“A penny saved is a penny earned,” said Benjamin Franklin. This great American idiom, of course, wasn’t meant to be taken literally—after all, inflation existed even in the 18th century. Perhaps some better advice would be a “penny invested is a penny earned.” After all, a sack of cash stuffed beneath your mattress is neither secure nor will it grow in value over the years. That’s what investing achieves.
The markets that sustain the world’s economies are cyclical—swelling and receding with the tides and ever-shifting. Investing wisely is a bit like riding those waves in the market so you profit when times are good and are protected during the downturns. It’s an intricate balancing act between risk and reward, caution and ambition. Invest too little and you face the frustration of missed opportunities—put too many eggs in one basket, and you could find yourself broke due at the hands of a capricious market.
The word “investment” immediately brings images of stock markets, exchanges and Wall Street to mind, but investments can be any venture where time or money is put on the line for the chance to see a return. In this way, funding a small business, starting a community garden, refurbishing a classic car or going back to college can be considered an investment as well.
Investments can be simple or complicated—but in most cases, they tend to skew towards the complex. That’s why we’ve compiled a comprehensive collection of links and resources into our Investment subcategories of our Business directory. Take some time to peruse some of our articles, websites and companies in our Investment directory and grow your assets wisely.