Investment Strategies

What to do with 100,000 dollars, pounds, or euros? You could invest in a property, paintings, cars, wine, gold, silver, or shares. You're obviously seeking the best return on your investment, some level of stability, and want to see your money work hard, grow your wealth and increase your financial independence.

You are the proud owner of shares. An investor in some fabulous company that regularly pays its dividends. You see your portfolio grow until suddendly the world panics, news outlets predict the end of the world, doom sayers find their stage, news anchors overuse the terms correction and bear market, and while you were just a confident investor, an owner of some awesome company, you suddendly find yourself in doubt about what to do in a bear market - this also applies to what to do in a bull market.

Volatility has once again struck stock markets across the globe. The doom sayers are again predicting the end of the world, the hopefuls believe the economy and the bull market is intact. We are only facing a correction, a brief, yet prolonged downperiod, they might argue. Amidst all the fog of opinions, you might be asking yourself: “Shall I sell my shares? Are we heading into a bull market? Will it be another 2008? A collapse of financial markets?”

Have you ever asked yourself: How do I know or decide what to invest in? How do I choose the company that to invest in or the share to buy?

One of the most difficult aspects of investing, particularly for those just starting out, is deciding what to invest in. With an almost infinite number of investment opportunities choosing the right one can be daunting.

Type of investment vehicle aside picking the right stock from the staggering number of listed companies can be a real challenge and adds to the complexity of investing.

A rumble of investment giants. Which one is the better investment: Shares or property? Is it better to own part of a business or bricks? Property has one major advantage over shares: it offers a roof over your head and walls protecting you from the cold. Even if you were to buy a property as a mere investment, it would still offer you the opportunity to move in yourself if needs be.

What an evening that was. I was in a magnificent chateau with some top bankers in the city of Paris enjoying an atmosphere full of history. Arches forming the sky of a twenty meter high room stretching a good few hundred meters in length. Ecclesiastical in nature, the edifice stood mighty and its wooden floor instilling a sense of Versailles. If the walls could only talk, I thought to myself while looking around and listening to the key speakers. Many a parties must have been celebrated and deals made in this magnificent estate.

Have you ever thought about starting your own business or the best way to becoming a business owner? If entrepreneurship isn't yours, you worry about the amount of work or aren't happy to take the risk, put in the hard work, persistence, the good idea, or the capital involved in building and running a successful business, there's an easier solution to owning a business. Better still, it's also an efficient way to build wealth. Simply invest in a business.

Investing is fun, exciting, at times frustrating, but it should never be fatal for your finances. In order to guarantee that your investment career starts off on the right foot, make sure you have a plan before putting your money to work. Just as everything else in life, successful investing is a journey, and it is you who have a clear map of where you want to travel. Regardless of whether you are investing in stocks, bonds, property, or commodities, ask yourself a few questions before allocating your money to a particular investment.