How to Invest $1,000: Smart Options to Grow Your Wealth
When you come across an unexpected windfall of $1,000, whether through a bonus, freebie, or some other reason, it can be tempting to just spend the money. But you might want to consider other options, including invest to maximize value money in the long run.
Wealth advisors say there are plenty of ways to get the most out of $1,000 if you choose to invest, including short-term and long-term options that can make the money work for you.
How to invest $1000
For many types of investments, you don’t need a lot to get started, which means that even with $1,000 there are plenty of possibilities. Options include contributing to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), investing in the stock market through a traditional brokerage account or robo-advisor, and even putting the money in a savings account. high yield savings.
“$1,000 can be used for many things: paying off debt, saving for a rainy day, or getting into the market. We believe investments are important, but it’s how you’re invested that matters most,” says Heather Winston, Certified Financial Planner, CWS, and Director of Products, Advice and Planning at Principal Financial Group.
Saving for retirement
If you are looking to invest $1,000 with perhaps medium to long term goals in mind, an IRA can add a lot of value. The most common options are Traditional and Roth IRAs, which allow you to prepare for retirement and benefit from various tax advantages.
“Funds deposited into a traditional IRA can be deducted from gross income in the year they are paid out,” says Andrew Crowell, financial advisor and vice president of wealth management at DA Davidson. “In addition, all income and capital gains realized while the funds are in the IRA are exempt from annual taxes.”
Traditional IRA contributions are not taxed until they are withdrawn in retirement. The combination of a current-year tax cut coupled with years of tax-free compounding until withdrawal makes IRA contributions a compelling choice.
Roth dues are funded with after-tax dollars and therefore won’t reduce your annual tax bill, but once deposited the money can grow tax-free. And depending on your age and financial situation, a Roth IRA may also offer tax benefits worth considering.
“Similar to traditional IRAs, the funds in a Roth IRA are not subject to annual income and capital gains taxes, and they have the added benefit that retirement withdrawals are tax-free,” says Crowell. “Additionally, there are no required minimum distributions (RMDs) from Roth IRAs, allowing these funds to accumulate even longer.”
Money contributed to an IRA can be invested in various assets such as actions, obligations, mutual funds, and AND F. Self-directed IRAs give you control over investment choices while others have a predetermined set of investment options. No matter which type you choose, annual returns from IRAs can be advantageous.
“These accounts allow you to grow your wealth and limit inflationary impacts, which is a key factor in today’s economic environment,” says Winston. “It’s a great way to save for your future. You can assume, on average, a 6% to 7% rate of return in a well-diversified industry [IRA] investment portfolio throughout your life.
Invest in the stock market
The stock market also offers a variety of options for investing $1,000, which can be done through a traditional brokerage account. These accounts offer a variety of investment options, but may also carry higher risks depending on the types of investments you choose.
“Traditional brokerage accounts typically offer a wide range of investment options,” Crowell says. “The range of investments and the flexibility these accounts offer make them attractive.”
This includes exchange-traded funds or ETFs, which are an asset that bundles a combination of securities, often stocks or bonds. ETFs are usually designed to track a specific index, such as the S&P 500.
“EFTs provide investors with diversification while allowing them to target certain sectors and investment styles,” says Crowell. “Unlike mutual funds, which trade once a day after financial markets close, ETFs trade during market hours, much like individual company stocks. As such, ETFs allow a investor to plan his purchase or sale to take advantage of extreme market movements, up or down.
For those who don’t want to start small, fractional shares allow you to buy small portions of shares. For example, if a company’s stock is trading at $1,500 per share, which would make it impossible to buy a single stock, you could buy a fractional share of that stock instead.
“Fractions of shares would allow this same investor [who has $1,000] the ability to buy fractional shares in a number of companies,” Crowell says.
Finally, if you want to take a completely hands-off approach with your $1,000 investment, robo-advisors are another choice. These types of platforms make all the investments for you based on your short and long term goals and financial goals.
Store it in a deposit account with a high APY
Certainly not an investment, but for those who want their money to earn interest without taking on any risk, a high yield savings account is a very safe choice. The high yield savings account marketplace has proliferated in recent years and there are countless options, especially online-only banks and financial institutions, that offer extremely competitive interest rates, some as high as 4% or more.
If you don’t mind your money being locked away for several months or years, certificates of deposit (CDs) are another type of deposit account that offers extremely generous interest. Some exclusively online banks offer CD rates as high as 4.75% or more.
Another option: Pay off your debts or build up your emergency fund
Pay off the debt or add money to your emergency fund is also not an investment option, but can sometimes be more advantageous given your current situation.
“When it comes to financial planning, we have to expect the unexpected,” says Winston. “That means setting aside money for those surprise expenses or unavoidable life events should be a top priority.”
The general rule is to have three to six months of living expenses available in savings, so putting away $1,000 to build up your emergency fund will always be a solid decision. Just be sure to keep your emergency fund in an accessible, liquid account so you can tap into it when you need it most.
Paying off your debts in the meantime can give you financial freedom. Particularly in today’s high interest rate environment, where debt can quickly spiral out of control. repay the debt is an investment in your financial future.
