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Investing: Money Working for You

Lesson 4-3 Choosing Investments

When thinking about investing options, choices will differ for every individual. One size does not fit all. Your distinctive choices should match up with your dreams, comfort level and life circumstances. In this lesson explore the merits and drawbacks of common types of investments to help you determine what might be a good fit for your situation.

What You’ll LearnExplore investing risks and set up your own personal rules for investing.

Taking it Home

  • Look around your room for examples of the five most recent purchases you have made. How do you feel about the "return" on each purchase? Do you have any regret because you feel that your money could have been better used for something else?
  • For any stocks, bonds, mutual funds or CDs that you own, take time to look at the fund's performance to assess the performance in recent years and since setting up the investment(s).

Learn More

  • Savings accounts are insured for up to $250,000, but investments are not guaranteed to earn money. Read about a specific investing scam. Can you identify any "red flags" that victims should have paid attention to?
  • Scan the prospectus of any stock or mutual funds that you own to discover details about the company's financial information.

Related Resources

Talking Points for Parents

While your teen is learning about saving and investing, consider ways to reinforce learning from home.

  • Ask your teen to share what he or she is learning in class about investing decision-making and how risk tolerance applies to investing.
  • Talk about investing with your teen. Consider sharing lessons you have learned from past experiences, including cautions and successes.