Financier Skobelev named the features and risks of investing in 2025

In light of the so-called "geopolitical shocks" and the obvious tensions in the international arena, passive income has become a way to preserve capital. However, it is important to understand exactly how to start investing, taking into account the possible risks. Financier Alexey Skobelev told about it on June 22.

"Against the background of sanctions and tensions <...>, access to global markets is decreasing, and the choice of instruments is more often limited to Russian assets. <...> So far, ruble—denominated instruments remain the basis of most portfolios," he said in an interview with Gazeta.Ru».

As Skobelev noted, such instruments as deposits, real estate rentals, bonds and dividend stocks do not lose their relevance, including for those who are taking the first steps in investing.

"However, in 2025, the very approach to diversification has changed. Today, it is important to take into account not only the type of asset, but also the currency, liquidity, reliability of the issuer, and even the regulatory environment," the expert warned.

In addition, the specialist clarified that there is currently an increase in the risks associated with corporate bonds, as the relatively high cost of borrowing provokes investors to short-term deposits. In this regard, there is increasing interest in replacement bonds (securities denominated in foreign currency but traded in Russia) that can bring foreign exchange yields of up to 8% per annum, which makes them almost the only alternative for those who seek to preserve the currency component of the auction portfolio.

"Beginners should pay attention to tools with minimal risk. Bank deposits — up to 18-21% per annum in rubles with full capital protection. Federal loan bonds (OFZ) — stable income with minimal risk. Rental real estate is a source of regular cash flow. Dividend stocks are interesting to those who are willing to accept market volatility for the sake of regular payments," the financier noted.

Speaking about the possible difficulties that a novice investor may face, Skobelev stressed that there are a number of so-called "pitfalls", to which he attributed sometimes limited withdrawal of funds and difficulties with taxation, for ignoring which you can get a fine. An important factor worth paying attention to, according to the expert, is the high level of inflation and the volatility of the ruble exchange rate.

"The more part of the capital is "frozen" for a long time, the higher the risks in case of a sudden change in the situation. Real diversification. Not only between stocks and bonds, but also by currencies, issuers, regulatory environment, and risk level. This approach helps to balance the portfolio even in conditions of instability and retains the ability to flexibly respond to events," said Skobelev.

So, according to him, it is important not to forget about the importance of specialists such as financial consultants, who are "architects of investment strategy" who can help in case of work with non-standard tools and try to anticipate and prevent possible force majeure situations.

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