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"The only real safe haven investment strategy in this market is time"

ended 09. April 2025

As the trade war escalates and markets flash red, “the only real safe haven investment strategy in this market is time”, according to one investment expert. Asked by Newspage where is safe in the current climate, one wealth manager was unequivocal, saying cash, while a trader said: “The Swiss franc tends to be the safest haven during stresses since it’s insulated from the geopolitical risk as it remains neutral, always.” But a third warned: “Conventional investor wisdom—stocks for growth, bonds for safety—is wobbling as volatility soars”. Views on what counts as safe amid the current market turmoil below.

7 responses from the Newspage community

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Tony Redondo
Founder at Cosmos Currency Exchange
In today’s market, finding a safe haven is like trying to light a candle in a hurricane. Trump’s tariffs have sparked a global sell-off, with the FTSE 100 down 10%+ in days, the S&P 500 losing $5 trillion and recession odds spiking. Conventional investor wisdom—stocks for growth, bonds for safety—is wobbling as volatility soars. Gold remains a relatively safe haven as it typically thrives amongst chaos. Defensive stocks like consumer staples offer some shelter, too, though tariff fallout could still sting. Small-cap UK firms less exposed to international trade is another option as we’re in seriously uncharted waters. Tariffs will shrink corporate margins and rate cuts might not save growth in the short term. The bottom line is: don’t panic-sell as pensions are long games. Consider holding 10%-20% cash to buy dips. Conventional still works for patience, but agility is king now.
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Gabriel McKeown
Political & Economics Writer at Sad Rabbit - Substack Newsletter
The only real safe haven investment strategy in this market is time. In other words, the ability to hold anything you buy for a long enough timeframe to ignore the radical day-to-day volatility. Unless you intend to replicate the strategies of hedge fund managers and implement a range of sophisticated cross-asset strategies, your best bet is to ignore the fluctuations and increase your cash holdings to allow you to do so comfortably. Not all market opportunities need to be seized, sometimes peace of mind in a highly turbulent landscape is a far more desirable return on investment.
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David Belle
Founder and Trader at Fink Money
The Swiss franc tends to be the safest haven during stresses since it’s insulated from the geopolitical risk as it remains neutral, always.
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Faisal Sheikh
Managing Director at Monmouth Capital
Where's safe? Cash. The reason all assets - equities, bonds, even gold - have been selling off is because investors are desperate for cash. Most likely those that are over-leveraged, or with bills due in the near future that they are worried they can't pay. If, as an ordinary investor, you find yourself in that camp - forced selling now to raise cash that you need soon - that means you had the wrong portfolio and insufficient cash reserves to start with. One of the reasons we prepare clients for high impact, low probability scenarios — such as "Trump will unleash tariffs on the whole world" — is to ensure their portfolios can survive.
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Riz Malik
Independent Financial Adviser at R3 Wealth
Some investors need to urgently rethink their attitute to risk and capacity for loss when it comes to making investment decisions in the current climate. Some DIY investors may be licking their wounds at present as they have not factored both of these important factors into their asset allocation and investment selection.
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Wes Wilkes
CEO at IronMarket Wealth
As an investment manager it's logical to talk about cash and our overweight gold position but as a financial planner, the absolute safest place right now is your financial plan. This period is rough, ugly and worrying, but any financial plan worth its salt has this type of volatility built in. So, the safest place is to check in on your plan and know that you're on track. Knowing that, turn the news off and go about your day.
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Ross Lacey
Director & Independent Financial Adviser at Fairview Financial Management
Any investment that has the prospect of delivering returns above inflation will always have periods where its value is seemingly wiped away in a heartbeat. There are no free lunches in the investment world and this is the price to be paid for the prospect of enjoying those returns. Safety comes from having a proper financial plan that builds in what to do when stock markets go down significantly. This usually leads to having a warchest of cash, as well as some exposure to other more resilient investments to complement the main investment portfolio. There's then a choice to be made when it comes to drawing on those investments, and where's most appropriate to avoid having to sell at a significant loss. Remember that history shows us that cash may feel safe, but it does not keep pace with inflation. This means the buying power of each £1 in cash reduces year after year. Although it's definitely important to hold some cash for times like this.