Gauging the shaky ground and expected market volatility, savers are advised not to put all their eggs in one basket and work on an investment strategy keeping the family risk appetite in sight.

The just-ended year was taxing for the middle class, desperate to climb the social ladder quickly.

Economic compulsions forced them to shun the habit of pointless spending. Higher taxes and falling family income were already distressful. To maintain standards, some might had to dig into their past savings. The quick erosion of asset valuation must be nerve-wrecking. The currency devaluation and a stagnant real estate market contributed to the erosion of the value of assets, mostly parked in property.

Here is a tentative general guide for household investors 1 Trim expectations: In a slow economy with escalating inflation, avoiding the erosion of the value of assets is a challenge. Greed can land you in the lap of the con man. Double-check schemes promising astonishing returns. Get out of schemes with dubious holdings. Be content with moderate returns after indexing inflation.

2 Track your portfolio: Take a holistic view of all past investments in government securities, dollars, gold, stocks, property, etc. and seek professional help if required.

3 Keep emergency funds: A contingency fund to cover three months of household expenses provides the buffer in periods of uncertainty.

4 Put 20pc of portfolio in gold: It`s a safe bet.

In 2019 the price of yellow metal hiked by 25pc in the global market.

5 Be objective: Keep biases in check in a volatile market. Emotions triggered by panic, fear, hope, confidence, greed and denial lead to wrong investment decisions.

6 Resist the temptation to invest all you have in property.

`f Manage exposure to the capital market.

I Independently analyse the projections of brokerage houses and mutual funds. They are in the business of selling optimism. • -AS