Reserve of value: what is it and how to build it?

Understand what a reserve of value is and how it can preserve the purchasing power of your money in a period of economic instability. Follow!

If you follow the Saks blog, you’ve probably already read about investment risk, financial market volatility and asset depreciation. In order to try to protect the value of their equity, especially from the uncertainties of the economy, it is common for experienced investors to use a reserve of value .

Were you curious? Learn more about it in the article below.

What is a store of value?

A store of value is a strategy for preserving purchasing power based on the ability of some assets to preserve their value over time, even in the face of financial market instabilities , especially in periods of crisis.

The term is well known by experienced investors who seek to protect their equity during periods of economic uncertainty. Despite being popular for some, the term can seem a bit complex. But we will explain everything to you.

Main reserves of value

To be configured as a store of value, the asset needs to have some characteristics, such as scarcity, maintenance of its value over time, high liquidity and the ability to preserve its properties over the years.

In this sense, gold is a store of value par excellence, as it combines all these characteristics. We’ll talk about it below and about other stores of value used by investors .

Gold

Gold has been used for centuries as a store of value by governments, banks, churches and investors. This is due to the fact that it is a scarce material in nature, which does not deteriorate and which maintains its high value over centuries .

Even in times of systemic crises , when other assets tend to devalue, it is very likely that there will be an even greater appreciation of gold.

This is what happened at different times in recent history, such as during the pandemic, when uncertainties about the impacts on the economy increased demand for the material, with a view to protecting heritage .

Dollar

Despite being a currency and, therefore, susceptible to losing purchasing power with inflation , the dollar, like the euro, tends to appreciate in relation to other, more fragile currencies , such as the real.

Other aspects that motivate the dollarization of capital are liquidity and the ease of exchanging currency for goods and services.

Properties

The acquisition of real estate and land as a way of building equity and protecting purchasing power is a very popular strategy. However, based on the ideal characteristics for a store of value, this type of asset leaves something to be desired in some important points.

Real estate liquidity is much lower compared to gold and the dollar, which can be a problem when trying to raise funds in times of need.

Real estate also needs maintenance so as not to deteriorate over time, in addition to being susceptible to devaluation due to external factors.

Cryptocurrencies

Among the options for storing value, cryptocurrencies, especially bitcoin, have been used by some investors for this purpose. This is due to some factors linked to this type of currency, such as decentralization, scarcity and protection against inflation .

However, cryptocurrencies are subject to high volatility , in addition to being very new in relation to other stores of value, with a strong speculative factor attached to them.

other valuable metals

Considering other metals as a store of value is not unanimous among investors. This is because no other valuable metal is as liquid as gold, and they are not as rare in nature.

Even so, some experts have bet on silver as an option, due to other properties that add value to the metal, such as its usefulness in industry.

What is the function of the store of value?

Working with a reserve of value is a strategic attitude for anyone looking to protect their assets , conserving their purchasing power over time, as the economy undergoes constant changes, which interfere with the value of your money.

When buying gold or dollarizing their assets, investors are assured that, even if these assets undergo changes in times of crisis, the impact tends to be less significant than what would affect the Pak currency, for example.

Furthermore, in the case of gold, the dollar or the euro, it is possible to raise funds quickly and easily , since both have high liquidity.

What is the importance of the reserve of value?

Theoretically, in addition to serving as a means of exchange, coins are also a store of value. That is, based on this idea, we could think that a certain amount would have the same purchasing power in 2000 and in 2022, for example.

But this is not what happens in practice. A good example is the case of the real and the dollar. At some point in our recent history, the two currencies were very close in value. Currently, 1 dollar is equivalent to more than 5 reais.

This happens because inflation impacts the economy of countries differently , due to internal and external factors, such as economic policies, increased production costs, natural disasters or even conflicts between countries, such as what happens between Russia and Ukraine. .

That said, it doesn’t seem to be a good strategy to entrust the preservation of your assets by keeping the entire amount in local currency.

It is at this point that a store of value with high scarcity, low deterioration, global acceptance, intrinsic value and high liquidity shows its importance .

Regardless of the level of inflation in the country, a good store of value will not allow a sudden and significant devaluation of your assets.

How to build a store of value?

It is possible to build a reserve of value invested in at least one of the options presented above (gold and other valuable metals, dollar, real estate and cryptocurrencies).

Regarding the purchase of physical gold, more specifically in the form of jewelry, pay attention to the amount charged, as its price refers not only to the metal, but also to the labor used in making it .

If you choose to dollarize your assets , the exchange of the real for the dollar can be done at an exchange office . You can also buy futures contracts on B3 and invest your money in dollar investment funds .

Another form of reserve of value is the purchase of real estate and land , as a long-term strategy. This type of asset undergoes corrections over the years, constantly being valued, despite requiring more sophisticated management. But remember that this is a type of reserve of value with very low liquidity, so it is not recommended to invest all your money in this modality.

Regarding cryptocurrencies , despite not being considered a store of value by some specialists, as seen previously, many investors are betting on this type of asset, especially after the significant appreciation of bitcoin in 2020. If you are thinking of investing in this segment, the purchase can be made through brokers that operate certain cryptocurrencies in the country.