We college students don’t seem to consider investing as a source of income. We want instant gratification, and we want money that is not attached to risks. But if there ever were a time to consider investment, it would be now. Investing now means you’ll have a reserve that you can fall on once you graduate. Of course, funding the reserve won’t be a easy, considering the little money we do have; but when you’re investing, a little money can go a long way. There are several other reasons why you should invest, and it’s not as hard as it seems. Here are some easy, low maintenance investment ideas for college students.
Open a Bank Account: And not just any type; either a Certificate of Deposit or Money Market Account will do. With these, you’re getting good interest on your money, as long as you leave the account untouched for a specific period.
Buy Bonds: Doing this is akin to giving a loan to a company. As is the case for loans, you’ll get your money back with interest. Although bonds don’t come with extremely high risks, the safest bet would be to invest in Treasury (government) bonds. Remember that investments are not instant: it’ll take some time before you see good returns.
Buy Property: I know, it’s probably not what you expected to see, but real estate is where the money’s at! If your school is in a college town, you already have a potential market. Buy a house with the things a college student would need, and rent it out to students for a reasonable price. It’s not the cheapest or most low maintenance option, but with time, you’ll get to see healthy returns on your investment.
Buy shares in Mutual Funds: These are like stocks, but not as risky. A mutual fund is like a company that collects money from several investors and professionally purchases and manages the investment. So you don’t need to be a financial whiz to invest using this method. In fact, you can put your money and focus on your school work, knowing that your money is increasing, albeit slowly.
There are many other ways you can invest and multiply your money, so don’t feel bad if none of the above ideas appeal to you. And don’t worry about not having money, because there’s always something that can be started with what seems like very little money. In fact, reducing or forfeiting your daily cup of Starbucks would be a great way to build up funds to invest. At some point in the future, you may even be able to pay off your student loans with the investment profits. So start counting your change, cuz it’s time to make it multiply!