Managing your portfolio is like managing a Football Club

I always have this weird thought about the different asset classes in a portfolio.

Just imagine, emergency savings, fixed deposits and insurance are like your defensive players. Equities and real estate are your offensive players. If you have too many defensive players in your team, it is unlikely you will score goals (Profits). Likewise, if you have too many offensive players, you may be vulnerable to conceding goals (Losses).

The important thing is to strike a balance, so that there will be “chemistry” in the team. (Diversified Asset Class). Building a football team or a portfolio isn’t something you can do overnight. Always find ways to strengthen your weak point. Buying a offensive player to boost your attack or buying a defensive linchpin to shore up your defense.

This is how i envision different asset class will look on a football pitch.

football 2

To sum this post up, there are times to be offensive and also a time to be defensive, it just depends on who your opponent is (Market) and the philosophy of the manager (YOU).