Traditionally, the most popular types of investments include:

• Common Stocks. Called equity investments, because you are receiving ownership in the company, publicly traded stocks are available in all industries. Purchase prices fluctuate constantly. 
• Bonds. These investments provide stated rates of return to you, but do not include ownership in companies. Since your earnings are already known, changes in market conditions are reflected in the price being asked for the investment based on supply and demand for the bond in the market. 
• Mutual Funds. Unlike making individual investments in various companies, one at a time, like buying a particular stock, mutual funds allow you to make one investment in a fund that contains many different investments. This is a very popular type of investment because it allows the smaller investor to effectively put a number of stocks in his/her portfolio by making only one investment. 
• Money Market Funds. Often called money market mutual funds, these products are managed by firms that invest in short-term debt instruments (like U.S. Treasury Bills and commercial paper), not equity products (like stocks). Like a mutual fund, you invest in one fund, but own a percentage of a number of investments.

Making a long-term finanicial plan can pay off. Let Exchange Place match you with up to four financial planners in New York, New Jersey and throughout the metropolitan area.