low<\/em>).<\/p>\n These could be low cost index funds<\/a>, ETFs or P2P investing.<\/p>\n They are confident about their strategy and only check on their investments as often as they need to.<\/p>\n P2P investing is an alternative investment that helps investors boost their investment portfolios by lending money online for profit<\/a>. Luckily, it\u2019s an asset that fits perfectly with habits of successful investors.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s see how:<\/p>\n Save and invest regularly<\/strong>: P2P investing makes it easy for people to save and invest regularly. That\u2019s because the barrier to start investing is low. With Swaper, for example, you can get started for as little as \u20ac10, which makes it easy to add to your budget and set up as an automatic transfer every month.<\/p>\n Diversify:<\/strong> P2P lending<\/a> is a great alternative asset to diversify your investments. It gives you exposure to another corner of the market, and the higher returns means your investments aren\u2019t as impacted when there\u2019s a stock market downturn.<\/p>\n Know yourself:<\/strong> If you\u2019re someone who does not like volatility and becomes anxious about stock market drops, P2P lending is a great alternativ<\/a>e. That\u2019s because it\u2019s not volatile: every month, it brings in the same return and you can forecast your returns over several years.<\/p>\n Invest in the long term:<\/strong> One big advantage of investing in P2P loans<\/a> is that investors can reach their goals a lot faster. That\u2019s because with a return of 14%, you\u2019ll hit your goals a lot more quickly (or 16% if you use our loyalty bonus<\/a>)!<\/p>\n Set and forget<\/strong>: P2P investors love the low maintenance of managing P2P investments. Just create an account<\/a>, deposit your money and set up an Auto-Invest Portfolio<\/a>. We do all the hard work for you, which means you can sit back and enjoy seeing your investment grow over time.<\/p>\n These are five habits that differentiate the best investors from the average ones.<\/p>\n Often, the best investors are those that stay away from the nitty-gritty details and instead,\u00a0simply have an automatic transfer every month. Although it\u2019s not as sexy or exciting as derivative trading<\/a> and cryptocurrency<\/a>, it\u2019s often the strategy that will get you the highest returns.<\/p>\n So, if you\u2019re open to long-term, high-return investing, sign up to Swaper below.<\/p>\n5 habits to successful investing<\/h2>\n
1. Save and invest regularly<\/h3>\n
2. Diversify your assets<\/h3>\n
3. Know who you are<\/h3>\n
4. Invest long term<\/h3>\n
5. Set and forget<\/h3>\n
Implement these habits with P2P investing<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n