Investing Can be About More than Stock, Bonds, and Cash

Expand Your Understanding of the Investment Possibilities that Exist

Most people in the western world have an overly narrow view when it comes to investing - they usually think one of those places for storing money:

• Bank account (e.g. savings, checking, or a CD)
• Equities (e.g. stocks, mutual funds or ETFs)
• Bonds

Even the above list is broad - most young people today don't readily buy bonds or invest in bond funds (even though the overall bond market is bigger than the equities market). Unless you're lucky enough to have had your grandma buy you a bond, you've probably never owned one and you might not even really know how one works.

So, that leaves us with equities or cash - is there nothing else? Of course, there is something else -- most people have been doing other things with capital rather than buying equities or saving cash -- throughout history. You just have to open your eyes to the broader investing and capital allocation universe that's out here.

Of course, you shouldn't be foolish - equities (eg. stocks, mutual fund, and ETFs) and cash are better understood and offer a lot of advantages. But a person can also invest in:

• businesses
• real estate
• precious metals
• art
• collectibles (eg. stamps, coins, memorabilia)
• private equity (if you qualify with income and/or net worth)
• cryptocurrencies (eg. bitcoin, ethereum, ripple, etc.)
• financial derivatives

getting even deeper and more complex, you can invest in things aren't aren't even assets but things that might bring a return later on. These might include:

• education
• home improvement
• career development
• financial advice
• a new suit
• a new nice pair of shoes
• a better car
• a safer residence

Again, no one here is saying that you should forget the bread and butter that cash and equities offer the broad swath of the investing public - far and away these should (for most people and in most situations) make up the majority of your saving and wealth-boiling plan. However,r it's smart to lift your head up once in a while to see other possibilities and opportunities available if only to build a better and more comprehensive understanding of what capital allocation, investing, growth, return, and success really mean in your overall financial life. 

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