Before anything else, what is an investment?
Investments are things that you buy now, but give you long-term future profit. For example, a house may be considered as an investment if you will have it rented out. But if you will be living in it, then it will no longer be an investment.
Even if you say that you have plans of selling it one day, once you do decide to sell it, where will you live?
Now that we’ve defined what investments are, let us proceed to identify what today’s best investment is.
One thing that you need to consider before having an investment is to…
PAY OFF YOUR DEBT
If you have any DEBT that you still have to pay, I highly suggest that you focus on that first.
Take away the primary source of STRESS in your life before you use all of your effort to arrange for yourself an investment.
THE BEST INVESTMENT YOU CAN MAKE IS TO PAY OFF YOUR DEBT TODAY.
SET AN EMERGENCY FUND
It’s also important to make sure that you have money for emergencies before you make any investment. Remember, emergencies are unexpected and inevitable. If an emergency situation happens right when you are in the middle of settling an investment, having an emergency fund will enable you to proceed with your investment. You won’t have to worry about spending your investment money.
KNOW YOUR GOALS
What you want to achieve with your investment needs to be very clear to you. This is because the right investment for you is dictated by your investment goals.
If you intend to invest in something that will help to generate income for your family, you can invest in a condominium unit or a house and lot, and set it up for rent.
Other people prefer to invest in mutual funds or in the stock market.
Remember that there are many different types of investment. The best investment is the one that fits your financial goals. If your financial goals for your investment are clear, then it’s time for you to…
LEARN ABOUT THE INVESTMENT
My number one rule when it comes to investments is this: “Never invest in something that you DO NOT UNDERSTAND no matter how profitable it may be.”
Even if you think that the investment is right on point with your goals, and even if you think that the returns are huge, if you don’t fully understand the workings of the investment, then DON’T proceed. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you.
Make an effort to learn about your investment. After all, it will be for you and your family. If you will not exert any effort to know the details of the investment, then it’s likely that all of your hard-earned money will disappear even before you get to count from one to three.
THINK. REFLECT. APPLY.
Are you ready to have an investment?
What are your goals for investing?
Have you made an effort to learn about the investment you’re planning to make?
(Chinkee Tan is a top Filipino motivational speaker, wealth and life coach whose goal is to inform, educate, motivate, and disturb. His vision is to help people become financially-literate and debt-free. For more info about Chinkee Tan, please visit his fan page at FB, Twitter and Instagram. Also follow VIBER PUBLIC CHAT GROUP search chinkee tan, and VISIONCHINKEE on You Tube for more news and encouragements.)
