What Stock Market Returns to Expect

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Stock market returns rely solely on what types of investments you choose.  The riskier the investments, the more you can gain or lose in any year.  However, if you are investing for a long time horizon, then more risk will almost surely mean higher returns.  Also note that this assumes you invest in a diversified portfolio (i.e. not just one stock).  For example, if you invest in Company A, which is developing a new technology that hasn't yet caught on, you could make 1000%s or you could easily lose it all in just one year.  If you held this stock for 10 years, you could end up losing money all ten years.  On the other hand, if you bought Company A and 20 other companies like it, you could still lose or make quite a bit of money the first year, but you would not make 1000%s or lose it all.  And in the long run, these stocks together should make you money.

There is no hard and fast rule as to exactly what to expect when you invest.  And because the amount of risk you take in your investments can also not be measured accurately, it is even harder to know what type of returns to expect.

Here are some rough guidelines as to what type of returns to expect.  Remember, the opportunity to make more money also means the opportunity to lose more money.

Savings Account, Certificates of DepositBonds, Large Established StocksEmerging Stocks, Speculative Stocks

1 Assumes a diversified portfolio of similar investment types or a mutual fund of that investment type.

2 Assumes an investment period of approximately 1 year. These expected returns are based on historical results and actual results could vary by even more.

3 Assumes an investment period of at least 10 years. Any given year could fluctuate dramatically.

 

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Ways to Invest Money

Investing in stocks is not the only way to invest your money.  There are lots of alternative investments that you can add to your portfolio, many of which you may not have thought of.  Here we've listed some of the alternative investment ideas in our list of ways to invest money.

Start Your Own Business.  Instead of investing in stocks and bonds, invest in yourself and start your own business.  Whether buying a franchise, investing in equipment to provide services, or setting up your own restaurant or other establishment, there are lots of ways to start a business.  If you go this route, plan carefully and try to find a partner to help share costs and ideas.

Buy a Small Business.  Another way to invest is to buy an existing business.  Many small businesses are sold when the owner wants to retire or they fall on hard times.  Contact a few local business brokers and search the real estate sites to help you locate an appropriate business.  Often, you may find a business that is barely profitable and then turn it into a profitable business with some fresh ideas and better execution.

Fund a Friends' Business.  Have a friend that has great business ideas but no money.  Help him or her out by loaning them money in return for a share in the business.  Make sure you get legal help to set up the loan and equity agreement.

Lend Money to Someone Online.  There are dozens of sites where you can loan your money to average people that need cash for something.  People list their proposed loans and rates and you can decide who to loan the money to.  The websites provide the legal documents and funding help and you can help someone pay for college, invest in their business, or get the money they need for something else.

Buy Gold and Precious Metals.  Another way to invest is to buy gold or other precious metals and actually take possession of them.  Although you would typically do this through an investment account, you can actually buy metals and store them yourself.

Buy Art.  If you have a love of art and can spot a good art investment, there is money to be made by investing in art.  It usually takes years for art to appreciate in value and you'll need a safe place to store or display it.  You can hire an art broker to help you find potential investments.

Invest in Real Estate.  With a little research and some legal help, you can buy an apartment building, duplex, house or even commercial real estate and then make money on the rental / lease income.  It takes a while to learn the real estate market and find good investment.  Make sure you run lots of spreadsheets to find out what kind of cash flow you can expect.  Also, you'll need to commit to at least 10 years or longer to really start making money this way.

Buy a Vacation Rental.  Live in an area with lots of tourism or near water?  You can buy a house, cabin, condo or other vacation home and then rent it out weekly or monthly for money.  Doing this means that you have to provide a high level of quality service with quick responses to your customers.  You can hire someone to manage your rental but it will cost you 30-40% of your profit.

Flip a House.  Buy a house that is in good shape but that can easily be improved.  Then improve it, doing as much of the work yourself as you can, and sell it for a profit.  Look for homes that you can easily add bedrooms and bathrooms to, that you can easily change the floor plan to dramatically open up the living space, or that just need simple remodels and paint to unlock the value.

Buy a Foreclosure.  Along the real estate line, you can look for houses, vacation rentals or even apartment or commercial buildings in foreclosure.  Depending on your state, you may or may not be able to get a great deal by finding a foreclosure.  Do your research.

Buy Antiques.  Antiques go up in value and therefore can be considered investments.  If you really know what you're doing you may be able to make money doing this.  You can also decorate your house with your investments until you are ready to sell.  Another way to make money on antiques is to find them at estate sales and by "picking", whereby you may be able to get them at a fraction of their worth.

Buy Items to Resell.  Buying items and reselling them is basically what retail stores do.  You can take this concept to a new level and find items to resell for a higher price.  After all, tens of thousands of people make their living from ebay.  Dropshipping is another option along these lines that you may want to look into.  Whether you buy wholesale inventory and resell it online, or buy used items at estate or garage sales and resell them in a consignment shop, there are lots of ways to make this another way to invest.

Join an Investment Club.  Investment clubs often pool their members money and then invest it in assets that are approved by the club.  While many investment clubs buy stocks, there are more advanced clubs that invest in real estate and start up companies, similar to venture capital.

Buy a Website.  There are hundreds of thousands of websites for sale.  Some are just domains with no traffic and some are developed sites or premium domain names.  If you have a good understanding of how to make money with these sites, they can make a good investment.

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