Managing investment risk in uncertain times

ifsinvest is an online investment platform brought to you by Industry Fund Services (IFS), which is owned by 27 major industry super funds.

ifsinvest is not a super fund – it’s been designed for members who have investment needs outside of super. For example, for those who have retired, and can no longer contribute to super, or those who have reached the concessional contributions cap and it’s no longer tax effective to contribute to super.

It may also be suitable for unions, or other member organisations that are custodians of member funds – organisations looking for investments that suit the level of risk they’re comfortable with and offer solid returns, competitive fees and access to funds when needed.

There are a range of investment choices available with ifsinvest.  We call them model portfolios and they are designed and managed on a similar basis to the pre-mixed options you see within industry super funds.

How did ifsinvest perform last financial year?

The 2018/19 financial year was overwhelmingly positive for markets, with all the investment models on ifsinvest posting strong returns. Markets performed well for most of the year and economic conditions continue to be supportive – corporate earnings are strong, and unemployment and inflation are low.  Despite this, equity markets have experienced bouts of uncertainty and volatility. In the last three months of 2018, equity markets fell significantly across the world. Good economic conditions in the US meant there was an expectation that the US federal reserve would follow through on their foreshadowed interest rate increases.  The combination of stocks having had a good run, interest rate rises on the horizon, and uncertainty over trade tensions between the US and China, led to this fall.

In the US, December 2018 was the worst month since the Great Depression of the 1930s! 

The fact that markets then went on to fully recover in early 2019, highlights a few home truths. The first is that investing is a long-term proposition and panic is counterproductive. 

The second home truth is that regardless of whether you’re an aggressive investor, or a cautious investor, a well-diversified portfolio is the key.  That’s what we do at IFS. We offer a diverse range of portfolios that are designed to suit most circumstances.

You can explore them at www.ifsinvest.com.au

If you’ve previously had a look, you may be pleasantly surprised to see that we’ve reduced the fees in the last 6 months!

To find out more, contact Industry Fund Services on 1300 734 496 or via email at [email protected]

The information in this article is general in nature and has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before investing in any product you should read the relevant product disclosure documents available at ifsinvest.com.au and consider the appropriateness of the product for your objectives, financial situation or needs. OneVue Wealth Services Limited ABN 70120380627 AFSL308868 (OneVue) is the product issuer of ifsinvest. Industry Fund Services ABN 54 007 016 195 AFSL 232514 (IFS) has entered an arrangement with OneVue to make ifsinvest available to you.  IFS receives fees for its services