It is important to balance risk and reward when investing. Many savers are looking to move away from risky investments in order to lower their risk exposure.
Great investors balance these forces. It’s true, the return you get will depend on how much risk you are willing accept (and how many losses you are prepared to take).
We can’t decide how much risk to take for you, but we have designed this guide so that you get a range options for investments that are low, medium or zero risk.
These options, such as switching banks and receiving a Bonus or opening a higher yielding savings account, carry no risk. Some options may require some extra planning or learning on your part.
Low-risk Investments with High ReturnsLow-risk investments with high returns
The top 15 low-risk investments with the highest returns:
How to start – Low risk investing
Anyone looking to get started investing should start small. Nothing teaches you more than taking action. A “robo-advisor” is the easiest way to start investing in many asset classes.
M1 Finance is my personal favorite because it is low-cost and easy to use. You can choose from individual stocks and ETFs, or create your own portfolio.
- Investing without commission
- Allowed fractional shares of stocks and ETFs
- Minimum investment of $100
My Favorite Low-Risk Investment Right Now
Fractional Real Estate
Real estate has historically been a class of assets with high returns and low risk. It’s always been difficult to start with small amounts.
In recent years, platforms such as Fundrise popped up to “democratize” real estate investing. Real estate is a great alternative to stock market for those looking for.
Fundrise allows you to start a portfolio of multi-family and commercial real estate for as little as $10.INVEST IN REAL PROPERTY
- Minimum investment is $10
- Diversified real estate portfolio
- Portfolio Transparency
Long-Risk investments that do not require any risk-taking
These are not investments but they can help you make more money.
1. Grab a Bank Bonus
You can earn free money from one of the nation’s best banks if you have extra cash that you won’t be using for a little while. As an incentive to sign up for a bank account, most banks offer bonuses. These bonuses can be worth hundreds of dollars.
The bonuses you receive from your local bank may vary depending on what products they offer and where you live.
You may be required to make a number of purchases using a debit card issued by the bank in order to receive your bonus.
READ BEFORE SIGNING
Be sure to read the fine print and learn how to avoid any possible fees.
You can earn several hundred dollars by completing these tasks. You won’t lose a cent of your initial deposit. If you don’t want to keep your account, you can close it after you have earned the bonus and met all the requirements of the bank.
2. Upgrade to a High-Interest Savings account
A high yielding savings account could be the answer for you if you are looking to earn interest without taking any risks. These accounts allow you to earn interest on your money by simply keeping it in the account.
This strategy is almost effortless. You only need to open an account and deposit your money. The highest yielding savings accounts provide competitive interest rates, without any fees. The highest interest rate is currently
- Earn 4.81% Annual Percentage Yield*
- No monthly fees
- No minimum deposit
- You can access your money 24/7
3. Open An Online Checking Account
Online Checking Accounts offer small interest rates on money deposited. You’ll be putting your money into the bank, so you might as well earn some interest. Many online checking accounts offer zero or minimal charges to open an account.
If you are looking for an online account that allows you to earn interest, choose a bank offering excellent customer service and a user-friendly interface online, as well as competitive interest rates.
You should also look for a bank account with no minimum deposit or account requirements. If you plan to use ATMs frequently, make sure that you can access local machines without any fees.
4. Get More Credit Card Reward Points
Credit cards aren’t the devil. Credit cards can earn you cashback when used correctly. With a credit card that offers cashback, you can earn “points” which are converted into actual money.
In reality, you can earn more money with the best cards than you could with a Certificate Of Deposit or an online savings account.
Credit cards: I earn:
- Get 5% off cable, internet, mobile service, as well as at Amazon, Target, and Target.com
- Get 3% off on Dining and Travel
- Get 6% off at the grocery store
- Gas 2% Off
How do these offers work?
If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred card, and spend your normal spending on it in order to get the signup bonus, then this is what you would do. Spend $4,000 in 90 days on the card and you’ll earn 60,000 points, which is worth $750 (or $600 in gift cards). This is as close to “free money as you can get if you spend $4,000 on things you normally have to pay for like groceries, utilities, or daycare and pay your card immediately.
Check out our guide to the top cash-back credit card if you’re interested in learning more about how you can earn easy money with credit cards.
Best Low-Risk Investment Options
Overall, these investment options are low-risk. You won’t make as much money, but you can still expect your money to earn yields.
5. Certificate of Deposit
You won’t be able to find a more boring investment than a Certificate Of Deposit. A Certificate Of Deposit is a CD that allows you to deposit money for a specified period of time and receive a guaranteed return, regardless of the interest rate.
Buy your CD from a financial institution that is FDIC insured (up to $250,000). The more time the CD is in existence, the higher the interest rate the financial institution pays.
If you want to make a quick turnaround with low risk, I recommend the CIT Bank No Penalty 11-month CD at 4.15%.
6. Money Market Account
Money Market Account is an investment fund for those who do not want to risk losing their principal. The fund will also pay a small amount of interest to encourage you to keep your money in the fund. The fund’s aim is to maintain Net Asset Value (NAV), which is $1 per share.
The funds don’t come with foolproof protection, but their track record is impressive in preserving the value of your money.
The NAV can drop below $1 but this is very rare. Money market funds are available through a variety of brokers, including TD Ameritrade Ally Invest and RADERADE. You can also use the banks who offer high-interest saving accounts.
You may not make a lot of money on your investment but you will be protected from the daily fluctuations of the market and the loss of large amounts of principal.
7. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS).
You can choose from a variety of bonds offered by the US Treasury.TIPS, Treasury Inflation Protection Securities (Treasury Inflation Protection Securities), is one of the bonds with the lowest risk. These bonds have two growth methods. The first method is a fixed rate of interest that does not change over the life of the bond. The second option is a built-in protection against inflation that is guaranteed by government.
The value of your TIPS investment will increase with inflation, regardless of the rate at which inflation increases during the period you hold them.
You could, for example, invest in TIPS that offer a rate of 0.35% today. This is less than certificate of deposit rates or even basic online saving accounts.
This isn’t very appealing until you realize that if the inflation rate increases by 2% annually for the duration of the bond then the value of your investment will increase with this inflation, giving you a higher return on investment.
TIPS are available individually, or as part of a mutual fund, which invests in TIPS. The second option allows you to manage your investments more easily, while the first gives you the flexibility to choose the TIPS that you want.
Want to protect your investment portfolio from inflation. Buy TIPS from a broker you trust, such as:
8. US Savings Bonds
US Savings Bonds, like Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, are backed by the United States Federal Government. This debt has a low default rate, making it a stable investment.
There is a difference between the two types of US Savings Bonds, Series I and Series E.
The Series I bonds have two components: an interest rate fixed return and a return linked to inflation that is adjustable. The inflation adjustment is included in the total return, which makes them similar to TIPS. You can view the current rate on Series I bonds here.
The inflation rate can be negative, and the fixed-rate will never change.
The Series EE bond has a fixed interest rate that is automatically added at the end each month. (So you don’t need to worry about reinvesting to compound the interest)
