Here are 11 of the best investments for consideration, generally ordered by risk

from lowest to highest. Keep in mind that lower risk typically also means lower
returns.

1. High-yield savings accounts

2.Certificates of deposit

A certificate of deposit, or CD, is a government insured savings account that offers

a fixed interest rate for a defined period of time.Best for: A CD is for money you
know you will need at a fixed date in the future (e.g., a home/land down payment
or a wedding). Common term lengths are one, three and five years, so if you are
trying to safely grow your money for a specific purpose within a predetermined
time frame, CDs could be a good option. Where to buy CDs: CDs are sold based on
term length, and the best rates are generally found at online banks and credit
unions

3. Money market funds(mmfs)

Money market mutual funds are an investment product, which are bank deposit
accounts similar to savings accounts. When you invest in a money market fund,
your money buys a collection of high-quality, short-term government, bank or
corporate debt.Best known for emergency funds

Most banks and insurance companies offers this kind of investment. 4.

4.Government bonds

This is a type of investment that you lend the government your money and in
return they will pay you intrest payments twice an year.

Because of that steady stream of payments, bonds are known as a fixed-income

security.

Government bonds are virtually a risk-free investment, as they are backed by the
full faith and credit of the government The fixed income and lower volatility from
bonds make them common with investors nearing or already in retirement, as
these individuals may not have a long enough investment horizon to weather
unexpected or severe market declines.

5. Corporate bonds

Corporate bonds operate in the same way as government bonds, only you are
making a loan to a company, not a government. As such, these loans are not
backed by the government, making them a riskier option. Best for: Investors
looking for a fixed-income security with potentially higher yields than government
bonds, and willing to take on a bit more risk It’s up to the investor to find the
risk/return balance that works for them.Where to buy corporate bonds: Similar to
government bonds, you can buy corporate bond funds or individual bonds
through an investment broker.

6. Mutual funds

A mutual fund pools cash from investors to buy stocks, bonds or other assets.
Mutual funds offer investors an inexpensive way to diversify — spreading their
money across multiple Investments — to hedge against any single investment’s
losses.Best for: If you are saving for retirement or another long-term goal, mutual
funds are a convenient way to get exposure to the stock market’s superior
investment returns without having to purchase and manage a portfolio of
individual stocks. Where to buy mutual funds: Mutual funds are available directly
from the companies that manage them, as well as through discount brokerage
firms. Be aware that mutual funds typically require a minimum initial investment
of anywhere fromKsh.50,000 although some providers will waive the minimum if
you agree to set up automatic monthly investments.

7.Index funds

An index fund is a type of mutual fund that holds the stocks in a particular market
index. The aim is to provide investment returns equal to the underlying index’s
performance, as opposed to an actively managed mutual fund that pays a
professional to curate a fund’s holdings.Best for: Index mutual funds are some of
the best investments available for long-term savings goals. In addition to being
more cost-effective due to lower fund management fees, index mutual funds are
less volatile than actively managed funds that try to beat the market.Index funds
can be especially well-suited for young investors with a long timeline, who can
allocate more of their portfolio toward higher-returning stock funds than more
conservative investments, such as bonds.Young investors who can emotionally
weather the market’s ups and downs could even do well to invest their entire
portfolio in stock funds in the early stages.Where to buy index funds: Index funds
are available directly from fund providers or through a discount broker.

8.Dividends stocks

. Dividends are regular cash payments companies pay to shareholders and are
often associated with stable, profitable companies. While share prices of some
dividend stocks may not rise as high or quickly as growth-stage companies, they
can be attractive to investors because of the dividends and stability they provide.
Keep in mind: dividends in taxable brokerage accounts are taxable the year
dividends occur. Whereas stocks (that do not pay dividends) are primarily taxed
when the stock is sold.

Best for: Any investor, from first-timer to retiree, though there are specific types
of dividend stocks that may be better depending on where you are in your
investing journey.Young investors, for example, may do well to look into dividend
growers, which are companies with a strong track record of consecutively
increasing their dividends.

9. Exchange-traded fundsExchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are like mutual funds in

that they pool investor money to buy a collection of securities, providing a single
diversified investment. The difference is how they are sold: Investors buy shares
of ETFs just like they would buy shares of an individual stock.Best for: Like index
funds and mutual funds, ETFs are a good investment if you have a long time
horizon. Beyond that, ETFs are ideal for investors who don’t have enough money
to meet the minimum investment requirements for a mutual fund because an ETF
share price may be lower than a mutual fund minimum.Where to buy ETFs: ETFs
have ticker symbols like stocks and are available through brokerages i.e Faida
investment
10. Alternative investments

If you are not investing in the stock, bond or cash equivalent instruments listed
above, there’s a good chance your investment is part of the alternative assets
class. This includes gold and silver, private equity,oil,hedge funds,
cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and even coins,and art.However you
can buy gold,silver oil through ETFS.

11.Real estateTraditional real estate investing involves buying a property and

selling it later for a profit, or owning property and collecting rent as a form of
fixed income. But there are several other, far more hands-off ways to invest in
real estate.One common way is through real estate investment trusts, or REITs.
These are companies that own income-generating properties (think malls, hotels,
offices, etc.) and offer regular dividend payments. Best for: Investors who already
have a healthy investment portfolio and are looking for further diversification, or
are willing to take more risk for higher returns. Real estate investments are highly
illiquid, so investors shouldn’t put into an investment any money they may need
to access quickly.