Choosing the right investment program for you can be hard work, there are hundreds of different options to choose from encompassing all levels of risk, and offering varying returns to you.
For some people, the most attractive schemes available include investment in companies through the stock market, and while this is perhaps the highest risk option available, skilled investors are able to enjoy good returns by buying and selling stock at precisely the right time.
A popular investment program that includes stock as part of its portfolio is a mutual fund. A fund manager will handle the investments of a group of people, who then take a stake in the fund, and spread the risk between them. Good returns are still possible through a mutual fund investment program, but the service does not come for free, and your fund manager will get recompense for his work in managing the investments of the group.
A fast growing market that typically offers smaller gains than general stock market investment is an ethical investment program. Investing ethically works in much the same way as any ordinary fund, except that the investment vehicle, will avoid putting any money into companies that do not meet with the aims of the group.
Some ethical investment programs will not invest their money into the arms industry, or companies with a bad pollution record. Instead, funds will tie their investments into companies that embrace renewable energy sources, take their environmental impact seriously, or work with local communities to empower otherwise victimized peoples.
There are also many ways in which you can pay into an investment program. Some options will involve you paying a lump sum to a manager who will then handle all purchases made using that money throughout the term of the program. Other programs will involve you paying a pre agreed sum into a scheme for a set period of time before you get back money at the end. These savings schemes include personal pension programs, and may even be available through your employer.
It is important for any would be investor to fully examine the contract that they sign with their broker or fund manager to discover their full liabilities for the lifetime of the investment program, and understand how their money will be invested.
While growth is never guaranteed in any investment program, in the hands of an astute fund manager or with the advice of an experienced broker, there is no reason why you cannot enjoy substantial gains from any investment program that you choose to participate in.