When the topic of investments comes up, almost all the conversation focuses on the stock market. Everybody is concerned about what stocks are up, which ones are down, who’s in, who’s out, and all kinds of topics.
While there’s no doubt that the stock market is popular for good reason, it’s also clear that it’s not for everybody. There’s just something about watching your value drop by thousands of dollars in a single day that is unsettling for certain people. Who can blame them?
The crowded field of the stock market is part of the problem. Stocks are partially valued by the condition of the companies they represent, but they’re also a market of their own, bouncing up and down a bar graph without being totally linked to any outside economic factor.
Because they can be so volatile, some investors try to stay away from stocks. If that sounds like you, join us for a look at some other ways to invest.
Foreign Currency
Despite our world’s economy being truly global, there are always rising and falling fortunes somewhere. Placing your money in another country’s currency is a great way to hedge against the value of your domestic money, and choosing a country with an economy on the upswing is even more helpful. Remember that not every economy is growing or shrinking at any given time, so the times when the dollar is weak are often the times when other currencies are strong.
An example is the Iraqi Dinar. After the ouster of Saddam Hussein, the country began to build a new economy. Because the currency was so weak at that time, it attracted only a few investors. Now it’s at a sweet spot where it has stabilized but still has lots of room for growth. It’s a ground-floor option that could really carry your money to great heights.
Binary Options
Within stock investments, there are other options that can carry less risk. A good example is binary options. With these, the investor simply decides whether a given stock will rise or fall in value–not by any certain amount, just a simple answer of yes or no to the question of whether the stock gained value.
This is a good choice for people who want a shorter-term solution without the risk that is often carried with such instruments. It carries the power of the stock market without leaving the investor wringing his or hands over the exact increments of growth or loss being shown on the ticker, and it doesn’t hit them with a big loss if the stock drops. They simply don’t gain anything, and that’s a risk position many people like.
Precious Metals
The stock market can be incredibly complicated to people who don’t deal with it daily. Looking at forecasts, international markets, exchange rates, and dividends is a tall order for somebody who simply wants to have more money tomorrow than today.
Many investors swear by precious metals. They’re simple, they’re straightforward, and the long-term prospects are always good. Generally speaking, when stocks get scary, their investors flee to precious metals. Why? Because they are a stable place to wait until the dust settles. For other investors, they’re a perfectly good place to stay the whole time.
The investment world is a very complicated place. For someone who just wants a safe, simply investment, stocks are usually more than they are willing to get involved in. These straightforward investors can find lots of other lucrative avenues for growing their money without undue risk or complexity, giving them the money they need for the future they want, without putting it all on the line for an unproven option.
