The forecast of the Ministry of Economic Development for inflation of 4.5-5.5% may not come true. The Public Opinion Foundation found out that 82% of compatriots expect a new round of price growth next month. What inflation will actually be at the end of the year is impossible to predict, but Russians are already noting it. In the conditions of the subsequent rise in prices, AiF.ru decided to tell you how to protect your savings from inflation.

Don't keep money at home

In order for your savings not to depreciate, they should not be “dead weight”. Of course, keeping money at home is the easiest way - they are always at hand and protected from bank failures. Sociologists have found that about 40% of compatriots keep their savings "in stockings", which generally contradicts world practice - most Europeans do not keep money at home, because in this case they are powerless against inflation.

Open a deposit

If you want money to generate income that at least covers the rise in prices, the easiest way is to open a bank deposit. To date, many financial institutions offer optimal interest rates on deposits, which will not only save savings from inflation, but also increase income.

Of course, in the context of the ongoing purge in the domestic banking sector, it is impossible to say unequivocally which bank will definitely stay afloat and which will remain without a license. But do not be afraid of the bankruptcy of a financial organization - according to the law, all deposits up to 700 thousand rubles are insured, so even if your financial organization is deprived of a license, you are guaranteed to be paid the required sum insured. If the amount of your savings exceeds 700 thousand rubles, “scatter” it among different banks, in which case your money will be definitely insured against the bankruptcy of a credit institution.

Diversify your savings

As you know, the ruble exchange rate is extremely unstable both to internal economic events and to external ones. However, we cannot refuse to use the Russian currency due to the fact that dollars or euros are not accepted in domestic stores.

To protect savings from inflation, it is necessary to diversify risks and divide money into several parts. 50-60% of savings should be kept in rubles, everything else - in dollars, euros and Swiss francs, advises Tamara Kasyanova, First Vice President of the all-Russian organization Russian Club of Financial Directors.

Converting rubles into foreign currency right now is not worth it because of the rather high exchange rate of the dollar and the euro. Experts predict that the “wooden” one will win back soon. Of course, it is not necessary to expect the ruble exchange rate to return to last year's level, but when the Russian currency strengthens a little, you will have the opportunity to buy a foreign one at a more attractive rate than now.

Buy import now

If you have long planned to purchase any expensive imported goods, whether it be a car or a washing machine, it is better not to delay the purchase and do it right now, Kasyanova recommends. The fact is that due to the devaluation of the ruble, foreign goods are primarily becoming more expensive, and import prices have already begun to skyrocket.

Keeping the money you earn is no less difficult than earning money. There are two types of actions in relation to money: 1. attack, 2. defense. By analogy with military affairs, it is obvious that if one engages only in active actions, then sooner or later the forces will be exhausted. In addition, the offensive is always a greater risk of being defeated by the enemy, but also a solid reward, if successful. Land, gold, captive slaves.) To be effective on the offensive, you must be able to defend effectively.

Defense is a type of military operations carried out with the aim of repelling an enemy offensive, holding occupied positions and creating conditions for going on the offensive.

What matters is not how much money you make, but how much money you can keep.

Robert Kiyosaki.

In the conditions of our economic system, first of all, it is necessary to know how to save the money earned from depreciating inflation. Financially illiterate people are amazed that their income seems to increase from year to year, while the standard of living is at the same level, or is declining.

Acting on defense, open deposits in different currencies in reliable banks. When acting on the offensive, invest in assets that will generate new income.

Income growth and inflation

Okay, concrete example! To make it clear and at the same time scary from money aimlessly dissolved in the air. Let there be income at the beginning of the year 30000 rub., in a year it grew by 14% and made by the end of the year 34200 rub. If inflation is also 14% , That real income by the end of the year will be the same 30000 rub. Real income growth will be 14%-14%=0%.

If the rate of growth of your income is less than the rate of growth of inflation, then your standard of living is declining. If income grows at a faster rate, then the standard of living rises. To raise your standard of living you need to: 1. save the money you earn from inflation and all sorts of economic surprises, 2. ensure stable and high income growth.

If you believe the financial statements, now in Russia inflation is no more than 10%. To ensure the stability of the standard of living, money must be invested with a return higher than 10%. Of course, the idea of ​​keeping the money earned "under the mattress" will fail. Every year, inflation will “bite off” 10% of the remaining amount saved. When we talk about keeping the money we earn, we are talking about defense, so it makes sense to talk about investing money with minimal risks.

Bank deposits

The most common tool that will suit you to save your earned money from inflation is a bank deposit. On www.banki.ru you can find out the best offers of banks on deposits. Given the security of bank deposits and their insurance, this is a good option, despite the low interest rates. At a minimum, you can save money from inflation.

If you choose bank deposits, focus not on a high percentage, but on the reliability of the bank. It is best to choose those banks that are included in the ranking of the top 20 banks in the country. Another criterion of reliability is the presence of the state as the owner. Also find out if the bank is included in the deposit insurance system and what amounts are insured. In the event of bankruptcy, only the insured amount will be returned to you.

Structured Products

When you need a higher return than banks give, while maintaining the reliability of investments, you can pay attention to. Their structure lies in the fact that most of them are invested in low-risk instruments (bonds), a smaller part is invested in shares. Risks are usually agreed in advance and you will know in advance what to expect in the end. There are products where you risk only no profit in case of failure, and in case of a successful combination of circumstances, not only save the money earned, but also make a good profit.

Multi-currency savings

All currencies, without exception, tend to become cheaper and depreciate. By the way, currencies (money) have a formal value, but in reality ... it's paper and zeros in a computer. So you don't have to wonder what currency to keep your savings in. The right question is which currencies to put in your basket of currencies.

When the primary goal is the safety of capital, you need to "go into the currency", that is, transfer your savings into different currencies. The ideal end result is to be financially independent of exchange rates and their purchasing power. In order to save money, keep savings in three different stable currencies: 1. in the national currency (rubles - for the Russian Federation), 2. in dollars, 3. in euros. There are no restrictions on the number, you can include more currencies in your basket. The criterion is the economic invulnerability of the country in which the currency is circulating. In this sense, of course, Switzerland is unmatched.

The rule is to take actions on a regular basis to increase your resilience to major and unexpected economic events such as inflation (currency depreciation). And do not do it from crisis to crisis, in a panic, like most. Whoever twitches the most, he only loses in the end. Deciding to divide deposits between different currencies, do it at the time of your decision, without waiting for a favorable exchange rate. The task is not to earn something on the difference in exchange rates, but to remain stable in the long run against the depreciation of one of the currencies.

Real estate

If funds allow, it is worth taking a closer look at buying real estate. There are thousands of opportunities to profitably buy real estate that has the potential to grow in the future. A trained eye is needed. One of the options for investing in real estate is investing in share building. If there is no money for equity participation, it is very convenient to buy real estate ETFs(funds whose shares can be freely bought and sold on the stock exchange). It should be noted that in times of crisis, real estate is far from the best option for investment. On the contrary, in times of crisis, real estate can significantly lose value, as was the case in Japan in the late 80s, when prices fell by 80% and have never (to this day) returned to their previous levels.

Gold

Unlike real estate, which can show very unpredictable pirouettes in times of crisis, gold can become a locomotive commodity that grows very quickly. Gold has always been highly valued. Today it is not only a precious metal, but also an industrial metal, the need for which is constantly growing. Usually when everything falls, gold rises and rises quickly. The easiest way to invest in gold is to open metal accounts in banks. Alternatively, gold bars. You can also buy gold contracts on exchanges, including buying gold ETFs.

collectibles

If you have a penchant for collecting, then consider buying options gold or silver bullion coins . At most major banks you will find investment coins both Russian and foreign. Here are a couple of those from VTB:

Keep in mind that there are subtleties here that should be studied. For example, when buying a gold coin, you immediately lose value in the amount of VAT, which will have to be sealed upon sale. Collectible coins are of interest precisely as collectible ones, their value does not depend on the amount of gold they contain.

Seek first of all what has not paper value, and real. So you will learn step by step how to effectively “defend” and become less and less dependent on the economic situation in a certain country at a certain time.

pamm investing

Pamm account dynamics and portfolio linear dynamics (green)

As for indices, and funds, they can be very useful in saving and increasing money for those who play in the attack. In order to get good results in pamm investing, you need to invest in a reliable of 19-20 instruments that are independent of each other. In this case, the addition of the portfolio in value will not be so large, however, a sufficiently high safety of funds will be achieved. I repeat once again that this method of saving and increasing savings is not suitable for everyone, but only for those investors who are not on the defensive, but are more ready to act on the attack. To understand what proportion of your capital is adequate to invest in a PAMM account, first of all, determine for yourself what kind of person you are.

Cash or bank deposit? Single or double? Buy an apartment in the Crimea or the Caucasus? Or maybe in Bulgaria?

These issues, for all their diversity of objects, are united by one thing: the opportunity for citizens of the Russian Federation to save their savings from inflation by investing them either in real estate in the country or abroad, or in foreign currency, or go all out trying to get the maximum income in various kinds of financial roulette. Or maybe not take risks and sleep peacefully, putting money on a bank ruble deposit, the safety of which is guaranteed by the state within the limits of 1 million 400 thousand rubles? Quite exotic options are also possible, such as speculating in futures for the supply of sea cucumbers or buying plots on the moon.

New 2016 makes this choice especially relevant. Although the Central Bank of Russia predicts the official inflation rate to be no more than 12-14 percent, the financial prospects associated with falling oil prices and the growth of the dollar look less rosy: according to experts, inflation could rise to 20-25 percent in general, up to 30 percent - for food and services. Tariffs for gas, electricity, housing and communal services will increase, OSAGO and medicine are becoming more expensive.

However, it is possible and necessary to resist the onset of high prices. Savings are quite realistic, if not increased, then maximally protected from depreciation, using the same market mechanisms.

No one will argue: the ruble of the sample, for example, in 2010 is quite significantly different from the ruble of 2015 in terms of purchasing power. Official statistics show that it has depreciated by about 20 percent, unofficial figures give a figure of as much as fifty. It is clear that this depends on the calculation method: if we take the cost of gold or diamonds as a basis, then it may turn out that the ruble has even strengthened: you can buy more diamonds for the same amount than in 2010. On the other hand, if one skillfully uses the economic situation, then it would be quite likely to turn one ruble into forty or fifty in five years, which is demonstrated, say, by currency speculators. So how to save rubles from inflation?

Opened a deposit - and sleep well

Ways to save money can be different. But they are united by one pattern: the greater and faster the probable return, the higher the risk of losing the invested money. And vice versa - the minimum risk accompanies the minimum benefit. According to these criteria, it is possible to store money as safely as possible, figuratively speaking, in a mattress - the income will be negative, but safety is one hundred percent, if, of course, natural disasters are not taken into account. And vice versa, you can get an income of three hundred to four hundred percent in a matter of minutes by betting on a combination of numbers in roulette. But more often there are losses. All other methods are different variations of a tape measure and a mattress. And one more consideration: any action aimed at saving money always requires effort and mental or physical stress. Manna from heaven has not fallen for a long time, and a lucky break is a variant of roulette.

Let's talk about purely financial instruments first. So, according to the combination of reliability and profitability, the ruble bank deposit is in the first place. Today, banks can borrow money at rates as high as 13 percent. Moreover, you can place funds in almost any bank, if you do not go beyond the insurance amount of one million four hundred thousand rubles, guaranteed by the state. Of course, the deposit will not completely protect against inflation, but with its official level of 14 percent, losses will be minimal. You just need to remember that the difference between the deposit rate and the discount rate of the Central Bank (today 11 percent) is taxed at 35 percent, which, of course, reduces profits.

The next option is a foreign exchange deposit. Now you can give the banks currency, receiving up to 5 percent per annum. It can be much more profitable than the ruble one, provided that the allocated funds are properly managed. But at the end of last year, the profitability of foreign currency deposits turned out to be lower than ruble ones. The dollar in December last year was worth about 68, today - about 70 rubles. A year ago, it was possible to open a ruble deposit at 20-23 percent, and a dollar deposit at 3-4 percent. Accordingly, ruble depositors increased their savings by a fifth over the year, by the way, overtaking inflation, and foreign currency depositors, even taking into account the growth in the exchange rate, by a maximum of seven percent. But given that the US Federal Reserve announced a gradual increase in the discount rate on the dollar, next year a foreign currency deposit, as well as a cash dollar, will most likely become the best option for investing funds.

A more risky option is to play on the exchange rate difference in a short or medium position, as the financiers say. With the mobility of the dollar, which can fall or rise by a ruble and a half in a day or two, there are opportunities to make decent money on the exchange rate difference. However, it is worth remembering that this market is largely controlled by powerful international speculative groups, large banks and other financial intermediary structures with billions of dollars of capital.

Other available investments are the stock and securities market. Here it is necessary to at least slightly imagine the prospects of a particular industry. For example, shares of fuel and energy companies are unlikely to be highly profitable: energy prices are falling. It's the same with the banking sector - the financial crisis will hit their income, as evidenced by the experience of Sberbank, which lost a third of its profits over the past year. But producers of mineral fertilizers have a guaranteed sales market in China - therefore, an increase in cost is possible. It should be taken into account that the domestic securities market is poorly developed and small in volume, therefore it is controlled by several large exchange players. It is problematic to get tangible profits in a short time, you need to count on at least six months or a year.

The most risky option is to invest in microfinance organizations and other non-bank structures at 25-50 percent per annum. You are essentially lending money to people who have only civil liability. Consequently, in case of non-return of money, it will be necessary to sue for a long time and, as a rule, to no avail.

Is real estate always valuable?

In recent years, housing investors have received very good dividends. But the crisis hit them too: in large cities, the cost of apartments from the construction stage practically does not increase, and demand has fallen significantly along with a drop in real incomes of the population. Only the owners of foreign currency savings remained the winners - the cost of a square meter in dollars fell almost by half. Next year, it is difficult to expect growth in personal income, so the price of new housing will remain at the same level at best. You can only count on the segment of budget housing - one-room apartments, and not only new ones, but also in the secondary market, for example, in brick high-rise buildings. Such apartments can bring a good profit, correlated with the level of inflation - 15-20 percent. Just keep in mind that there are quite high taxes on second and subsequent homes, which can lead to increased sales and lower prices even more.

The general trend towards saving money and switching to cheaper products and services predetermines another investment option - in resort and recreational real estate. Türkiye and Egypt - the most budgetary holiday destinations - are closed. Consequently, domestic tourism will grow. From this position, the Crimea and the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody are very interesting. So far, you can buy apartments or houses there at a relatively low price and, based on the results of the summer season (and on the CMS all year round), get a good profit from renting out. In addition, given the fairly large investment in the Crimea, you can get additional bonuses in the form of newly built transport and social infrastructure.

And finally, the classic way to save money is gold and jewelry. Statistics show that over the past 20 years, the value of gold, with all the ups and downs in prices, eventually increased by about three times. So in the long run, this is a completely reliable and profitable way to save money, which cannot be said about precious stones, the price of which is very competitive, and the stones themselves are subject to deterioration, they must be stored in a special regime, which also costs money.

This material explains how to protect yourself from inflation.

From the point of view of the investor and most ordinary people, inflation is an absolute "evil". Inflation reduces the purchasing power of money, devalues ​​savings, lowers the standard of living. But in this case, we want to tell you about how you can turn inflation to your advantage.

Nature of inflation

The well-being of people is not determined by money. Simplified: if you take the volume of all real assets and goods in the country and divide by the number of people, this will be the average level of well-being. People work every day and with their labor create new goods, services and assets. But for a normal exchange of goods, services, assets and resources (including human resources), a certain amount of money is needed. Money is the blood of the economy, it makes the whole economic organism work.

If at some fixed moment we correlate the entire mass of commodities and the amount of money, we will estimate the current value (or security) of money. When people create new goods and services with their labor, there is a need for additional money to ensure the normal circulation of the newly appeared mass of commodities. In this case, the release of a certain amount of additional money will not lead to inflation.

Additional money that is not used for direct consumption, but is directed to investments, as a rule, does not lead to an increase in inflation. Moreover, under certain conditions, this money leads to an increase in business activity and an increase in the volume of goods and services created and, as a result, to a decrease in inflation. For example, a sharp and prolonged increase in productivity in Japan led to a prolonged period of price decline (deflation, the opposite of inflation).

An archival and extremely difficult task of the financial and economic authorities of the state is to create conditions for increasing business activity and increasing labor productivity, which should be accompanied by the issuance of additional money. In practice, the state is good at issuing money and not so good at creating conditions. This leads to inflation.

Moreover, increased issuance of money against the backdrop of low business activity could worsen the business environment, as the runaway increase in consumer prices will make long-term investments unprofitable. Everyone has a fresh memory of the situation of the 1990s in Russia.

Inflation is considered normal if it does not exceed 10%. It's a paradox, but in this case inflation encourages investment. People can no longer just accumulate money. To save themselves from inflation, they seek to invest them with maximum return.

How to protect yourself from inflation?

If you are interested in the rate of inflation, then you have money, savings, and you have something to protect. Inflation attacks money. To understand how to protect your long-term savings from inflation, let's consider inflationary processes in the economy from the everyday level.

Inflation is an increase in the prices of goods and services. Perhaps this definition is different from the classical one, but this is how we feel inflation in our lives. From this simple fact we will proceed in our reasoning.

And now a little story. Consider an ordinary person, Mr. N, who has a certain excess of money. He decided not to spend it on increasing his consumption, but decided to save this money. Seeing the rise in prices, he easily realized that by simply putting them in a bedside table (under the mattress, in a safe, ... whoever is used to it), he cannot protect his income from rising prices.

At the next stage, he decided to use a bank deposit. But, giving the money to the bank, he asked the Bankers what they were going to do with his money. They replied that they would issue a loan to some enterprise.

real case
A person comes to the Management Company and says to the manager:
“I want to invest in an inflation fund!”
Manager:
- There are stock funds, bonds, mixed ...
Human:
Why do I need stocks and bonds and all that? I need an inflation fund. Only inflation will grow, and I am 100% sure of this.

Mr. N became thoughtful: the Bank takes money from him for a deposit at 10% per year, and issues a loan at 15% per year. He decided not to invest in a deposit yet. Instead, he went to the credit department of the Bank and waited for the client, Entrepreneur Y, to leave. Mr. N asked him about how he was going to use the money received from the Bank. He willingly told about his plans to expand the business and produce more new products.

Mr. N thought to himself - this guy (Entrepreneur Y) does not look like a fool. If he took out a loan at 15%, then he will include the cost of paying interest in the cost of the goods. And since Y took out a loan to expand production, then even taking into account the payment of interest to the Bank for the loan, he himself expects to earn more - otherwise why expand production. The profit included in the price of the goods should allow you to pay interest to the bank and earn yourself.

At each stage of product creation, Entrepreneur Y puts a profit "for himself and for the Bank" in the price. In the price of those goods that he used in the production process, someone also included a profit "for himself and for the Bank." And the one who will use in the future the goods of Entrepreneur Y for the production of his goods will also include in the price the profit "for himself and for the Bank." And so on until the product reaches the end consumer. If someone in this chain raises the price of a product, then over time, the rest will do the same.

real case
One of our clients was very happy about the increase in gasoline prices. When we asked him what was the reason for such strange behavior, he replied:
- On the one hand, I have a big car, it eats well, and I have to travel a lot on business. On the other hand, I have a large stake in Lukoil, so when the price of gasoline rises, I know that I will win much more than I spend on fuel. Everything is very pragmatic!

This is how prices rise - that is, inflation. It turns out that if we consider inflation from these positions, then it is created by those who set the price of the goods and put profit into it "for themselves and for the Bank." Business creates goods and services. This is all a huge set of PE, LLC, JSC and PJSC. All companies in the course of their activities create goods and services and set prices for them.

There will always be inflation, because it is easier to print money than to produce goods and services!

Realizing all this, Mr. N understood: only Business can truly protect money from inflation. Because Inflation is an essential by-product of Business. But here's the problem - he himself does not have entrepreneurial talent, he works in the statistics department and knows by the nature of his activity: in the first three years of activity, 2/3 of new companies are closed, and for every next three years, another 2/3 of the remaining ones. Therefore, it is better not to invest in the first business that comes across.

Again, statistics told Mr. N that most of the goods and services are created by large companies that have been working for a long time and have already passed this natural selection. Therefore, if you invest in business, then invest in the business of large and stable companies. But the question arises - how to do it? Who will talk to him at or when he brings them his money?

After understanding this issue, Mr. N learned that you can buy shares or bonds of most large companies. By buying bonds, you can actually lend to these companies directly, bypassing the bank. Buying shares is buying a share, a "little piece" of a company's business. This information turned Mr. N's worldview upside down. He always perceived the stock exchange as a kind of casino, and now it turned out that this is a very convenient and technologically advanced way to invest in business.

The above example is specially simplified and does not cover many aspects of investing in stocks and bonds, but it clearly shows main conclusions:

• business as a whole (despite the huge number of unprofitable enterprises) benefits more than others from inflation, because it creates it itself;
• it is investing in stocks (as in a business) that is best able to protect human well-being from inflation in the long run;
• becoming (co)owner of the Business, you become the owner of the mechanism that creates Inflation.

Last Friday, the Bank of Russia decided to cut the key rate to 7.5% and said that the probability of 4% inflation this year is significantly low. According to the Central Bank, in January this figure was only 2.2%.

Most often, we notice inflation only on the example of a rise in the price of food: food products and cigarettes react almost every month to changes in the circulation of money in the state. However, inflation is equally sensitive to our savings.

Therefore, today we will talk in detail about the impact of this indicator on the safety of the savings of Russians, and how money can be saved from the detrimental effect of depreciation.

What is inflation

The inflationary process begins with an increase in the money supply in the economy, which leads to a decrease in the actual value of monetary units. This is called monetary inflation. The Central Bank is responsible for controlling the money supply, so such changes remain on the conscience of the regulator.

An erroneous or deliberate decision of the Central Bank to inject more than the allowable amount of money leads to price inflation, that is, a logical reaction of the market to the depreciation of the national currency. For example, yesterday's 100 rubles after inflation will de facto be valued at 90 rubles. In this case, the seller decides that he cannot lose real profit and raises the price of the goods by 10 rubles. In essence, it does not change the real price of the product, but only adjusts it to the changed measure of the cost of the equivalent.

Suppose that back in 2012 you decided to go for Belomorkanal cigarettes and grabbed 27 rubles for them. But on the way, you thought about the dangers of smoking and decided to return home, along the way putting this money on your deposit.

Five years later, you started smoking again and withdrew money from the deposit, hoping to purchase two packs of the glorious Belomor with funds with interest. However, even one pack of cigarettes began to cost 70 rubles. It turns out that price inflation smoked out all the Don tobacco from your money and did not even blink.

Thus, even a deposit can not always save money from inflation.

What does the consumer price index say

One product cannot give an objective picture of the level of inflation in the country, so Rosstat is smarter and calculates this indicator for a combination of goods and services, calculating the consumer price index.

The index reflects the annual change in the prices of goods and services that make up the average consumer basket of a Russian citizen. One can imagine that some aunt from Rosstat once a year walks through the markets or shops and buys a number of goods that every Russian needs to meet their monthly needs. Auntie conditionally has to spend 10 thousand rubles on this basket. A year later, Rosstat again sends the aunt out shopping, but now you have to pay 11 thousand rubles for the same consumer set. It turns out that price inflation for the year amounted to 10%.

If we talk about real values ​​of inflation, then last year it was only 2.51%. And housing and communal services, meat, cars, clothes and alcohol have the largest weight in the consumer basket. Also, according to Rosstat, the number of goods and services necessary for a Russian citizen includes red caviar, roofing felt and digging a grave by hand.

It should be borne in mind that inflation for various products is not uniform, since it depends on seasonality, the geographical location of the region and the segment position of the product. For example, before the New Year, bananas, grapes and caviar went up by more than 20%. And oranges, nuts and pasta fell by 5.7%. At the same time, inflation in December was only 0.42%.

Thus, inflation is individual for everyone and depends on his personal consumer basket. And the average inflation in the country reflects your real situation to the extent that your needs are close to the economic portrait of the average Russian.

To what extent does a bank deposit help protect money from inflation?

The state teaches us to protect our funds from inflation by offering various financial instruments. But due to frequent economic cataclysms in the last 40 years, the population is more accustomed and calmer to keep their savings to themselves. However, inflation can count off a couple of hundred or even thousands of rubles from your savings, even if they are stored in a safe, locker or glove box.

- the easiest way to protect savings from depreciation. For a year, five or ten years, the money is kept in the bank and fed with interest (7% is the average rate on deposits in the Russian Federation, note .. But if the deposit amount grows, this does not always mean that you managed to beat inflation.

The rules are as simple as elementary school arithmetic. If the value of inflation is higher than the interest rate of the deposit, then you lose money, because their purchasing power is still reduced. If the inflation rate is lower than the deposit rate, then you are win - this is called real profitability.

Now inflation is 2.51% at the end of last year. When you open a deposit at 7% per annum, your real yield will be 4.49%. True, taking into account individual inflation, it becomes more difficult to calculate real returns.

Specialized Instrument - Inflation Protected Bonds

And now a little historical digression. In 1997, the US Treasury issued the first inflation-protected bond, TIPS. These securities were pegged to the consumer price index: if the index grew, then the body of the bond also grew (par value, approx.; if the index fell, the body, respectively, decreased. Thus, such bonds were exclusively focused on cash insurance during the period rising inflation.

18 years later, the Russian Ministry of Finance issued its analogue of TIPS - OFZ-IN. Federal loan bonds with inflation protection number 52001 imply monthly indexation of the face value of the security to the level of growth or fall of the consumer price index. The coupon is paid twice a year with a yield of 2.5% of the value of the bond's body. The nominal value of one OFZ-IN is 1,000 rubles.

Indexation of the face value of the bond to the consumer price index, that is, to inflation, is the main feature of this OFZ. That is, if inflation for the year was 5%, then the cost of the indexed bond will be 1050 rubles.

And at the maturity date of OFZ-IN, the Ministry of Finance returns the entire indexed amount (and at least 1,000 rubles per bond, even if inflation turns out to be negative). This means that until repayment, the loan to the Ministry of Finance retains its purchasing power, since it increases by the level of consumer inflation.

One could notice that the OFZ-IN rate of 2.5% is almost 3 times lower than that of non-indexed bonds. But since par indexation already preserves the purchasing power of the debt, it does not need to be preserved by earning interest.

Another option to save your money - "people's" bonds

At the end of April last year, the Ministry of Finance issued special bonds for individuals - OFZ-n. Bonds can be bought at offices and (only a passport is needed). The face value of one paper is 1,000 rubles, but the minimum investment is 30,000 rubles, and the maximum is 15 million rubles.

The coupon will be paid every six months, and its size will increase with each payment: the first coupon rate will be 7.5%, and will increase each time by half a percentage point to the last, which will be equal to 10.5% per annum. As a result, the average yield of the "people's" bonds for three years will be 8.5% per annum.

True, the final yield will be less due to the mandatory commission when buying OFZ. The commission is determined depending on the amount of investments: less than 50 thousand rubles - 1.5%, from 50 to 300 thousand rubles - 1%, over 300 thousand - 0.5%.

The yield on three-year "people's" bonds will be higher than on deposits, experts promise. However, OFZ-n are inferior to bonds with a floating coupon not only in terms of yield, but also in liquidity, since a depositor can sell ordinary OFZs at any time and also make a profit, while national OFZs can only be returned to an agent bank and at the same time lose another 0 .5-1.5% depending on the amount.

In general, in terms of capital protection, OFZs for households are quite comparable to both classical sovereign bonds and bank deposits.

Risky way - stocks of large companies

Stocks are one of the most profitable investment assets. According to the Investfunds portal, on average, shares can bring 20% ​​profit per year.

Individuals can purchase shares through an individual investment account, which many banks offer to open.

The minimum amount to open an account is 100 thousand rubles, the maximum is 1 million. You can buy securities through an online trader for a commission of about 0.1%. There is also an option with trust management of your funds for 1% - the bank will invest your money at its discretion.

Trading in Russia also has its bonuses: if you invest in stocks and bonds for three years, the state gives you a one-time tax deduction of 13% of the amount invested. The maximum amount for deduction is 400 thousand rubles. But there is a condition - the official income of the depositor must be no less than the amount that you put into the account. That is, if your annual salary is 400 thousand, then the account can only be opened for 400 thousand. Then next year you will receive 52,000 rubles as a gift from the state.

Experts believe that even now the shares of commodity companies (like Norilsk Nickel or Novatek) bring good income, but it is still recommended to diversify investments and invest in the papers of technology leaders.