Do you get in intimated when you hear people talking about their investments? Do you feel that it's too risky to put your hard earned money into an investment?�

It is a normal reaction to feel intimated or to think about investment especially nowadays when we are experiencing the financial crunch. Who would want to put their�hard earned money to waste? Investment is a word that we often hear people talk about.�

Most people are kept from making an investment due to either misinformation, or information overload. There are many investment options out there. Some are high risk�but high paying as well, but some have low risk but also offer a low payout. Some will allow participation of small players but some are strictly for the big�investors. Investing should not be as daunting as many people think. This is not an arena that is strictly for those who are in the financial services, but for�everyone who is interested and has the means to invest.�

The Basics of Investment�

Here are some basic things that anyone who is interested in investing should know:�

1. The Funds�

You should ask yourself where you will be getting the money to finance your investment. The money that you will put in the investment do not need to be too big. There�are investments that are as low as $10. You may even be able to find investments that accept lower than $10. Supposing that you were not able to raise the $10 initial�investment, you can still look for investments that offer installment plans that you can payoff monthly.�If you are working, you may get the funding from the salary that you earn from your work such as your bonus, or from the money gained from your income tax refund.�

2. The Goals�

Before plunging into an investment, you should identify your goals. Ask yourself whether you are looking for a long-term investment or a short-term one. The length of�time that you allot for the investment will greatly impact the type of investment that you will get into. For instance, if you are looking for short-term investments,�it may not be advisable to engage in stock or mutual funds because most of these investments require you to invest for five years or more.�

3. Risk Tolerance�

Ask yourself how much risk can you tolerate or sustain. If you are somebody who is not comfortable with risks and with losing some of your money, do not go for�investments in the volatile markets where there are constant losses and gains.�

4. Where to out your investment�

This is the most basic question that you should be able to answer after looking at the amount of your funds, you goals and the risk that you can take. A usual advice�given by experts in the field is to spread your money on different investments. By having different investments, you are lowering the risk of losing all your money and�increasing the rate of return.�

5. Do your research�

Investing doesn�t just mean putting in your money. Once you have decided where to invest, do a thorough research on that investment facility to see if it is stable,�and then check the integrity of that system.