According to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, the market value of retirement savings fell by over $4 trillion during the great recession of 2008. Millions of investors all over the world scrambled to find a safe haven for their money. Traditionally, the safe haven has been bonds. Those who have decades of investing ahead are often advised to invest aggressively, while those closer to retirement or who have very low risk tolerance are guided towards bonds. Despite the conventional wisdom of this strategy, investors would do well to beware the risky aspects of bonds.

There is the general perception that bonds are safe; they are a stalwart soldier of the market that will help protect money even when stocks decline. Canadian bonds are currently considered to be about the safest in the world, but your portfolio may contain many other types of international bonds with different standards. The global market for bonds is many times larger than the market for stocks. A lack of control or oversight by banks, governments and institutions is always lurking.

Bonds are only guaranteed if they are held to maturity. They are usually purchased for portfolio balance or as an income producer. Either way, people are looking for stability.  However the increase in demand for bonds since the 2008 crash has been overwhelming, and many feel the next bubble will be US bonds. This is certainly a risk factor that investors need to be aware of.

And finally it is also important to remember that inflation plays a role in the value of your bond at maturity. Say, for instance, you purchase a $100 bond that is guaranteed to mature in 20 years. But in 20 years, that $100 will be worth less than it is now because of inflation.

I’ve spoken before about the idea of homes as investments.  In this market, we have woken up from the American – and Canadian – dream of home ownership as a source of wealth.  A home is where the heart is, but it’s not necessarily where the money is.  That being said, real estate can be a great investment.  Recently, I sat down with Bob McKean, owner and broker of record of Re/Max in Kingston, Ontario to hear what he has to say about investing in property.

Question:  Diversification is important in anyone’s portfolio, and my economic planning model also calls for part of that overall portfolio to be invested in real estate.  You’ve been very successful on both the business end and the personal end, having owned income-producing properties.  What real estate strategy have you used over your career to build wealth?

Answer: I invested in my first investment property, a triplex, in 1973, re-financed and added more down payment. I bought several others in the next 5 years, including a 10-unit that I still own, and a 7-unit which I owned for 7 years. I sold it and bought a residential and commercial property, which I still own.  Over the next few years, I also bought several single family residentials, which I rented out.  I bought real estate in Dallas, Texas and in Edmonton. I realized that it was better to own properties closer to home where I could keep an eye on them.

Question: Part of your strategy has also meant helping other people build wealth.  Could you explain that?

Answer: I used to manage about 100 units for other clients.  I would sell them a property and then manage it for a number of years and those clients have all since sold their investments.

I have many clients who I have sold investment properties to that have been very successful in building their investment portfolio.  I have always put my clients’ interest ahead of mine and hence they have made some great investment.  I sometimes think,” I should have bought that for myself!”  I have been very lucky with my own investments, though, and I cannot complain.

Question: Is there an average age at which people tend to invest in real estate?

Answer:  I have had clients who in mid-age invested, and I have had clients in their twenties.  I had a client who, at age 25, bought a triplex, lived in one unit and rented out the other two.  She has done extremely well with this property.  She has since moved out, got married, bought their own home and still own the investment.

Question: What is the most important factor in real estate investment success?

Answer: My strategy has also always been and always will be – do not get over extended and only buy what you can afford.  Many people get way over extended, and if and when the interest rates change or they have some vacancy, they get into trouble.

Question:  Can you give us a few tips for managing rental properties effectively and avoiding overextension?

Answer: Always set at least 10% of your gross income aside for general maintenance and up keep.  Many years you will only spend 3% or 4% but then you need a new furnace, a new roof (major capital items) Where do you get the money?

When buying, allow at least 5% for property management.  Even though you may want to manage yourself, there may be a time when you want a manager and you have yourself so highly financed that you have no place to move.

Don’t buy something that has no chance of making a profit within the next 3 years.

Also, I have always thought one should have some diversification.  I have always had stock, mutual fund investments, and, of course, real estate.

Question: In this economy, do you still think real estate is a good investment?

Answer: I personally feel if you follow those ideas and be careful what you buy, you will be very successful investing in real estate.

As always, diversify your portfolio, research any market you are considering entering, and invest carefully.  You won’t get anywhere unless you play the game, but you have to remember your helmet.

We continue to hear a lot about the developing part of the world, generally known as ‘emerging markets.’ I have been a fan for 10 years know and these areas can still be wonderful opportunities. However, like any investment, we should look carefully at the risks first.

It is important to go beyond the headlines and dig deeper into the economic, political, and social background of a market before you invest. For instance factors like the quality of life of its people can help determine if a certain country may be right for us. Here are three of the most common barriers to growth.

• Infrastructure. Is the government actively involved in creating a sound infrastructure? Is there a strong, and growing, system of roads, bridges, sewer lines? Are there reliable ways to get products to market?
• Viable tax system. Is there a monetary system in place that will work? Are people allowed to make money properly and to contribute to the government in a fair and consistent manner? How is government funded, and is it sustainable?
• Corruption. How rampant is corruption? Is government aware of it – or an active part of it? Does government have a plan to counter it?

Buying the products of financial companies rather than the financial company itself is a common occurrence in today’s market. Below I have listed two real examples of this so you can further understand this point and apply it to your financial lives.

Firstly, we have a well-known mutual fund company that has recently had its stock return over 125% in a 1-year period and over 30% per year over a 5 year period. It has also had a healthy 5-7% dividend yield on top of the yearly price gains. Their lineup featured close to 200 funds, but only 6 of them were over 10% ROI during the same period. Considering these numbers, I would feel more confident buying the stock of the company directly instead of just putting my money in their mutual fund products.

My second example features a typical bank. Often people tell me about their bank GIC paying them 3%. They say that they trust their bank and that they like their products. But I like to point out that if trust is the issue then they should consider buying the bank’s stock which has often produced a 10-15% return, instead of just using the GIC product. This way you are still going with a company you trust, but you will very likely be getting a higher return in the process.