Sigma Pensions has urged investors to remain calm in the face of market volatility and strategically diversify their assets.
The Chief Investment Officer, Sigma Pensions, Pabina Yinkere, while speaking at a webinar organised at the weekend, lamented about investors’ shallow knowledge of market fundamentals.
He highlighted the need for investors to diversify their portfolios, this was the most basic and effective way of reducing investment risks.
According to him, the webinar was organised to educate participants on personal finance diversification, making investment decisions and opportunities in pension funds.
In his presentation titled, ‘hedging pension funds against market volatility, Yinkere, noted that 2020 was a peculiar year, especially for investors, as the financial markets were faced with the devastating effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
He said: “When you are faced with a volatile market, do not panic; read the situation well, understand what is going on and where necessary, reduce risks.”
He also advised investors to guide against the effect of the crisis with diversification into asset classes that give accrual incomes, good dividend yields and have greater potential for appreciation.
He pointed out that volatile assets are usually considered riskier than less volatile assets because their prices are less predictable.
He urged investors to pay more attention to the management of their pensions, justifying the advantage of switching to Sigma Pensions.
He said: “With over 15 years of experience, our clients have relied on our exceptional service, right from managing their contributions to transitioning to delightful retirement life.
“Also, we have a highly-professional investment team, providing competitive investment returns irrespective of economic conditions.”
In her contribution, the VP, Global Markets at Parthian Partners, Mrs. Ola Oladele, stressed the importance of investment, noting that while all investments provide rewards in one form or the other, each has its risks. She noted that inflation has more impact on debt investment than equity.
In his presentation, the CEO and Co-founder of Cowrywise, Razaq Ahmed, stressed the importance of financial education. According to him, of all the requirements of successful investment, financial education is the most important.
He said: “The fact that you are taking risks is not enough; it depends on the nature of the asset class. You need to have a basic knowledge of the asset class.”
