How an Investment Works

The act of investing has the goal of generating income and increasing value over time. An investment can refer to any mechanism used for generating future income. This includes the purchase of bonds, stocks, or real estate property, among other examples. Additionally, purchasing a property that can be used to produce goods can be considered an investment.

In general, any action that is taken in the hopes of raising future revenue can also be considered an investment. For example, when choosing to pursue additional education, the goal is often to increase knowledge and improve skills (in the hopes of ultimately producing more income).

Because investing is oriented toward the potential for future growth or income, there is always a certain level of risk associated with an investment. An investment may not generate any income, or may actually lose value over time. For example, it's also a possibility that you will invest in a company that ends up going bankrupt or a project that fails to materialize. This is the primary way that saving can be differentiated from investing: saving is accumulating money for future use and entails no risk, whereas investment is the act of leveraging money for a potential future gain and it entails some risk.