Where to Put a Million Dollars

The Bare Naked Ladies sang an entire song about what they would do if they had a million dollars.  But, what would, or could you really do?  So, if you are in the 7-figure club, where can you put your wealth to ensure that it stays safe, continues to grow, provide income, and won’t disappear on you?  There are several options thankfully.  First, we must establish that our fictitious million dollars represents most or all your current wealth.  If you were worth a hundred million, then where you put a million of it wouldn’t be as critical.  You would have the freedom to be as speculative and as risky as you wanted with it.  Let’s look at a few options and considerations.

How old are you?

The answer to the question of where to put a million dollars depends a lot on your age and how many more years you plan to work.  If you are in your 30’s or 40’s and have managed to amass a 7-figure portfolio, congratulations.  You are in an elite club.  You also have time on your side.  You still have 20 or 30 more years in the workforce, if you choose, and you are young enough to weather a market downturn and unexpected expenses that inevitably arise in this game of life.  You should have a least some appetite for risk at this stage of the game.  Your money can be invested more heavily in equities, and even a small percent in speculative investments might not be such a bad thing.

If you are over 50 and are thinking of retiring soon, then you want to be a bit more protective of your million.  You will want to shift at least a portion of your portfolio into safer assets such as bonds, treasuries, CD’s, and cash accounts.  Some should still be kept in equities to ensure that your portfolio will at least outpace inflation.  I can’t offer specific fund or stock choices, but a meeting with a financial advisor wouldn’t be such a bad idea.  If you want to let a professional manage your portfolio, then just do your research on the firm, their track record, and their fees.

Where do you put your million?

Here are a few ideas of where you can invest some of your million to keep it safe and growing.

Stocks

The stock market is an obvious choice to keep your portfolio growing.  This can be in the form of individual stocks or funds.  Do your homework or let a professional pick your equities for you.  Either way, you will most likely want at least some of your wealth in the markets.

Bonds

A safe haven for income, bonds are a good choice to help protect your assets.  Bonds can be purchased individually from government bodies or corporations.  Or they can be purchased in a fund.  All come with different risks and payouts.

Cash

You should have some money in cash accounts like checking, saving, and money market accounts.  A CD could also make sense to get a higher return so long as you are okay with not having access to the money until the CD matures.

Real Estate

Real estate isn’t for everyone, but if you have the stomach and the knowledge, then owning some income producing real estate can be an excellent investment.  Real Estate offers more stability than the stock market and can provide life-long income if bought and maintained correctly.  There are also tax benefits associated with real estate that can be taken advantage of that aren’t afforded to a lot of other investment vehicles.

Owning a Business

Owning a business can be time consuming and costly, but if you are successful you can make a lot of money.  Putting some of your million into a business or franchise can provide a life-long stream of income.  The options here are endless, and you can be a passive investor if you don’t want to deal with the day to day dealings of running a business.  There are no shortage of budding entrepreneurs looking for partners and investors to help them get a business or idea off the ground.

Conclusion

Congratulations if you have done the work and have had the discipline to amass a million-dollar portfolio.  Now the object will be to keep it growing and to preserve it.  Hopefully some of the proceeding ideas have helped you to decide a few places to put some of your money.  The possibilities are endless.  But whatever you do be sure to do your homework and only invest in things that you are comfortable with and have knowledge of.  It’s your money!  Take care of it and it will take care of you!

See Also:

How to Make Millions: 8 Investment Myths You Should Stop Believing

Do You Know Your Net Worth? Here’s How to Figure It Out

You’re 18 years old? Start Investing Now

5 Ideas For Your Investments in 2019