You may not realize it, but you probably have a lot of money in your portfolio that doesn’t belong there. It’s not all your fault – the financial industry is to blame for marketing investments like stocks and bonds as the only way to diversify your portfolio. In reality, there are many other ways that you can diversify it without investing in securities at all! 

CDs

Certificates of Deposits (CD) are time investments that allow your money to accumulate interest over a set period- usually between 3 months and 5 years. CDs provide you with low-risk investments at higher returns than what you’d get in a savings account. And while they limit access, there is no penalty for withdrawing money early if needed.

Savings bonds are another type of investment that some investors will consider due to their perceived lower risk rating as well as some small return but can be pretty limiting. They are technically considered investments, but you can’t do much besides hold them for between 20 and 30 years.

Cryptocurrencies and Forex

Unlike many other types of investments, cryptocurrencies and Forex do not have a fixed return on investment. They fluctuate in price as the stock market does, which makes them good for those who want to hedge their bets with some riskier investments. Nowadays, investing in crypto can be as easy as purchasing tokens with a credit card from an exchange such as Coinbase, however, it’s important to remember that this comes with risk since these are still new markets for the most part.

On the other hand, Forex is a way of investing in different international currencies. It’s an investment that is not correlated with the rest of your portfolio since some currencies tend to go up when others do down or stay flat. There are also brokerage firms that serve as intermediaries between traders and the market, which can make Forex investments more accessible for smaller amounts of money.

Real Estate

This is one area where you’ll want to put quite a bit more research into before making any final decisions. You might start by looking at some properties near you and seeing if they are increasing or decreasing in value over time based on what you find online. From there, it could be helpful to speak with local real estate agents about your options especially if you’re looking to buy a home. You can get a pretty decent rate of return on your investment if you buy low and sell high, especially in markets where the population is growing quickly, such as major cities.

Smaller Investments

Finally, there are countless smaller investments that one could make that aren’t typically thought of as a primary investment plan but may be good to include if you have extra money lying around. This might include investing in your education by working toward an MBA or CFA, investing in the future by buying life insurance, or starting to save for retirement early. These options can help diversify your portfolio while also giving you multiple ways to prepare for what the future might bring!

Customer Stock Options

Many companies offer customer stock options to their employees, especially when they’re doing well in terms of revenue and growth. These options are typically only offered to high-level employees who have been with the company for a while because they must demonstrate loyalty to the business. But if you do have this option available to you, it can be a great way to diversify your portfolio without putting any money out of pocket!

Peer-to-Peer Loans

Peer-to-peer lending might be one of the lowest risk options out there because it operates outside the stock market. The market is set up so that people who are willing to loan money are matched with those looking to borrow at a given time. This means that you’ll typically only lose your initial investment if the borrower defaults on their loan and has nothing to give you in return; however, they might also pay back your original investment with interest which would increase your overall return!

Government Bonds

Government bonds are a good option to include when investing if your goal is stable returns at low risk. While they often come with lower rates of return than stocks or ETFs (exchange-traded funds), they are seen by many as a lower risk form of investment due to the low rates of government default historically. This means that even if the market begins to tumble, their prices won’t go down too much and it might be better to ride out any losses with them rather than trying to invest elsewhere right away.

Investing is a complex process that can involve many different things. It’s important to understand the difference between risk tolerance and investment return, as this will help you make better decisions when it comes to what type of investments to put your money into! Real estate, smaller investments, customer stock options, peer-to-peer loans, government bonds – these are just some of the ways that you can diversify your portfolio.