Interview Scott Melbye the Macro for Uranium is Primed for Contrarian Investors
Certificates of deposit. These are among the safest investments because they are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Because the United States is insuring your money, it’s impossible to lose money in a CD. If you put $1,000 into a CD, the only risk you’re taking is that if you need the money, you won’t be able to access it without paying a penalty until the time period is up. For instance, if you invest money in a 1-year CD, you can’t get that $1,000 for another year without paying a penalty that typically includes about six months’ worth of interest.
But since there is virtually no risk, there isn’t much interest. The interest is comparable to higher savings accounts (many of the highest-yielding 1-year CDs currently pay a little over 2 percent). There are even some banks that offer no-penalty CDs, meaning if you need to withdraw the money early, you won’t get hit with a fee. Still, if you’re worried that you might need your money, you may be better off finding a savings account that offers as much interest as possible – since you will be able to withdraw your money without a fee.
Still, it’s easy to debate whether a Roth IRA, a CD, an ETF or a mutual fund is best for your needs. That’s why new investors may also want to seek out a financial advisor. While you might abhor the thought of paying fees for financial advice, the argument for turning to an advisor is that a professional is far more knowledgeable than a novice investing as a beginner, and can help you make far more money than what you spend in commissions or fees. Generally, you’ll pay an annual percentage of your managed assets. Usually, it’s around 1 percent, although some advisors charge less, and some charge as high as 2 percent. If you’re unsure whether a prospective advisor is qualified, you can use FINRA BrokerCheck (brokercheck.finra.org), a search engine that provides information on current and former brokers and brokerage firms registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
