When Obi-Wan defeated me and left my body to the flames I went to Switzerland and luckily I had a good health insurance there, otherwise this would have meant a big financial hole in my plans for the conquest of the financial galaxy.
Let's get to the point:
Unexpected life events, whether it's a sudden job loss, a large medical bill or a family crisis, can throw even the best financial plans into disarray. Even if you have built up a solid nest egg, there are situations in which this is not enough. Then a key question arises:
What do I sell first when things get financially tight?
We take a hypothetical but realistic look at this, focusing on common asset classes such as broad global ETFs, crypto, gold (physical or ETF) and other valuables. The aim is to minimize long-term damage and maximize liquidity.
1st basic rule: minimize liquidity & losses
Before you sell everything in a panic, it is important to take a structured approach. The most important criteria:
LiquidityHow quickly can I get the money?
Loss potentialHow high is the potential price loss or "price discount" in the event of a sale?
Future opportunities of the investmentWhat else could develop well in the long term?
2. the asset classes in the emergency check
A. Broad World Index $VWRL (+0,36%)
$FWRG (+0,22%)
$IWDC (+0,2%)
+ High liquidity, low transaction costs
- Selling at price lows can hurt (loss realization).
RecommendationOnly sell if necessary. Broad ETFs are the backbone of long-term wealth creation. A (partial) sale should be considered, especially when the markets are currently down.
B. Cryptocurrencies $BTC (-0,26%)
$ETH (-0,65%)
+ Can be liquidated very quickly
- Extremely volatile - risk of selling at low prices.
RecommendationIf the price is currently high, it may make sense to sell. Otherwise, crypto should rather be considered "risk capital".
C. Gold $ZGLD
+ Often stable in crises, good value retention
- Physical gold more difficult to sell (time, effort, possibly lower prices).
RecommendationSell ETF gold before physical gold, as it can be liquidated more quickly. Gold is generally a good emergency buffer, but more likely to be sold after crypto if it is not the main component.
D. Other valuables (e.g. electronics, jewelry, collectibles)
+ Quick to turn into cash, often with no impact on the portfolio
- Significant loss of value on second-hand sales.
RecommendationIf the items are not essential or are hardly used, sell them. Long-term wealth creation does not suffer here.
3. one possible strategy: staggered sale according to risk share
Instead of pulling everything out of one asset class, you could consider Sell proportionally according to risk, this way your target weighting remains roughly the same.
4. psychological factor: avoid panic selling
In a crisis, the temptation to turn everything into money is great. However, hasty decisions can be expensive in the long term. If possible, talk to a financial advisor or a trusted person before making any major sales.
5 Conclusion: Keep a cool head, act wisely
In a real emergency, it's not about investing cleverly, but about surviving and stabilizing. Nevertheless, it is worth having a well thought-out plan to minimize the consequences for your future.
Short form of my theoretical strategy from first sell to last.
1. sell unnecessary things first (valuables).
2. liquidate crypto when prices are right.
3. gold ETF before physical gold.
4. world ETFs only if really necessary.
Alternative: If possible, liquidate proportionally instead of just one position completely.
Tip: Create a personal "emergency sales strategy" today so that you don't have to make decisions under pressure in an emergency.
And now you! How would you proceed?
A financial emergency is never pleasant, but being well prepared makes a difference. That's why I'm interested in your opinion:
- Which investment would you would sell firstif push came to shove?
- Have you ever thought about an emergency liquidity strategy made?
- Would you rather liquidate a position completely or slightly touch all of themto maintain the weighting?
- Does emotion play a role for youe.g. with gold or crypto
Share your thoughts, experiences or strategies in the comments! Perhaps we can collect a few good ideas together for an emergency.
Your Lord Vader!
#investment
#langfristig
#notgroschen
#notfall
#strategie
#etf
#krypto
#gold
