When it comes to investing your money, it’s important to consider your own risk tolerance and time horizon. The best investments for you will depend greatly on your personal financial situation and goals. With that said, there are some investment options that may prove worthwhile in 2024 based on current market conditions and predictions. The goal of this article is to highlight some of the top potential investments to consider adding to your portfolio in the coming year.
Whether you’re investing for retirement, building an emergency fund, or have other financial objectives in mind, you’ll want to think about your individual needs and how much risk you’re comfortable taking on. Conservative investors may want to stick to options like high-yield savings and CDs, while those with a higher risk appetite may consider stocks, funds, and alternative investments. The investments below represent a mix of safer, moderate, and higher-risk options to suit different investment styles.
High-Yield Savings Accounts
High-yield savings accounts are one of the best low-risk investments to consider in 2024. These accounts typically pay higher interest rates than traditional savings accounts, allowing your money to grow faster over time without any additional risk.
The major benefit of high-yield savings accounts is that they are FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor, per account ownership category, per insured bank. This means your money is just as safe as with a traditional savings account, even though you can earn over 20 times the interest.
High-yield savings accounts also provide complete liquidity, allowing you to withdraw your funds at any time without penalty. This makes them a flexible option if you need access to your money for emergencies or other short-term needs.
With interest rates projected to rise in 2024, high-yield savings accounts will become an even more attractive investment. The combination of high yields, FDIC insurance, liquidity and minimal risk makes these one of the best places to park your cash next year.
Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
Certificates of deposit, or CDs, are a safe way to grow your money deposited in a bank. CDs are a time deposit that earns interest over a set period of time, anywhere from 3 months to 5 years. The money deposited into a CD is locked in for the duration of the CD term. One major benefit of CDs is that they are FDIC insured, so up to $250,000 per bank is protected in the case of bank failure.
CDs offer a slightly higher rate of return compared to a traditional high-yield savings account. The catch is that you cannot access the money until the CD matures without paying an early withdrawal penalty. The interest rate on CDs tends to correlate with the length of the CD term – longer terms yield higher interest rates.
Overall, CDs are a solid relatively low-risk investment vehicle for savers looking for a guaranteed modest return over a set period of time. The FDIC insurance provides peace of mind on the deposited amount. Just be sure you don’t need access to the money prior to maturity of the CD.
Bonds
Bonds are essentially IOUs issued by corporations or governments looking to raise capital. The entity issues a bond that it promises to pay back in full, with regular interest payments along the way.
Bonds offer fixed income based on the interest rate they offer upon issue. If held to maturity, bonds provide a fixed, regular return. They tend to be low to moderate risk investments, depending on the financial stability of the issuing entity. Governments are generally the most stable issuers.
Adding bonds to an investment portfolio provides diversification beyond just stocks. While stocks offer potential growth, they also involve higher risk. Bonds help balance that risk with their relative stability and predictable returns. With interest rates expected to rise in 2022 and beyond, bonds issued previously at lower rates will decline in value. But holding bonds to maturity eliminates interest rate risk.
Overall, bonds deserve consideration for low to moderate risk investors looking for diversification and fixed income. Focus on short to intermediate term bonds from financially strong issuers to reap the benefits while avoiding unnecessary risk and volatility.
Funds
Mutual funds, ETFs, and index funds offer professionally managed diversified baskets of securities that can be an excellent investment in 2024. These funds allow you to own a small piece of many different stocks or bonds within a single investment. This provides built-in diversification and takes the guesswork out of trying to pick individual winners.
Some of the key benefits of funds include:
- Diversification – Rather than putting all your eggs in one basket, funds provide instant diversification across various assets, market sectors, or geographies. This helps reduce portfolio volatility and risk.
- Professional management – Fund managers and analysts research and select investments based on your objectives, time horizon, and risk tolerance. This can give better results than choosing securities yourself.
- Variety – There is a huge assortment of fund styles and strategies today including index tracking, active management, growth vs value, market capitalization, and more. You can align investments to your needs.
- Low costs – Many index funds and ETFs have extremely low fees compared to actively managed funds. This increases your overall returns.
- Simplicity – Opening and managing fund accounts is straightforward. You don’t need to continually research and trade individual stocks and bonds yourself.
With interest rates still relatively low in 2024, funds can offer an attractive way to seek portfolio growth compared to leaving money in cash. Be sure to understand your risk tolerance and diversify across fund types, managers, strategies, and asset classes.
Stocks
Stocks represent partial ownership in a company. When you purchase shares of a company’s stock, you become a part owner of that business. This gives you the potential to earn higher returns than other investments over the long run, as the company grows and becomes more profitable. However, stocks are riskier than fixed income investments like bonds.
The return potential for stocks is higher because you are sharing in the profits and growth of the company. Rather than receiving a fixed interest payment like with a bond, your return depends on how well the company performs. If the company does very well, the stock price will rise more than expected and you could make a substantial return on your investment. However, you could also lose money if the company performs poorly. Stocks involve more short-term volatility than other assets.
To reduce the risks of owning individual stocks, experts recommend diversifying your holdings across different sectors, market capitalizations (large, mid, small), and geographic regions. Own a basket of stocks rather than just a few individual names. This helps ensure that any underperformance by a single company doesn’t sink your whole portfolio. Over long periods, stocks have delivered average annual returns of around 10%, exceeding less risky assets.
Alternative Investments
Alternative investments can provide portfolio diversification beyond stocks and bonds. They include assets like real estate, commodities, hedge funds, private equity, and collectibles. The main benefit of alternative investments is increased diversification. Since they behave differently than traditional securities, adding alternatives can reduce overall portfolio risk.
That said, alternative investments come with higher risk and are more complex. The returns are less predictable and it takes more research to understand strategies and fees. Investors must do their due diligence before investing in alternatives.
Some popular alternative investment options:
- Real Estate – This includes direct real estate ownership, REITs, real estate funds, and crowdfunding platforms. Real estate tends to be less volatile than stocks and can generate income.
- Commodities – Investing in commodities like precious metals, agriculture, oil, and natural gas can hedge against inflation. Commodities tend to be cyclical and volatile though.
- Hedge Funds – Hedge funds use alternative strategies like short selling, leverage, derivatives, and arbitrage. They offer the potential for uncorrelated returns but are risky and charge high fees.
- Private Equity – Private equity firms invest in private companies or take public companies private. Investors can access private equity exposure through funds. Returns are higher but it’s illiquid and risky.
- Collectibles – This includes art, antiques, coins, wine, cars and other tangible assets. Collectibles can appreciate over time but aren’t very liquid. Authentication is critical.
The bottom line is that alternative investments can boost returns but require more research, closer monitoring, and prudent position sizing. Investors must understand the risks and have a long-term horizon.
Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum have emerged as a new asset class for investors in recent years. As decentralized digital currencies, cryptocurrencies use encryption techniques like blockchain to secure transactions and control the creation of new units. This makes cryptocurrencies independent from central banks and traditional financial systems.
The cryptocurrency market has seen tremendous growth, surpassing a $3 trillion market capitalization in 2021. However, it is also known for its high volatility and speculative nature. The prices of major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum fluctuate wildly on a daily basis, sometimes moving 10-20% in a single day. This provides opportunities for major upside as well as significant downside for investors.
As a newer asset class, cryptocurrencies remain controversial. Supporters believe they could revolutionize finance and money, providing faster payments, lower fees, and accessibility for everyone. Critics argue cryptocurrencies are too unstable, energy intensive, and used for illicit activities. The long-term outlook is highly uncertain.
For investors, cryptocurrencies offer a speculative opportunity with higher risk and higher potential reward. The extreme daily volatility provides frequent chances to profit from swings in price. But the unregulated, uninsured nature of cryptocurrencies also carries the risk of hacks, scams, and permanent losses. Those considering investing in cryptocurrencies need high risk tolerance and should only allocate a small portion of their portfolio for diversification.
Real Estate
Real estate can be an excellent investment for building long-term wealth. Investing in residential properties like single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes or apartment buildings can provide steady rental income along with the potential for appreciation over time. Commercial real estate like office buildings, retail centers, warehouses, and multifamily properties over 4 units also offer income-generating opportunities.
Key benefits of real estate investing include:
- Steady income – Rental income provides consistent cash flow, with leases that enable predictable returns. Rents typically rise with inflation, helping offset costs.
- Appreciation – Properties tend to gain value over time as rents and real estate values increase. This builds equity that can be cashed out via sales or refinancing.
- Tax advantages – Depreciation deductions, mortgage interest, and other tax benefits help reduce taxable rental income. Appreciation gains may also be partially excluded upon sale.
- Leverage – Mortgages enable purchasing larger, higher-value properties by financing a portion of the price. This magnifies returns.
The main downside is real estate requires substantial upfront capital and high transaction costs. 20-25% is often needed for down payments. There are also ongoing expenses for maintenance, repairs, insurance and property taxes. While passive income potential makes real estate worthwhile for many investors, adequate funds are essential to cover acquisition and operating costs.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, there are many potential strong investments to consider in 2024 that may help grow your money over time. The best options for you depend heavily on your individual financial goals and time horizon.
For short-term goals of 1-2 years, high-yield savings accounts and CDs remain reliable options to earn interest without exposing your money to much risk. For medium-term goals of 3-5 years, bonds and bond funds can provide regular income. And for long-term investments of 5+ years, stocks, mutual funds, and real estate offer the highest potential returns.
It’s important to keep in mind that there are no “get rich quick” investment schemes that come without substantial risk. Reaching long-term wealth requires consistency, patience, and diversification across multiple types of assets. Consider speaking with a financial advisor to determine an appropriate asset allocation for your individual needs and risk tolerance.
By focusing on time-tested assets with compound growth potential, savvy investors can steadily build wealth over decades. Just be sure to do your due diligence and avoid falling for hyped-up schemes promising unattainably high returns overnight. With realistic expectations and the right mix of investments, your money can grow well in 2024 and beyond.
Note – This is not a financial advice to invest in Bonds. Make sure to do your proper research before investing in Bonds.
