Why 20% of my equity portfolio is in emerging markets

Emerging-market stocks are an essential part of any long-term, wealth-building portfolio, says Bengt Saelensminde. But not for the reasons you might expect.

I've often made the case for investing in the emerging markets (EM) here in The Right Side. Alongside precious metals and bonds, I see EMs as an essential part of my long-term wealth-building game plan.

And it's not necessarily for the reasons you might think. Today I'll tell you my real motivation for putting a decent amount of my savings into emerging markets.

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Bengt graduated from Reading University in 1994 and followed up with a master's degree in business economics.

 

He started stock market investing at the age of 13, and this eventually led to a job in the City of London in 1995. He started on a bond desk at Cantor Fitzgerald and ended up running a desk at stockbroker's Cazenove.

 

Bengt left the City in 2000 to start up his own import and beauty products business which he still runs today.