To enjoy a comfortable future, investing is absolutely essential for most people. As the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated, a seemingly stable economy can be quickly turned on its head, leaving those who haven’t prepared scrambling for income. But those who could hold on to their investments may have done quite well, as the market registered new all-time highs deep into 2021.
There are many ways to invest — from very safe choices such as CDs and money market accounts to medium-risk options such as corporate bonds, and even higher-risk picks such as stock index funds. That’s great news, because it means you can find investments that offer a variety of returns and fit your risk profile. It also means that you can combine investments to create a well-rounded and diversified — that is, safer — portfolio.
Here are the best investments in 2021:
- High-yield savings accounts
- Certificates of deposit
- Government bond funds
- Short-term corporate bond funds
- Municipal bond funds
- S&P 500 index funds
- Dividend stock funds
- Nasdaq-100 index funds
- Rental housing
- Cryptocurrency
Investing can be a great way to build your wealth over time, and investors have a range of investment options, from safe lower-return assets to riskier, higher-return ones. That range means you’ll need to understand the pros and cons of each investment option and how they fit into your overall financial plan in order to make an informed decision. While it seems daunting at first, many investors manage their own assets.
But the first step to investing is actually easy: opening a brokerage account. Investing can be surprisingly affordable even if you don’t have a lot of money. (Here are some of the best brokers to choose from if you’re just getting started.)