Why Is Now a Good Time to Borrow?

With economic uncertainty brought on by COVID-19, adding liquidity to your balance sheet can give you financial flexibility—and peace of mind.

Now may be a good time to increase your financial flexibility with a well-crafted plan to efficiently and easily access liquidity—and to have it in place prior to when you might need it.

With today’s historically low interest rates, borrowing outright or establishing a line of credit for future use can add to your peace of mind, given the uncertainties in the current economic environment.

You might also consider establishing a credit line as part of a broader liquidity strategy to help you manage cash flows for personal or business matters; meet unexpected expenses; take advantage of an opportunity, or fund time-sensitive financial obligations, such as tax payments—all without disturbing your long-term investments.

As with any well-thought-out wealth management strategy, plans to integrate credit should be tied to your financial goals, with income and outflows carefully analyzed to ensure they are aligned with your overall financial picture.

Financial Flexibility

The goals of any liquidity management strategy are to help you:

Avoid a forced asset sale when market conditions are unfavorable.
Gain financial flexibility, so you can enjoy your lifestyle, take advantage of new opportunities, and advance your legacy and other wealth plans.

However, adding liquidity to your balance sheet is not simply a matter of setting aside funds in a cash account (though setting aside cash for emergencies or unexpected expenses may be part of your plan).

Sophisticated lenders can help you structure liquidity management strategies—using a combination of a credit line, short-duration fixed income, and other cash instruments—to address your needs and personal circumstances.

The “Bucket” Approach

So how much liquidity is right for you now? To help you think it through, we recommend first creating a framework. Think of allocating your resources into financial “buckets,” and deciding how big a percentage you may want to allocate to the different areas of your life. Commonly used buckets are liquidity (cash), lifestyle, and legacy. Learn more about buckets.

Would having a financial cushion help you sleep more soundly at night? If yes, you may want to create a liquidity bucket designed as a psychological safety net. Or perhaps you have more assets than needed for your lifestyle. If yes, taking advantage of historically low interest rates to boost returns or gifting strategies in your legacy bucket would make sense.

While the liquidity bucket can be a back-of-the-envelope calculation, the lifestyle and legacy buckets are more nuanced and you should seek professional advice. Once you have a detailed view of your cash-flow requirements, your J.P. Morgan team can help you structure a liquidity plan. Included in that analysis could be portfolio stress testing to see how your investments are likely to perform under various potential market conditions, including a market downturn.

One size does not fit all when it comes to adding liquidity to your balance sheet.

Shield or Spear

One size does not fit all when it comes to adding liquidity to your balance sheet. You can use liquidity as a shield to help protect your wealth. Or it can be your spear—a source of ready resources when you want to achieve a specific goal, such as when unexpected opportunities materialize. Or both—without having to liquidate assets to meet needs or fund opportunities, or keep a higher than desired literal amount of cash on hand.

Much depends on where you are in your life and what you want to achieve. Perhaps you’d like to:

Pay taxes or meet time-sensitive obligations, such as charitable contributions, without disturbing your investment plans
Make opportunistic investments during down markets
Bridge a funding gap to cover lifestyle expenditures or fund big-ticket purchases, while waiting to receive funds from a bonus, asset sale, or other income source
Purchase real estate, and having ready access to funds can give you a buying advantage in a competitive market
Amplify returns, for example, by investing the proceeds of a residential mortgage; record low rates currently available may make this an attractive option, however, these low rates won’t last indefinitely
Transfer wealth—applicable federal rates (AFR) also are at a historical low. As this rate by law must be applied to intra-family loans, today’s low rate can help you transfer more wealth to your heirs, possibly sooner than originally planned. Your heirs, in turn, could invest the loan proceeds.

For U.S. taxpayers there is potentially an additional benefit: Interest payments on loans used for investment purposes may be tax deductible.

Learn more about J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s approach to wealth management.

We Can Help

Again, the key is to make a plan well in advance of needing access to funding. Ask your J.P. Morgan team for help designing a liquidity plan that makes sense for you.

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC

This is not a commitment to lend. All extensions of credit are subject to credit approval. Bank products and services are offered by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and its bank affiliates.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This material is for informational purposes only, and may inform you of certain products and services offered by J.P. Morgan’s wealth management businesses, part of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (“JPM”). Please read all Important Information.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its aﬃliates do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on, for tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your personal tax, legal and accounting advisors for advice before engaging in any transaction.

KEY RISKS

Lines of credit are extended at the discretion of J.P. Morgan, and J.P. Morgan has no commitment to extend a line of credit or make loans available under the line of credit. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.

GENERAL RISKS & CONSIDERATIONS

Any views, strategies or products discussed in this material may not be appropriate for all individuals and are subject to risks. Investors may get back less than they invested, and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Asset allocation does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss. Nothing in this material should be relied upon in isolation for the purpose of making an investment decision. You are urged to consider carefully whether the services, products, asset classes (e.g., equities, fixed income, alternative investments, commodities, etc.) or strategies discussed are suitable to your needs. You must also consider the objectives, risks, charges, and expenses associated with an investment service, product or strategy prior to making an investment decision. For this and more complete information, including discussion of your goals/situation, contact your J.P. Morgan team.

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