Investing your money can render several monetary benefits. It may help fund your retirement and even cover a financial emergency. Furthermore, you are at liberty to choose the type of investment you wish to make. However, there are more than a few investment avenues to choose from. So finding the right one isn’t that easy. Fortunately, to help you decide, we’ve put together a list of five popular investment ideas.

Stocks
Buying stocks can help improve your investment portfolio. When you invest in stocks, you own a piece of the company to which those stocks belong. And when the company grows, you receive returns on the stock you have put your money in. People who have invested in stocks have previously received high returns. However, the stock market can go down, in which case, investors are susceptible to both profit and loss. It’s advisable to hold on to stocks for prolonged periods. Doing so can assure the maximum returns possible. As for the types, you can buy common stocks or preferred stocks. You can purchase such stocks online through a brokerage account. However, sometimes companies may include stock ownership in their employer-sponsored retirement plan.

Real estate
Real estate has been a popular investment option for a while now for many reasons. By putting your money in real estate, you can enjoy numerous benefits, such as generating cash flow and getting tax breaks and deductions to help save money while filing taxes. Appreciation is another benefit wherein the real estate value grows with time, generating profits when you sell. Multiple real estate options offer the opportunity to grow your money. These include real estate investment trusts (REITs), residential properties, and commercial properties. You also have the option of house flipping, wherein you purchase the home for a lower price, renovate the property, and quickly sell it for a profit.

Bonds
Bonds are debt security issued by governments and corporations to raise capital. So when you buy a bond, it is a loan from you to the issuing organization. Government establishments usually include a federal or municipal government. The organization pays the investors interest at regular intervals and then pays back the principal amount when the bond reaches maturity. Such bonds are suitable for conservative investors, as the money needs to be invested for a long time. For this reason, government bonds and other debt securities are known as fixed-income securities. You can purchase the bonds from a broker, the underwriting investment bank, or the government.

Gold
Gold is a commodity, a physical asset you can trade as an investment. However, you must understand that the price of gold depends on external factors, including central bank reserves, currency value, and worldwide jewelry and industrial demand, to name a few. And as volatile as its price is, buying gold may help expand your investment portfolio. In the long run, the commodity may even yield higher returns. Other commodities to invest your money in include silver, natural gas, and crude oil. As an investor, you can buy the raw materials or put money into the future of said commodities.

Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies have skyrocketed into popularity in recent years. They are digital-decentralized currencies, currencies with no central government body to regulate their value. You can buy and sell the currency for profits or use it to buy goods and services. Several companies and government bodies still have to adopt cryptocurrencies Cryptocurrencies are acclaimed globally by many, but it is crucial to note that many private and government organizations have yet to adopt the currency. You should also know that the lack of a central governing body makes the currency highly volatile. A thousand invested today can turn into millions within minutes. But the same thousand may also liquidate just as fast. Therefore, we recommended conducting detailed research on the types of cryptocurrencies before tying your money to them. A few popular cryptocurrencies include Ripple, Litecoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin.