- You have many options for investing.
- Investments should work together to help you accomplish your financial goals.
Types of investments
Part of the investment planning process is making investment choices that fit your investment strategy. Multiple investment types can work together to help you accomplish your financial goals. We’re dedicated to providing you a wide range of investment products and services to help you meet them.
As an investor, you have many options. Common types of investments include:
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Stocks ❯
An investment giving you partial ownership in a company based on the number of shares you purchase. Stock prices often fluctuate more in the short term but may perform well over time.
Bonds ❯
An investment that functions as a loan to a government or institution in return for regular interest payments. Bonds can provide more stability than stocks although bonds have historically provided lower returns than stocks.
Mutual funds ❯
A fund allowing you to pool your money with others in a professionally managed portfolio. Mutual funds may offer diversification through stocks, bonds, and other investment types or a combination of each.1
Alternative Investing ❯
Alternative investments can help diversify or complement a traditional portfolio through the types of investments owned or the techniques employed. They include asset classes, strategies and structures that often are different from traditional investments.2
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) ❯
A basket of securities traded throughout the day — just like individual stocks — on a national stock exchange. Like mutual funds, you purchase shares of an overall fund rather than individual investments.3
Vision Investing ❯
Aligning investment goals with personal values. Vision investing is the intersection of values alignment, investing with impact, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) integration with traditional investment considerations.4
Annuities ❯
A contract between you and an insurance company requiring the insurer to make payments to you, either immediately or in the future. You purchase the annuity for a guaranteed income stream.5
Brokered certificates of deposit (CDs)
Brokered CDs are CDs issued by banks, purchased in bulk by securities firms, and sold to clients. Investors do not receive physical certificates for their brokered CDs but instead receive a periodic account statement detailing their CD holdings.
Contact a Financial Advisor to learn more about the types of investments to consider for your portfolio.
Next steps
- Understand the variety of investments available.
- Talk with your Financial Advisor about investment choices.
Wells Fargo Advisors and its affiliates do not provide legal or tax advice.
1 Returns and principal value of a mutual fund will fluctuate so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
2 Alternative investments, such as hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, managed futures, private capital, real assets and real estate funds, are not appropriate for all investors. They are speculative, highly illiquid, and are designed for long-term investment, and not as trading vehicle. These funds carry specific investor qualifications which can include high income and net-worth requirements as well as relatively high investment minimums. The high expenses associated with alternative investments must be offset by trading profits and other income which may not be realized. Unlike mutual funds, alternative investments are not subject to some of the regulations designed to protect investors and are not required to provide the same level of disclosure as would be received from a mutual fund. They trade in diverse complex strategies that are affected in different ways and at different times by changing market conditions. Strategies may, at times, be out of market favor for considerable periods with adverse consequences for the fund and the investor. An investment in these funds involve the risks inherent in an investment in securities and can include losses associated with speculative investment practices, including hedging and leveraging through derivatives, such as futures, options, swaps, short selling, investments in non-U.S. securities, "junk" bonds and illiquid investments. The use of leverage in a portfolio varies by strategy. Leverage can significantly increase return potential but create greater risk of loss. At times, a fund may be unable to sell certain of its illiquid investments without a substantial drop in price, if at all. Other risks can include those associated with potential lack of diversification, restrictions on transferring interests, no available secondary market, complex tax structures, delays in tax reporting, valuation of securities and pricing. An investment in a fund of funds carries additional risks including asset-based fees and expenses at the fund level and indirect fees, expenses and asset-based compensation of investment funds in which these funds invest. An investor should review the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement and other related offering materials for complete information regarding terms, including all applicable fees, as well as the specific risks associated with a fund before investing.
3 ETFs seek investment results that, before expenses, generally correspond to the price and yield of a particular index. There is no assurance that the price and yield performance of the index can be fully matched.
4 An investment's social policy could cause it to forgo opportunities to gain exposure to certain industries, companies, sectors or regions of the economy which could cause it to underperform similar portfolios that do not have a social policy. There is no guarantee that any investment strategy will be successful. Risks associated with investing in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)-related strategies can also include a lack of consistency in approach and a lack of transparency in manager methodologies. Some ESG investments may be dependent on government tax incentives and subsidies and on political support for certain environmental technologies and companies. There may also be challenges such as a limited number of issuers and the lack of a robust secondary market. There are many factors to consider when choosing an investment portfolio and ESG data is only one of those components. Investors should not place undue reliance on ESG principles when selecting an investment
5 Variable annuities are long-term investments appropriate for retirement funding and are subject to market fluctuations and investment risk. Guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Guarantees apply to minimum income from an annuity; they do not guarantee an investment return or the safety of the underlying funds.
