Updated: April 1, 2022
I asked a friend to take this quiz, and I’m sharing his responses below. But before you read his replies, make sure that you answer the questions yourself first.
Are you ready?
Which is the best investment?
Let’s say that you have P1M and you are given three investment options.
Investment A can earn 4% interest per annum. Meanwhile, Investment B can earn 10% p.a., and finally, Investment C can earn you 18% interest yearly.
Where will you invest?
My friend answered Investment C because it gives the highest potential income.
But wait!
Investment A is actually an investment product being offered by Banco De Oro. Meanwhile, Investment B is an investment opportunity being offered by Jollibee, and finally, Investment C is an investment fund being managed by Sureball Inc.
Where will you invest?
My friend answered Investment B, the investment being offered by Jollibee. When I asked him why, he said because he doesn’t know Sureball Inc. and is afraid that it might be a scam.
“Why not Banco de Oro?” I asked.
“Because Jollibee has a higher income potential,” he answered.
Oh… one more thing!
These investments have a “lock-up period”, which means you can only get your money after the specified number of years.
For Investment A, it’s 5 years. Meanwhile, Investment B has a lock-up period of 15 years. And finally, Investment C has a lock-up period of only 2 years.
Where will you invest?
At this point, my friend scratched his head and said, “I don’t know.” How about you? What’s your final answer?
So which of the three is the best investment?
When you can’t choose… it only means that you don’t have an investment objective.
There’s no such thing as the best investment, only the best investment that can help you achieve your goals.
What does this mean?
If that one million is meant for the university education of your child, who is entering college 7 years from now. Which among the three choices is the best investment?
The one offered by Banco De Oro is the best choice because your objective is capital preservation. You don’t need to really grow your money because I believe one million is enough to cover the college tuition of your child.
But what if that one million is meant for your retirement, 20 years from now?
Then Jollibee’s offer is the best choice here. Your money will grow higher than the country’s average inflation rate, plus it’s with a fundamentally stable corporation.
Lastly, what if that one million is just extra money, which you plan to use for a trip around Europe, 5 years from now. Where will you invest?
If it’s extra money and losing it won’t affect my financial capability to provide for my needs, then I’m willing to take the risk and invest with Sureball Inc. – that is of course, after researching the trustworthiness of the company.
Investing Lessons
It’s not always about who has the best rates.
Just because one investment has a higher earning potential than the other, it means it’s the better investment.
Always consider who is offering that investment and ask yourself if you are willing to trust that company with your money.
Don’t invest in something that you don’t fully understand.
Every investment opportunity comes with terms and conditions. Read through the agreement, ask questions, and be meticulous.
Remember that “the devil is in the detail.”
Never invest without an objective
Your life goals will dictate where you should put your money. When you catch yourself asking what is the best investment today… stop and ask yourself instead:
“What do I want to do with my money in the future?”
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Nice one. At first I was only thinking of the internal rate of return (IRR) and searching for the lock-up period. But before the lock-up period appears I’ve learned that it is better to verify the company first before taking the risk.
Sir Fitz, I really love the line, “There is no such thing as best investment” 🙂 Risk is inherent in every investment. And yes, it depends on the investor’s objectives! This is a great eye-opener! Thanks
Hi Sir Fitz, I’m 22 yrs old and I’m already thinking of investing for my retirement. I’m planning to initially invest 5000 and subsequently invest 1000k every month. Is it exaggerated or a wise decision? I will highly appreciate your reply
[…] such thing as the best investment. Because the best investment will always depend on your goals. So define your financial objectives first before […]
Very interesting question, which investment to choose. In a real investing senario, #3 might be OK once a new bull market was confirmed and on the move up. Why, because it looks like it may be a high yield bond, something that would perform well in a new bull market. You are out in two years and generally bull markets last longer than that. Forget high yield debt at the end of a bull cycle, you will get your head handed to you. In a real situation, I would never be trading an instrument with a lock-up period. I am semi-retired and trade for income so I need stocks and ETFs that are liquid and optionable so that I can sell option premium. Instruments such as mutual funds ( with a minimum hold period) have no options and in fact, as an EX-pat here in the Philippines, I am no longer allowed to trade them in my US based retirement IRA accounts from offshore.