 TITLE: What to Consider Before Investing in Stocks CONTENT: Alternative Ways to Invest Your Money\n-------------------------------------\nWhile buying individual stocks can be one way to grow your money, it's far from the only way to do it. Here are some options to look into if you want to start investing:\n*   **Mutual funds**: Mutual funds pool money from multiple investors to invest in various securities, which are dictated by the fund itself. For example, some funds follow certain indexes, such as the S&P 500, while others may invest in a mix of stocks, bonds, real estate and other securities. Mutual funds are great for diversification, but they don't allow you to control how your money is invested.\n*   **Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)**: These are similar to mutual funds but offer some key differences. For starters, ETFs trade on stock exchanges, which means you'll get real-time pricing and lower minimums—some brokers even allow you to buy into them with fractional shares. But like mutual funds, you have little control over how an ETF is managed or which securities it invests in.\n*   **Real estate investment trusts (REITs)**: REITs allow you to invest in income-producing properties without needing the funds to buy them directly or manage them. REITs can generate a steady stream of dividend income and can help you diversify your portfolio beyond the stock market. But they can be sensitive to interest rate increases and generally aren't good as short-term investments.\n*   **Bonds**: Bonds are issued by corporations and government entities as debt. When you buy one, you essentially become a lender, for which you'll receive regular interest income for a predetermined period. Bonds are generally much safer investments than stocks, but they also typically offer lower returns.\nKeep in mind, too, that you can invest in one or more of these vehicles at the same time. In fact, this strategy is an excellent way to diversify your portfolio because it allocates your funds into different assets whose values aren't determined by the same factors. END