The expert named the most dangerous mistakes of novice investors

In 2026, private investors may consider bonds, real estate funds, and crowdlanding, but when choosing tools, it is important to evaluate not only profitability, but also risks. Dmitry Isakov, founder of the Lender Invest investment platform, told Izvestia what options might be suitable for the portfolio and how to avoid losses.

According to him, bonds remain one of the most accessible tools for a private investor, but it is dangerous to focus only on a high coupon. Before buying, it is important to assess the issuer, debt burden, availability of collateral and liquidity of the paper.

"Bonds themselves are not a bad or dangerous instrument. Problems begin when a person looks only at coupons and does not check who exactly is borrowing money, what the company's debt burden is, whether there is collateral and how liquid the paper is. A high coupon usually means an increased risk," Isakov said.

The expert called federal loan bonds (OFZ) and bonds of large reliable companies the most conservative option. For those who do not want to choose securities on their own, exchange-traded bond funds may be suitable, where a basket of assets has already been collected.

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Calculations are needed to create derivative financial instruments.

Another option is closed-end real estate mutual funds. They allow you to invest in commercial facilities or warehouses without directly buying real estate, but they are not an analogue of a deposit: it is not always possible to withdraw money quickly.

Separately, Isakov highlighted crowdlanding, where investors provide loans to businesses through platforms. The yield can reach 28% per annum, but the risks here are higher than those of deposits and OFZ.

"We must strive to ensure that such investments make up only a small part of the portfolio, since the risk in loans to businesses is higher than that of deposits and OFZs. You should not invest all your money in one company, it is better to choose different industries and different borrowers," Isakov said.

According to Isakov, a portfolio should not be built around a single instrument. Some of the funds should be kept in liquid and conservative assets, while riskier products should occupy a limited share.

On April 24, the press service of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation reported that the members of the board of directors decided to reduce the key rate by 50 basis points to 14.5% per annum. It was noted that the dynamics of domestic demand has now approached the possibilities for a potential expansion of the supply of goods and services.