To understand investing is a tough task because it involves a lot of complex calculations. If you are completely new to this subject, then you may get confused and end up making mistakes that can seriously affect your financial future. There is no doubt that this field is extremely attractive and promising. It holds many promises for those who are willing to take an interest in it.

Basically, investing refers to buying a security with the aim of buying future returns with the hope of some profit/loss in return. Simply put, to invest in stocks or bonds means buying an asset class with the intention of generating profits from the increase or the extension of the value of that asset over a specified period of time, either now or in the future. There are four basic categories of investing. These are common as well as specialised investment. They are:

Specialised investing refers to investments in limited quantities. These include derivatives such as options, forward contracts, stocks and bonds. The returns on these types of instruments vary according to their nature. For instance, when one holds a stock for a specified period, they will receive a predetermined return after the holding period. On the other hand, when one invests in bonds, they will be paying periodic payments.

Another type of investing is termed as ‘long term’. Long term investments are generally meant to earn higher returns over a long period. These include bonds and stocks. Bonds are usually issued by governments, while stocks are generally the possessions of private individuals. However, both stocks and bonds have trading facilities.

Some people start off investing through saving up for a particular purpose. Others use the funds to meet their financial goals. Whatever the reasons, every investor has a goal in mind when they start off with savings and investing. They want to achieve higher returns so that they can make a good profit. One way to do this is to purchase bonds or stocks that are ideal for the purpose of achieving higher returns.

Some people prefer to keep their money in cash. This is why they opt to invest in mutual funds. Funds are groups of securities like savings accounts. When you invest in mutual funds, you are investing in a number of securities. This is the easiest way of saving and investing for the long term. The key benefit of saving in a mutual fund is that it guarantees higher returns and helps in meeting your long term goals.