How Investing Can Help You Retire Early

To make money work for you, you should invest. You can use your hard-earned money to earn passive income. If you keep your savings in a bank account, the interest can only buy peanuts. The responsibility is on you, not the bank, to increase your wealth.

Not investing, keeping your money in the bank, or spending your excess on luxuries can lead to a longer work life. You won’t be able to retire early. If you invest in your 20s, you may be able to retire at forty. If you take investing seriously, the “returns” generated from your invested money will provide financial stability for the future.

Content:

Defining investment

Why does investing matter

Earning with investing

Defining Investment

Investment is the process or action of investing money for future gains. In the finance industry, the “benefit” from an invested sum is referred to as the “return.” The return may consist of a loss or gain realized from an investment, capital appreciation, or investment income. This includes dividends and rents. In addition, the return may include currency losses or gains due to the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates. Generally, investors expect high returns from risky investments. This remains true in Forex and stock investing. When a small investment is made, the return on investment (ROI) will also be small. In the same sense, high risk investments come with high returns.

Novice investors are recommended to diversify their financial portfolio and adopt a specific investment strategy for their project. Diversification, a risk management strategy that combines various investments within a portfolio, can statistically reduce overall risks. A diverse portfolio contains different asset types. This limits exposure to single asset risks.

Why Does Investing Matter

In terms of time and compounding, it can be easy to understand why people are risking their hard-earned money for future returns. Compound interest is interest on interest. It’s the return from a loan or investment. The returns from your initial capital can be compounded or reinvested to generate additional earnings. For example, you bought $5,000 worth of stocks. Every month, you earn 10% of your capital. Hence, $500 is added to your account every month. If you don’t withdraw that money and invest it on stocks instead, then you’ll earn an additional $50 per month. Can you just imagine how much ROI will be generated from your $5,000 if you keep compounding the monthly returns for a year?

Earning with Investing

Most investors earn through appreciation, dividends, or interest payments. Appreciation is the increase in an asset’s value over time. If you purchase a parcel of land for $2,500 today, and five years later, its worth becomes $20,000, then that asset would generate a return of $17,500. You have likely paid interest on a loan you made, whether it’s a mortgage or student loan. The interest you paid to the lender is his/her return to the sum he lent to you. That’s how the lender earns ROI on your investment or loan. A bond is another type of security that issues interest payments to investors. When you purchase a bond, you’re lending money to a corporation or entity, who promises to make interest payments and pay you back in the future. Public companies and corporations issue stocks to raise funds for business operations. This enables investors to purchase stocks or shares. Owning a share of a company entitles you, the holder, to a fixed dividend. Annually or quarterly, you will receive dividend payments.

Final Words

In economics, investment is the act of purchasing goods that aren’t consumed today, but will be utilized in the future to generate profit. In finance, an investment is an asset purchased in the hope of gaining a return at a specific period. Compounding is done to increase the monthly, quarterly, or yearly return of an initial investment. As a whole, investing allows you to earn passive income and generate money while you’re sleeping.