What Is a Good Investment? (2024)

What Is a Good Investment? (1)

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A good investment is one that is well-suited to an investor’s financial goal, has an acceptable risk level and increases an investor’s net worth. However, an investment that is suitable for one investor might not be ideal for another, so each individual must define their risk tolerance and investment goals.

While there are no guaranteed good investments, knowing how to recognize the traits of a solid investment opportunity and why specific types of investment asset classes can be better than others can help an investor choose. Here are some guidelines new investors can use to determine if an investment might be right for them or not.

What Is a Good Investment?

The traits of a good short-term investment may differ from those of a good long-term investment, depending on an investor’s goals and risk tolerance. Before investing, individuals should consider these traits of suitable investments.

Traits of a Good Short-Term Investment

Short-term investments are best for a financial goal with a time frame of one year or less. Key traits of a good short-term investment include:

  • Access to the money within the goal time frame
  • A guarantee, or at least likelihood, that the initial investment won’t be lost
  • High probability to earn

Traits of a Good Mid-Term Investment

Investments for a one- to five-year goal can allow for a little more risk and hopefully a better yield. A solid mid-term investment will share traits commonly found with good short- and long-term investments.

Traits of a Good Long-Term Investment

Typically, long-term investment goals have a time frame of five years or longer, which allows investors more time to recover from market fluctuations. Good long-term investments:

  • Don’t require more money than an investor can afford to lose
  • Are fairly valued or undervalued
  • Are easy to buy or sell
  • Have reasonable fees

Good Investments: Asset Classes To Consider

Good investment opportunities can often be found in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and real estate. Investments such as cryptocurrency and forex are highly speculative, or high risk, and not necessarily good investments for beginner investors.

The following guidelines can help a new investor choose a good stock, bond, mutual fund or real estate investment.

What Makes a Good Stock Investment?

For conservative investors, blue chip stocks are good investments. Blue chips are well-established companies with long-term track records of consistent earnings, such as Apple or McDonald’s. While any stock can be volatile, blue chip stocks typically have reliable earnings and long-term viability.

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Investors who prefer stocks that could gain a higher reward might consider growth stocks like Amazon or Starbucks. These stocks carry high valuations but offer significant growth opportunities.

What Makes a Good Bond Investment?

Bonds are low-risk investments intended to generate income. In exchange for principal, a bond issuer promises regular interest payments and the return of the investor’s money at maturity. Hence, an essential characteristic of a good bond is safety in regard to both the income stream and principal.

Many bonds are rated on a scale from AAA to D by outside rating agencies, such as Fitch Ratings. These ratings can give a good indication of the overall credit quality of the bond.

What Makes a Good Mutual Fund Investment?

For many investors, an index fund such as the S&P 500 can be a good investment. The S&P 500 index offers exposure to 500 of America’s largest companies in one package. For other investors, a good mutual fund that is tailored to a particular industry might be a better option. Regardless, it’s essential to find funds that hold stocks that should have reliable growth.

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Cost can also play a significant role in picking good mutual funds. Some mutual funds charge expensive upfront fees while others are no-load mutual funds. Some have high expense ratios, while others keep costs low.

What Makes a Good Real Estate Investment?

Real estate investment trusts are one way to invest in real estate without buying properties as an individual. REITs historically have provided long-term returns similar to stocks, and public REITs are easy to buy and sell on the major stock exchanges.

Takeaway

A good investment is one that provides the highest possible return while meeting an individual investor’s acceptable level of risk and financial goal. So when considering what a good investment is, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. An investor must consider their own goals and risk tolerance to determine the right investment balance and the best investment opportunities.

Understanding how to make good investments involves more than just buying safe assets. Any investor must do the proper research and due diligence, whether on their own or with the help of an advisor, to find good investments regardless of the asset class.

Investing for Everyone

FAQ

Here are some quick answers to common questions about determining good investment opportunities.

  • What is considered a good investment?
    • A good investment matches an investor's risk level and investment goal. It will also typically have a guaranteed return or a predictable outcome and be easy to buy and sell.
  • Where should I invest my money right now?
    • Low-risk investments may be a safer place to put money right now, given the volatility of the stock market. Forbes Advisor recommends safer investments, such as money market mutual funds, corporate bonds, fixed annuities, preferred stocks and treasury notes, bills and bonds.
  • What is a good investment for making money fast?
    • Short-term certificates of deposit, short-term bonds and high-yield savings accounts can be good investments for earning money in a short period.
    • Day trading, which involves buying and selling or selling and buying the same security on the same day, can be a fast way to make money. It also comes with significant risk and is not considered a good investment method for most people.
  • What kind of investment has the best return?
    • Historically, the stock market provides better returns than other types of investments, such as bonds, real estate and treasury bills.

Our in-house research team and on-site financial experts work together to create content that’s accurate, impartial, and up to date. We fact-check every single statistic, quote and fact using trusted primary resources to make sure the information we provide is correct. You can learn more about GOBankingRates’ processes and standards in our editorial policy.

What Is a Good Investment? (2024)

FAQs

What Is a Good Investment? ›

Good investment opportunities can often be found in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and real estate. Investments such as cryptocurrency and forex are highly speculative, or high risk, and not necessarily good investments for beginner investors.

Is $100 dollars good for investing? ›

In fact, you can become an investor with $100 or less. Many "everyday people" started with small amounts of money and, over time, have watched the return on their investments grow. This is especially important with inflation rapidly climbing these days.

Is investing $100 a month good? ›

Investing $100 a month gives you the chance to make regular progress toward your financial goals. Sticking to a regular commitment can help you build wealth over time. If you are ready to invest $100 a month, your returns will vary based on your investment choices.

Is $10,000 enough to invest? ›

$10,000 is an excellent amount to start investing in individual companies. For example, you could buy $1,000 of stock in 10 companies or $500 of stock in 20 companies. However, self-directed investing requires you to do your research to make informed decisions.

How to invest $1,000 dollars and make money? ›

Here are nine top ways to invest $1,000 and the key things to know about them.
  1. Buy an S&P 500 index fund. ...
  2. Buy partial shares in 5 stocks. ...
  3. Put it in an IRA. ...
  4. Get a match in your 401(k) ...
  5. Have a robo-advisor invest for you. ...
  6. Pay down your credit card or other loan. ...
  7. Go super safe with a high-yield savings account.
Feb 1, 2023

Is it worth it to invest 200 dollars? ›

Investing as little as $200 a month can, if you do it consistently and invest wisely, turn into more than $150,000 in as soon as 20 years. If you keep contributing the same amount for another 20 years while generating the same average annual return on your investments, you could have more than $1.2 million.

How much will I have if I invest $500 a month for 10 years? ›

If you invested $500 a month for 10 years and earned a 4% rate of return, you'd have $73,625 today. If you invested $500 a month for 10 years and earned a 6% rate of return, you'd have $81,940 today.

What if I invest $300 a month for 5 years? ›

But if you wait even five years to start saving that $300 a month, you'll end up with roughly $719,000, instead. To be clear, that's still a respectable amount of savings to kick off retirement with. But let's face it -- it's not $1 million.

How much will I have in 30 years if I invest $1,000 a month? ›

How Much Investing $1,000 Per Month Pays Long-Term. The precise amount you'll have after investing $1,000 monthly at 6%, a conservative number depending on what you choose to invest in, for 30 years is $1,010,538, as figured by SmartAsset's free online Investment Calculator.

How to flip 10K fast? ›

Here are the most effective ways to earn money and turn that 10K into 100K before you know it.
  1. Real estate investing. ...
  2. Product and website flipping. ...
  3. Invest in index funds. ...
  4. Invest in mutual funds or EFTs. ...
  5. Invest in dividend stocks. ...
  6. Peer-to-peer lending (P2P) ...
  7. Invest in cryptocurrencies. ...
  8. Buy an established business.

How much is $10,000 invested in Apple 20 years ago? ›

As a result, $10,000 in AAPL stock purchased 20 years ago would be worth about $7.51 million today, assuming reinvested dividends.

How to turn 10K into 20k fast? ›

How To Turn 10k Into 20k
  1. Flip Stuff For Money. One of the more entreprenurial ways to flip 10k into 20k is to buy and resell stuff for profit. ...
  2. Invest In Real Estate. ...
  3. Start An Online Business. ...
  4. Start A Side Hustle. ...
  5. Invest In Stocks & ETFs. ...
  6. Invest In Debt. ...
  7. Invest In Cryptocurrency. ...
  8. Use A Robo-Advisor.
Mar 5, 2023

How to double $2000 dollars in 24 hours? ›

The Best Ways To Double Money In 24 Hours
  1. Flip Stuff For Profit. ...
  2. Start A Retail Arbitrage Business. ...
  3. Invest In Real Estate. ...
  4. Invest In Dividend Stocks & ETFs. ...
  5. Use Crypto Interest Accounts. ...
  6. Start A Side Hustle. ...
  7. Invest In Your 401(k) ...
  8. Buy And Flip Websites And Domain Names.
Dec 23, 2022

How to make millions in 10 years? ›

Become a Millionaire in 10 Years (or Less) With These 10 Expert-Approved Tips
  1. Ensure You're Getting Paid What You Are Worth. ...
  2. Have Multiple Income Streams. ...
  3. Save as Much as You Possibly Can. ...
  4. Make Savings Automatic. ...
  5. Keep Debt to a Minimum. ...
  6. Don't Fall Victim to 'Shiny Ball Syndrome' ...
  7. Keep Cash in Interest-Bearing Accounts.
Feb 2, 2023

How can I double my money without risk? ›

5 Ways to Double Your Money
  1. Take Advantage of 401(k) Matching.
  2. Invest in Value and Growth Stocks.
  3. Increase Your Contributions.
  4. Consider Alternative Investments.
  5. Be Patient.
Nov 1, 2022

Is investing $50 a week good? ›

If you were to save $50 each week, that would result in an annual savings of $2,600. Over the span of 30 years, that's $78,000. That's not something you can retire on. But if you invested those savings into a safe growth stock, you could potentially have $1 million by the time you retire.

Is investing $20 a week worth it? ›

Small amounts will add up over time and compounding interest will help your money grow. $20 per week may not seem like much, but it's more than $1,000 per year. Saving this much year after year can make a substantial difference as it can help keep your financial goal on your mind and keep you motivated.

How much is $500 a month for 20 years? ›

$500 per month invested for 20 years is about $430,000. $500 per month invested for 30 years is about $1,400,000. $500 per month invested for 40 years, is about $4,300,000. The power of investing is compound interest.

How can I grow my money fast? ›

10 Ways To Build Wealth Fast
  1. Save. You can't begin any type of wealth-generation plan without having money to invest. ...
  2. Buy an S&P 500 Index Fund. ...
  3. Buy Dividend-Paying Stocks. ...
  4. Buy a Rental Property. ...
  5. Keep Asking for Raises. ...
  6. Start a Business. ...
  7. Broaden Your Education and Skill Set. ...
  8. Set Up Multiple Streams of Income.
Jun 5, 2023

What will $10,000 be worth in 30 years? ›

Over the years, that money can really add up: If you kept that money in a retirement account over 30 years and earned that average 6% return, for example, your $10,000 would grow to more than $57,000.

How much will $10,000 be worth in 20 years? ›

With that, you could expect your $10,000 investment to grow to $34,000 in 20 years.

What will $5,000 be worth in 20 years? ›

Answer and Explanation: The calculated present worth of $5,000 due in 20 years is $1,884.45.

How much will $200 K be worth in 20 years? ›

After 20 years: $238,224.

Is investing $50 a month worth it? ›

Although $50 a month may not get you to retirement completely, it's a good start. $250 a month is even better, and can get you to a minimum retirement income level of about $2,000 a month. Every little bit helps.

Is $1000 a month in 401k good? ›

If you start saving $1000 a month at age 20 will grow to $1.6 million when you retire in 47 years. For people starting saving at that age, the monthly payments add up to $560,000: the early start combined with the estimated 4% over the years means that their investments skyrocketed nearly $1.

Is investing $1 000 in stocks worth it? ›

Investing $1,000 in an ETF allows investors to diversify and save on transaction costs. Debt instruments like bonds and Treasury bills are low-risk investments that may offer a steady yield. Investing $1,000 in individual stocks is risky but offers potentially higher returns, especially over longer time horizons.

Is saving $1,500 a month good? ›

Saving $1,500 a month is an excellent goal to have. It can help you build up your savings and put you in a better financial position for the future. Having this amount of money saved each month can give you more flexibility when it comes to making decisions about spending or investing.

How to turn $25,000 into a million? ›

Based on an investment of $25,000 today, it'd take a return of 13.08% per year to transform into $1 million in 30 years. If you require a shorter time to grow your investments, you'll need a higher return to arrive at $1 million sooner.

How to turn $100 K into $1 million in 5 years? ›

Consider investing in rental properties or real estate investment trusts (REIT). The real estate market is a fertile setting for a $100k investment to yield $1 million. And it's possible for this to happen between 5 to 10 years. You can achieve this if you continue to add new properties to your portfolio.

How to turn 100K into 1m? ›

There are two approaches you could take. The first is increasing the amount you invest monthly. Bumping up your monthly contributions to $200 would put you over the $1 million mark. The other option would be to try to exceed a 7% annual return with your investments.

How rich would you be if you bought Apple stock in 1980? ›

Since Apple stock trades at $126.36 today, that translates to a return of 126,360%. In other words, that $1,000 investment in 1980 would be worth more than $1.26 million today! But that's not all, because Apple has paid a dividend in several years since 1987.

What would $1000 invested in Apple in 1984 be worth today? ›

23, 1984). A $1,000 investment could have purchased 7,692.31 shares of AAPL at the time. The $1,000 investment in AAPL shares would be worth $1,162,615.73 today, based on a price of $151.01 for Apple stock at the time of writing.

What if you had invested $100 in 1965? ›

S&P 500: $100 in 1965 → $24,931.97 in 2023

This is a return on investment of 24,831.97%, or 9.97% per year. This lump-sum investment beats inflation during this period for an inflation-adjusted return of about 2,488.84% cumulatively, or 5.76% per year.

Where to invest $10,000 right now? ›

5 ways to invest $10,000
  • Fund an IRA. One of the most popular ways to invest $10,000 is funding an individual retirement account. ...
  • Invest in mutual funds or ETFs. Investing in mutual funds or exchange-traded funds is another option for your $10,000. ...
  • Buy stocks. ...
  • Buy bonds. ...
  • Invest in REITs.
May 3, 2023

How long should 10k last you? ›

Most runners who are reasonably fit and clock 15–30 miles per week can expect to finish a 10K race in 50–70 minutes. More advanced runners will usually finish in 43–50 minutes.

How to double money in 30 days? ›

Here are some options to double your money:
  1. Tax-free Bonds. Initially tax- free bonds were issued only in specific periods. ...
  2. Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) ...
  3. Corporate Deposits/Non-Convertible Debentures (NCD) ...
  4. National Savings Certificates. ...
  5. Bank Fixed Deposits. ...
  6. Public Provident Fund (PPF) ...
  7. Mutual Funds (MFs) ...
  8. Gold ETFs.

How to turn $100 dollars into $1,000? ›

One of the easiest ways to turn $100 into $1,000 is by investing your money in a 401(k) or IRA. Investing is a must if you want a stable and wealthy retirement. And the earlier you start, the better. This is why it's important to start investing today, even if you don't have much money to get started.

How to invest my first $100? ›

10 Ways to Start Investing with $100
  1. Use a Micro-Investing App.
  2. Buy Fractional Shares of Stock.
  3. Open a High-Yield Savings Account.
  4. Start an Emergency Fund with an MMA.
  5. Start a Robo-Advisor Account.
  6. Buy a Portfolio with an ETF.
  7. Open an IRA.
  8. Employer-Sponsored 401k.
Mar 14, 2023

How much will I have if I invest $100 a month for 20 years? ›

For simplicity's sake, assume that compounding takes place once a year. After 20 years, you will have paid 20 x 12 x $100 = $24,000 into the fund. However, the compounding return will more than double your investment.

How much will I have if I invest $100 a week? ›

$100 a week -- about $5,200 a year -- would have turned into over $841,000 over the past 28-plus years. When compared to approximately $149,000 invested over that same window, it's very clear that a little bit, consistently invested over the long haul, can add up over time to a life-changing amount of money.

How to flip $10 000 dollars fast? ›

The Best Ways to Invest 10K
  1. Real estate investing. One of the more secure options is investing in real estate. ...
  2. Product and website flipping. ...
  3. Invest in index funds. ...
  4. Invest in mutual funds or EFTs. ...
  5. Invest in dividend stocks. ...
  6. Peer-to-peer lending (P2P) ...
  7. Invest in cryptocurrencies. ...
  8. Buy an established business.

How to make $5,000 dollars fast legally? ›

19 Easy Ways to Make $5,000 Fast
  1. Rent a Home, Car, or Storage Space.
  2. Make Deliveries.
  3. Drive for Uber or Lyft.
  4. Sell High-Value Items.
  5. Invest in Stocks.
  6. Sell Stuff Online.
  7. Freelancing.
  8. Real Estate Investing.
Apr 20, 2023

How much is $100 a month for 30 years? ›

You plan to invest $100 per month for 30 years and expect a 6% return. In this case, you would contribute $36,000 over your investment timeline. At the end of the term, your bond portfolio would be worth $97,451. With that, your portfolio would earn more than $61,000 in returns during your 30 years of contributions.

What stocks to invest in as a beginner? ›

Compare the best stock for beginners companies
CompanySectorMarket cap
Comcast (CMCSA)Communication services$164 billion
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY)Health care$135 billion
Qualcomm (QCOM)Technology$126 billion
Broadcom (AVGO)Technology$336 billion
2 more rows
Jun 1, 2023

How much is $5 a day for 20 years? ›

How to grow $5 a day into six figures
Time Frame6% Average Annual Rate of Return8% Average Annual Rate of Return
5 years$10,570$11,107
10 years$24,716$27,427
20 years$68,977$86,640
30 years$148,244$214,475
1 more row
Nov 19, 2022

How much will I have if I invest $5 a day? ›

But – take that $5 you spend every day on small expenses – and invest it early on in your life – and you could have a half-million dollars by the time you're ready to retire. For just five dollars a day. It's not complex or magical. It's basic math.

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