Frugal Living

The 7 Best Short-Term Investments You Don’t Want to Miss

The 7 Best Short-Term Investments You Don’t Want to Miss

“Think about the long term” said every investor ever. Everyone knows that investing money with the future in mind is wise, but sometimes you just do not have decades to wait. Maybe you want to buy a house next year, or you need a vacation or want to get married. While most people look to saving as a way of putting money in their pocket, investing is another option. There are a plethora of reasons why you might need money in the short run so let us take a look at some simple short-term investments you may not have considered.

1. Short Term Bonds

When most people think bonds, they think long-term. While it is true that the most effective bonds mature over longer periods, short-term bonds are an effective practical option for those needing a decent return on investment in a shorter period, such as a few months, or a few years. There are a range of short-term bonds to choose from, including: federal, corporate, municipal and other. It may be a good idea to speak to a broker about which options may be best for you.

The downside to short-term bonds is that they do not offer the same return-on investment as do the longer-term bonds, but if you are smart, they can come in handy when you need that temporary boost of cash flow to get by.

 2. Money Market Funds

Money market funds incorporate a variety of options into one. It may include short term bonds, CD’s and others

The edge that MMFs have on other short-term investment strategies is that they offer diversity and less risk in comparison to other strategies and yields consistent returns. The drawback is that the return of investment can be significantly lower. (Remember: the higher the risk, the higher the reward).

This option is ideal for someone who wants to make a decent profit without the risk all their money. It is also a great option for someone who has a massive lump sum of money where any percentage increase results in significant returns.

 3. Silver

Every asset class that you look at it is currently in a bubble. Real Estate is at an all time high. Government bonds have been in a bull market for 35 years. And stocks are higher than ever. “Buy low and sell high” is the old investment adage. So what else can you invest in?

For those who have a high-risk portfolio and need diversity, consider investing in silver. Analysts have proven that metals are their own market with little to no correlation with any other investment markets. Ray Dalio, billionaire investor and founder of Bridgewater Associates recommends having portfolios with uncorrelated assets thus making silver an ideal candidate. The advantage is that you can easily buy silver such as a 1 oz Canadian silver maple Leaf and have it mailed straight to your house. The disadvantage is that to sell, you have to physically move the product. This can also mean slower movements between metal assets to paper ones.

Overall, investing in the future is extremely important whether long term or short term. However, there are multiple routes you can go to improve your immediate financial situation.

 4. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS)

 A Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS ) investment is based on the consumer price index(CPI).  As the CPI increases, so does your investment. If deflation severely affects the CPI, your original investment will be returned.

 5. Cash Back Rewards Offers

 We are bombarded with offers of cash-back rewards by various finance, insurance and credit companies. Many may dismiss these as yet another marketing ploy to get more customers, rather than a solid investment opportunity. It can be worth looking into. Assuming you are going to spend a large sum of money in the next three months anyways, why not filter this cash flow through a credit card or bank card, which offers a significant cash back bonus.

This works for those who are in a position to spend large sums of money. Another option would be to purchase particularly items to resell in your own accord later, in order to obtain the cash-back bonus.

This advantage of this method is that it is a simple, quick and easy way to get cash. The disadvantage is that these opportunities are limited in availability and further options, making it more a matter of luck and chance than a viable investment strategy you can go back to repeatedly.

 6. Lending Club

The internet has decentralized so many services these days by making it possible for people from around the globe to interact with each other directly, cutting out the intermediaries, which were previously needed.

 We have seen this in personal advertising, sales and money lending is no exception. With a certified lending club, you can be the lender and earn interest by lending your money to others on the platform who request it. On the other hand, you can borrow from volunteer lenders and pay individuals back, with interest, instead of going through a bank or formal institution.

On these platforms, lenders are assessed and then ranked according to their risk assessment. Candidates who are considered higher risk candidates for a loan (due to factors such as poor credit histories) offer higher interest rates (and thus profits) to those who dare to lend them the money.

There are many certified and trusted lending clubs online to choose from and if you are careful and smart, this could be a quicker way to access money by borrowing, or to make a profit by lending money you have for profit.

Certificates Of Deposit (CD)

 With a CD, you can earn interest over a period of time, while keeping your money relatively safe. CD’s are available through various institutions such as a credit union, bank and other financial institutions. You can check the various rates applicable against the term and location across all 50 states, by visiting bankrate.com and using their online calculator.

 Depending on many factors, and interest rates at the time and place, you can earn 0.20-2.005 interest on your investments.     

 

2 thoughts on “The 7 Best Short-Term Investments You Don’t Want to Miss

  1. Most of the time, when people talk about financial goals, they refer to long-term goals, but one needs to think about short-term options as well, which can take care of the expenses in the near future.

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