The recent pandemic has shown us how important it is to have funds for emergencies. With some of us suddenly losing our sources of income and others having no means to purchase necessities, having extra money became more apparent to help us through the unemployment phase.
Even if you did not lose your job, an emergency fund is still important to ensure that you can pay for hospital bills or other unexpected expenses. Furthermore, growing your money guarantees that you get to be successful in your path.
The problem now is that we don’t often know how to grow our money aside from the regular income we get from our jobs. One method you can try is to invest. If you’re unaware of how this works, this article is perfect for you.
Why Should You Invest?
If you’re given the option to let your money sit somewhere from which you can take portions of it from time to time when you need to, or to let your money sit somewhere that allows you to do the same but there’s a high probability that it will grow over time, which one will you choose? Chances are, you’d choose the latter, right? That’s one of the many benefits of investing your money.
Additionally, there will come a time when you will not be able to work as hard as you can today, and that can affect the flow of income you receive. When your paycheck cannot provide for your lifestyle anymore, you’ll need plenty of resources to pay for the cost of living in old age. Investment plans are great methods to gather retirement funds.
Aside from having emergency and retirement funds, investing your money can also help you to reach your financial goals. Being financially stable is an important part of success, and while a regular job might suffice, having side-hustles that allow you to earn extra income will get you there quicker.
What Are Your Investment Options?
The thing about investment is that there’s a certain risk involved when growing your money. Some investments don’t pay off too well, while others can decrease the amount of money you initially used. That’s why it’s important to understand how an investment works. As this is your hard-earned money we’re talking about, you want to ensure that there’s a high probability that it will grow. Having said that, here are the most common investment opportunities you can put your money on.
Foreign Exchange
This is generally defined as the exchange of one currency to another. For example, if you have a few hundreds of US dollars and traded them for euro or other currencies, this is considered a foreign exchange. There is a specific place for people who wish to grow their money in this investment opportunity; it is called the forex market. The question now is how you are supposed to earn money by exchanging currencies? The strength of various currencies is quite dynamic, and it changes constantly. This means that if you trade your money into one currency and it suddenly gets stronger overnight, you can grow your investment. You can try looking for forex brokers for U.S. clients if you wish to learn more about this.
Stocks
Companies need money to further their growth. While a steady profit would help them in that endeavor, they also invite investors to bring their money into the company. This is possible through stocks. This means that when you purchase stock from any company, you become a shareholder of their assets. However, you may want to keep in mind that the success of this investment lies in the company. If it goes bankrupt or loses value over time, you will not have a profitable return on investment.
Bonds
If you’re looking for an investment opportunity that’s not as risky as stocks, you can try bonds. This is when you lend your money to the government or a company, and they will be the one to offer the money to a borrower. As you may have already known, governments or companies allow certain individuals to avail of loans, which means they borrow money and return it in increments with a specific interest rate. This type of investment is generally safer than stocks. However, the downside is that it also does not pay off too well. The interest rate is not as high as you want it to be, and the earnings would still have to be divided between you and the government or company. More often than not, less-risky investment opportunities are also low-rewards.
There are lots of different ways for us to earn money, and there’s no rule that says you should only be involved in one of them. In fact, it would be beneficial to you and your future if you have multiple sources of income at a time. Even though you have a steady income now, finding investment opportunities to grow your money would be advantageous for you.
