
With the stock market becoming increasingly volatile, many people are starting to look for alternative low-risk investments for their money. At the same time, though, it’s important to continue realizing a respectable return on your money. Fortunately, there are several relatively safe investment options that offer decent rates of return. Here are some of the best safe investments that will still get you a reasonable return rate in 2019.
Money Market Accounts
Money market accounts are standard bank deposit accounts that pay rates of interest much higher than normal savings accounts. Several money market accounts offer interest rates that exceed 2 percent, making them a reasonable hedge against inflation. Unlike investment accounts, money market accounts are eligible for FDIC protection, making the risk level of these accounts quite low. Money market accounts also offer some limited withdrawal and check-writing capabilities, a fact which makes them preferable to more restrictive certificates of deposit for people who
Municipal Bond Funds
Bonds issued by municipalities can be very good investments, though it should be noted that any bond does involve at least some risk of default. In the area of low-risk investments, municipal bond funds offer some of the highest return rates, with many funds yielding 4-6 percent annually. Municipal bonds also have the significant advantage of holding tax-preferred status. Interest earned on municipal bonds is typically exempt from federal taxation. In most cases, bonds bought from municipalities in the state in which you live are also exempt from state taxes.
Certificates of Deposit
For many years, certificates of deposit offered interest rates so low that most investors had no use for them. Over the past couple of years, though, the rates offered by CDs have crept back up, making them worthwhile once again. Today, the highest yielding CDs offer annual returns in excess of 3 percent. It’s important to note, though, that these are long-term CDs which often mature 5-6 years after the initial deposit. Short-term CDs offer considerably lower interest rates. If you have excess cash that you want to protect from inflation and don’t mind not being able to access for several years, though, long-term certificates of deposit can give you a respectable interest rate at a very low level of risk.
US Treasuries
If you want to invest in debt but aren’t comfortable with municipal bonds, US treasury notes and bonds may be a good compromise for you. These instruments represent
Low-risk investments are all over the place. Doing your research and finding what suits you the best will give you the confidence that you need in your portfolio to take the correct and calculated risks when needed, but to also know the right moments when you need to hold back and wait to jump. Hope you are enjoying Safe Investments!