With the new year finally here and goals and resolutions in full swing, many people have started thinking about their finances – and this is a great mental space to be in! Shift your mindset and use the beginning of the year as a time to rethink your budget, plan for some savings or kickstart your investment journey and find financial freedom over the next 12 months.
When it comes to investing, getting started can be a little overwhelming. However, investing your money is one of the safest and most reliable ways to grow your money over time, and getting started is the most important step.
Your first question is where you should be investing your money – and this is entirely up to you, your goals, and preferences. Here are some great ideas for ways you can invest your money and start growing your wealth in 2022.
Real Estate
This form of investment is something that might appeal to anyone – not just your stock junkies but anyone who might be interested in a long-term investment but doesn’t know all that much about stocks and ETFs. There are ways to make a real estate investment more worthwhile and improve your financial situation, such as by checking out Section 1031, amongst others.
Keep in mind that the risk of investing in property can be pretty high, and it’s an asset that could continuously put pressure on your bank account: mortgage, maintenance, tax, etc. However, the rewards can be high as well. Once your mortgage is paid off, you can enjoy a mostly cost-free home or rent out your property for passive income.
Stock Funds
When you buy shares in a stock fund, your input is pooled together with other investors’ money and used to buy stocks. Some stock funds also hold cash and bonds, but assets are mostly allotted to stocks.
Stock funds are run by professional money managers, which takes a lot of the guesswork out of the investment process for you. They’re well-regulated and managed efficiently, convenient for you as an investor, allow for diversification in your investment, and offer potentially higher returns.
If you’re interested in stocks but not yet an expert, this is a great starting point for you to investigate and put some of your money into. Operating across various stocks can be tricky and complex, but a stock fund makes this easy and possible for even a novice investor.
Growth Stocks
When it comes to stock investing, this is the option that will likely yield the highest growth and returns on your investment. However, along with the high reward comes the natural high-risk factor. People are typically willing to pay a lot for growth stocks – such as in tech companies – and a recession could cause your stocks to lose a lot of value in a short period.
This kind of investment is better suited to someone more experienced in stock investing since you’ll want to analyze the company that you’re investing in and need to have some background knowledge and understanding of what to look out for.
Dividend Stocks
This one is all in the name – dividend stocks pay dividends, it’s as simple as that. When you make this type of investment, you’ll get a regular cash pay-out on what you invested and the growth it accumulated over the allotted time.
If you’re not keen on waiting years and years to see a return on your investment, a dividend stock might be a good option for you. These are also a lot less risky than growth stock and are typically seen in bigger and more mature companies – a far more reliable return on your money.
Since the risk here is lower, your return is lower too, although more regular at about one cash pay-out per annum. If you want to diversify your dividend stock investment, you can even make use of a dividend stock fund.
High-Yield Savings Account
For your risk-averse investors, this is one of the best options available. With zero risk involved, a high-yield savings account is just that – a vehicle for you to store and grow your cash.
Opting for a savings account will allow you quick and easy access to your money should you need it for an emergency, and while the return will be lower than on certain stock investments, you have guaranteed growth at a steady rate and the option to compare interest rates to go for the best option.
Cryptocurrency
If you don’t know what cryptocurrency is in 2022, you must have spent the last few years in hiding. These digital currencies, Bitcoin, in particular, have taken over the investment world and attracted traders of all sorts.
However, be aware that crypto is far from risk-free. There are significant risks that lie in not only the fluctuating value but the lack of regulation around the trade at present. This hasn’t deterred people though since digital currencies have been steadily rising for years – although volatile, many have seen incredible returns on their crypto investments.
How to Decide
If you have some money that you’re looking to invest in 2022, it can be tough to sort through all the available options and decide on the best possible route for you. Deciding how and where to invest is entirely up to you, your preferences, and your goals.
If you don’t mind the risk and you’re looking for a more exciting route, you could go for higher-risk, higher-reward investment options to potentially see massive growth over the next few years.
However, if you’re more risk-averse and don’t mind playing the long game, or if you have specific important saving goals, opting for a safer route might be in your best interests. All in all, saving and investing your money is a great and important step towards financial freedom – owning your money and taking charge of your own future is an important part of financial management.
Talking to a broker might be a good idea if you’re new in the investment game until you’re ready to manage things on your own and make independent decisions.
