Which Investment Strategy Is Right For Me?

By Dora T. Thomas

Getting started investing in the stock market can be quite daunting. There are so many questions to consider. Which stocks should I buy? Should I buy stocks or bonds, or something else? Which investment strategy is right for me?

Well, those are all good questions, but we are going to focus on the last one for now. There are many investment strategies, and there is some debate over which one is best. What it really comes down to is which investment strategy fits your personality best.

The most important consideration for deciding on your style of investing is how you feel about risk. If you won't be able to sleep at night worrying that your high-risk investments might be worthless in the morning, then high-risk investments are definitely not for you. On the other hand, if you will be frustrated to receive only a small return on your investments, you will probably have to take some more risk to have a chance at earning the type of return you're looking for.

Most people will be somewhere in between these two extremes. They are willing to risk losing a little, but not a lot. For many of these people, a mutual fund is a great way to get started investing. By investing in a mutual fund, you are purchasing a tiny piece of many different companies. If some of those companies do poorly, or even fail, you still have a good chance at having your investment increase in value because other companies in the portfolio may be doing really well to make up for the ones that aren't.

There is always the chance that the entire stock market may drop, which means that you are likely to lose money no matter what you invest in. However, you really only lost money on paper. If you hold on to your investment throughout the downturn, the value will probably increase again once the stock market recovers from the drop.

If you feel you need a safer investment, you can purchase government bonds or a certificate of deposit from your bank. The downside of low-risk investments is that they usually don't provide a very good return on investment. As a general rule, investments with a greater potential for massive growth also have a greater risk of loss. Only you can decide what level of risk you feel comfortable with.

Nothing is guaranteed, especially when it comes to investing in the stock market. You can reduce the risk by buying mutual funds or by purchasing stock in many different companies, but there is always some risk involved. The good news is that, historically, the U. S. Stock market has always recovered. Even though it has had its ups and downs, it has always bounced back. - 31391

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here