Savings accounts and life insurance have had their day as investment options.
So which types of investments are still worth considering?
While some swear by stocks and funds, others prefer precious metals
or real estate as investment options.
With all of these, the question is how high the return will be.

Investing in Stocks

Once you open and fund a brokerage account, you can start investing in stocks right away. With the right choice of stocks, double-digit returns are possible in the best case. If you want to be a successful stock trader over the long term, you should know your way around trading securities.

The return potential of individual stocks is relatively high, but so are the risks. That said, it depends on the case: investing in Germany's DAX index is far less risky than buying stocks that trade for under one US dollar.

Pros and Cons of Stocks

Investing in stocks requires knowledge and experience. You have to weigh opportunities against risks and classify potential risks correctly. For beginners, investing in stocks is less suitable.

Investing in Gold
You can buy gold directly as coins or bars, or invest indirectly through gold mining stocks. Investing in physical gold has numerous advantages. Whether precious metals count as tangible assets is debatable.

Return Potential
The last few decades have been shaped by currency devaluation and the euro crisis. Central banks printed money and keep printing it, flooding the market. In times like these, investors look for safe and profitable investments, since money in savings accounts earns hardly any interest anymore.
Many experts expect that precious metals will have their time in the near future, which is why they count among the best investment options.
When the oil crisis hit the US in 1980, the gold price reached a record of $850. Today the gold price is at times double that.
Adjusted for inflation, the price today would have to be over $2,000.

Over the long term, investing in precious metals is a safe and profitable move. As a short-term investment, however, it isn't recommended.

Investment options



Investing in Real Estate
Real estate counts as a tangible asset and often serves as an investment for retirement planning. Property prices are at record levels, and further increases are expected. Returns on this type of investment are very lucrative.
Buying property is almost always more worthwhile and also cheaper than renting.
If you don't want to buy or build but would still like to invest in real estate, you can do so through real estate funds.

In summary, every type of investment has its pros and cons. If you have no experience or knowledge of investment options, you can get detailed advice from qualified financial advisors at banks.
Of course, there are other investment options that can pay off, including annuities or investing in foundations.