The 5 Best Investments for Beginners

The adage goes something like “the best time to start investing is now”. For some beginners, this can be laborious, considering the volumes of information on the best investment with guaranteed returns. Other beginners will think that this is an easy way to make a quick buck and jump headfirst into the markets.

This publication is for the hobbyist investor who is ready to make a strategic decision to hedge their investment against exposure to unsustainable risk, but with enough freedom to pursue conservative capital gain-generating opportunities and learn the ropes of the trade while doing so.

Aside from a theoretical understanding of how the financial markets work, it is imperative that a beginner have a realistic idea of ​​the different strategies that investors employ when looking for opportunities in the markets.

The following is a detailed explanation of the top five investment approaches suitable for beginners:

1. ETFs

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer a less rigorous opportunity to participate in the stock market. As a beginner, investing in ETFs is ideal because an ETF groups together various assets, including individual stocks, commodities, and bonds, and the performance is compared to an index. ETFs allow you, as an investor, to trade multiple assets commonly as if they were a single stock. ETF diversification allows beginners to access a broad portfolio of stocks and bonds that provide comfort and reduced risk. Consequently, the flexible nature of ETFs allows an investor to trade flexibly, with the option to buy and sell at any time during normal business hours.

2. Investment funds

Mutual funds are ideal pooled investment vehicles for beginners due to their two main characteristics. First, a beginner can access the services of a professional trader on behalf of the fund manager despite the modest amount of capital, some as low as $25. Second, the investor is exposed to minimal risk because mutual funds, like ETFs, invest in a diverse portfolio of asset classes of stocks, commodities, and bonds across different markets and industries.

3. individual actions

After a detailed analysis of an individual stock’s past performance and prevailing facts, individual stocks can offer a stable investment opportunity suitable for beginners. However, care should be taken to ensure that investing in a particular stock does not alter your portfolio’s risk tolerance level in the event of a negative turn of events. Markets are not always predictable.

4. Certificate of deposit

Depositing money in a bank for a specific term with a fixed and guaranteed capital return plus interest is a good investment opportunity for a beginner. The certificate of deposits is insured and therefore the principal plus interest is guaranteed to the investor at maturity. However, it is important to understand that access to this money is limited during the stated investment term and may incur fees or loss of interest upon withdrawal.

5. High Yield Savings Account

This investment also involves saving for the sole purpose of interest capital gains over a specified period of time. Unlike the certificate of deposit, however, the interest is not fixed and therefore interest is based on prevailing market rates. However, the funds in this account are more liquid, therefore easily accessible.