In Best Low-Risk Investments for 2023, I provided a comprehensive list of low-risk investments with predictable returns. But it’s precisely because those returns are low-risk that they also provide relatively low returns.
In this article, we’re going to look at high-yield investments, many of which involve a higher degree of risk but are also likely to provide higher returns.
True enough, low-risk investments are the right investment solution for anyone who’s looking to preserve capital and still earn some income.
But if you’re more interested in the income side of an investment, accepting a bit of risk can produce significantly higher returns. And at the same time, these investments will generally be less risky than growth stocks and other high-risk/high-reward investments.
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Determine How Much Risk You’re Willing to Take On
The risk we’re talking about with these high-yield investments is the potential for you to lose money. As is true when investing in any asset, you need to begin by determining how much you’re willing to risk in the pursuit of higher returns.
Chasing “high-yield returns” will make you broke if you don’t have clear financial goals you’re working towards.
I’m going to present a large number of high-yield investments, each with its own degree of risk. The purpose is to help you evaluate the risk/reward potential of these investments when selecting the ones that will be right for you.
If you’re looking for investments that are completely safe, you should favor one or more of the highly liquid, low-yield vehicles covered in Best Low-Risk Investments for 2023. In this article, we’re going to be going for something a little bit different. As such, please note that this is not in any way a blanket recommendation of any particular investment.
Best High-Yield Investments for 2023
Table of Contents
Below is my list of the 18 best high-yield investments for 2023. They’re not ranked or listed in order of importance. That’s because each is a unique investment class that you will need to carefully evaluate for suitability within your own portfolio.
Be sure that any investment you do choose will be likely to provide the return you expect at an acceptable risk level for your own personal risk tolerance.
1. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS)
Let’s start with this one, if only because it’s on just about every list of high-yield investments, especially in the current environment of rising inflation. It may not actually be the best high-yield investment, but it does have its virtues and shouldn’t be overlooked.
Basically, TIPS are securities issued by the U.S. Treasury that are designed to accommodate inflation. They do pay regular interest, though it’s typically lower than the rate paid on ordinary Treasury securities of similar terms. The bonds are available with a minimum investment of $100, in terms of five, 10, and 30 years. And since they’re fully backed by the U.S. government, you are assured of receiving the full principal value if you hold a security until maturity.
But the real benefit—and the primary advantage—of these securities is the inflation principal additions. Each year, the Treasury will add an amount to the bond principal that’s commensurate with changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Fortunately, while the principal will be added when the CPI rises (as it nearly always does), none will be deducted if the index goes negative.
You can purchase TIPS through the U.S. Treasury’s investment portal, Treasury Direct. You can also hold the securities as well as redeem them on the same platform. There are no commissions or fees when buying securities.
On the downside, TIPS are purely a play on inflation since the base rates are fairly low. And while the principal additions will keep you even with inflation, you should know that they are taxable in the year received.
Still, TIPS are an excellent low-risk, high-yield investment during times of rising inflation—like now.
2. I Bonds
If you’re looking for a true low-risk, high-yield investment, look no further than Series I bonds. With the current surge in inflation, these bonds have become incredibly popular, though they are limited.
I bonds are currently paying 6.89%. They can be purchased electronically in denominations as little as $25. However, you are limited to purchasing no more than $10,000 in I bonds per calendar year. Since they are issued by the U.S. Treasury, they’re fully protected by the U.S. government. You can purchase them through the Treasury Department’s investment portal, TreasuryDirect.gov.
“The cash in my savings account is on fire,” groans Scott Lieberman, Founder of Touchdown Money. “Inflation has my money in flames, each month incinerating more and more. To defend against this, I purchased an I bond. When I decide to get my money back, the I bond will have been protected against inflation by being worth more than what I bought it for. I highly recommend getting yourself a super safe Series I bond with money you can stash away for at least one year.”
You may not be able to put your entire bond portfolio into Series I bonds. But just a small investment, at nearly 10%, can increase the overall return on your bond allocation.
3. Corporate Bonds
The average rate of return on a bank savings account is 0.33%. The average rate on a money market account is 0.09%, and 0.25% on a 12-month CD.
Now, there are some banks paying higher rates, but generally only in the 1%-plus range.
If you want higher returns on your fixed income portfolio, and you’re willing to accept a moderate level of risk, you can invest in corporate bonds. Not only do they pay higher rates than banks, but you can lock in those higher rates for many years.
For example, the average current yield on a AAA-rated corporate bond is 4.55%. Now that’s the rate for AAA bonds, which are the highest-rated securities. You can get even higher rates on bonds with lower ratings, which we will cover in the next section.
Corporate bonds sell in face amounts of $1,000, though the price may be higher or lower depending on where interest rates are. If you choose to buy individual corporate bonds, expect to buy them in lots of ten. That means you’ll likely need to invest $10,000 in a single issue. Brokers will typically charge a small per-bond fee on purchase and sale.
An alternative may be to take advantage of corporate bond funds. That will give you an opportunity to invest in a portfolio of bonds for as little as the price of one share of an ETF. And because they are ETFs, they can usually be bought and sold commission free.
You can typically purchase corporate bonds and bond funds through popular stock brokers, like Zacks Trade, TD Ameritrade.
Corporate Bond Risk
Be aware that the value of corporate bonds, particularly those with maturities greater than 10 years, can fall if interest rates rise. Conversely, the value of the bonds can rise if interest rates fall.
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4. High-Yield Bonds
In the previous section we talked about how interest rates on corporate bonds vary based on each bond issue’s rating. A AAA bond, being the safest, has the lowest yield. But a riskier bond, such as one rated BBB, will provide a higher rate of return.
If you’re looking to earn higher interest than you can with investment-grade corporate bonds, you can get those returns with so-called high-yield bonds. Because they have a lower rating, they pay higher interest, sometimes much higher.
The average yield on high-yield bonds is 8.29%. But that’s just an average. The yield on a bond rated B will be higher than one rated BB.
You should also be aware that, in addition to potential market value declines due to rising interest rates, high-yield bonds are more likely to default than investment-grade bonds. That’s why they pay higher interest rates. (They used to call these bonds “junk bonds,” but that kind of description is a marketing disaster.) Because of those twin risks, junk bonds should occupy only a small corner of your fixed-income portfolio.
High Yield Bond Risk
In a rapidly rising interest rate environment, high-yield bonds are more likely to default.
High-yield bonds can be purchased under similar terms and in the same places where you can trade corporate bonds. There are also ETFs that specialize in high-yield bonds and will be a better choice for most investors, since they will include diversification across many different bond issues.
5. Municipal Bonds
Just as corporations and the U.S. Treasury issue bonds, so do state and local governments. These are referred to as municipal bonds. They work much like other bond types, particularly corporates. They can be purchased in similar denominations through online brokers.
The main advantage enjoyed by municipal bonds is their tax-exempt status for federal income tax purposes. And if you purchase a municipal bond issued by your home state, or a municipality within that state, the interest will also be tax-exempt for state income tax purposes.
That makes municipal bonds an excellent source of tax-exempt income in a nonretirement account. (Because retirement accounts are tax-sheltered, it makes little sense to include municipal bonds in those accounts.)
Municipal bond rates are currently hovering just above 3% for AAA-rated bonds. And while that’s an impressive return by itself, it masks an even higher yield.
Because of their tax-exempt status, the effective yield on municipal bonds will be higher than the note rate. For example, if your combined federal and state marginal income tax rates are 25%, the effective yield on a municipal bond paying 3% will be 4%. That gives an effective rate comparable with AAA-rated corporate bonds.
Municipal bonds, like other bonds, are subject to market value fluctuations due to interest rate changes. And while it’s rare, there have been occasional defaults on these bonds.
Like corporate bonds, municipal bonds carry ratings that affect the interest rates they pay. You can investigate bond ratings through sources like Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch.
Fund
Symbol
Type
Current Yield
5 Average Annual Return
Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities Fund
VIPSX
TIPS
0.06%
3.02%
SPDR® Portfolio Interm Term Corp Bond ETF
SPIB
Corporate
4.38%
1.44%
iShares Interest Rate Hedged High Yield Bond ETF
HYGH
High-Yield
5.19%
2.02%
Invesco VRDO Tax-Free ETF (PVI)
PVI
Municipal
0.53%
0.56%
6. Longer Term Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
This is another investment that falls under the low risk/relatively high return classification. As interest rates have risen in recent months, rates have crept up on certificates of deposit. Unlike just one year ago, CDs now merit consideration.
But the key is to invest in certificates with longer terms.
“Another lower-risk option is to consider a Certificate of Deposit (CD),” advises Lance C. Steiner, CFP at Buckingham Advisors. “Banks, credit unions, and many other financial institutions offer CDs with maturities ranging from 6 months to 60 months. Currently, a 6-month CD may pay between 0.75% and 1.25% where a 24-month CD may pay between 2.20% and 3.00%. We suggest considering a short-term ladder since interest rates are expected to continue rising.” (Stated interest rates for the high-yield savings and CDs were obtained at bankrate.com.)
Most banks offer certificates of deposit with terms as long as five years. Those typically have the highest yields.
But the longer term does involve at least a moderate level of risk. If you invest in a CD for five years that’s currently paying 3%, the risk is that interest rates will continue rising. If they do, you’ll miss out on the higher returns available on newer certificates. But the risk is still low overall since the bank guarantees to repay 100% of your principle upon certificate maturity.
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7. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Lending
Do you know how banks borrow from you—at 1% interest—then loan the same money to your neighbor at rates sometimes as high as 20%? It’s quite a racket, and a profitable one at that.
But do you also know that you have the same opportunity as a bank? It’s an investing process known as peer-to-peer lending, or P2P for short.
P2P lending essentially eliminates the bank. As an investor, you’ll provide the funds for borrowers on a P2P platform. Most of these loans will be in the form of personal loans for a variety of purposes. But some can also be business loans, medical loans, and for other more specific purposes.
As an investor/lender, you get to keep more of the interest rate return on those loans. You can invest easily through online P2P platforms.
One popular example is Prosper. They offer primarily personal loans in amounts ranging between $2,000 and $40,000. You can invest in small slivers of these loans, referred to as “notes.” Notes can be purchased for as little as $25.
That small denomination will make it possible to diversify your investment across many different loans. You can even choose the loans you will invest in based on borrower credit scores, income, loan terms, and purposes.
Prosper, which has managed $20 billion in P2P loans since 2005, claims a historical average return of 5.7%. That’s a high rate of return on what is essentially a fixed-income investment. But that’s because there exists the possibility of loss due to borrower default.
However, you can minimize the likelihood of default by carefully choosing borrower loan quality. That means focusing on borrowers with higher credit scores, incomes, and more conservative loan purposes (like debt consolidation).
8. Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
REITs are an excellent way to participate in real estate investment, and the return it provides, without large amounts of capital or the need to manage properties. They’re publicly traded, closed-end investment funds that can be bought and sold on major stock exchanges. They invest primarily in commercial real estate, like office buildings, retail space, and large apartment complexes.
If you’re planning to invest in a REIT, you should be aware that there are three different types.
“Equity REITs purchase commercial, industrial, or residential real estate properties,” reports Robert R. Johnson, PhD, CFA, CAIA, Professor of Finance, Heider College of Business, Creighton University and co-author of several books, including The Tools and Techniques Of Investment Planning, Strategic Value Investing and Investment Banking for Dummies. “Income is derived primarily from the rental on the properties, as well as from the sale of properties that have increased in value. Mortgage REITs invest in property mortgages. The income is primarily from the interest they earn on the mortgage loans. Hybrid REITs invest both directly in property and in mortgages on properties.”
Johnson also cautions:
“Investors should understand that equity REITs are more like stocks and mortgage REITs are more like bonds. Hybrid REITs are like a mix of stocks and bonds.”
Mortgage REITs, in particular, are an excellent way to earn steady dividend income without being closely tied to the stock market.
Examples of specific REITs are listed in the table below (source: Kiplinger):
REIT
Equity or Mortgage
Property Type
Dividend Yield
12 Month Return
Rexford Industrial Realty
REXR
Industrial warehouse space
2.02%
2.21%
Sun Communities
SUI
Manufactured housing, RVs, resorts, marinas
2.19%
-14.71%
American Tower
AMT
Multi-tenant cell towers
2.13%
-9.00%
Prologis
PLD
Industrial real estate
2.49%
-0.77%
Camden Property Trust
CPT
Apartment complexes
2.77%
-7.74%
Alexandria Real Estate Equities
ARE
Research Properties
3.14%
-23.72%
Digital Realty Trust
DLR
Data centers
3.83%
-17.72%
9. Real Estate Crowdfunding
If you prefer direct investment in a property of your choice, rather than a portfolio, you can invest in real estate crowdfunding. You invest your money, but management of the property will be handled by professionals. With real estate crowdfunding, you can pick out individual properties, or invest in nonpublic REITs that invest in very specific portfolios.
One of the best examples of real estate crowdfunding is Fundrise. That’s because you can invest with as little as $500 or create a customized portfolio with no more than $1,000. Not only does Fundrise charge low fees, but they also have multiple investment options. You can start small in managed investments, and eventually trade up to investing in individual deals.
One thing to be aware of with real estate crowdfunding is that many require accredited investor status. That means being high income, high net worth, or both. If you are an accredited investor, you’ll have many more choices in the real estate crowdfunding space.
If you are not an accredited investor, that doesn’t mean you’ll be prevented from investing in this asset class. Part of the reason why Fundrise is so popular is that they don’t require accredited investor status. There are other real estate crowdfunding platforms that do the same.
Just be careful if you want to invest in real estate through real estate crowdfunding platforms. You will be expected to tie your money up for several years, and early redemption is often not possible. And like most investments, there is the possibility of losing some or all your investment principal.
Low minimum investment – $10
Diversified real estate portfolio
Portfolio Transparency
10. Physical Real Estate
We’ve talked about investing in real estate through REITs and real estate crowdfunding. But you can also invest directly in physical property, including residential property or even commercial.
Owning real estate outright means you have complete control over the investment. And since real estate is a large-dollar investment, the potential returns are also large.
For starters, average annual returns on real estate are impressive. They’re even comparable to stocks. Residential real estate has generated average returns of 10.6%, while commercial property has returned an average of 9.5%.
Next, real estate has the potential to generate income from two directions, from rental income and capital gains. But because of high property values in many markets around the country, it will be difficult to purchase real estate that will produce a positive cash flow, at least in the first few years.
Generally speaking, capital gains are where the richest returns come from. Property purchased today could double or even triple in 20 years, creating a huge windfall. And this will be a long-term capital gain, to get the benefit of a lower tax bite.
Finally, there’s the leverage factor. You can typically purchase an investment property with a 20% down payment. That means you can purchase a $500,000 property with $100,000 out-of-pocket.
By calculating your capital gains on your upfront investment, the returns are truly staggering. If the $500,000 property doubles to $1 million in 20 years, the $500,000 profit generated will produce a 500% gain on your $100,000 investment.
On the negative side, real estate is certainly a very long-term investment. It also comes with high transaction fees, often as high as 10% of the sale price. And not only will it require a large down payment up front, but also substantial investment of time managing the property.
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11. High Dividend Stocks
“The best high-yield investment is dividend stocks,” declares Harry Turner, Founder at The Sovereign Investor. “While there is no guaranteed return with stocks, over the long term stocks have outperformed other investments such as bonds and real estate. Among stocks, dividend-paying stocks have outperformed non-dividend paying stocks by more than 2 percentage points per year on average over the last century. In addition, dividend stocks tend to be less volatile than non-dividend paying stocks, meaning they are less likely to lose value in downturns.”
You can certainly invest in individual stocks that pay high dividends. But a less risky way to do it, and one that will avoid individual stock selection, is to invest through a fund.
One of the most popular is the ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrat ETF (NOBL). It has provided a return of 1.67% in the 12 months ending May 31, and an average of 12.33% per year since the fund began in October 2013. The fund currently has a 1.92% dividend yield.
The so-called Dividend Aristocrats are popular because they represent 60+ S&P 500 companies, with a history of increasing their dividends for at least the past 25 years.
“Dividend Stocks are an excellent way to earn some quality yield on your investments while simultaneously keeping inflation at bay,” advises Lyle Solomon, Principal Attorney at Oak View Law Group, one of the largest law firms in America. “Dividends are usually paid out by well-established and successful companies that no longer need to reinvest all of the profits back into the business.”
It gets better. “These companies and their stocks are safer to invest in owing to their stature, large customer base, and hold over the markets,” adds Solomon. “The best part about dividend stocks is that many of these companies increase dividends year on year.”
The table below shows some popular dividend-paying stocks. Each is a so-called “Dividend Aristocrat”, which means it’s part of the S&P 500 and has increased its dividend in each of at least the past 25 years.
Company
Symbol
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AbbVie
ABBV
$5.64
3.80%
Armcor PLC
AMCR
$0.48
3.81%
Chevron
CVX
$5.68
3.94%
ExxonMobil
XOM
$3.52
4.04%
IBM
IBM
$6.60
5.15%
Realty Income Corp
O
$2.97
4.16%
Walgreen Boots Alliance
WBA
$1.92
4.97%
12. Preferred Stocks
Preferred stocks are a very specific type of dividend stock. Just like common stock, preferred stock represents an interest in a publicly traded company. They’re often thought of as something of a hybrid between stocks and bonds because they contain elements of both.
Though common stocks can pay dividends, they don’t always. Preferred stocks on the other hand, always pay dividends. Those dividends can be either a fixed amount or based on a variable dividend formula. For example, a company can base the dividend payout on a recognized index, like the LIBOR (London Inter-Bank Offered Rate). The percentage of dividend payout will then change as the index rate does.
Preferred stocks have two major advantages over common stock. First, as “preferred” securities, they have a priority on dividend payments. A company is required to pay their preferred shareholders dividends ahead of common stockholders. Second, preferred stocks have higher dividend yields than common stocks in the same company.
You can purchase preferred stock through online brokers, some of which are listed under “Growth Stocks” below.
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Preferred Stock Caveats
The disadvantage of preferred stocks is that they don’t entitle the holder to vote in corporate elections. But some preferred stocks offer a conversion option. You can exchange your preferred shares for a specific number of common stock shares in the company. Since the conversion will likely be exercised when the price of the common shares takes a big jump, there’s the potential for large capital gains—in addition to the higher dividend.
Be aware that preferred stocks can also be callable. That means the company can authorize the repurchase of the stock at its discretion. Most will likely do that at a time when interest rates are falling, and they no longer want to pay a higher dividend on the preferred stock.
Preferred stock may also have a maturity date, which is typically 30–40 years after its original issuance. The company will typically redeem the shares at the original issue price, eliminating the possibility of capital gains.
Not all companies issue preferred stock. If you choose this investment, be sure it’s with a company that’s well-established and has strong financials. You should also pay close attention to the details of the issuance, including and especially any callability provisions, dividend formulas, and maturity dates.
13. Growth Stocks
This sector is likely the highest risk investment on this list. But it also may be the one with the highest yield, at least over the long term. That’s why we’re including it on this list.
Based on the S&P 500 index, stocks have returned an average of 10% per year for the past 50 years. But it is important to realize that’s only an average. The market may rise 40% one year, then fall 20% the next. To be successful with this investment, you must be committed for the long haul, up to and including several decades.
And because of the potential wide swings, growth stocks are not recommended for funds that will be needed within the next few years. In general, growth stocks work best for retirement plans. That’s where they’ll have the necessary decades to build and compound.
Since most of the return on growth stocks is from capital gains, you’ll get the benefit of lower long-term capital gains tax rates, at least with securities held in a taxable account. (The better news is capital gains on investments held in retirement accounts are tax-deferred until retirement.)
You can choose to invest in individual stocks, but that’s a fairly high-maintenance undertaking. A better way may be to simply invest in ETFs tied to popular indexes. For example, ETFs based on the S&P 500 are very popular among investors.
You can purchase growth stocks and growth stock ETFs commission free with brokers like M1 Finance, Zacks Trade, Wealthsimple.
14. Annuities
Annuities are something like creating your own private pension. It’s an investment contract you take with an insurance company, in which you invest a certain amount of money in exchange for a specific income stream. They can be an excellent source of high yields because the return is locked in by the contract.
Annuities come in many different varieties. Two major classifications are immediate and deferred annuities. As the name implies, immediate annuities begin paying an income stream shortly after the contract begins.
Deferred annuities work something like retirement plans. You may deposit a fixed amount of money with the insurance company upfront or make regular installments. In either case, income payments will begin at a specified point in the future.
With deferred annuities, the income earned within the plan is tax-deferred and paid upon withdrawal. But unlike retirement accounts, annuity contributions are not tax-deductible. Investment returns can either be fixed-rate or variable-rate, depending on the specific annuity setup.
While annuities are an excellent idea and concept, the wide variety of plans as well as the many insurance companies and agents offering them, make them a potential minefield. For example, many annuities are riddled with high fees and are subject to limited withdrawal options.
Because they contain so many moving parts, any annuity contracts you plan to enter into should be carefully reviewed. Pay close attention to all the details, including the small ones. It is, after all, a contract, and therefore legally binding. For that reason, you may want to have a potential annuity reviewed by an attorney before finalizing the deal.
15. Alternative Investments
Alternative investments cover a lot of territory. Examples include precious metals, commodities, private equity, art and collectibles, and digital assets. These fall more in the category of high risk/potential high reward, and you should proceed very carefully and with only the smallest slice of your portfolio.
To simplify the process of selecting alternative assets, you can invest through platforms such as Yieldstreet. With a single cash investment, you can invest in multiple alternatives.
“Investors can purchase real estate directly on Yieldstreet, through fractionalized investments in single deals,” offers Milind Mehere, Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Yieldstreet. “Investors can access private equity and private credit at high minimums by investing in a private market fund (think Blackstone or KKR, for instance). On Yieldstreet, they can have access to third-party funds at a fraction of the previously required minimums. Yieldstreet also offers venture capital (fractionalized) exposure directly. Buying a piece of blue-chip art can be expensive, and prohibitive for most investors, which is why Yieldstreet offers fractionalized assets to diversified art portfolios.”
Yieldstreet also provides access to digital asset investments, with the benefit of allocating to established professional funds, such as Pantera or Osprey Fund. The platform does not currently offer commodities but plans to do so in the future.
Access to wide array of alternative asset classes
Access to ultra-wealthy investments
Can invest for income or growth
Learn More Now
Alternative investments largely require thinking out-of-the-box. Some of the best investment opportunities are also the most unusual.
“The price of meat continues to rise, while agriculture remains a recession-proof investment as consumer demand for food is largely inelastic,” reports Chris Rawley, CEO of Harvest Returns, a platform for investing in private agriculture companies. “Consequently, investors are seeing solid returns from high-yield, grass-fed cattle notes.”
16. Interest Bearing Crypto Accounts
Though the primary appeal of investing in cryptocurrency has been the meteoric rises in price, now that the trend seems to be in reverse, the better play may be in interest-bearing crypto accounts. A select group of crypto exchanges pays high interest on your crypto balance.
One example is Gemini. Not only do they provide an opportunity to buy, sell, and store more than 100 cryptocurrencies—plus non-fungible tokens (NFTs)—but they are currently paying 8.05% APY on your crypto balance through Gemini Earn.
In another variation of being able to earn money on crypto, Crypto.com pays rewards of up to 14.5% on crypto held on the platform. That’s the maximum rate, as rewards vary by crypto. For example, rewards on Bitcoin and Ethereum are paid at 6%, while stablecoins can earn 8.5%.
It’s important to be aware that when investing in cryptocurrency, you will not enjoy the benefit of FDIC insurance. That means you can lose money on your investment. But that’s why crypto exchanges pay such high rates of return, whether it’s in the form of interest or rewards.
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17. Crypto Staking
Another way to play cryptocurrency is a process known as crypto staking. This is where the crypto exchange pays you a certain percentage as compensation or rewards for monitoring a specific cryptocurrency. This is not like crypto mining, which brings crypto into existence. Instead, you’ll participate in writing that particular blockchain and monitoring its security.
“Crypto staking is a concept wherein you can buy and lock a cryptocurrency in a protocol, and you will earn rewards for the amount and time you have locked the cryptocurrency,” reports Oak View Law Group’s Lyle Solomon.
“The big downside to staking crypto is the value of cryptocurrencies, in general, is extremely volatile, and the value of your staked crypto may reduce drastically,” Solomon continues, “However, you can stake stable currencies like USDC, which have their value pegged to the U.S. dollar, and would imply you earn staked rewards without a massive decrease in the value of your investment.”
Much like earning interest and rewards on crypto, staking takes place on crypto exchanges. Two exchanges that feature staking include Coinbase and Kraken. These are two of the largest crypto exchanges in the industry, and they provide a wide range of crypto opportunities, in addition to staking.
Invest in Startup Businesses and Companies
Have you ever heard the term “angel investor”? That’s a private investor, usually, a high net worth individual, who provides capital to small businesses, often startups. That capital is in the form of equity. The angel investor invests money in a small business, becomes a part owner of the company, and is entitled to a share of the company’s earnings.
In most cases, the angel investor acts as a silent partner. That means he or she receives dividend distributions on the equity invested but doesn’t actually get involved in the management of the company.
It’s a potentially lucrative investment opportunity because small businesses have a way of becoming big businesses. As they grow, both your equity and your income from the business also grow. And if the business ever goes public, you could be looking at a life-changing windfall!
Easy Ways to Invest in Startup Businesses
Mainvest is a simple, easy way to invest in small businesses. It’s an online investment platform where you can get access to returns as high as 25%, with an investment of just $100. Mainvest offers vetted businesses (the acceptance rate is just 5% of business that apply) for you to invest in.
It collects revenue, which will be paid to you quarterly. And because the minimum required investment is so small, you can invest in several small businesses at the same time. One of the big advantages with Mainvest is that you are not required to be an accredited investor.
Still another opportunity is through Fundrise Innovation Fund. I’ve already covered how Fundrise is an excellent real estate crowdfunding platform. But through their recently launched Innovaton Fund, you’ll have opportunity to invest in high-growth private technology companies. As a fund, you’ll invest in a portfolio of late-stage tech companies, as well as some public equities.
The purpose of the fund is to provide high growth, and the fund is currently offering shares with a net asset value of $10. These are long-term investments, so you should expect to remain invested for at least five years. But you may receive dividends in the meantime.
Like Mainvest, the Fundrise Innovation Fund does not require you to be an accredited investor.
Low minimum investment – $10
Diversified real estate portfolio
Portfolio Transparency
Final Thoughts on High Yield Investing
Notice that I’ve included a mix of investments based on a combination of risk and return. The greater the risk associated with the investment, the higher the stated or expected return will be.
It’s important when choosing any of these investments that you thoroughly assess the risk involved with each, and not focus primarily on return. These are not 100% safe investments, like short-term CDs, short-term Treasury securities, savings accounts, or bank money market accounts.
Because there is risk associated with each, most are not suitable as short-term investments. They make most sense for long-term investment accounts, particularly retirement accounts.
For example, growth stocks—and most stocks, for that matter—should generally be in a retirement account. While there will be years when you will suffer losses in your position, you’ll have enough years to offset those losses between now and retirement.
Also, if you don’t understand any of the above investments, it will be best to avoid making them. And for more complicated investments, like annuities, you should consult with a professional to evaluate the suitability and all the provisions it contains.
FAQ’s on High Yield Investment Options
What investment has the highest yield?
The investment with the highest yield will vary depending on a number of factors, including current market conditions and the amount of risk an investor is willing to take on. Generally speaking, investments with the potential for high yields also come with a higher level of risk, so it’s important for investors to carefully consider their options and choose investments that align with their financial goals and risk tolerance.
Some examples of high-yield investments include:
1. Stocks: Some stocks may offer high dividend yields, which is the annual dividend payment a company makes to its shareholders, expressed as a percentage of the stock’s current market price.
2. Real estate: Investing in real estate, either directly by purchasing property or indirectly through a real estate investment trust (REIT), can potentially generate high returns in the form of rental income and appreciation of the property value.
3. High-yield bonds: High-yield bonds, also known as junk bonds, are bonds that are issued by companies with lower credit ratings and thus offer higher yields to compensate for the added risk.
4. Private lending: Investing in private loans, such as through peer-to-peer lending platforms, can potentially offer high yields, but it also carries a higher level of risk.
5. Commodities: Investing in commodities, such as precious metals or oil, can potentially generate high returns if the prices of those commodities rise. However, the prices of commodities can also be volatile and subject to market fluctuations.
It’s important to note that these are just examples and not recommendations. As with any investment, it’s crucial to carefully research and consider all the potential risks and rewards before making a decision.
Where can I invest my money to get high returns?
There are a number of places you can invest your money to get high returns. One option is to invest in stocks, which typically offer higher returns than other investment options. Another option is to invest in bonds, which are considered a relatively safe investment option.
You could also invest in real estate, which has the potential to provide high returns if done correctly. Finally, you could also invest in commodities, such as gold or silver, which can be a risky investment but can also offer high returns.
What investments can I make a 10% return?
It’s difficult to predict exactly what investments will generate a 10% return, as investment returns can vary depending on a number of factors, including market conditions and the performance of the specific investment. Some investments, such as stocks and real estate, have the potential to generate returns in excess of 10%, but they also come with a higher level of risk. It’s important to remember that past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results, and that all investments carry some degree of risk
Bank banks don’t want your deposits. At least, that’s the conclusion I’ve drawn over the last year as savings account yields at Citibank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and other big banks have scarcely budged despite the most aggressive Federal Reserve rate-hiking cycle in memory.
Good thing big banks aren’t the only game in town for savers. You can earn a far better return — like 125 times better, based on average savings account yields tracked by the FDIC — with Compound Real Estate Bonds, a financial technology company that offers high-yield bonds backed by real estate assets and loans.
Compound Real Estate Bonds is a potentially powerful source of passive income for everyday savers and an easy way to diversify your investment portfolio away from highly correlated stocks and ETFs. Find out what to expect from it and decide whether it’s right for you.
What Is Compound Real Estate Bonds?
Compound Real Estate Bonds is a financial technology company offering fixed-income real estate savings bonds.
Known as Compound Bonds, these bonds are available for purchase by accredited and non-accredited investors in $10 increments. They pay fixed interest (currently 7.00% APY) that’s credited and compounded daily. They’re highly liquid and have no fixed maturity date, meaning you can withdraw your funds at any time or remain invested indefinitely and keep compounding your money.
Compound Bonds are backed by real assets — mostly direct real estate investments and real estate debt investments, with some cash and cash equivalents in the mix. The real estate portfolio spans multifamily (55%), commercial (30%), and industrial (15%), broken down regionally as follows:
U.S. South
40%
Canada
40%
U.S. West
10%
U.S. Northeast
10%
What Sets Compound Real Estate Bonds Apart?
If you’re familiar with banking and investing at all, you can probably tell already that Compound Real Estate Bonds is different. We’ll dive deeper into its features and selling points in a moment, but these distinctions are worth calling out right away:
Daily Interest Crediting and Compounding. Unlike most bond issuers, fund managers, and banks, Compound Real Estate Bonds credits and compounds interest daily. It sounds like a technicality, but it’s not — it gives your money more opportunities to grow and can make a significant difference over time.
Withdraw Principal at Any Time. Most bonds have fixed maturity dates, meaning you have to wait years to get back what you put in. (Sure, you can sell some types of bonds on the secondary market, but that may involve loss of principal.) Compound Real Estate Bonds allows you to cash out of your Compound Bond investments at any time, though you’ll of course earn more the longer you stay invested.
Low Correlation With Market-Traded Investments. Compound Bonds are backed by real estate assets and debt investments, not market-traded securities (or vaporware like NFTs and crypto). So when the stock market takes a dive, your Compound Bonds won’t necessarily follow — though the real estate market does have its own ups and downs.
Open to Non-Accredited Investors. The Compound Bond is the sort of investment that until quite recently would only be open to accredited investors: individuals who consistently earn more than $200,000 per year and/or have at least $1 million in total net worth. Needless to say, that’s not most people. Good thing non-accredited investors — ordinary folks — can buy Compound Bonds too.
Is Compound Real Estate Bonds Legit?
Yes, Compound Real Estate Bonds is legit.
Compound Real Estate Bonds is a financial technology company that offers SEC-qualified bonds backed by real estate investments and real estate debt investments.
That said, Compound Real Estate Bonds is not a bank, and Compound Bonds are not FDIC-insured bank accounts. They’re alternative investments that, like all other investment instruments, carry some risks and aren’t suitable for all investors.
Compound Real Estate Bonds is not a licensed financial advisor or investment advisor. So before you make a decision to invest, read Compound Real Estate Bonds’s offering circular in full, and consult your financial advisor if you’re not sure how to evaluate the information you find there.
Key Features
Let’s take a closer look at how Compound Bonds work and what else you can expect from Compound Real Estate Bonds.
Investment Approach
Compound Real Estate Bonds’s website and real estate bonds fact sheet do a great job of describing its investment philosophy and approach in detail. I’m not going to repeat everything here — definitely check them out before you sign up — but I do want to call out some highlights here:
Focus on high-quality, income-producing real estate with growth potential
Value investing strategy (acquiring assets for less than what Compound Real Estate Bonds believes they’re worth)
Comprehensive asset diversification across geographic regions, real estate sectors, risk level, and time horizon
Applying proprietary technology and data insights to spot opportunities and manage risk effectively
Minimum Investment
Individual Compound Bonds have a face value of $10. That’s also the minimum investment amount. In other words, you can buy just one Compound Bond at a time if you wish.
Automatic Investments
Compound Real Estate Bonds makes it easy to set up automatic investments — as often as daily and as little as one bond at a time — from your linked bank account. You can also opt into round-up investments to round up each purchase in your linked external bank account to the nearest dollar, set aside the difference, and purchase a new Compound Bond when your saved balance hits $10.
Withdrawal Timing and Process
You can withdraw your bonds’ principal and accrued interest (which is added to the principal daily) at any time with no fees or restrictions. Simply initiate a withdrawal in the app and Compound Real Estate Bonds sends it to your linked external bank account.
Tax-Advantaged Investing Options
Compound Real Estate Bonds offers tax-advantaged investment options (Individual Retirement Accounts). You can open a fresh IRA with Compound Real Estate Bonds or roll over your balance from an existing IRA, depending on where you’re at in your retirement investing journey.
Advantages
Compound Real Estate Bonds and its core product, the Compound Bond, have some impressive advantages. These are definitely worth calling out.
No Fees, Period. Compound Real Estate Bonds has no user fees. You don’t have to worry about hidden charges eating into your returns or eroding your principal over time.
Yields Far Better Than Traditional Savings Accounts. Compound Bonds’ 7% annual yield is much better than traditional big-bank savings accounts, whose yields have been stuck near zero for years. It’s better than higher-yield online savings accounts too and should remain so for the foreseeable future.
Interest Credited and Compounded Daily. Compound Bonds credit and compound interest every day, giving your money more chances to grow. This is a big advantage over other passive investments, which typically pay interest or dividends annually, quarterly, or at most monthly.
Highly Liquid (Withdraw Funds at Any Time). Compound Real Estate Bonds offers real estate exposure without its Achilles heels: low liquidity and high selling costs. If you need your money back, no problem. You can cash out your Compound Bonds at any time.
Not Correlated With the Stock Market. Compound Bonds are backed by real estate, not stocks or government bonds. They’re not guaranteed never to lose value, of course, but they won’t decline just because the stock market has a bad day.
Backed by Real Assets (No NFTs or Crypto). Compound Bonds are backed by real assets — literally, real estate assets — rather than sketchy NFTs or cryptocurrencies. This is a big advantage over other financial technology companies promising better returns than banks. Real estate isn’t risk-free, but it’s a lot more legit than digital assets.
Open to Non-Accredited Investors. Compound Real Estate Bonds allows non-accredited investors to purchase Compound Bonds, subject to income- or net worth-based restrictions.
Disadvantages
Compound Bonds do have some downsides worth noting. Consider them before you sign up.
Not FDIC-Insured. Compound Bonds are not bank accounts, so they don’t come with FDIC deposit insurance. This means that if Compound Real Estate Bonds goes out of business — which seems unlikely right now, but you never know — you could lose your entire investment.
Purchase Limits for Non-Accredited Investors. It’s great that Compound Real Estate Bonds allows non-accredited investors to buy Compound Bonds, but there’s a limit that could put enthusiastic investors at a disadvantage: no more than 10% of your annual income or net worth if you don’t qualify as an accredited investor.
Tied to North American Real Estate. Compound Bonds are backed by U.S. and Canadian real estate assets and debt investments. This has some upsides, like low correlation with stocks and inflation resistance (based on historical performance), but we know that real estate investments can lose as well as gain value.
Final Word
Compound Real Estate Bonds’s Compound Bond is one of the most exciting alternative investments I’ve come across since 2020.
Perhaps it’s a low bar after years of crypto hype, but it’s refreshing to find a high-yield instrument backed by real assets — literally, real estate.
And with such low barriers to entry, it’s no stretch to say that Compound Bonds are within financial reach for ordinary savers and investors, from folks just starting out down the road to financial independence to people who’ve been doing this for decades.
Our rating
Editorial Note:
The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Brian Martucci writes about credit cards, banking, insurance, travel, and more. When he’s not investigating time- and money-saving strategies for Money Crashers readers, you can find him exploring his favorite trails or sampling a new cuisine. Reach him on Twitter @Brian_Martucci.
Margin is debt. You borrow capital from your broker to buy more assets, in most cases stocks.
This gives you leverage. You are making a bet that your returns on the investments you buy on margin are going to be greater than the interest rate you pay your broker for the privilege, net of commissions.
If they are, you pocket the difference. If not, then you have to make your broker whole.
Since the broker uses the assets you already own in your account as collateral to satisfy your margin, investing on a margin is very similar to buying a house on mortgage.
The only difference being that when you invest, you do not have to make monthly margin payments and the broker is generally not too worried if you ever make any effort to reduce your margin as long as there is sufficient value in your investments to cover for it.
The similarity does not end here. Taking on a mortgage to buy a house can be good, or bad. It depends a lot on who, how, why, and the level of financial savvy of the borrower. Investing on margin is the same way.
If you understand how it works, use it judiciously, and can manage your risk well, it can help you generate nicer returns. On the other hand, if you are not disciplined enough, or misuse it or get carried away chasing a hot stock, it can drain your account dry.
When to Not Use Margin?
In this case, I think it makes better sense to eliminate the situations where margin should not be used before we talk about the situations where it makes sense to use it. Sure, there are always exceptions, but these principles hold true for most common investing scenarios.
Principle #1: Do not use margin to buy interest-bearing assets that yield lower than your margin interest
Yes, you can buy bonds of all varieties, treasuries and many other assets that throw out reliable yield. Most of the time, because of the perceived safety of these instruments, the brokers will allow you to lever up more than 1x, which means that $1 of your collateral might allow you to buy $3 of municipal bonds (as an example).
Theoretically, if the yield on this muni is more than 1/3rd of the interest rate on your margin, you could possibly make a few basis points of supposedly “risk free” income.
The problem arises if the interest rates move and the slim window of profit can quickly flip into a cash flow drain. Besides, anything that complicates your investing so much for returns so small is not worth doing.
Principle #2: Do not use margin to buy stock in a utility company, REIT, MLP or other type of Trusts
Similar principle as above. Any stock that is mostly used to generate a current income in form of dividends is not a candidate to buy using margin. In most cases, the yield will be lower than your interest rate, and capital appreciation may not be enough to make up for it.
If you are buying stocks for income, you are likely a conservative investor and margin just adds more risk that you should not carry. Dividend investing is not a bad thing; just not recommended on margin.
Principle #3: Do not use margin to make a down payment on a car, boat, or a house
Just because you can borrow money from your broker to make a down payment does not mean you should do it. In this case, you are borrowing money which will become a basis for more debt (car loan, mortgage, etc).
If you have to do it, that means you are not financially strong enough to buy or invest in these assets. Multiple levels of leverage are financial insanity and can come back to bite you much sooner than you think.
But using margin is not all bad if you know how.
When and How to Use Margin
Too much debt kills, but a little debt can go a long way towards giving you financial flexibility. However, it is important to use margin as a tool only when you have a good investment that you are not able to get in otherwise. Let’s take a few examples
Example #1: A great investment opportunity arises and you are temporarily short of capital
It often happens that your next contribution to your investment account is a few days or perhaps a week away, and it can easily cover the amount you are going to invest in this opportunity. Assuming this is not a hot tip stock, and you have satisfied yourself of the merit of the investment, go ahead and use margin to start your position. In a few days you will send in more cash and your margin will be covered.
Example #2: Using margin as an emergency fund
If you have a need for cash that cannot wait – for example, an unexpectedly large tax bill, where the consequences of not paying full taxes on time are greater than the interest on the margin, it is okay to go ahead and borrow on margin. In many cases, you may need time to figure out which investments to sell to cover the margin, or perhaps you can do it over time with your income.
Example #3: Year-end tax planning
Let’s say you have a few investments you want to sell so you can redeploy capital in other more attractive investments. If your current investments have significant capital gains, you may want to wait for the new year to sell them so as to not incur additional taxes in the current year.
However, due to traditional tax selling by investors and funds, many investments become quite attractive towards the year-end, which you may want to take advantage of.
Proper use of margin will allow you to bridge the temporary capital gap. For a disciplined investor, margin should always be used in moderation and only when necessary.
When possible, try not to use more than 10% of your asset value as a margin and draw a line at 30%. It is also a great idea to use brokers like TD Ameritrade that have cheap margin interest rates. Remember, the margin interest compounds as long as you keep the margin open.
About the Author: Shailesh Kumar writes about stocks and value investing at Value Stock Guide, where he offers individual stock picks and ideas to registered members. Subscribe to his free stock newsletter for investment ideas that you can use to research further.
No matter the type or amount of investment GoodFinancialCents.com is here to help. Whether it be investing $20,000 or how to invest $500000, we want to help you make the most of your investments!
There are people in the world who are best known for being famous for being famous.
Think Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton.
Warren Buffett is not in this crowd (thank goodness!).
He is widely considered to be the most successful investor of all time. He is one of the very wealthiest people in the world – often THE wealthiest, depending on stock market valuations.
He has gotten to where he is by being a brilliant and insightful investor.
Like me, he wasn’t born into money, and he didn’t sign a fat contract for a book, a movie, a TV show or a record deal. (Note: I did sign a contract for my book deal, but I assure it wasn’t fat. Far from it. Haha…)
He did it the old fashioned way, which in today’s world seems almost radical.
In fact, there is nothing fancy or unusual at all about Warren Buffett – other than his phenomenal success.
That, and his overwhelming common sense, are the reason why so many people study his life and follow his lessons. And that’s why you should to.
Though he came from humble beginnings, Buffett is today the chairman, chief executive officer, and the largest shareholder of the multinational conglomerate holding company, Berkshire Hathaway.
His advice and pronouncements have become legendary, earning him the nickname “The Oracle of Omaha.”
What are some of the lessons that we can learn from this “oracle“?
1. Never Lose Money
“Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget rule No. 1.“ – Warren Buffet
What makes it impossible to say that you are never going to lose money, is that it would mean that you would never take the calculated risks that are necessary to make money in the first place. But that’s the whole point – taking calculated risks.
Buffett doesn’t take wild chances. He has specific criteria in regard to any business that he will invest in, and this method keeps him from entering blind speculations.
If you use the never lose money mantra as a foundational strategy, it will have a positive effect on everything you will do, whether it has to do with a business or with investing. Many of the lessons that will follow will outline exactly how Buffett avoids losing money in the first place.
2. Buy Businesses – Not Stocks
“I never attempt to make money on the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five years.“ – Warren Buffet
Despite being perhaps the most successful investor in stock market history, Warren Buffett never actually bets on stocks, at least not the way that most investors and even fund managers do.
Buffett looks not at the performance of a given stock, but at the performance of the underlying business. This is critical, because a strong underlying business means that an investment will almost always payoff, at least sooner or later.
The reason why most investors fail to follow Buffett’s advice in this regard is because it requires a lot more work. You actually have to research the individual companies, and have a keen understanding of their business and how well they are faring against the competition. Market sentiment of the company’s stock has little to do with it.
3. Be in the Game For the Long Haul
“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.“ – Warren Buffet
When you look at the companies that Buffett either owns individually, or through Berkshire Hathaway, they’re all long-term investments. Buffett will buy stocks and hold onto them – not for years – but for decades. As long as the business is strong, the investment will payoff. Buffett’s track record, and the size of his portfolios, are testaments to the success of this strategy.
4. You Are Ultimately Responsible For Your Success or Failure
There are a lot more people in the financial markets then there is understanding of those markets. For this reason, people hold their investments through mutual funds, or pay for the services of investment advisers. Buffett holds that there is no substitute for getting involved in your investments.
Whether your investments succeed or fail will be completely on your shoulders, and not on those of your investment advisor. He maintains a policy of learning all about an investment and taking complete charge of how you go about managing it. In addition to being a solid strategy, this is also the only way that a novice investor learns to be an expert.
5. Keep Tight Control Over Your Living Expenses
If you look at the most successful people in almost any endeavor, you will typically see that they are people who live the life. That is, they live a lifestyle that is consistent with their level of success. This often leads to more than a little bit of lifestyle inflation, which helps explain how so many super successful people end up in a bankruptcy, and eventually, even the poor house.
Warren Buffett has done an outstanding job of keeping his ego in check when it comes to his lifestyle. It can even be said that he uses the same value principles for investments that he does in managing his own personal finances. For example, Buffett still lives in the same five-bedroom stucco house be purchased in Omaha Nebraska in 1957 for $31,500.
It’s certainly a nice enough house, but it doesn’t come close to the palaces that people who are nowhere near as wealthy as Buffett tend to live in. There is a strong message in that arrangement.
6. Invest in Quality
One of Buffett’s hallmark investment strategies is a investing in quality. This means that he invests in companies that have well-known, well-regarded products that add value to the consumer and the economy. The companies he inverts money in are usually household names, which is to say that they have both strong market penetration and brand recognition.
Many less successful investors are drawn to companies and industries that they know little or nothing about. They assume that the less they know, the more likely it is that the investment will be a success, as though it will succeed based on some unexplained mystery factor. Quality – not mystery – makes a company a long-term winning investment.
7. Buy Value
We can think of buying value as buying quality – when it goes on sale. This is part and parcel of Buffet’s never-lose-money strategy. Simply put, Buffett never pays full price for anything, including the investments that populate his portfolios.
He does this by buying companies that are selling at a discount to their real value. This strategy is more commonly referred to as value investing, which is the practice of buying stock in companies that are undervalued compared to other companies in their industry, as well as to the general market.
Buffet has this down to a science. He looks at the fundamentals of a company – it’s earnings, revenue, price-earnings ratio, return on equity and dividend yield, among other metrics – then he compares them to the same metrics in competing companies. If the company is generally strong compared to the competition, but the stock price is well below them, it becomes an investment candidate.
8. Avoid Fads
One thing that is immediately obvious about Buffett is that you’ll never see him running with the herd. That means no “Nifty Fifty” stocks, no hot stock of the year investments – and nothing that even hints at being trendy.
As an example, Buffett has publicly stated that he avoids buying stock in new social media, like Facebook and Google, citing the difficulty in determining their value and how they will fare in the future.
We can also bet that participating in fads would get in the way of investing in quality and value on a long-term basis. If it’s one thing Buffett is, it’s consistent.
9. Buy When “The Blood Is Running in the Streets”
“We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful.“ – Warren Buffet
I just said that you will never see Warren Buffett running with the herd, and this one of the best examples. His investment philosophy is simple – buy when everyone else is selling (be greedy), and sell when everyone else is buying (be fearful). This is consistent with the Wall Street saying (that few investors ever follow), the crowd is usually wrong.
This strategy is very consistent with Buffets strategy of buying value. If you buy when everyone else is selling, you will be able to get positions in strong companies for a lot less than you would pay when the market is running strong and everyone is buying.
10. Sell Your Losing Positions in Strong Markets
By the same token, if you wait to sell your losing positions until the market is particularly strong, you will minimize your losses. In some cases, you might even recover a profit.
Most investors have great difficulty mastering this concept. Once the stock starts rising, they tend to hold on to it under the assumption that will continue to do so. But in Buffets world, a losing position is a losing position, regardless of where the stock price is at.
11. Risk is Part of the Game – Get Used to It
“Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing “ – Warren Buffet
Buffets way to wealth is actually a very risky one by conventional standards. He doesn’t invest heavily in safe assets like bonds and treasury bills. He invests primarily in stocks. But stocks are not nearly as risky as people tend think – as long as you know what you’re doing. And Buffet clearly does.
Buffet is able to eliminate most of the risk associated with stocks, by buying them cheaply enough that the speculation – and high prices – are completely squeezed out. Most of the positions that Buffet takes have nowhere to go but up. That is the result of buying after everyone else has sold out their positions.
In Buffets world, you would be buying heavily after a market crash, and keeping your powder dry when a bull market has been around for a few years.
12. Pay Close Attention to Management
“When a management with a reputation of brilliance tackles a business with a reputation for bad economics, it is the reputation of the business that remains intact.“ – Warren Buffet
While many investment analysts tend to focus on a company’s numbers, market position, specific assets, and even public sentiment, Buffett looks more closely at management. Every one of those tangible metrics can change in the future, substantially weakening a company. But the caliber of management represents the future of the business. With the right people at the helm, the business will grow and prosper no matter what challenges it may face.
13. Stick With What You Know
Just as Buffett avoids fads, he also tends to stick with what he knows when it comes to making investment decisions. In Buffett’s world, you have no business putting money into companies and industries that you know nothing about. Buffett’s billions came from the fact that he invested in businesses that he knew well.
The businesses that he does buy into also tend to be more basic in concept. As we saw in an earlier specific example, Buffett avoids buying into social media companies, since they are virtually new business concepts and not readily measurable. He favors easy to understand concepts like Coca-Cola and insurance.
14. Keep It Simple
“Derivatives are financial weapons of mass destruction. “ – Warren Buffet
There are a small number of investors on Wall Street who are making a lot of money in exotic investments, such as derivatives. Buffett avoids all such investment schemes, preferring to keep his investments basic. It once again gets back to the concept of investing in what it is that you know and understand.
15. Keep a Low Profile
Just as Warren Buffett lifestyle is incredibly simple considering his stature in the world, he also does his best to avoid the spotlight.
Sure, he’s a regular in giving an opinion on economic and public policy, but he avoids the outrageous behavior that has become symptomatic of the ultra-successful. But the success that he has is determined by the success of his business, rather than on his participation in out-of-the-box activities, or inflammatory public comments, designed mostly to draw attention.
We can probably guess that this low-profile existence makes it easier to focus on Buffett’s business at hand. After all, if you’re running around acting wild and making divisive comments, you won’t need to be spending a lot of time on rear-guard strategies to cover your tracks.
Even if you are not into investing, you can take all of these lessons from Warren Buffett’s life and apply them to your life and business, and with positive results.
Many set a goal to become a millionaire but fail to make the necessary habit changes to achieve the goal. While many believe millionaires are simply lucky, more often a millionaire’s money is made through grit, âsweat equity,â and financial discipline. Strategies to become a millionaire can be easy to replicate but will also require
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Inflation is at its highest point in 40 years, which can be detrimental to your portfolio. Investing in value stocks, real estate investment trusts, I bonds, and commodities are some of the ways you can hedge against losses.Inflation is at its highest point in 40 years, which can be detrimental to your portfolio. Investing in value stocks, real estate investment trusts, I bonds, and commodities are some of the ways you can hedge against losses.
The post How to create an inflation-proof portfolio appeared first on Money Under 30.
Before I became a full-time blogger, I spent a little over three years working as a financial analyst at a small valuation and investment banking firm. We handled situations related to M&A, business valuation, estate and gift tax, and more. Due to the nature of my job, many of our clients were very wealthy. Very […]
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Are you looking to invest $100,000? Lucky you! If you need a little help, here’s our full guide that will teach you how to invest $100,000.$100K is a lot of money. But if you have it, and are looking for smart ways to invest it, here are a few options to explore.
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