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<\/p>\nAs investors we\u2019re constantly told that \u2018markets can go up as well as down\u2019. But if you\u2019ve forgotten the last part, it\u2019s probably because 2017 was a year of almost all up and very little down.<\/p>\n
Not only did most stock markets hit new record highs, they did so with very few shocks along the way.<\/p>\n
It was a year in which the dogs didn\u2019t bite – or even bark – for that matter. Despite all the dramatic headlines around the Trump presidency, Brexit negotiations and North Korean sabre rattling, concerns over political risk were never realised.<\/p>\n
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Maike Currie: If wage growth finally picks up we could also see an unexpected rise in inflation<\/p>\n
Wage growth has been paltry for almost a decade now, but if this changes we could see inflation start to pick up. Now might be a prudent time to add a bit of inflation protection to your investment portfolio.<\/p>\n
Maike Currie is investment director at Fidelity International and the author of The Search for Income \u2013 an investor\u2019s guide to income-paying investments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The views expressed are her own. Follow her on twitter @MaikeCurrie\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gold has long been seen as a useful hedge against the wealth-eroding effects of inflation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Investec Global Gold Fund provides an effective way to gain exposure to the yellow metal via a diversified portfolio of gold mining company shares.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Co-managers George Cheveley and Hanr\u00e9 Rossouw can also invest in physical gold ETFs and companies which mine for other precious metals.<\/p>\n
Alternatively, if you want to buy a slice of physical assets that could rise with inflation while still maintaining exposure to the stock and bond markets consider a multi asset fund which can blend equities and bonds with assets such as commercial property and commodities to cover most bases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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