5 Ways to Bolster Your Finances in a Recession | Morgan Stanley (2024)

FAQs

5 Ways to Bolster Your Finances in a Recession | Morgan Stanley? ›

Options to consider include federal bond funds, municipal bond funds, taxable corporate funds, money market funds, dividend funds, utilities mutual funds, large-cap funds, and hedge funds.

Options to consider include federal bond funds, municipal bond funds, taxable corporate funds, money market funds, dividend funds, utilities mutual funds, large-cap funds, and hedge funds.

Most stocks and high-yield bonds tend to lose value in a recession, while lower-risk assets—such as gold and U.S. Treasuries—tend to appreciate. Within the stock market, shares of large companies with solid cash flows and dividends tend to outperform in downturns.

Cash. Cash is an important asset when it comes to a recession. After all, if you do end up in a situation where you need to pull from your assets, it helps to have a dedicated emergency fund to fall back on, especially if you experience a layoff.

The most important part of building wealth during a recession is investing as much as possible in the stock market. Take steps to ensure you'll have stable income, like starting a side hustle or working on your skills.

Because a decline in disposable income affects prices, the prices of essentials, such as food and utilities, often stay the same. In contrast, things considered to be wants instead of needs, such as travel and entertainment, may be more likely to get cheaper.

store-brand oatmeal, for example — you give yourself the opportunity to not only save money, but also get more nutrition per dollar. Shopping for whole foods and staples instead of prepared foods and convenience items can save you money, but you'll need to be prepared to spend more time in the kitchen.

Should I take my money out of the bank before a recession? ›

Your money is safe in a bank, even during an economic decline like a recession. Up to $250,000 per depositor, per account ownership category, is protected by the FDIC or NCUA at a federally insured financial institution.

Certificates of deposit (CDs) and tax-deferred retirement accounts, on the other hand, impose penalties for early withdrawals. It's safe from the stock market: If a recession causes short-term market volatility, you won't lose money on your high-yield savings deposits, unlike investing in the stock market.

During recessions, one of the primary culprits responsible for money vanishing into thin air is the collapse of banks. As financial institutions crumble under the weight of bad loans and dwindling assets, they often go belly up, taking the money entrusted to them along for the ride.

Finance Experts All Say the Same Thing

They all said the same thing: You need three to six months' worth of living expenses in an easily accessible savings account. The exact amount of cash needed depends on one's income tier and cost of living.

During economic downturns or recessions, many investors turn to funds that focus on the consumer staples sector or large-cap companies (companies with a stock market value of $10 billion or more) that tend to generate more stable returns than small-cap companies.

Lower prices — A recession often hits after a long period of sky-high consumer prices. At the onset of a recession, these prices suddenly drop, balancing out previous long inflationary costs. As a result, people on fixed incomes can benefit from new, lower prices, including real estate sales.

Total Returns (%) by Asset Class

Because of their higher level of sensitivity to interest rates, long-term bonds have historically fared best during recessions, although intermediate-term bonds and cash have also been pretty resilient.

Typically at the onset of a crisis, investors usually decide to move their investments to sectors, industries, and asset classes that are considered to be “safe”. These include technology, utilities, consumer staples, and gold.

GOBankingRates consulted quite a few finance experts and asked them this question. They all said the same thing: You need three to six months' worth of living expenses in an easily accessible savings account. The exact amount of cash needed depends on one's income tier and cost of living.