The magic triangle of investing

No matter how much investing experience you have, it’s always worth bearing the “magical triangle of investing” in mind. Also known as “the three rules of investing”, the magic triangle posits that it is not possible to achieve maximum returns at minimum risk and high liquidity with any type of investment. 

• Every type of investment can be analysed based on three criteria: returns, liquidity and risk, which are the three points of the investing triangle.

• As an investor, you are going to attribute importance to each of these three factors depending on your personal risk profile.

• One rule of thumb is that the lower the risk, the lower the returns on an investment.

Some investors believe in “buy-the-dip”, which means buying assets when the prices are low. Others monitor mid-cap and small-cap indices for new companies in upcoming industries such as medical technology, financial technology and other innovative sectors in the hopes of high returns thanks to price gains. 

Some investors also regularly offload a part of the high-performing stocks in their portfolio and re-invest in upcoming companies positioned for growth at attractive prices. Buying into large caps during times of price declines is also a popular approach. Whichever road you take, remember to always bear transaction fees and taxation of gains in mind when making calculations.

Regardless of their strategy, all investors fundamentally base their investment choices on three factors: returns, liquidity and risk.

Let’s take a look at these three factors in closer detail.

Returns

An investor’s expectation to make returns is probably the most important decision when making an investment. Returns are the income an investor receives for their investment in the form of dividend payments, value increase of a security, value increase of real estate, compound interest, etc., in the form of distributions or accumulation.

Returns are calculated based on the income generated per year in relation to the amount (the capital) invested. New investors often make the mistake of putting high returns ahead of all other factors before making an investment decision - however, liquidity and risk are equally important. Bear in mind that high risk investments may also mean high losses, while low-risk investments may yield lower but more solid returns.

The lower the risk of your investment, the lower your returns - while higher risks have historically yielded higher returns, they may also result in higher losses.

Liquidity

The liquidity of an investment indicates how easy or difficult it is to sell an asset at any time without noticeable effects on its market price. For instance, the market price of an asset could drop as the result of a large sell-order and you would want to sell the asset as quickly as possible without more losses. So before making an investment, consider how long it would take to sell the asset involved if you had to or wanted to sell it quickly.

The high trading volume of a stock or other securities usually indicate high liquidity. Low liquidity assets include real (tangible) assets such as art collections, real estate, businesses and any other asset entailing a complex sales process. Obviously, it usually takes a lot longer to sell a hotel than shares on a stock exchange.

The higher the liquidity, the lower the risk.

Risk

Investments are exposed to certain risks that you should consider before putting your money to work. These risks include possible economic and political developments, market risks, due diligence risks and changes in tax laws, among others.

Of course, we all admire experienced investors who seem to achieve high returns with little effort. But chances are they’ve spent years learning the fundamentals of investing. Diversifying your portfolio is an important way to balance potential losses across different types of assets. And remember: high-risk investments can bring high returns – but they can also lead to significant losses. No matter the type of investment, there's always a chance you could lose your entire investment amount.

Examples of high-risk investments include derivatives – contracts whose value is based on the future performance of an underlying asset (like futures) or share performance (like stock options).

Other high-risk assets include cryptocurrencies, crowdfunding (online fundraising for a business using small contributions from many people), investments in small-cap companies in emerging industries, and more.

The higher the risk linked to your investment, the higher the potential returns – and the higher the potential losses if things don’t go as planned. The lower the risk, the lower your chances of making large returns.