Many automatically think of Wall Street and bankers trading stocks and shares when investing. However, this is not true for everyday people who support their money for long-term security and wealth protection. Investing can be one of the best ways to grow your finances, and almost anyone can do it. It does not matter how old you are, how much money you have, or where you live. It also doesn’t matter whether you invest in noblegold or go with other gold and metal companies as long as you know how to invest your money. Understanding your investments is the first step. So, an investment path is available whether you are investing small amounts or eye-watering figures.
Of course, these factors will affect how you invest and the returns you seek. For example, a younger person will have different goals and financial aims than someone nearing retirement. To help you decide, here are some investment strategies for you to consider this year.
Individual stocks
When you buy a stock, you purchase a share in a company. Stocks can offer a significant return on your investment, but there’s a potential risk of losing your money. That is not to say you shouldn’t invest in the stock market. However, it would help if you were confident in the market and adequately diversified your portfolio.
An online broker is a good starting place if you want to buy stocks. It will let you buy and sell stocks on the stock exchange.
The stock market; dividends
To receive a dividend, you must be a shareholder in a company that pays dividends. Generally speaking, companies that pay dividends are thought to be more stable. While you may not experience high or low fluctuations in share value, your investment will be more secure.
A company pays dividends throughout the year, representing a percentage of its share value. Essentially, the more shares you have, the higher the dividend payment. This is a passive income that commonly suits retirees. That said, investing in dividend stocks as a young investor can be a very fruitful, especially if the company has a track record of increasing its dividend payments annually.
High-yield savings accounts
Savings accounts are generally one of the safest investment options. This offers a huge advantage for many savers and investors. In addition, online saving accounts typically offer higher rates of return than a traditional bank.
Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is a relatively new investment stream that has grown in popularity over the last decade. There are over 10,000 different cryptocurrencies that offer something unique. Digital currency is volatile, so traders and investors have seen its value increase and decrease by 30% in hours. There are massive returns when trading in crypto, whether on the value of the stock you own or whether you earn interest on Bitcoin or other tokens.
However, even the most seasoned cryptocurrency traders can lose money. Therefore, this type of investing is best for those comfortable with high risk. It is also well suited to those confident in the digital world and understand the terminology involved. You can buy and trade cryptocurrency on investment platforms such as eToro or Coinbase.
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Government bonds
If cryptocurrency all sounds too risky and too complicated for you, then you might want to consider investing in a government bond. This is a loan from you to a government entity on which you will receive interest over some time. As risk management goes, a government bond is perhaps one of the safest investments you could make, as it is backed by the government you have invested in.
Of course, you will need to be sure you invest in a stable government. But, with such a secure investment, the trade-off is inevitably a lower return on your investment. So it may not be the best option for your retirement fund, for example.
Property
Property can be incredibly profitable and potentially at relatively low risk if you know what you are doing. However, one of the negatives to investing in real estate is that you need a considerable amount of capital. At the very least, you will need to be able to afford a 10-20% down payment on any prospective property purchase, together with associated buying costs.
There are several ways in which you can invest in property to make a return:
- Buy as a rental. A standard real-estate investment model is buying a second, third, or fourth property with a view of renting to others. If you buy the property with the help of a mortgage, you may not see any tangible return on your profit for some time, as the rent will most likely be covering the mortgage value. However, as the property price increases over time (assuming you have bought your property for the right price) and your mortgage value decreases, you should accumulate a healthy profit on your property. This type of investment is better suited to those who have long-term investment goals.
- Buy to renovate. Another popular choice when investing in property is to ‘flip’ them. Essentially you will be buying a property that requires renovation; you then carry out the upgrades and sell that property at a profit; as with any form of retailing, the profit you make will be heavily influenced by the buy and sell price you pay. This type of investment is also likely to require a hands-on approach and will not be well suited to those looking for a passive income from their investment.
- Commercial real estate. Moving away from traditional residential property investment, the retail space is an option that should not be overlooked. Commercial real estate typically provides a high return on investment and includes industrial units, offices, parking, and retail premises. A bonus of renting your real estate to a business is that your property is generally well protected by commercial contracts that both parties will enter into after taking appropriate legal advice. Therefore, you can take a little peace of mind that your property should be well maintained for the business’s good and that your rent should be paid on time. If it isn’t, evicting business users is generally more straightforward than evicting private residential tenants.
