This is one of the ways to differentiate yourself from your peers – invest portions of your bonus for retirement or some other financial goal in the future. This will help you accomplish financial freedom in life and stand out amongst your peers.
It seems logical to start saving for some of your objectives with the bonus money. Because everyone has various priorities in their lifetime, start by choosing your goals and savings accordingly.
If you are looking toward a short-term goal like your kid's higher education, investing in the stock market might be beneficial. However, there is a possibility of loss, so that must be accounted for. However, if you are looking toward a long-term goal like retirement, a lump-sum investment in Mutual Funds may be more fruitful.
If you are currently not in debt, your first objective should be to use your annual bonus to acquire some wealth-creating investments. If you wish to stretch out your equity investment risk while benefiting from rupee cost averaging, you may do so by systematically transferring amounts to an equity fund.
You must first invest your bonus amount in any liquid or debt fund (without an exit fee) and then methodically transfer units to the desired equity fund using STP. This will help you receive double benefits. STP or Systematic Transfer Plan is a method in which an investor moves a defined sum of money from any source to the desired target scheme.
Investing in equities is one of the most popular forms of investment in India and has captured the imagination of a large section of the people. If you have an opportunity to receive a bonus at work, then you should try to allocate a part of it towards your direct equity portfolio. It's a long-term strategy, and you need to maintain discipline and keep close track of your investments.
However, you should consult your adviser and investment broker before putting your money in since you must consider the business life cycle, financial appeal, management efficiency, valuations, etc.
Nevertheless, if you can focus and find great stocks with high potential, you will most likely earn substantial wealth over the following years. The annual bonus may be your ideal opportunity to build your investment portfolio with direct equities.
Before you put money into a new investment, it's essential to ensure that your risk appetite and investment risk match up. You'll also want to make sure that you understand what you're getting into before you buy into an investment. This will ensure that you don't experience any unwanted surprises in the future.
If we invest this money prudently, we can build our way to a more comfortable financial position in the future. Then, if we want to splurge on something, we can live frugally for the rest of the year and still be able to afford it.
But it would be even better if we could venture into higher-rate investments and see a more significant return on our investment because our overall investment is more excellent.
This is how one should view a bonus. It's a time to expand your financial security, not increase your spending habits.