Despite the tough economy, now is a great time to invest with stocks low and most people selling rather than buying. The best way to invest money, however, can be tricky to determine and it depends on a lot of personal factors and where you are in your life. This article will analyze some potential situations and help you figure out your best investment method.
Risky investments typically pay more than safer investments so young investors are very lucky because they can afford to take on extra risk. Should the investment go bad and the investor loses their shirt, they will have time to make up the income before they retire, typically 30 or more years later. Investing early can mean big returns come retirement.
Older investors cannot afford to be risky with their investments as they are close to, or getting close to, retirement. Older investors need to avoid risky investments like stocks because their volatility can cause them to lose a significant portion of their savings, especially if they are cashed in like a downswing that we are currently experiencing. Look for more secure investments like bonds and treasury securities as options.
Something else you should think about is the amount of your paycheck against how much you need for your expenses like housing, car payments, food, utilities, etc. If you don't have much extra each month but can afford to save a little money, that's great, but you want to be smart about what you invest in. Richer investors can make back big losses much more easily than the typical middle class investor and can therefore be more risky in them.
Lastly, take a look in your wallet and tell me how many credit cards you have. Do they have large balances? Before you invest a single dime in investments, pay off your credit cards completely. The reason for this is that normally credit card interest rates are much higher than your return on investment, and it would therefore make very little sense to spend the money anywhere but paying off your debt.
Risky investments typically pay more than safer investments so young investors are very lucky because they can afford to take on extra risk. Should the investment go bad and the investor loses their shirt, they will have time to make up the income before they retire, typically 30 or more years later. Investing early can mean big returns come retirement.
Older investors cannot afford to be risky with their investments as they are close to, or getting close to, retirement. Older investors need to avoid risky investments like stocks because their volatility can cause them to lose a significant portion of their savings, especially if they are cashed in like a downswing that we are currently experiencing. Look for more secure investments like bonds and treasury securities as options.
Something else you should think about is the amount of your paycheck against how much you need for your expenses like housing, car payments, food, utilities, etc. If you don't have much extra each month but can afford to save a little money, that's great, but you want to be smart about what you invest in. Richer investors can make back big losses much more easily than the typical middle class investor and can therefore be more risky in them.
Lastly, take a look in your wallet and tell me how many credit cards you have. Do they have large balances? Before you invest a single dime in investments, pay off your credit cards completely. The reason for this is that normally credit card interest rates are much higher than your return on investment, and it would therefore make very little sense to spend the money anywhere but paying off your debt.
About the Author:
Charles Johnson is a personal finance writer for PE Financial Services. Visit PE Financial for articles on investments, loans, insurance, and the best way to invest money in this difficult economy.
No comments:
Post a Comment