What Is Investment?

There is an old saying. It goes something like, "Don't work for your money. Put your money to work for you."

Of course, I know that you have to work for your money. If you were independently wealthy, I highly doubt that you would have reason to read these words on this blog. But the idea is still something which you can put to use.

Away with Stereotypes!

You may be under the impression that investment is something that sharp guys in sharp suits manage in air-conditioned offices. Maybe you are invested through your retirement program at work but you have no idea how it works or even how much you have. It's just something those financial guys on the other end of the telephone are handling for you, right?

So Can I Invest My Own Money?

Investment is just a form of saving. In fact, when you put money in a savings account, you are investing. You are sticking your money in a bank and letting them use your money in return for a meager interest rate.

Not everyone is aware that banks are using their savings account money but they certainly are. They make loans with the money that you provide and earn much more than they pay back to you.

There are more productive ways to invest your money, though having a savings account is a good idea. You can invest your money in stocks, bonds, land, precious metals and a variety of other possibilities. Most importantly, you can generally make more from these investments than you can with a savings account.

How Much Does This Cost?

Not long ago, investment was expensive. You had to pay a broker to purchase stocks for you. Before the Internet, we lived in the great age of the middlemen. These people made money providing access to things like education, the stock market, real estate and so on. Increasingly, as automation advances, we live without expensive middlemen.

This revolution began with stock investment several years ago when agencies like ScottTrade or ETrade began offering clients the opportunity to make stock purchases and trades for small fees. This situation improved considerably just a few years ago when RobinHood began offering completely free trades on the stock market.

So the answer is that investment is free. Totally and completely free. The other day I bought a couple shares in a small company, They each cost 50 cents and that is all I paid for them. There were no fees or taxes. I just paid a dollar with a few taps of my phone and became owner of two shares. If I want, I can also turn around and sell them at no cost, instantly.

A lot of people are so used to the old way of doing things that they cannot believe this is true. They think that I am leaving something out or forgetting some small fee but the revolution has happened. This service is completely free. Its tie to take advantage of these advances and start making some money

What Should I Invest In?

We will go into this in more depth in a further set of articles. In the meantime, know that you have a wide variety of investment options. They include stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, real estate, precious metals and other alternative investments.

Why Should I Do This?

Because you should be financially free. Whether you are single, still married or one of the many divorced men who have been financially raped in court, a knight should be economically stable. You do not need ot be rich but you should be knowledgeable about money and capable of managing your own finances.

Also, we live in a time when we can no longer count on family to take care of us when things go bad. Those of you who have strong families (like Robert), God bless you. But those of you who find yourself afloat in a  sea of semi-strangers (like Joab), need to have more than your paycheck to protect yourself. Investing can give you protection and freedom.

That security can help you become a better knight of the Resurrection.We are not locked up in monasteries praying for a better world. We will have to forge it with our own hands.