Six questions to ask before inflation proofing your portfolio

Investors have a number of instruments open to them as ways of protecting against inflation, but what are the most important questions when deciding which method to choose?

Last week's shock rise in inflation prompted investment strategists to take steps to protect their portfolios. While some investors have turned to inflation-linked bonds or swap instruments as a method of hedging against inflation rises, others use real assets including gold, currencies and commodities. Below, Nicolaas Marais, head of multi-asset at Schroders, explains why the process is a lot more complicated than many investors believe and outlines the six questions investors should ask themselves when putting inflation protection in place. "It is not simply a case of buying comm...