I’m often asked where I invest my own money—by clients, advisers, even industry peers. And in a year like this one, when the world is being reshaped by the policies of President Trump, market volatility, and fast-moving tech cycles, the question feels more urgent than ever.
We’ve seen a 10% drop in markets this year. Historically, that’s not unusual—since 1950, there have been over 30 such corrections. But that doesn’t make it feel any easier when you’re in the middle of one.
The natural instinct is to retreat, sit on the sidelines, and wait for clarity. That’s not what I’m doing.
Right now, I’m investing with strategy, not sentiment. I’m choosing assets that reward patience, protect against downside, and offer real growth—even if a US recession does materialise, which remains a possibility. But I’m not betting everything on one outcome. I’m building in resilience and range.
I split my own capital between three key approaches.
The first is income-focused, defensive, and designed to preserve value: I’m allocating capital to a corporate bond fund—what Americans would call a money market strategy, but what we call the Smart Money fund.
It’s a portfolio that hunts out the best rates from high-quality companies and delivers attractive returns with low volatility. The aim here isn’t to beat the Nasdaq; it’s to secure predictable income with far less risk than equities. Right now, it’s yielding about 2% per quarter, and with central banks slowly pivoting, that’s extremely competitive.
It’s not glamorous. But wealth preservation rarely is.
At the other end of the spectrum, I’m using structured products to take tactical positions on stocks that have been sold off hard but whose long-term prospects remain intact. Three in particular stand out: Nvidia, Meta, and Amazon.
All three have pulled back recently. Nvidia, for example, is down 20%. But let’s be clear—this is a company at the heart of the AI revolution, and demand for its chips isn’t going away. Even if a recession hits, businesses will continue investing in automation and AI. Nvidia doesn’t just survive in that environment—it thrives.
Meta is another misunderstood story. It’s fashionable to write it off, but 3.5 billion people still use its platforms monthly. That kind of reach is unparalleled, and with monetisation opportunities growing—ads, subscriptions, AI-driven engagement—Meta is far from finished.
And then there’s Amazon. Recession or not, Amazon remains embedded in global consumption. Whether people are shopping less or simply shopping smarter, Amazon benefits from scale, logistics, and habit.
I’m not just buying these names outright. I’m using a structured note that combines them and offers a 17% annualised return—provided the worst of the three doesn’t fall by more than 25% each quarter.
There’s even a memory feature: if a coupon is missed in one period, it can be recovered later. If all three stocks stay above water, I get my capital back early and reallocate to the next opportunity. It’s a powerful way to back great companies while building in protection.
Of course, there are risks. No investment is bulletproof. If one of those stocks drops by more than 35% over four years, there’s potential capital erosion. But I’m comfortable with that, given the quality of the names and the backing of one of Europe’s strongest banks, BBVA, behind the product.
Smart diversification is how I think about it. No one asset class is a silver bullet right now. We’re in a world of policy shifts, unpredictable elections, and overlapping technology cycles. So I also hold equity funds managed by teams I trust—ones that understand where growth is emerging and where risk needs trimming.
For me, this is about balance. I want income and opportunity. I want risk exposure—but only where it’s justified. I want to be invested, not because it feels good, but because history shows time and again that markets recover. Whether the next 12 months deliver 2% or 12% depends partly on whether the US dips into recession. But either way, staying invested gives me options. Sitting in cash doesn’t.
And yes—cash has a place, too. But it has to work. It can’t just sit idle and get eaten by inflation. That’s why I’m so focused on the Smart Money fund. It gives me peace of mind and performance in one.
I’ll continue sharing where I’m putting my own capital throughout the year. This isn’t a static strategy—it evolves with the data and the opportunities. But the foundation remains the same: clear thinking, careful structuring, and conviction in the long game.
Right now, I’m not betting on certainty. I’m investing in resilience.
Nigel Green is deVere CEO and Founder
Also published on Medium.
