To invest well, you need to find investments that fit your financial goals, investing time frame and risk tolerance.
Get an overview of the different types of investments so you can find the right ones to reach your financial goals.
Types of investments
Investments can be classified as defensive or growth investments.
Defensive investments
Defensive investments are investments that are expected to have a lower chance of going down in value. They aim to provide income and protect the capital invested. However, as the investment risk is lower, the long-term returns may also be lower. Defensive investments include cash and fixed interest products.
There are lots of reasons why people might choose to hold defensive investments. For example, they might:
- feel too anxious if the value of investments go up and down
- want to use some of the money in the short term
Investment examples |
Characteristics |
Risk and investing time frame |
Cash |
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Fixed interest |
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Growth investments
Growth investments have a higher risk of going up and down in value. They aim to provide a higher long-term return compared to defensive investments, with a mixture of income and capital growth.
The capital value of growth assets is far more likely to be volatile over the short term.
People might hold growth investments to:
- Earn a higher rate of return (but this comes with higher risk).
- Meet longer term financial goals, five years or more.
Growth investments include shares, property and alternative investments.
Investment |
Characteristics |
Risk and investing time frame |
Property |
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Shares |
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Alternative investments |
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Different ways of investing
You can invest money either on a public market, such as the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), or outside of public markets.
Products available on public markets include listed company shares, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Listed Investment Trusts, Exchange Traded Funds, and Government and corporate bonds.
You can also invest outside of public markets. For example, you could purchase a term deposit, buy a property, or put money into your superannuation account.
Investments can also be made in private markets, such as unlisted managed funds. Some of these investments are not available generally to individuals and limited to wholesale investors.
How to choose your investments
Before you invest, make sure you research your investment to understand:
- How the investment works.
- How it generates a return and the type of return expected (capital gain or income).
- The risks involved for the investment.
- The fees and charges for buying, holding and selling the investment.
- How long you should invest to receive the expected return.
- Legal and tax implications of the investment.
- How the investment will contribute to your diversified portfolio.
You can find this information in the product disclosure statement (PDS) for the investment.
If you need help choosing the right investments, get financial advice.
Before you sign up to any investment, do your homework to make sure it's legitimate. See investment scams for tips on how to spot a scam.
Decide how you'll invest
When it comes to investing you need to decide whether you'll:
- do it yourself, or
- pay a professional to do it for you
Both options have their pros and cons — and you can, of course, do both.
Buy and sell investments yourself
The advantage of investing yourself is that you're in control of all the decisions. It can also be cheaper than paying someone to invest your money. The risk is that you may overrate your expertise and may not understand the risks, fees, tax implications and timeframe of what you’re investing in.
If you invest directly, it's important to plan and put in the time to research your investments. You should also keep track of how they're performing.
Use a professional investment manager
If you invest in a managed fund, some managed accounts, exchange-traded fund (ETF) or a listed investment company (LIC) your money is pooled with other investors. A professional investment manager then buys and sells investments on your behalf.
When you use a professional, you benefit from their skills and knowledge to make investment decisions. But you have to pay fees for this service. These can include management fees, administration fees and entry and exit fees.
See managed funds and ETFs to learn more about these investments.
Get advice from a financial adviser
For a fee, a financial adviser can help you set your financial goals, understand your risk tolerance and find the right investments. See financial advice for more information.
Invest through your super
Your superannuation is also an investment, and most super funds offer you a number of different ways to invest your money. See super investment options for more detail.