Investing in either a house or a corporate stock option has the potential to yield large profits if you are willing to keep them over a prolonged period. What if you are looking to increase your income at this moment instead of delaying it?
An excellent method of creating a regular extra income in a relatively brief period is to invest in a short-term plan. Let’s evaluate the differences between short-term and long-term investments and determine the most profitable strategies now and in the future.
What Are Short-Term Investments?
Short-term investing is an important strategy for any investor. An investment that produces a return within five years is commonly referred to as a short-term investment or a marketable investment. These types of investments are usually only held for a limited period of time.
It is important to take into account that the term “short-term” has a varied meaning in the realm of investing. As an example, if you are an investor expecting returns on your investments in two to three decades, a ten year investment would be considered brief in your case. In general, a brief investment usually denotes any resource with a duration of ownership within one to five years.
Investing on a short-term basis carries a relatively low risk, yet yields promising rewards. Some short-term investments require a minimum holding period. The time frame for a fix-and-flip property can vary depending on the provisions of the loan, typically between one and two years.
Other types of short-term investments don’t have a predetermined expiry or completion date. Individual stocks are one example. If a company’s stocks experience an increase in value, it’s possible to purchase the shares and then sell them at a much higher cost within one to two weeks.
Both private investors and businesses are involved in short-term investing for different reasons. One method of broadening your investment collection and bringing in money without taking on much risk is to invest in this way.
The 6 Best Short-Term Investment Strategies
1. Savings Accounts
Maybe you have not contemplated a savings account as among the top short-term investments, but it unquestionably is. View it like this: placing your money in a bank account is tantamount to giving financial assistance to the lender. That’s why you’ll earn interest on your accounts. A savings account can be a feasible temporary investment possibility if you plan on having a sizable sum of money in savings from 1-5 years.
Unfortunately, the rate of interest earned on the average savings account is low. An alternative option is to set up a high-yield savings account which offers greatly increased interest.
A high-yield savings account usually provides 20 to 25 times the interest rate of a standard savings account. It’s a great option if you’re:
- Saving for vacation.
- Saving for a large purchase (like an automobile).
- Putting money away for emergency funds.
2. Peer-to-Peer Lending
A type of borrowing where a person gets a loan directly from another person with no third party in between. Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, referred to as “social lending” or “crowdlending,” has only been an available investment opportunity since 2005. There are many websites that facilitate P2P lending.
You will enroll with a peer-to-peer lending platform and place funds in that account which will be utilized for the loans you will be providing. Applicants create their own personal info, and they will be connected with you. Most P2P lending websites provide a form of risk assessment, which helps you to decide which loans to approve.
A P2P account could be a viable option in comparison to a bank savings account since it usually offers greater returns on investment. You must be mindful of the likelihood of failure when deciding to loan someone money, therefore you should select wisely and revisit your understanding of what you feel comfortable with when it comes to taking risks.
For a quick profit, consider offering loans with a period of five years or less.
3. Government Bond Funds
A government bond is like a bond issued by a business, except it is published by a government entity instead of a company. A government bond is a type of investment that carries low risk, similar to that of a corporate bond. In fact, government bonds issued by the U.S. Treasuries are known as some of the safest bonds on the planet and one of the top investments over a brief time frame.
Due to their reduced danger, government bonds generally yield lower rates of interest. Nevertheless, these investment vehicles are ideal due to the lack of state and municipal taxation (there is tax on bonds from foreign governments), and there are even government bonds that issue interest payments at regular intervals as opposed to just at the end of the term.
4. Roth IRA
A Roth IRA is an individual retirement account designed to contain money saved for retirement. Contributing to a traditional IRA can result in tax deductions, however, taxes will have to be paid when funds are taken out. Instead of paying taxes on withdrawals from a Roth IRA, the contributions are the ones that are subject to taxation. Therefore, any amount taken out from the Roth IRA would not be subject to taxation.
Roth Individual Retirement Arrangements are typically thought of as a more beneficial retirement plan than traditional IRA’s. It is definitely the case that your taxes will increase with each donation you make. When you reach the age at which you can retire, no taxes must be paid on money taken from retirement savings. It could lessen your financial burden during retirement.
Roth IRAs don’t pay simple interest. If you set up a Roth IRA at a brokerage you already have investments with, the money in the account could gain compound interest from the interest and dividends derived from these investments. If you’re an investor, this is an excellent method of substantially increasing your retirement savings.
By keeping a Roth IRA at your brokerage firm, you have the potential to make more money out of your retirement account over a shorter period of time.
5. Money Market Accounts
A money market account is a kind of bank account that combines the features of a checking account and a savings account. As opposed to a traditional savings account, a money market account often comes with the added benefit of being able to write checks and utilize a debit card in addition to offering a higher rate of interest. Government regulations limit you to six withdrawals per month.
If you need the convenience of a checking account but also would like to make more money on your funds than a regular savings account, you should think about investing in a money market account. This might be an ideal banking account option for retirees – they could place their pension funds in the account and use it to pay their expenses.
Banks and credit unions offer money market accounts. A money market account has more stringent standards than a conventional savings account. Your money market account can be backed by insurance, making it a secure investment.
Storing a fine wine or whisky away to let it age can be likened to taking a long-term investment approach to help reach financial objectives.
Having a long period of time is essential to increasing the amount of your investments. By not worrying about fluctuations in the stock market in the short term, you can concentrate on the increases that stocks generally provide to investors in the long run.
There’s no ‘get rich quick scheme’ with stocks. It is possible to construct a portfolio that has the capability to weather fluctuations in the market, both positive and negative, if you know ahead of time.
Starting with a solid foundation doesn’t guarantee investing success. You should have an improved chance of accumulating wealth.
6. Invest In Yourself
One of the absolute best things you can do is increase your financial IQ by constantly reading, taking courses, and educating yourself. Most likely you won’t find much in the way of financial education in a traditional school, but rather through ad hoc learning.
Take a look at our article titled, “Best Books For Financial Freedom” to get a primer on which ones we recommend reading first.
What Is Long-Term Investing?
Just as leaving wine or whisky to age can improve the overall quality, taking a long-term approach to investing has the potential to benefit you financially over the long term.
Regarding increasing the worth of your investments, the critical component is the duration of time. By putting time on your side, you can focus more on the big picture, bypassing anxieties related to temporary stock market declines and instead tap into the usually increasing value that markets typically offer in the long run.
As a general guideline, you should be willing to keep any investment for a minimum of five years.
Due to individuals now having shortened attention spans along with things commonly being delivered on the same day, this period of time may appear as if an eternity. When investing, it’s wise to maintain a long-term outlook and consider the potential returns over a period of several years.
The amount of time you think of investments lasting will possibly vary from someone else, depending on the particular purpose for which you are investing. It would be advantageous to have as much time as possible to invest.
Advantages of Long-Term Investing:
Investing in a method created for long-term success has some advantages.
Here are some of the main reasons why investors think long-term with an investment portfolio:
- Growth – more time for your portfolio to potentially benefit from compound interest.
- Smoother – the ability to ride out short-term stock market volatility.
- Fewer emotions – help you avoid any hasty decisions in reaction to market movements.
- Efficient – saves you time as you don’t have to keep making more and more f trades.
- Affordable – you can invest small amounts on a regular basis and still build wealth.
- Cheaper – fewer costs if your investment account charges trading fees or commissions.
The 5 Best Long-Term Investment Strategies
1. Growth Stocks
Investing in stocks that show the potential for future development is a great option to consider if you are planning ahead.
Shares in companies that are expected to grow their value faster than the benchmark average in the stock market are known as growth stocks. These types of companies often have younger owners and may not have made a profit yet.
Rather than paying out dividends, the money earned is usually funneled back into expansion initiatives.
Many technology stocks are classified as growth stocks and the way to make a profit from them is by increasing the value of the shares or increasing the capital.
The problem with investing in firms with visions of a prosperous future, is that it can be hard to estimate the worth or appraise them. The potential for larger rewards is balanced by a greater amount of unpredictability. Thus, there is an associated risk factor.
2. ETFs
Exchange-traded funds are frequently picked as an attractive option for long-term investing.
Purchasing ETFs can be less expensive than purchasing active funds or mimicking the same investments yourself due to reduced fees.
By investing in an ETF, you are taking advantage of diversification as you will have exposure to a portfolio of individual stocks.
This strategy of investing is more simplistic than if you choose your investments and stock combinations on your own, while requiring less attention and exertion.
It is common for ETFs to be promoted as an optimal investment for people just starting out.
But, there are some downsides to bear in mind.
It’s not likely that you will outperform the stock market in the future, since most ETFs simply reflect the performance of a specific index or industry. Even with the inherent heterogeneity that comes with an ETF, you could still be subject to an undue concentration in a certain sector or area.
The weighting of the market-cap implies that the larger businesses usually receive most of your investment. You could potentially miss out on the expansion that originates from small and middle-sized stock investments.
3. Investment trusts
Investment trusts have existed for some time with a few of the major ones still being a preferred option for many.
An investment trust permits an individual to invest in a collection of stocks and other assets through a single transaction. The trust is established and has the capacity to be traded like a stock on the stock market.
Investment trusts are managed with a particular purpose in mind such as to encourage growth, create steady income, or a mixture of the two. They could be experts in one particular area, such as a sector, a recurrent idea, or a nation.
Mutual funds and other listed corporations have a predetermined quantity of stocks at all times, so there is no need for administrators of portfolios to have to liquidate investments when inquiries are made regarding money being taken from the fund. This permits them to put money into investments with a longer period of time in mind than those of other forms of funds and stay invested.
Investment trusts come with an expert manager, however, there is a fee associated as previously discussed. This fee deducts from potential profits.
4. REITs
REITs are commonly referred to by the abbreviated term “REITs”. They offer an avenue to invest in real estate without a lot of the regular impediments.
When you purchase REIT stocks, you are essentially obtaining a component of a real estate collection.
As a shareholder, you will receive a dividend from the rent payments placed on the properties that make up the portfolio. Investment trusts must distribute a percentage of their profits to investors annually.
A lot of real estate investment trusts specializing in particular areas, such as storage facilities, data centers, or office buildings. Long-term investment in flourishing enterprises that need premises to operate is a practical way to identify the ideal REITs.
5. Gold
This vivid golden hue has been held as a form of wealth for many years.
However, one cannot always assume that investing in gold is a safe option. Gold has traditionally been held as a long-term investment, however, there have been periods where the price has remained stable or erratic.
At times, investors buy gold without analyzing the situation properly. Investing in gold can be advantageous for your portfolio, though don’t count on it for sure appreciation.
Another disadvantage of gold is that it does not generate any kind of revenue stream, and you must rely on its market value. An alternative approach to consider is investing in companies that mine and produce gold and other metals.
This may provide a certain degree of leeway, the opportunity to generate dividends, and access other valuables like silver.
If you are determined to put your money into gold, you have several possibilities with regards to investing in raw materials.
You can purchase an exchange-traded product (ETC) that follows the cost of actual gold. You might be interested in considering an exchange-traded fund (ETF) related to gold mining that puts money into key mining businesses.
6. Real Estate
Last but not least is our own personal favorite, real estate.
Specifically the cornerstone of our financial freedom plan, which is buying and holding single family rentals through turnkey real estate companies.
You can earn money from these kinds of real estate deals in four ways: cash flow, appreciation, tax benefits, amortization (tenants paying down the mortgage).
Even when one particular way of earning money in real estate doesn’t prove fruitful in the short term, the other pillars kick and still make the investment profitable for us.
Kurt has gone from the financial lows of the ’08 financial crisis to personal financial success. He is a professional real estate investor, media buyer, faithful Red Sox Fan.
One of his passions is financial education and the pursuit of financial freedom.
You can learn more about Kurt here, or get a hold of him on Facebook or Twitter.
