This post was written by Ben Graham

Every year brings a wide range of potential investment opportunities and 2017 is no exception. But as they say, you can’t have it all. So we went ahead and picked the best of the best so you can spend less time reading the web and more time watching Family Guy. Let’s zoom in on TFD’s top 5 investments for 2017.

Real Estate |

For over 50 years, investing in real estate has been seen as a solid long-term moneymaker. Driven by a rebounding global economic environment, last year’s total direct investment in real estate hit $700 billion! However, while the real estate market gives us many opportunities for making big gains, investing in real estate is much more risky, difficult and of course, a more illiquid alternative than investing in stocks and bonds. And let’s not forget the fat capital you’ll need if you want to be a player. So if you’re looking to make money in real estate you will need to make some smart AND lucky choices upfront when buying property. And just in case you wanted to know, the top 3 cities for real estate investment continue to be London, New York and Tokyo. Bottom line: if you’re interested in staying ahead of taxes and inflation while building security for the future, real estate investing may be for you. To hear more about opportunities in real estate, please contact us via the form.

Your Own Online Business |

Here’s a fun fact for you: by the time you finish reading this article, hundreds of new online businesses will have popped up all over the internet. Why? Because they can! This low barriers to entry e-business entrepreneurship has proven to be a great way for anyone with a Wifi connection to make an extra income from the comfort of their home. The trick to establishing a successful online business is to provide goods or a service that you’re passionate about, but more importantly- that has a demand. A great example is Mizzen+Main, an online clothing designer started by three friends. Their rapid success has subsequently secured them a $3 Million round of funding. Bottom line: if you prefer to be your own boss, set your own schedule and work from home while enjoying virtually unlimited income potential, starting an online business could be the right move.

Gold |

Shiny, precious and highly lucrative, gold is the go-to asset investors go to in times of financial instability and high volatility markets. That’s why in recent years, trading gold has become a global phenomenon, offering opportunities worth their weight in, well, gold. Millions of investors in over 120 countries continue to place their trust in this asset, making gold the most popular and widely traded commodity in today’s financial markets. Over the past 5 years, gold saw a staggering 300% increase in value before dropping. Millions of traders earned enormous profits by merely following economic developments and predicting the correct direction of price. But remember, this isn’t always as easy as it seems. Bottom line: although trading commodities involves high risk, if your kick is short term, lucrative investments, a contract on gold could protect the value of your assets more than any other form of investment.

Tech Stocks |

Not surprisingly, the technology sector holds a massive investment opportunity for corporate America and Wall Street. And although investing in tech startups is considered by most to be a risky move, the notion of owning a piece of the next Google or Facebook is enough to make the tech industry the largest single segment in the market. While technology drives the modern economy, the vicious cycle of competition and obsolescence promises that there’s always something exciting going on somewhere, enabling us small time investors endless possibilities to simply sit back and reap profits off the productivity and profitability of others, without even showing up at the office. Bottom line: if you’re into fast paced, often irrational but highly profitable investing outcomes, you might want to give it a try. But before you do, invest some time to research and self-educate yourself and use those insights to invest where theses evaluations make sense.

Yourself! |

According to leadership guru Robin S. Sharma “investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. it will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you.” Investing in yourself yields not only future returns, but provides a pay-off in the present too. The most surefire way to enjoy a better quality of life, to become successful, productive and ultimately happy is to maximize your talent by investing in personal and professional development. So develop your skills. Explore your creative side. Nurture your mind and body. And always remember- you are your own most valuable asset!