Invest Wise By knowing Where to invest and Your Risk Tolerance

There are several different types of investments, and there are many factors in determining where you should invest your funds.

With stock markets, learning about the stock market and investments takes a lot of time but it is time well spent. There are numerous books and websites on the topic, and you can even take college level courses on the topic - which is what stock brokers do. With access to the Internet, you can actually play the stock market - with fake money - to get a feel for how it works.

You should speak with a financial planner. Tell them your goals, and ask them for their suggestions - this is what they do! A good financial planner can easily help you determine where to invest your funds, and help you set up a plan to reach all of your financial goals. Many will even teach you about investing along the way - make sure you pay attention to what they are telling you!

Determine your risk tolerance

Determining one’s risk tolerance involves several different things. First, you need to know how much money you have to invest, and what your investment and financial goals are.

If you invested in the stock market and you watched the movement of that stock daily and saw that it was dropping slightly, what would you do? In investments in definitely need a stock broker to help you plan on your investment. So don’t go on without one.

If you have a low tolerance for risk, you would want to sell out if you have a high tolerance, you would let your money ride and see what happens. This is not based on what your financial goals are. This tolerance is based on how you feel about your money!

Getting started

Start with an interest bearing savings account. You may already have one. If you don’t, you should. A savings account can be opened at the same bank that you do your checking at - or at any other bank. A savings account should pay 2 - 4% on the money that you have in the account.

You can select the duration of your investment, and interest is paid regularly until the CD reaches maturity. CD’s can be purchased at your bank, and your bank will insure them against loss. When the CD reaches maturity, you receive your original investment, plus the interest that the CD has earned.