Worth investing?
A few people may stumble or predisposed into financial security. But for most people like you and I, the only way to attain financial security is to save and invest over a long period of time. You just need to have your money work for you. That’s smart investing.
Basically there are two ways your money can work for you:
- Your money earns money. Someone pays you to use your money for a period of time. You then get your money back plus “interest.” Or, if you buy stock in a company that pays “dividends” to shareholders, the company pays you a portion of its earnings on a regular basis. Now your money is making an “income” for you.
- You buy something (asset) with your money that could increase in value. You become an owner of something (asset) that you hope increases in value over time. When you need your money back, you sell it, oping someone else will pay you more for it.
Compound interest is a key aspect of investing. With compound interest, you earn interest on the money you save and on the interest that money earns. Over time, even a small amount of savings can add up to big money and help you achieve your financial goals and freedom.
Interesting scenario: If you buy a ₵5 bottle of beer every day, it adds up to ₵1,825 a year. Put that ₵1,825 into an investment that earns 5% a year and it would grow to ₵2,329.21 by the end of five years. By the end of 30 years, you would have ₵7,887.54. That’s the power of “compounding.”
All investments involve some degree of risk. If you intend to purchase securities such as stocks (shares), bonds, or equity mutual funds, it’s important that you understand before you invest; in that you could lose some or all of your money.
Unlike “fixed deposit” at banks and money market instruments, the money you invest in securities is not an absolute guarantee of “principal” and or “interest”. You could lose your principal, which is the amount you’ve invested. That’s true even if you purchase the securities through a bank or brokerage firm.
The reward for taking on risk is the potential for a greater investment return. If you have a financial goal with a long-term horizon, you may make more money by carefully investing in higher-risk assets, such as stocks or bonds. On the other hand, investing solely in cash investments may be appropriate for short-term financial goals. The principal concern for individuals investing in cash equivalents is inflation risk, which is the risk that inflation will outpace and erode purchasing power and returns.
Please remember the value of investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the amount you initially invested. If you have any doubts about which investment product is right for you please contact your financial adviser.
‘Investment’ in simple terms
Most often than not, the word “Investment” sounds very confusing to beginners who aspire to become strategic investors. It’s in this light that i intend to breakdown the meaning of investment as simple as possible to stimulate a greater interest in building wealth and stepping into financial security.
Investment in an economic sense basically, is the purchase of goods and services that are not consumed today but are used in the future to create wealth.
In finance sense, an investment is the purchase of a financial product, monetary asset or other item of value purchased with the idea that it will provide income in the future or appreciates and is sold at a higher price. Fundamentally, investment means the use money in the hope of making more money.
Generally, every activity that is done today but which yields profit or interest at a later date can be described as an investment. Investment involves postponing your consumption today in order to put your savings to work.
Investment is often seen as the bridge between having savings or surplus cash and reaping returns. It must be noted that, investment has the potential to move the savings or surplus funds of persons or entity that do not need them to another person or entity who requires those funds for expansion.
A few of the masses may stumble into financial security. But for most people, the only way to attain financial security is to save and invest over a long period of time. You just need to have your money work for you. That’s investing, and that’s taking control of your financial freedom. It’s worth it, give it a try!
Please remember the value of investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the amount you initially invested. If you have any doubts about which investment product is right for you please contact your financial adviser.
The Stock Scientist 
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