Depending on your risk appetite, here is a look at various investment options that you can choose from:
-
Equity
Public-listed companies offer equity stocks to raise capital from the market. With this investment, you directly buy these company stocks and become a company shareholder (or a partial owner). Depending on the company’s performance, you can either earn good or poor returns on your investment.
Some listed companies also pay out small and regular dividends based on the company’s earned profits.
Pros
Cons
-
Mutual Funds
While equity allows you to invest in one, or a few listed companies, mutual funds enable you to invest money into stocks of tens or hundreds of companies at any given time. Mutual funds are considered less risky than equity investments as they are managed by professional fund managers who know where to invest your money.
Depending on your investment goals, you can invest in various mutual funds, including equity, debt, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), or balanced funds.
-
Equity-Based mutual funds invest all (or a significant portion) of your capital into company stocks and equities – thus providing better long-term returns.
-
Debt-Based mutual funds invest your capital into government-backed financial instruments like government bonds, securities, or treasury bills. These are considered safer than equity funds but provide lesser returns to investors.
-
Balanced-Funds are a combination of both equity and debt funds. Compared to the other funds, balanced funds are more diversified as every investor’s portfolio comprises equity and debt funds.
Pros
-
Professionally managed by fund managers who track the performance of your investments.
-
Enables a larger investment pool as many investors invest capital into the same mutual fund.
-
Enables a diversified investment portfolio with different asset classes.
-
Encourages continuous savings through monthly SIPs instead of one-time investments.
-
Ideal for achieving different investment goals.
Cons
-
Government bonds
Compared to equity and mutual funds, government bonds (or securities) offer fixed and guaranteed returns to their investors. In India, government bonds are also backed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Government (or debt) funds are issued whenever the government (or government agencies) want to raise capital for public spending – with the assurance of fixed returns (in the form of interest payments) to the investor.
For instance, the Indian government issues taxable bonds with 7.75% annual returns (over 7 years).
Pros
-
The national government backs low-risk investment options like bonds
-
Regular interest-earning that is credited every six months
-
Guaranteed returns on investment
Cons
-
Term Insurance
Term life insurance is the best investment tool if you look for financial security for your family and complete peace of mind. You may ask how term insurance is a type of investment, as it does not provide any returns at regular intervals nor on maturity.
Term insurance offers a health insurance cover for the insured’s entire life at a much lower premium. In an untimely death, the whole sum is payable to the deceased’s family members.
Pros
Cons
-
Suppose you are looking to combine investments with insurance cover. In that case, ULIPs are your best choice as it is the only instrument that offers wealth creation and provides the safety of life insurance. Like balanced funds, ULIPs invest one portion of your money into life insurance, while the rest goes into equity markets.
This type of investment is ideal for individuals looking to stay invested for a longer period (5-10 years). Depending on your preference, you can either opt for a single premium (paid once at the beginning of the insurance policy term) or regular premiums (paid monthly, quarterly, or yearly throughout the policy term).
Pros
-
Market-linked returns that are generally higher than regular life insurance policies
-
Combines life insurance and investments under one umbrella
-
Offers the flexibility of partial withdrawals whenever you need funds urgently
Cons
-
Public Provident Fund (PPF)
For Indian investors, PPF is popular as a safe and guaranteed investment option. Backed by the Indian government, the PPF scheme is aimed at helping both private and public employees build a post-retirement corpus. With a typical investment duration of 15 years, PPF offers tax-free returns in the form of interest payments (7-8% per annum) to its investors.
Salaried employees can easily open a PPF account at any local post office or through their bank. The invested capital for each financial year can range from Rs.500 (minimum) to Rs.1.5 lakh (maximum).
Pros
-
Guaranteed returns that the Indian government backs
-
The flexibility of extending the PPF tenure by a block of 5 years (up to a maximum of 15 years)
-
Interest earned on the investment is tax-free
-
Allows partial withdrawals from the seventh year of the PPF tenure
-
Ideal for building a post-retirement corpus
Cons
Final thoughts
For investors, the importance of investments can be gauged from the fact that they can help offset inflation while providing them with a "second source" of income. The governments of most growing economies, including India, also encourage foreign investments in the form of FDIs. Foreign investments enable countries, significantly growing economies to create more jobs and provide better economic opportunities.