Your Best Investment
Asking about the best investment for a given person is a bit like asking about the "best wine" or "best outfit." There truly is no perfect investment strategy or instrument that will fit any person in the world. When it comes down, the best thing you can do is find out what is best for you, for the amount you have to invest, and for the time and place in which you'll be doing your investing.
Right now, with everybody concerned about the poor performance of the economy, the mounting debt and risk of hyper inflation, lots of people are saying that precious metals (including gold and silver and other commodities) are the best investment possible. It's true that if you look at a chart that shows the rise of gold vs. the dollar or silver vs. the stock market, you'll see that the precious metals have significantly outpaced other types of investments -- especially in recent years. The market is flooded with companies and individuals (including your corner check cashing store!) that are either selling or buying gold. The key here is that if you're going to invest in precious metals, you should educate yourself about exactly what you're getting into. With a little education, you can go a long way toward making the most of this particular opportunity.
The stock market has been volatile for several years now, and it doesn't appear to be changing any time soon. But that doesn't mean that the stock market isn't a good place to invest your money. People have been and still are making a good profits in the stock market, often by "playing it safe" and going with companies that are tried and true performers. While it might not be the best investment in the short term, working the stock market can still pay good dividends in the long run. There's no reason to avoid the market as long as you get good advice and don't leverage everything on risky investments.
There are other types of investments that you might want to consider if you're looking for your "best investment." Commodities other than precious metals can often be a good way to grow your principal. Foreign currencies are also a way that lots of people have been able to invest with good results. But once again, be sure you know what you're doing before you jump in head first. There are pitfalls and scams in just about every area of investment, and if you don't watch things carefully, you could end up losing your shirt.
Once again, there is no "one size fits all" approach to any investment scenario. One person's great potential could well be another person's downfall. Just as there is potential to make a profit in just about every area of investment, there is also the mirror potential to lose money as well. So as you determine your best investment strategy, generally education is the first tool you have to mitigate your risk of loss.
