Non-traditional investments

The investment world is all about making money to live on for the short-term or for the long-term, like your retirement. There are some people that can invest in the stock market and end up with millions of dollars because they choose some high-risk stocks and it paid off. Not everyone is this lucky and not everyone enjoys participating in the high-risk venture of the stock market. If you are one of these individuals, here are some non-traditional investments to consider:

Investment number one has to be real estate. Even though real estate is considered a non-traditional investment, it is a must-have for every investment portfolio. You have probably heard a success story from at least one person on how they invested in real estate and earned enough money to purchase their home for free. This is a good idea, but can you afford to be a landlord? You are responsible for the up-keep of the property, which could be time-consuming investment if you don't have the time or the money. If you are investing in the property so you can re-sell it in a few years, you need to figure out how much money you can feasible invest into it so you can still come out ahead.

If you own a home, a condo, a townhouse, or any piece of real estate, you are a real estate investor. One of the nice aspects of real estate investing is that you actually get to enjoy the property before you sell it. Some people can make a fortune with real estate investing while others tend to produce returns that are just above their cut-off point. Always pay close attention to the stock market when it comes to real estate. If the housing market is bad, it will be hard for you to sell your real estate investment for a decent profit, especially if the properly value has declined by $30,000 or more.

Precious metals are another non-traditional investment opportunity. Gold coins, silver coins, and platinum coins are all seen as safe investments because they will always have value. No matter what country you go to, you can get some money for your coins. People often purchase precious metals as an insurance policy for their investment portfolio. This is a great idea because they will be there to protect you from financial ruin. Watch out with your precious metals because they are susceptible to inflation.

There are a lot of people that make some great money by investing in antiques. Art and antique investing has been around for centuries and it is proven to be successful. If you inherited an original Monet painting, you are practically sitting upon a gold mine. Antiques make money the older they get. In order for antiques to be a successful investment, you must take good care of the item and have it appraised. You can sell your antique to companies that will turn around and sell them for a higher profit or you have the option to sell the antiques on your own. There are online web sites where people can go to invest in your antiques. Pay close attention to items that are being listed that are similar to yours, this way you will know where you should set the asking price at. Antiques are a good investment and they definitely come with low-risk compared to other investments like stocks. Check art shows for some fine pieces of art that may worth a lot of money in the future. If you have a nice piece of art and you keep it for a few years, it may be worth more money in the future. The nice benefit of living with the art is that it will decorate your home until you are ready to sell it.