Investment Concept
The concept of setting aside some money to be stored in order to meet a sudden need or need is certainly no stranger. In the past, people often saved in piggy banks, under pillows, or in cabinets, until now almost everyone has saved at a bank. But, you realize, the interest we get by saving at a bank is not directly proportional to the inflation that occurs every year, so when compared to the increase in prices of goods and services, the money we deposit in the bank actually actually decreases in value
Meanwhile, investment can be interpreted as an effort, whether in the form of material, energy, or time, which is carried out at this time, to get a profit in the future. Speaking of investment in material form, the value we invest over time will grow beyond its initial capital if done wisely. Thus, investment has the potential to provide greater benefits compared to conventional savings
That is what distinguishes investment from savings. Although saving in a conventional way is still needed for sudden needs, but by simply saving money, we will not grow beyond inflation and increase the price of goods and services.
Why is investing important?
Even rich people still need to invest to protect their assets from declining value due to inflation. Of course, the interest in investing will be higher for those whose lives depend on monthly salaries
To understand the importance of investing deeper, imagine that you are planning a big event, such as a music concert. There are so many preparations that you have to do in a short period of time. With good planning, you can “repay” the necessary needs as early as possible so that the concert can run smoothly
As with life, various important events will come up, such as going to college, getting married, having a family, until retiring. Not to mention other additional needs such as vacationing, buying a car or a new home. Without good financial planning, it is difficult to fulfill every need if only relying on monthly savings and salaries. Moreover, if you only depend on the following:
• Year end bonus (The amount cannot be determined depending on the condition of the company where you work)
• Increase in salary (The amount cannot be determined depending on the condition of the company where you work)
• Bank interest (the value will be eroded by inflation)
• Bank loans (high interest rates)
In short, by investing, we can begin to prepare for future needs by utilizing the funds we have today. Whatever your short-term goals, such as wanting to buy the latest gadgets or vacation with your family, as well as the medium and long term, such as opening a restaurant, preparing a down payment for a dream home, or preparing a pension fund, you can start fulfilling it from now on.
Through the illustration above, it can be seen that investment is needed to meet our short and long term needs. Even if it’s done early, just by allocating a small portion of our monthly salary, investing will be light because we don’t need to change our lifestyle drastically.
After understanding this, the next question that might come to you is: what type of investment is best? At present, there are many types of investments that can be tailored to your needs, timeframe and risk profile. Ranging from gold, bonds, shares, to Mutual Funds, all of them have the opportunity to become the best investment choice
Investment is like a vehicle
If you want to realize your dreams more easily, the role of investment is very important. Think of your destination as a place. To achieve this, you certainly need a vehicle. In this case, investment is your vehicle
You can choose to walk, ride a bicycle or take an airplane, depending on your comfort. Each vehicle will take you to your destination in a different way, with different travel times. Likewise with investment, after you set goals and realize the importance of investing, you can begin to determine the type of investment that is most appropriate and in accordance with the risk profile and character of your investment