PERMANENT INVESTMENTS: WHAT ARE THEY, INCOME, TYPES, EXAMPLES - DUDAS - 2024

The permanent investments are investment accounts that represent a company, including stocks, bonds, real estate and cash. They are found on the asset side of a company's balance sheet. They are assets that an organization intends to maintain in the long term.

Therefore, they are non-current assets that are not used in operating activities to generate income. That is, they are assets that are held for more than a year and are used to create other income outside of the normal operations of the company.

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Traditionally, a balance sheet divides total long-term assets into permanent investments, plant assets or fixed assets, and intangible assets. In this way, investors can see how much the company is investing in its operations compared to other activities.

Comparison with temporary investments

The permanent investment account differs greatly from the temporary investment account in that temporary investments are likely to be sold fairly quickly, while permanent investments will not sell for years and in some cases will never be sold.

Being a permanent investor means that you are willing to accept some risk in pursuit of potentially higher rewards and that you can afford to be patient for a longer period of time.

An interest bearing security can produce only a few percentage points of profit each year. However, the appreciation of a stock can produce double-digit returns and increase the portfolio many times in the future.

What are permanent investments?

If temporary investment has to do with the preservation of capital, permanent investment has to do with the creation of wealth.

A company does not typically buy bonds as part of its operations, unless it is an investment firm. Buying bonds is considered an investment for a manufacturing company.

It's about creating the kind of investment portfolio that will provide income for later in the business. That could be supplemental income.

Investing for the long term means accepting a certain amount of risk in pursuit of higher rewards. This generally means investments like stocks and real estate.

Classification on the balance sheet

When a holding company or other firm buys bonds or common stocks as an investment, the decision to classify the investment as temporary or permanent has some pretty big implications for how those assets are valued on the balance sheet.

Short-term investments are marked by the market, and any decrease in value is recognized as a loss.

However, increases in value are not recognized until the item is sold. Therefore, the classification of an investment on the balance sheet, whether short-term or long-term, has a direct impact on the net income that is reported in the income statement.

Business investments

A business investment may not be a permanent investment. However, a company may keep the investment with the intention of selling it in the more distant future.

These investments are classified as "available for sale" as long as the anticipated date of sale is not within the next 12 months.

Permanent investments available for sale are recorded at cost when purchased and are subsequently adjusted to reflect their fair value at the end of each period.

Unrealized holding gains or losses are recorded as "other income" until the permanent investment is sold.

Income from permanent investments

In permanent investments there is an almost constant dilemma between security and growth. Security offers protection of the money invested, but not much future potential.

In fact, at today's interest rates, safe investments can lose money through inflation.

That is where growth is necessary. It has risks, but the best permanent investments will outweigh those risks and increase the money many times over.

Since there is no way to know for sure what the best income will be, or avoid short-term downturns, the best strategy is to invest in all types of assets at the same time.

Average annual stock income, based on the S&P 500, is on the order of 10% per year. That includes both capital gains and dividend income.

Prepare to endure ups and downs

The risk of permanent investments is that they can lose value at any given time. They are capital investments, but they are not guaranteed to return the capital.

However, as they will last long term, they will have a chance to bounce back. Although an investment may drop 20% in the next five years, it could double or triple in value in the next 10 years.

You should also think long term to maximize investment returns. Instead of selling a stock that makes a profit of 50% in five years, you have to wait longer, to get 100% or more.

Don't overemphasize the price-earnings ratio

Investors often place a high premium on the price-earnings ratio, but it is not wise to put too much emphasis on a single indicator. The price-earnings ratio is best used in conjunction with other analytical processes.

Resist the lure of cheap stocks

Some mistakenly believe that there is less to lose from low-priced stocks. However, if a $ 5 share sinks to $ 0 or a $ 75 share does the same, 100% of the initial investment will have been lost.

Types of permanent investments

Actions

In many ways, stocks are the main permanent investment. They have the following advantages:

- They are "paper" investments. Therefore, you do not have to manage a property or a business.

- Represent ownership in profit-generating companies.

- They can increase in value in the long term, often dramatically.

- Many stocks pay dividends, providing constant income.

- Most are very liquid, allowing you to buy and sell them quickly and easily.

- The investment portfolio can be distributed in dozens of different companies and industries.

- It can be invested across international borders.

Long-term bonds

They are securities that accrue interest with terms of more than 10 years. There are different types of long-term bonds, such as corporate, government, municipal, and international bonds.

The main attraction of bonds is usually the interest rate. Since they are long-term in nature, they generally pay higher returns than short-term interest-bearing securities.

The biggest risk for bonds is that interest rates will rise. The risk is that it will be locked into the bond for many years, at a below-market interest rate.

If interest rates fall below the rate at which the bond is purchased, the market value of the bond could increase.

Mutual funds

They function as portfolios of a large number of different stocks and bonds. Because of that diversification, they can be one of the best long-term investments available.

All that needs to be done is to allocate an amount in one or more funds, and the money will be invested on behalf of the investor.

The funds can be used to invest in the financial markets in almost any way you want.

For example, if you want to invest in the general market, you can choose a fund based on a broad index, such as the S&P 500. The funds can also invest in stocks or bonds.

You can also invest in specific market sectors. It could be high technology, where a fund with that specialization is chosen.

Real estate

Real estate is frequently mentioned as an alternative to stocks as the best permanent investment.

The most basic way to invest in real estate is to own your own premises. Unlike other investments, real estate can be highly profitable, especially if you are an owner-occupier.

Examples

Land

Land itself is a long-term asset that is typically used in a business's operations, but it doesn't have to be.

For example, a manufacturer looking to expand its factory could buy 300 acres of land. Use 100 acres to build the factory plant.

The manufacturer keeps the other 200 acres and hopes to sell it to another company looking to find space to buy in the industrial park.

This land is considered an investment and is not used in company operations. Therefore, it is classified as a permanent investment and not as a fixed asset.

Growth Actions

These are company stocks with the main attraction of their long-term growth. They often do not pay dividends, if they do they are very low.

The returns on these stocks can be gigantic. Apple's action is an excellent example. As recently as 1990, it could have been purchased for less than $ 1. However, Apple is currently trading at approximately $ 208 per share.

Apple is an example of a classic successful growth. There are other success stories, but there are at least an equal number of growth stocks that never go anywhere.

High dividend stocks

High-dividend stocks are issued by companies that return a substantial amount of net earnings to their shareholders. These stocks often pay higher returns than fixed income investments.

For example, while the current yield on a 10-year US Treasury bond is 2.79%, high-dividend stocks often pay more than 3% per year.

Examples: AT&T, with a dividend yield of 5.57%, Verizon, with a dividend yield of 4.92%, and General Electric, with a dividend yield of 3.61%.

They also have the prospect of a capital appreciation. However, a decrease in earnings could make it difficult for a company to pay dividends.

References

1. Alexandra Twin (2019). Long-Term Investments. Investopedia. Taken from: investopedia.com.
2. Investopedia (2019). 10 Tips for Successful Long-Term Investing. Taken from: investopedia.com.
3. Kevin Mercadante (2019). Best Long-Term Investment Strategies & Products. Good Financial Cents. Taken from: goodfinancialcents.com.
4. My Accounting Course (2019). What are Long-Term Investments? Taken from: myaccountingcourse.com.
5. TIAA (2019). Five principles for long-term investments. Taken from: tiaa.org.
6. Wealth Pilgrim (2019). What is a Long Term Investment? Taken from: wealthpilgrim.com.