In times of storms, and even more so when they are economic, there are those who believe that it is necessary to tighten their belts to weather the turbulence, as well as those who consider that this is the best season to look for investment opportunities.
Although it is not a phenomenon that is exclusively affecting this side of the world, for Colombia three things came together: an expensive dollar that even broke the ceiling of $5,000; the highest inflation in 23 years, with an annual indicator of 12.22%; and interest rates of the Banco de la República at 11%, something not seen since 2001.
Despite this and although it seems complex, there is something to invest in. For experts in the field, the first step is to define if you want to save or invest; if it is the latter, think regarding how much risk you are willing to take; and, if the investment will be subject to the current context, then CDTs and Colombian shares might be a good alternative.
According to economic experts from Littio, an app to save and access financial services in dollars, the CDT in particular is a practical method because as soon as the person opens it, they know how much the return will be. “This instrument is widely used by people and companies and its interest rate is not only tied to the Banrepública’s monetary policy, but also to the liquidity needs of financial entities: if they require more money, they pay a little more”, they point out.
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Jackeline Piraján, an economist at Scotiabank Colpatria, agrees on this, pointing out that people who today have excess money can diversify that savings, leaving a part in available demand resources and another part of their savings in term deposits with remuneration that today easily exceed double digits, thanks to the economic dynamics that are occurring.
In any case, Mario Estupiñán, president of the Fiduciaria de Occidente, insists on the key to adequate planning before venturing: “It is important that those who are going to invest define their risk profilethe goals that you will build with your investment in the future and the possibility of having additional savings that allow you to cover possible events or unforeseen events”.
In the case of Fiduoccidente, mentions Estupiñán, regarding 59% of people have a low risk profile, 37% moderate risk and the remaining 4% high risk. “Likewise, 40% of people do not have a defined goal; 41% want to buy a house, do business or accumulate capital for their old age; and 19% are looking to buy a car, start a study, travel or even pay taxes”.
look at the market
For those who want a little more risk, analysts say, it would be interesting to take a look at some shares that are traded on the Colombian Stock Exchange (BVC), since much of it is cheap compared to its potential value.
According to Sebastián Toro, founder of Arena Alfa, a firm specializing in financial education, there are opportunities in the titles of Grupo Argos, Grupo Sura or Cementos Argos, just to mention a few.
It is that, among other factors to take into account, the preferred shares of these companies rThey reflect a lower price than the ordinary ones. In the case of Grupo Sura, the respective values are $14,000 and $41,250; for Grupo Argos, $6,050 and $10,280; and in Cemargos, $2,505 and $3,420.
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Meanwhile, the experts consulted by Fedesarrollo in the most recent Financial Opinion Survey mentioned the ordinary and preferred shares of Bancolombia as the most attractive, as well as those of Grupo Energía Bogotá and ISA.
Along with the respective advice, those who are interested in this alternative have options such as Trii, which is a Colombian fintech in which they can invest. in 58 national and international actions, with a commission of $10,000 plus VAT for each operation.
save in dollars
It goes without saying that at a time like this, in which the Market Representative Rate (TRM) reflects one dollar at $4,806.07, the savings that people can have in that currency become more important.
“This practice of safekeeping in another currency makes it possible to preserve stable an asset that usually maintains its value in global markets, considering that regarding 80% of international trade is established in dollars,” says María Camila Gómez, Country Manager of Global66 for Colombia.
Bancolombia, Davivienda, Itaú and Banco de Bogotá are among the financial entities that offer the option of opening a savings account in dollars through its subsidiaries abroad.
“You go to the bank, you say you want to open a savings account in dollars, you buy the dollars at the bank, by transfer, and you tell the bank once the account is open abroad: ‘transfer me these dollars that I just bought’ . It is legal, the registration is made with the Bank of the Republic and it has no legal consequence, ”Jaime Jaramillo, co-founder of Finanzas Emocionales, explained to EL COLOMBIANO at the time.
It should not be forgotten that in this process you should always be looking at the monthly income, because from there basic needs and expenses can be established; budgeting is key to achieving this and along the way it is also important to keep ant expenses at bay, that is, small consumptions that seem to have no relevance, but at the end of the month lead to a strong impact on the pocket, such as eating out, tips, cigarettes or coffee.
Thus, in the midst of worries because everything is going up, there are investment and savings options. According to a survey by the firm TransUnion,Currently 43% of Colombians fear an economic recession and are reorganizing expenses
