Investing is a way of growing your existing money by stashing it away somewhere and then making a larger return. Nowadays, you can invest in a variety of things. Here are 26 different investment options — one for every letter of the alphabet.
Art
Paintings and sculptures by famous artists can continuously gain value over time. By investing in art, you can potentially make a lot of money in the long run. Of course, famous works of art are typically very expensive — which has made buying shares of artwork more popular.
Bonds
Bonds are loans given out by investors to banks, governments or companies. You lend money and then get it all back with interest over a fixed term. The likes of bank bonds and government bonds are typically very secure and earn more interest than a savings account.
CDs
No, not compact discs. In the investment world, CD stands for Certificate of Deposit. It’s a type of savings account that must remain untouched for a certain period of time, after which it receives an interest lump sum (usually much more than a savings account). Compare CDs here.
Domain Names
Certain website domain names can be bought and sold for a profit. The most expensive domain name ever sold was Cars.com at $872 million. Of course, most domain names are bought and sold at much cheaper prices.
ETFs
ETFs are typically traded on stock exchanges but are different to individual stocks. They are instead made up of bundles of stocks (sometimes with bonds and other securities included too).
Forex
Forex (foreign exchange) trading involves buying and selling pairs of currencies from around the world. Because currencies constantly rise and fall in value, it’s possible to make money by buying a currency that has grown in value compared to another currency.
Gold
The price of gold fluctuates all the time. When gold is increasing in value, it is possible to make a lot of money by buying gold bullion and selling it. There are also other ways to invest in gold.
High-Interest Savings Accounts
Most savings accounts will earn you money in interest payments, but many have a very low-interest rate. High-interest savings accounts are designed to generate more interest. They do however come with conditions such as keeping a minimum balance or not withdrawing money in a month in order to keep earning interest.
ICOs
ICOs (initial coin offerings) are brand-new cryptocurrencies sold by companies to raise money. Some ICOs can gain a lot of value quickly, especially if the company or the cryptocurrency becomes popular.
Jewellery
Certain types of jewellery can appreciate in value over time. Examples include jewellery containing precious metals, jewellery from luxury brands or rare limited edition jewellery items.
Kids’ Toys
Many kids’ toys have become valuable collector’s items over time. A few examples include Beanie Babies, Hot Wheels, Barbies, Cabbage Patch Kids, Furbies and various action figures. However, one of the most popular examples is …
Lego
Certain Lego collections are very sought after and have become popular among investors. The most valuable is the LEGO Space Command Centre — which has an average market value of $10,100 as of 2013.
Memorabilia
Memorabilia associated with sports, movies and music can also be turned into profit. This includes everything from posters to clothing. Autographed items belonging to famous athletes, actors and musicians typically appreciate the most in value.
NFTs
NFTs (Non-fungible tokens) are the digital equivalent of collectables. Traded using cryptocurrency, NFTs are pretty much certificates of ownership for various digital items like songs and images. NFTs can also be tied to real world items ranging from artwork to rare old coins. Speaking of which …
Old Coins
Historic coins can hold a lot of value — particularly those that are rare and sought after. To date, the most expensive coin ever sold was a 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar for $10 million.
Peer-To-Peer Lending
Peer-to-peer lending involves lending money to other individuals via the Internet. They then pay you back with interest — which is where you make your money. Peer-to-peer lending is riskier than investing in bonds because you’re lending to everyday people, but you can make larger returns.
Quant Funds
A popular way of investing is to put money into investment funds with other people. By pooling together money, these funds can be invested in larger-value ventures that can make larger returns. Quant funds are one type of investment fund that use mathematics and algorithms to manage trades rather than human judgement.
Real Estate
One of the most popular investments, real estate involves making money from buildings and land. Buy-to-let properties are the most common form of real estate investing, but you can also make money through real estate through commercial property letting, property flipping and Airbnb rentals.
Stocks
Another popular investment is stocks and shares. Many large companies allow the public to own a share of their company known as a stock. By investing in stocks of companies that are growing, you can get a share of their returns. Careful research — such as following stock market news and reading reports — can help you to invest in the right stocks.
Trading Cards
Trading cards can be valuable to many collectors — especially rare cards and rare sets. Popular examples include Baseball cards, Pokemon cards and Magic: The Gathering cards.
Undeveloped Land
When people think of real estate, they think of buildings. But undeveloped land can be a great investment asset too — it can be sold to developers for a profit or developed and turned into an income.
Vinyl
Certain editions of old vinyl records are rare and sought after by vinyl collectors. Some are even worth thousands. The better the condition, the more valuable.
Wine
Some wine enthusiasts are willing to pay hundreds or even thousands for specific vintages of wine. Buying crates of wine from top wineries during good harvests could make you a lot of money if you’re willing to wait for the wine to mature.
XRP (And Other Cryptocurrencies)
XRP or Ripple is one of the most popular cryptocurrencies. These are essentially digital currencies that can be traded online. Like real-world currencies, they fluctuate in value. They are more volatile than real-world currencies, but this has resulted in some huge spikes in value that have made some crypto investors millions.
Your Own Company
An investment opportunity that many people overlook is starting a business. Yes, it is the most hands-on investment you can make, but it’s also a chance to work on your own terms.
Zippo lighters
This is just an example of one of the many weird and wonderful things that you can invest in and make money from. Many iconic branded items have become collectibles such as Zippo lighters. The most expensive Zippo ever sold was a 1933 original for $37,000.
