Growing Money

Investments – are these really helpful? Is it really worth your money? If the traditional investments are to be taken into account, it can be said that these are falling short of the way these used to help people earn money. Some of the traditional investments are the likes of stocks, real estate investment, and forex and so on. Previously, people used to earn so much from these investments that they could use the revenue from these investments to obtain debt relief.

Different investments options for 2012

The different investment options that can serve the porpoise of earning good revenues for obtaining debt relief are:

1. Coins – Coins or rather the rare coins can be one of those investment options in today’s market that can help you earn god money. So, if you are starting to collect coins, it’s better to go for the historic coins. These coins in general have been made out of precious metals. Now, the value of precious metals is seen to be rising and so with this rise, it is considered that the value of rare coins too is going to rise. The financial experts do believe that the precious metals are going to see a surge in their value in the coming years. Furthermore, collectors find coins so valuable that they can pay high price to buy a rare coin.
2. Swiss Francs – Switzerland’s balance sheet is considered to be one of the best of the world. In fact, according to reports, millions of dollars have been poured within franc in 2011. As a result, its value has increased from 95 USD to that of 125.80 USD just in a single year. However, the value of the franc can fall if logjam on American budget gets solved.
3. SIP – If you are not happy with your salary and if it is not enough to save, the Systematic Investment Plans or SIP can help you with invest small amount of dollars into mutual funds. You can have the option to even choose from 2-3 different SIPs before investing money every month.
4. Gold and silver – Both gold and silver are precious metals. These two are the metals which aren’t going to lose their luster even in times of any economic downgrade. Gold is one of those metals which from the ancient times has been consider the purest and precious metal and today too people are equally interested in buying gold. Moreover, gold price is seen to be increasing. Thus, if you buy gold now, you may be able to sell it off later at much higher price.
5. Some mutual funds – You can also invest your money in some of the mutual funds. These accounts include a pool of assets where different investors are considered one. These accounts are used to buy basket of different forms of securities and is supervised by the fund manager.
6. Stocks of certain companies – You can invest your money in the stocks of different companies whose business are based on energy, computer and cell phone games, and so on. But, in order to invest in the right kind of stocks, it is extremely important for you to understand as to how the stocks work.

It is expected that in 2012 the inflation is going to raise more and the interest rates are also going to see some increase. This is going to result in lowered value of the bond futures. So, the bonds are the investment vehicles which you should stay away from in 2012 and may be more. If you still would like to invest your money in these, it would be better for you to go for the short term bonds. So, you can see that it is essential for you to check the financial markets before investing your money in any of the investment carriers before actually going forward with the investments.

Jason Holmes is a regular writer with Debt Consolidation Care and is also a contributory writer with other financial sites. His expertise is woven around various aspects of the debt industry and with his e-books he tries to impart to people the different situations and simple solutions to get out of difficult situations. Some of his works include e-books like ‘Credit Score The Quintessential Therapy for a Happy Pocket’, Take Creditors and Collection Agencies to Small Claims Court’ and, My Story- From Depression To a Smile’.

Let’s face it: investing in the stock market is not always the best idea. This is particularly true for older individuals who can no longer afford to wait out the “downswings” of the market.

While there is nothing wrong with investing some of your money in the stock market (if it’s at the bottom now, there’s only one way for your investment to go), there is no better time than now to consider alternative investments. By considering these options, you can diversify your portfolio and hopefully earn an even better return than you would get with stocks.

1. Collectible cars: Did you know that collectible automobiles have outperformed the S&P 500 over the last four years? If you have any interest in collectible cars this may be one of the best ways to invest your money. Not only can you stay involved with a hobby that you enjoy, but you can make a lot of money along the way. However, investing in collectible cars is just like anything else – you need to do your homework to ensure that you make the best possible decision.
2. Wine: No matter if you are a wine connoisseur or somebody who is simply looking for an alternative investment, this is an option definitely worth considering. Over the past three years, fine wine investing has taken off all over the world. From Australia to the United States and everywhere in between, more people than ever are investing in fine wine. Just like the stock market the fine wine market goes up and down. However, things have been looking up lately as wine, particularly Bordeaux, becomes increasingly desirable as a status symbol in developing economies. Even if you don’t enjoy the taste of wine, if you are interested in earning a better return on your investments you should learn as much as possible about this market. And with wine-based investment funds, you don’t even have to store the wine!
3. Cash: What say you? Cash is not an investment, right? Maybe not in the traditional sense of the word, but this is definitely something that more and more people are turning to. By taking money out of the stock market and moving it into cash investments, such as a savings account or certificate of deposit, you are opting to “play it safe.” Of course, all is not loss. You may not earn as much as you would when the market is gaining ground, but a few percentage points of interest is better than taking the risk of losing money.
4. Peer lending: What do you think about lending money to others through programs such as Prosper.com and LendingClub.com among others? In short, this is a great way to earn a high rate of interest on your money. As a lender, you are in position to earn a higher rate of return than you would through more traditional investing methods. While not always the case, you should expect high single digit returns.
5. Sports memorabilia: Are you a sports fan? Do you have a favorite team or player? Investing in sports memorabilia can be among the most exciting alternative investment options – especially if you focus on a sport, team, or player that you know a thing or two about. But before you rush out and start investing in sports memorabilia, you need to invest with your brain and not your heart. Stick to big name players because the law of supply and demand is always in effect (smaller supply means a higher demand and a better return). Also, you’ll need a storage system to keep your items in top physical condition.

Andy Boyd is co-founder of the Money Choices website, an independent comparison service where he has contributed reviews of many of the top performing high yield savings accounts in the Australian market.