Money does indeed make the world go round. Regardless of how much you have, you always want more. Coming up with sound money management strategies is key. There has long since been a debate on whether investing your surplus cash or putting it in a savings account is better. Saving your money is often considered the safer choice, but investing has a greater return potential. So, which one is better? Read on to find out.
Savings
When you choose to save your money, you generally place it into a savings account with a bank, although you could also choose to place it in a building society or credit union. Your money accrues interest when placing your cash into one of these accounts. There are also a few different forms of savings accounts for you to explore, the general idea remains the same, but they all operate a little differently in practice.
When you choose to place your money into a savings account, it generally means that your money is protected, although inflation can affect the value of your deposits. If the account has a fixed interest rate, then you also benefit from knowing exactly how much you will get over time. However, interest rates are unpredictable and may not offer the biggest returns.
Investing
Investing is somewhat similar to saving, but instead of placing your money into a savings account, you use it to invest. This usually means spending the money on an asset like property, stocks, bonds, or even gold TradingView has the XAUUSD chart where you can see the price of gold in real-time. The point of investing is spending your money temporarily to make more when your investment matures, or you sell.
Investing does offer investors the potential for higher returns in the long term than they would see with a savings account. There are also a lot of choices when it comes to investing; there are several assets to choose from which helps to make it more accessible regardless of how much you have to invest. However, it is fraught with risk. There is always the possibility that you will get back less than you put in. Fees may also be associated with investing, which could limit your profits.
The Final Verdict
Realistically, saving and investing are great options when looking for something to do with your money. Working out the best choice for you is a personal choice. You will need to think about how risk-averse you are. If you do not want to take the risk, place your money in a savings account; if you are okay with a little risk in pursuing higher rewards, then investing is likely a good choice for you. Truthfully, there are risks to both options, although, of course, investing does carry more risk. There are things that you can do to help to mitigate the risks that your money faces, so be sure to do some research before you make any commitments.
