As the New Year has finally arrived and we are into a new beginning, you might be longing to make some significant changes in your life, and as we all know change is the only constant that can happen in one’s life, you might be thinking of investing for long-term growth. Investment means putting your money to work with the aim of earning a better return.
Suppose you have $10,000 cash at your disposal. What would you like to do with it? Do you want to use it to go for a trip, or would you like to exchange your old car for a new one? Do you want to buy new furniture for your house? These investments might look snazzy, but they won’t make you feel proud 10 or 20 years down the line, because all these are depreciating assets. Investing cash will help you move towards financial freedom which you might be aching for in years to come.
Why is investing good for you? Investing safeguards your present and long-term future financial security. Investments ensure your financial security as well as generate income periodically.
Investments you can consider in 2019
If you have some cash at your disposal, the next question that comes in your mind will be “where to invest?” Although investments are not guaranteed, we want to bring you some of the best investment options for 2019 and beyond, after doing a lot of research studying various investment options. here are some of the options for you!
1. Invest in Stock Market
If you are keeping pace with the stock market recently, you probably might have heard some rumors that there might be a correction very soon. Gurus forecasted that S&P 500 would lose a lot of its gains by the end of 2018 and this might last for some time. However, if you are looking for a long term yield and can have the patience to remain invested for a long term then you need not worry about this. If you can keep your emotions under control, and ride the tide, whether it is a bullish or a bearish market you can certainly reap some benefits when you are about to retire.
To extract more benefits from the stock market, you can follow the dollar cost average strategy which is typically a systematic investment plan where you can invest the same amount of money every month. In this way, you can take advantage of the market when the markets are down as you will be buying all the along. There are ways that you can invest in the stock market, which can help you to save money on your taxes. If you can add money on to the 401(K), you can reduce the taxable income and grow your wealth. You can also reduce your income by investing in traditional IRA.
Stock market gives the facility to invest for a long term as well as for short term. You need to follow your scripts if you are investing for a shorter period and sell your stocks when the market is bullish and then you can reinvest when the market bearish or on a downside run.
2. Invest in Real Estate
The real estate industry seems to be on the bubble as the real estate prices seems to soar and the escalating price and demands never seem to end. But you should tread with caution because this type of scenarios does not have a sweet ending. If you are someone who does not want to invest in physical real estate then you can always buy Real Estate Invest Trust or REITs.
The biggest advantage of investing through REIT is that you can always reap the benefit when the market is high, without going through the hassles of being a landlord. The advantages of investing REIT are moreover owning a property. If you consider the pros this is something that you will certainly consider. REITs are more liquid which means, you can buy and sell shares the same way as you trade in stocks. REITs provide a more diversified portfolio of a wide range of commercial properties rather than a single piece of property or mortgage. It facilitates higher income as they pay higher dividends compared to stocks. There is a tax advantage attached to this kind of investment because REITs don’t sell property time and again so there is a lower capital gain.
3. Invest in Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is a digital currency in which, the cryptography regulates the generation of the units. Recently there has been a lot of hue and cry over cryptocurrency, as it is not backed by the government, or any central bank of any country, banks have been opposing it. That is why you need to be careful before taking a ride in the crypto-journey.
The snowballing crypto universe is susceptible to market fluctuations as it is still in an infant stage. Before you take a ride in the crypto universe first decide what kind of cryptocurrencies you are interested in. Try to get as much information you can through blogs, webinars, about how an Initial Coin Offering or ICO functions. Do some fact-finding about how long a cryptocurrency has been in the market, its market capitalization, and their fundamental tech solutions. The next natural step will be how long you want to invest in cryptocurrency.
Are you looking forward to trade in short –term or long term endeavors? This is important because this will affect the amount of money you will place in the investments. If you want to trade regularly in this burgeoning market, then you need to understand the mechanism which is driving the market. You have to gauge the market behavior and the knowledge market dynamics will help you to spot the market trends which you can use to invest.
Financial experts say you should only invest that sum of money which you can afford to lose. Some well-known cryptocurrencies to invest money on are: Bitcoins which is the torch-bearer for all cryptocurrencies, Elthereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin cash etc. You can invest a small percentage of your portfolio because undoubtedly cryptocurrency in some form or the other will be the future of money.
4. Peer to peer lending
Peer to peer lending is also a wise way to invest if have some cash at your disposal. Peer to peer lenders like Lender Club provides you with a platform where you can spread your investments across hundreds of loans and you can start an account with just $1000. Some reputed peer-to-peer lenders are Prosper, Perform, Upstart etc. Peer to peer is growing in popularity and is becoming a feasible option for people who are in need of money and for people who are willing to invest their money.
5. Roth IRA
You should have one already if you qualify for it unless you have not opened one already. Roth IRA can give you a great tax advantage and you can invest your post-tax dollars and the money will grow tax- free till you are ready for your retirement. The best thing is that the money you withdraw during your retirement will be tax-free.
Bottom Line
If you wrap up with some extra cash this year then remember all the different plan of actions that you can use to grow your money over a period of time. Investing wisely today will leave you with higher returns some years down the line. If you can gauge how to let your money work for you then the possibilities are boundless.
