Investment Articles

The best investment opportunity for 2012 and 2013 could be stocks, but any bond investment is suspect at best. With even the best safe investments paying zip it’s important to look for investment opportunity elsewhere. How about an investment in real estate that requires no time, effort or management on the investor’s part?

Real estate is the best investment opportunity for 2012, 2013 and going forward because it’s selling cheap. Interest rates are at historical lows, which is also great for investors buying properties. Record low rates are very BAD for bond investors, because bonds pay a fixed interest rate. In fact, when rates do go up – bond and bond fund investors WILL lose money as bond prices (values) fall. That’s the way bonds work.

As an investment opportunity stocks and stock funds are the wild card. Stocks could go up in value as bonds fall: that’s the way it has worked for many years now. But stocks are not cheap… having doubled in value between early 2009 and early 2012. Gold is not cheap either, having been on an up trend for more than 10 years. This leaves real estate as the best major investment opportunity available to the average investor.

Opportunity in real estate is everywhere in the USA for 2012 and 2013. The problem with investment here for the average person: management and a lack of liquidity. Someone has to deal with the day to day operations; and you can’t buy, rent and sell a property investment quickly and easily without significant costs. Or, can you?

The best investment opportunity is staring you right in the face if you know where to look, and it’s designed to solve these problems for the average investor: real estate stock mutual funds. These are the best investment opportunity for the average person who wants a piece of the action in his or her portfolio. No active management is required on the investor’s part, and you can buy today and sell a day later if you want to.

Professional portfolio managers make the investment decisions for you.

If you know which mutual fund companies to invest with your real estate mutual fund investment can also be a BEST BUY. No charge to buy or sell, with less than 1% a year going to pay for management expenses. That’s why I call these funds your best real estate investment opportunity for 2012 and 2013 and beyond. These funds hold equity (stocks) in companies that invest in the likes of office buildings, other rental properties, shopping malls, and home builders.

When you consider your choices, real estate stands out as the best investment opportunity going forward. Your best way to invest is in no-load mutual funds that specialize by holding investment trusts that own commercial properties diversified across the USA. To find your best deal search for “no-load real estate mutual funds” on the internet.

Author James Leitz has 40 years of investing experience and would like to help you learn how to invest. Get up to speed on how to invest at http://www.investinformed.com.

In today’s tough economic climate, people are looking for ways to get back some of their wealth that they lost over the last few years. Most conventional markets did not perform as well as they have in the past, which caused investors to lose a large sum of money. If more people would have invested in alternative markets, they would have been better prepared to weather the economic storm and would not have lost as much of their money as they did.

Outperform Traditional Markets

One of the best ways investing in alternative markets can help grow your portfolio is that these markets typically outperform conventional markets during bear markets. When every other investment opportunity is struggling to show a profit, alternative markets can be providing terrific ROI figures. It is because of this ability to return a positive ROI, even in a down economy, that every investor should add alternatives to their stock portfolio.

Independent of Other Markets

Another great reason for investing in alternative markets is to diversify your portfolio. All of the traditional markets such as cash, stocks, and bonds are intertwined and dependent on each other. When one of those markets starts to perform poorly, the others will tend to follow. If you had all of your money tied up in these traditional markets, you could potentially lose a large portion of your wealth whenever one of those markets started to perform poorly.

On the other hand, alternatives are not correlated to the traditional markets and therefore are not subject to their influence. If the traditional markets start to tank, alternative markets can still thrive. This will allow you to continue to see your investment portfolio grow even when traditional markets are tanking. Not putting all of your investment eggs in one basket is the only way to ensure you do not lose all of your wealth at one time.

Investing in alternatives is also a great way to take advantage of emerging markets. Most investors focus a large portion of their time and efforts into the traditional markets. Since these investors are not on the lookout for new markets to get involved with, you are able to take advantage of these new investment opportunities and get in on the ground floor. This could help you realize a tremendous return on your investment should you discover a highly profitable alternative market.

Developing a sound investment strategy is vital to your future financial independence. If you stick all of your investment eggs in one basket, you run the risk of losing all of your wealth when one of the traditional markets collapses. However, if you spread your investments around to include alternative markets, your chances of going broke are greatly reduced.

If you do not know which alternative markets you should invest in, consider seeking the advice of a company such as Altegris. This type of company can help invest your money wisely in alternative markets.

In recent years there has been an increase in the number of investments being made in dairy farms within New Zealand. Could this be a by-product of some form of fashionable trend among local investors? Hardly; these types of investments have become such an attractive option through a combination of potential growth, sustainability, and the wealth of experienced equity managers within the industry. When combined, these factors create a compelling case for investing in the dairy industry.

Perceived Potential – Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Many dairy farms are being run well below their optimal level of efficiency. That is not to say they are not profitable or productive, just that there is often an enormous potential for growth. Tapping into this potential through capital development is what drives investments in dairy farms. By streamlining performance through a combination of tightening up existing practices and expanding upon output, investors have the opportunity to see greater returns.

Unlocking this potential could be a matter of investing in new equipment, increasing livestock numbers, refining the supply chain process, or a combination of all of the above. What exactly it is that this particular dairy farm needs will vary on a case by case basis, with the constant factor being the room for improvement. Of course there will be some that are operating at close to their maximum capacity, but with so many that could use that extra push the opportunities for prudent investment are plentiful.

Sustainability – Feeding the Need

Another central reason why this sort of investment has proven so popular is the inherent sustainability of the industry. At its core, every industry operates on the simple premise of supply and demand; where demand facilitates supply, opportunities for investment will arise. Dairy farming has been around for centuries, and unless human beings start making dramatically different choices in their diet it will continue to be a necessary part of our existence.

Looking at things from the investor’s point of view, knowing you are putting capital into an industry that will not suddenly lose its relevance is half the battle. In this sense, dairy farms make for safe investments; since overall demand is unlikely to fall away, success is entirely in how you choose to operate your farm.

Experience Counts for Everything

Since dairy farming is such a developed industry within New Zealand, there is no shortage of experienced equity managers who can help get the most out of your investment. With an intimate knowledge of how the industry operates, these managers will be better able to determine what areas of practice are most in need of investment. Having this sort of helping hand can be invaluable in ensuring you milk greater returns from the process.

Find out more about dairy farm investments at Waibury Agricultural Investments.

In today’s unstable, volatile financial environment, multiplied millions are finding one thing in common: they all need to know how best to both save and re-invest their money. While many economic experts say it cannot be done, this brief overview for beginner investors may help guide them through the financial maze and into economic stability.

An Emergency Reserve Fund

This is the first step and often the easiest achieved. Having at least a 3 – 6 month supply of reserved funds on hand to confront an unexpected financial crisis is vitally important. Funds can be kept at home or at another financial institution but consider it as “petty cash”; moreover, develop enough restraint to avoid regularly “dipping” into funds.

Get Wisdom

Today’s “information highway”, the Internet, can easily provide beginning investors the knowledge of knowing what to do with their finances as well as the ability to keep abreast of late breaking developments in the world of finances. Carefully research every step to be taken and don’t be too quick to reach a decision — choose wisely!

Set A Strategy

Having a plan or strategy for investments is primordial in order to start on the road to financial stability. Conversely, to set a course, one must know the destination. Is it early or late retirement? Perhaps it is the goal of putting one’s offspring through college? What is it you wish to do with the money and when? Be it one year from the present or ten years; a goal must be set and a strategy developed to get there — be it for a short, medium or long-range time frame.

The Bank

In a nutshell, forget it. Stop looking to the bank for earnings as they are no longer generating sufficient interest to merit tying up one’s finances. Moreover, the iconic Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is just an insurance company that has the name “federal” in its name. Should several banks go down at the same time, the insurance company also would suffer as presently there are only minuscule amounts of funds to guarantee bank holders their deposits.

Short Term

Having cash flow in fairly liquid investments, online banking services, and short-term government obligations such as Treasury Bills or Treasury Notes means one can have fairly rapid access to one’s money. These also provide the flexibility needed to anticipate unexpected life and financial changes.

Medium Range

Learn the art of “laddering” medium range CDs or even Savings Bonds which may take up to 30 years to mature but can be redeemed after merely 5 years. This will take monitoring on your part but is well worth the effort.

Long Term

Real estate holdings, utilities, long-term bonds and commodities such as gold are traditionally safe investment vehicles. Today, U.S. Savings I-Bonds and T.I.P.s are especially looking better as inflation indexes are creeping ever upwards.

In today’s unstable financial environment, multiplied millions are gradually finding stability by seeking to know how to best save money and invest their savings.

Liesl Henderson writes for the California Institute of Finance, a degree program at California Lutheran University.

Touted as one of the world’s most desired investments that is not subject to taxation, fine wines have enjoyed a substantial rise in demand throughout the world over the past three decades and the UK is a key player in that market. The excellent wines selected by top wine investment firms in the UK have proven to be both a safe investment as well as a very profitable one. And to increase their value even more, as the demand for these selected wines grows the supply diminishes, which in turn makes the wine investment accrue value. Over the years the market has shown that the finite supply of fine wines produced each year lags behind the growing demand of those wines for investment or for drinking pleasure. Wines for investment have stood their ground amongst the most traditional investment schemes and even in an economic turndown, they have retained their value. Unlike many investments, fine wine is a tangible asset that should be considered as a strong addition to a financial portfolio. It is a precious bottled commodity waiting in storage until it is sold to the highest bidder. But while in storage, the wine continues to improve and accordingly, with fewer bottles left in storage the price and quality continues to rise. UK wine investors have an excellent array of wine merchants to assist with advice and trading through while taking advantage of the tax-free status of their investment.

Bordeaux as an Investment

Bordeaux wines have an excellent track record as being high quality wines that carry a low risk for investment. As an example, a bottle of 1982 Lafite Rothschild wine skyrocketed from a value of £2,600 in the year 2000 to a current selling price of £25,500. While this is an outstanding example, it is true that returns on the most sought after wines consistently reach at least 30% annually. The wines from Bordeaux are divided into five categories, with the first growths being the most sought-after category. The remaining categories represent the super second growths and the third, fourth and fifth growth wines. Some of Bordeaux’s top red wines are Haut Brion, Latour, Lafite Rothschild, Margaux and Mouton Rothschild. Although the wine can be consumed immediately, first growth wines require a minimum of 15-20 years to reach their full maturity, so careful storage in a bonded warehouse is an important consideration.

UK Top Wine Merchants

Wine merchants represent the top producing wine houses and provide all the information and services required for making a solid investment. There are a number of good merchants who are well established and come with a reputable track record for supplying high quality vintage, storage in a safe and bonded warehouse, managing the insurance and brokering the resale. The London based Bordeaux Wine Company is an independent brokerage firm that specializes in bottles of first growth Bordeaux coming from the top estates in France. The company, which has been trading wine for ten years, it carefully selects and buys choice wines through international auctions and lists them for sale online. The Bordeaux Wine Company is staffed with knowledgeable wine experts who guide investors through the entire process, from selecting the correct portfolio addition to managing the storage details, also well as advising when to sell. A major shareholder and partner in the firm, Frederick Achom, is a successful investment specialist who follows the international trends in the wine industry and uses his in-depth knowledge of the market to promote the addition of wine to investment portfolio managers, wealth managers, private bankers, hedge fund managers and asset management groups. Frederick Achom is also the chairman of Rosemont Group of Companies, a private entrepreneurial corporate investment firm with investments from wine to property to entertainment. Another leading UK broker is Premier Cru Fine Wine Investments Ltd, who also tailor personal portfolios to include the addition of fine wines. The company provides full management over the portfolio, provides detailed and updated valuations and distributes newsletters detailing current trends. As a full service company, it recommends storage facilities in a UK bonded warehouse that is customs controlled and ensures records of personal ownership. The UK Fine Wine Investments Ltd also specializes in first growths from Bordeaux and offers top quality tailored services through its team of brokers who analyze the market and make appropriate recommendations. Berry Bros, Albany Vintners, Wilkinson Vintners, Justerini and Brooks, Corney and Barrow and Farr Vintners are considered to be in the higher echelons of the wine trade and are amongst the most reputable and well established wine merchants in the UK.

Thomas Heler is based in the United Kingdom and is a writer and wine connoisseur. A wine investor himself, he likes writing about fine wine investment. An example of his writing can be found at Bordeaux Wine Company – Fine Wine Experts.

What are some ways a person can generate passive investment income? There are a number of ideas about it. Everyone has his own ideas about which one can be a passive investment income. We should have our own choice of investment. The wealthy, the marginalized, and the middle class people differ in their own preferences about investing their money. Now, let’s compare ways and opportunities according to some considerations such as safety, profitability, and also liquidity.

Safety means that your investment and the income are stable. The money that you invest could be prone to the changing market condition, economic slowdown, and social unrest. The point is that your passive investment income should always be there. In that case, it is safe to invest.

On the other hand, profitability is what we usually consider when we invest. We are supposed to believe that what is profitable is ideal. That’s right. But is it risky? Is my money stuck? Obviously, everyone would go for whatever gives them profit. Whenever we consider gains, the highest amount is always the best passive investment income. What we should consider here should not have been about the top gainers only. It’s should also be the safer ones.

Another significant factor that must be considered is liquidity. Let us suppose that we earn very attractively from our safe investment. What does that mean to us anyway? When you are ready to use your fund because you really need it and that’s the reason why you invested, is it possible to convert it to cash now? If there is no liquidity, our passive investment income is only an imagination. You would become wealthy only in your dreams. Liquidity is not only about the comfort of making a withdrawal. It is also about how smooth it is to invest.

Now, here are three kinds of investment we may consider whether which passive investment income is better for us. So, let’s talk about three kinds of portfolios such as business, stocks, and real estate.

Business is a personal activity that deals with economic factors that determines future gains. It is the chemistry of work and investment. This means that a businessman does not only wait for passive income, he should also work for it. Therefore, it is an active income and at the same time passive.

In the aspect of safety, business is not that safe. It is exposed to economic cycle. Businesses are under the supply and demand law. If the demand for their goods has been increasing, the price will also increase, and so will the supply. As time goes by, the demand will influence the supply to increase more. So if the supply is much greater, it will then influence the price to decrease. Consequently, businesses are getting more unstable and their future is turning gray. But, businesses may also get more resilient. As this type of investment is a little active, the active control of a businessman can manage a worse situation. Therefore, these two characters of investment regulate the cycle. Because of this, business becomes good. It is definitely a good example of passive investment income when it comes to safety.

In stock market, it’s the other way around. Safety is a very controversial issue here. Obviously, the risk involved here is very high. But the potential return is high, too. Passive investment income is more common in stock trading. Therefore, your income here is not the product of your active participation in the company. It is the product of your decision.

In the area of real estate, the lesser amount you invest, the safer it is. The bigger the investment you have, the riskier it becomes. But land alone is considerably not risky. The reason why real estate becomes a little risky is because the cost of structural materials is getting higher. Structural materials are also subject to the law of supply and demand. So, if we only rely on land for passive investment income by renting it out, our passive income will not be affected by any price fluctuation. Aside from that, structures depreciate over a period of time. Therefore, investing in real estate can be risky or safe depending on the kind.

In terms of profit, it is more attractive in business. In some businesses, you have to spend time before you earn regularly. Usually, the profit is negative especially if they are just beginning to operate. They should promote their brands and strengthen themselves in the market. When the consumers buy their goods, passive investment income begins. On the other hand, other businesses are doing well in the beginning of the operation. During the first stage, their sales shoot up. Subsequently, they grow very early. As time goes by, consumers get sick and tired of their goods. Consequently, these businesses reduce their passive income. Nevertheless, what is nice about business is the resilience to catch up with the competition. In business, the consistency of income is stable. One more advantage in business regarding this is the petty cash. Passive investment income in business need not come after a fixed cycle like that in stocks. There is always readily available petty cash.

On one hand, profit potential in stock investing is definitely high. As the character of stocks is risky, risk appetite causes the value of stocks to go up quickly. On the other hand, risk aversion and profit taking in the intraday trading can cause the value of stocks to go down quickly, too. Risk management in the stock market depends on the traders. Speculators enjoy their passive investment income from the price volatility while non-aggressive traders and investors get their passive investment income from dividends. Therefore, we can’t rule out the risk nature of stocks. When we gauge the balance between the energy we exert and the profit we earn, investing in stocks could be the most attractive one. We must not forget that passive investment income is an income that we could get without extra effort. If stock market really offers this potential, it must be a better option for passive investment income.

In real estate, how can we have a passive investment income? There is no doubt that one may enjoy his passive investment income in real estate without extra effort. The point is whether or not the ratio of profit is balanced with the investment. Surely, we can gain in real estate primarily because the usual investment is big as well. But always remember that you should pay the capital gains tax annually. This might explain why landlords do not solely rely on renting out their lots. Hence, land is usually developed to optimize the gains. Regarding the actual amount of gains, real estate could guarantee a better passive investment income. Therefore, we should really consider the ROI.

In terms of liquidity, it is somewhat less in business. Of course, liquidity still exists. However, much time is spent to put up a business, to start gaining, and even the time it takes to stop operating. Although the period of time executing all these can be determined according to a business plan, the process is still slower depending on the kind of business. Retail businesses are quite liquid whereas manufacturing industries are not.

Among the common types of investments known to many, investment in stocks is the most liquid one. You can open and close an investment account at your convenience. Moreover, you may select any available stock you wish to invest in. If you wish to have exposure in stock market, to take profit, or to pull out your investment, it won’t take that long. You may do so at any given time wherever you may be.

On the contrary, liquidity is a big problem in real estate. In business, there are still ways to determine it, but hardly in real estate. Usually, it is like a game of chance to sell even a small house and lot. Thus, investing in real estate, earning passive income, and even pulling out your investment will never occur overnight. It won’t matter if it doesn’t affect productivity. For instance, you have found a better opportunity that needs quick decision. Then, you think it best to change your existing investment into such a new one. Perhaps, before you are able to pull out your investment from real estate, your commitment to others will have already been canceled. In similar case, you might get stuck.

These are some ways a person can generate passive investment income. Whether you wish to invest in stocks, real estate, or business, you can always find an opportunity to generate passive investment income.

Michael F. Anyayahan is a freelance Forex trader and writer. To learn more, visit: http://www.forexuniverse.yolasite.com

As recently as 2006 it was commonly heard that real estate was the safest investment you could make. But even in 2006, there were some people, known as “insiders” who were actively investing in movies. They knew about the profits others were making with real estate, yet they kept investing in movies. Logic says there had to be some reason for them to keep doing this. This article will explain why some intelligent and knowledgeable people are enamored with investing in movies.

It is as easy to make a movie and market it, as it is to make an apartment building and market it. It just involves two different types of know how. To build a rental unit, different experts are hired for the various aspects of the building, such as carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and so on. An investor does not need to know how to do any of the actual jobs, the investor just needs to know how to coordinate everyone, as well as get the building permit, and apply for zoning changes if needed and so on. The investor can hire a contractor who then hires the various tradespeople, instead of doing it themselves. To make a movie, an investor can hire a contractor, known as a producer, to hire the cast and crew and coordinate everything.

The rental life of an apartment can usually be expected to be about 50 to 60 years. It can be more, and it can be less, with factors such as rot and termites to be considered. During this time, a lot of effort is involved in the management of the property, by way of maintenance and insurance for example.

Movies can have a revenue life of 60 years or more as well. And once made, there is no maintenance. Humphrey Bogart is still making money for someone! You can verify this by checking your TV movie listings, and you will see that many movies made 20 to 30 years ago, are still very popular, and they are shown repeatedly on TV.

For the same investment, a movie can make up to a thousand times as much as a rental property. This is especially true for low budget movies. With a digital camera, a home computer, and unknown actors, a quality movie can now be made for only $200,000 to $300,000. There have been movies made for under $30,000 which have made 100 million dollars. It takes research to find a promising movie project to invest in, the same way it takes research to find the land in the right area on which to build a successful rental unit. There are movie investor “insiders” who are happy to perpetuate the myth that movies are very risky, because they want to keep others away from what they know is a very lucrative industry to invest in. And compared to apartments, movies are a lot more fun!

I am making a low budget movie. On my site, I have an article which conclusively proves that movies beat real estate. The article was not written by me, it was actually written by a real estate expert. You can read the article through the link below. You can then go to other parts of my site and learn all the details, including how it can be made for only $145,000. I am seeking investors with $10,000 up. http://www.samandleah.com/realestate.htm

The site is very complete, with nothing hidden. In my life I have been told that I am too honest, but it’s the only way I want to be.

Fine wine investment market has changed dramatically in the last twenty years and is booming, even more so since Hong Kong removed a duty they had on wine, and demand has risen dramatically.

Investors look to alternatives ways to invest their money in trying times and with Asia’s rapid wealth, which looks only to increase, more and more money will be invested in fine wine. Investing in wine is thriving amongst the Asian markets, especially with the increasing demand from China.

Wine is generally more stable than stock-market linked indices allowing investors to securely own a tangible asset. Wine has always held its value and the reason why Bordeaux is a worthy asset is simply down to the laws of supply and demand. Investors want high returns from wine and fine wines can be a good, low-risk long term investment and less likely to follow the same paths as equity markets. There is no doubt that over the last 25 years wine has been a sound investment. Even in a bad harvest with a low quota, wines still get consumed and demand still remains stable and even grows with prices increasing up to 20% a year. Some wine investments have already outperformed gold and crude oil investments.

Fine wine is the only asset that operates with a perfect supply curve. It is the uniqueness in demand in wines that create a consistent growth curve which is why wine has little in common to other asset classes in terms of volatility. Wine investment is tax free as it does not attract Capital Gains Tax. VAT and Duty may also be avoided if your wine investment is kept in bonds.

Fine wine as an investment should be bought from a reputable source and storing the wine correctly is vital to ensuring its investment potential. There is a huge choice of fine wine investment companies to help people get into the market, and investors need not know anything about vintage wine.

Case prices vary but some top performers can command £5000 for each case and it is not uncommon for prices to be double that. Investors should benefit from a full market cycle between three and five years with maximum returns on an eight to ten year period. It has always been said that wine matures with age and so does the investment. As wines mature and become consumed, they becomes rarer which adds value to investments.

Wine investment is not a new trend, and is no longer the domain of the knowledgeable few as more and more investors are benefiting greatly and joining this exciting and vibrant market.

Written by Vin-X wine investment brokers, http://www.vin-x.co.uk.

Here we list some of the best investment ideas and tackle the challenge of finding the best safe investments for 2012. What might appear to be one of the best investment ideas to the uninformed could turn out to be one of the worst.

Looking at the big picture for investment ideas in 2012, moderation in asset allocation and a balanced investment portfolio will be the most basic key to success. There are 4 asset classes, and average investors need to spread their money across at least the first three to keep their overall portfolio risk moderate. The 4 categories in asset allocation are: safe investments, bonds, stocks and alternative investments like gold and real estate (optional). Asset allocation can be simplified, because there are mutual funds available to average investors that represent each of the 4 asset classes. Now let’s get more specific about the best investment ideas for 2012 starting with safe investments.

Safe investments earn interest and do not fluctuate in price. You will need to look outside of mutual funds in 2012 to find the best safe investments because record low interest rates have taken yields on money market securities (and hence money market funds) down to just about zero. One of the best investment ideas if you have an account with a discount broker or major mutual fund company is to shop for one-year CDs paying higher rates if you can’t get competitive rates from your local bank. Do not tie your money up for longer periods just to earn a little more interest. One of these days interest rates will go back up and you will be locked in at a lower rate and face penalty charges if you cash in early.

Finding the best safe investments will be truly challenging in 2012, but here are some more investment ideas. If you are in a retirement plan like a 401k that has a fixed or stable account option do not overlook it. You can often get a much higher interest rate there (maybe 4% to 5%) than anywhere else outside of your retirement plan. If you own an older retirement annuity or universal life insurance policy, it might have a fixed account you can add money to that is guaranteed to never pay less than 3% or 4%. Remember, truly safe investments like U.S. Treasury bills and bank money market and savings accounts are paying WAY LESS than 1%!

Over the past 30 years bonds and bond funds have become a favorite with investors because they have been consistent performers and returned on average about 10% per year… basically about equal to what stocks have returned, but with considerably less risk. Many investors have fallen in love with their bonds funds and consider them to be among the world’s best safe investments. Bond funds are NOT safe investments. They have performed well since 1981 (when interest rates and inflation were at record highs) for one primary reason. Both inflation and interest rates have been falling for 30 years, which has sent bond prices higher. Loading up on bond funds now is NOT one of the best investment ideas for 2012. In fact, it is one of the worst investment ideas.

When interest rates and/or inflation turn around and head upward bond funds, especially those that hold long-term bond issues, will be losers. That’s how bonds work. One of the very best investment ideas for 2012 is to sell your long-term bond funds if you own any, and switch to funds holding bonds with average maturities of about five years. These are called intermediate-term bond funds; and average investors should have some money invested here as part of their asset allocation strategy to add balance to their investment portfolio. These are not truly safe investments, but they are much safer than long-term funds.

My best investment ideas in the stock department focus on stock funds. Do not go heavily into the more aggressive funds that invest primarily in growth and/or small company stocks. These pay little if anything in dividend income and tend to be more risky and volatile than the average stock fund. Go with funds that invest in high quality large-company stocks with excellent dividend paying histories. Look for funds that are paying 2% or more in dividends. One of the best investment ideas for 2012 and beyond: invest in no-load funds with low yearly expenses. No-load means no sales charges, and low expenses mean higher net returns to the investor.

Alternative investments include the likes of real estate, gold and other precious metals, natural resources, commodities, foreign investments and so on. One of the best investment ideas for managing a truly balanced investment portfolio is to include this fourth asset class as well. The simplest way for the average investor to add these alternatives to their portfolio is with mutual funds that specialize in these areas or sectors. My best investment ideas here: don’t go heavily into any one area, and don’t chase after a sector (like gold) just because it’s hot. Real estate and natural resources funds would be my picks as two of the best investment ideas in the alternative investments asset class.

Moderation and diversification across the asset classes will be the key to asset allocation in 2012. I have also listed some specific best investment ideas for keeping the average investor in the game and out of serious trouble should the investment scene turn ugly. Above all else memorize this: long-term bond funds are not among the best safe investments for 2012. They are not safe investments, period.

Author James Leitz teaches investment basics, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and how to invest in his investing guide for beginners called INVEST INFORMED. Put Jim’s 40 years of investing experience to work for you and get up to speed at http://www.investinformed.com. Learn how to invest.

Have you ever thought of your future? Have you ever thought about ways on how to grow your savings? Have you ever put these two together: savings for your future?

Instead of spending your money on the latest gadget, shoes, or designer purses, why not familiarize yourself with safe investments that would generate profit in the long run? What if something bad happens to you, will you be able to pay for the bills incurred? Do not feel overconfident and satisfied with what you have in the present.

Investing your money somewhere else than a bank is a good option but is also a risky one. In any case, you must act and prepare now. Life is so short to be procrastinating and hanging around without a plan for the future.

One common way of investing money is stocks trading. The stocks market consists of complicated snakes and ladders, though. One wrong move will bring you down to the pit. So you must have a strong ground on the different concepts, trends and rules of stocks and dividends.

Every investor should aim for a high-performing portfolio. Learn how to build an investment portfolio to safeguard your money from potential losses. Your portfolio should be organized according to your risk tolerance and investment goals. Start early and invest on small amounts at first while you familiarize yourself and develop a goal and a strategy.

Investing your money on precious metals is also quite promising. Gold trading usually generates high profits for investors. Gold is considered more as a currency than a commodity. It is used as a hedge against currency devaluation. Silver, platinum, and bullion coins are good investments as well. Platinum is actually the most expensive precious metal. It is considered as the most valuable trading commodity. But unlike gold, platinum’s value decreases in times of economic crisis. When the economy is stable, platinum’s value is double the price of gold.

Moving your money around and learning how to make more money out of your existing reserves is more practical than having it sit in your bank account and gain little interest over time.

Developing sound saving habits at an early age is a good thing. Learning to invest your money on something that is deemed to be profitable will benefit you in due course.

Start saving and investing your money now so that it will grow into a healthy savings that would enable you to fund your future needs. Do not just settle for what you have now. Continue to learn new things. The world has a lot in stored for all of us. Every achievement takes patience and commitment.

Read more helpful business and Internet marketing advice from Louie Sioco’s blog.