How To Become Rich: Top Investment Options That Can Make You Rich

Becoming rich means being able to afford and live the lifestyle you want without worrying about the next paycheck. This would require you to build a portfolio of investments that can compound over time.

That said, most retail investors want to become rich but don't know how to get there. If you're one of them, you're at the right place. In this blog, we'll cover some of the best investments that can help you get rich.

#1. US Stocks

Investing in US stocks from India gives you the opportunity to grow your wealth in USD. The greenback is rarely known to lose value and has always been strong against the INR. (1 USD = 74.71 INR*)

Even a relatively minor jump in US stock returns can lead to potentially high gains because of the currency exchange rate. That's the first reason to invest in US stocks. 

 The US market is also home to the NYSE and NASDAQ that rank #1 and #2 globally in terms of market cap.   

These US stock exchanges give you access to some of the biggest global brands like Tesla, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and more that have grown by over 500% over the past 5 years. 

Let's see what would've happened if you invested $10,000 in Tesla (230.63 shares), Apple (417.19 shares), and Microsoft (191.2 shares) back in 2016. 

Indian investors can buy US stocks on NYSE and Nasdaq using an app like Cube with advice from an award-winning expert, RIA Rick Holbrook. 

Download Cube To Invest In US Stocks

#2. Mutual Funds

Mutual funds are a pool of money collected from several investors. A fund manager invests this pool of money into various securities like stocks, bonds, and even other mutual funds or ETFs. 

Investing in mutual funds helps you save time that would otherwise be spent researching and picking individual stocks. A fund manager does that for you. 

Furthermore, a mutual fund gives you access to a basket of securities, not just one stock or bond. The fund manager will distribute your money across multiple stocks and bonds to reduce the risk and maximize gains.

Mutual funds that invest in equity are known to generate higher returns than the ones that invest in bonds. At the same time, equity funds carry a relatively higher risk than debt mutual funds.

That's the risk-return tradeoff that you should be aware of. Cube helps you figure out which mutual funds are best for you based on your risk profile and investment goals. Take The Free Risk Analysis Quiz‍

Overall, mutual funds have been known to generate between 4 to 15% returns over time. You must be wondering how to actually get rich by investing in mutual funds at this point. 

It's a slow but sure process that requires patience. There are certain pointers like the 15*15*15 rule that could be of help. You can apply the rule to your idea of getting rich/ideal wealth to get a better idea. 

However, getting rich requires you to invest in top-quality mutual funds that can generate solid returns over the long term. Top mutual funds are difficult to narrow down in India because there are 1000+ variations. 

But don't worry - Cube has you covered. You can access the top mutual funds in India that are handpicked by industry experts, Wealth First, on the Cube Wealth app. 

That's not all. WF curates a set of best mutual funds for you based on your risk profile and goals. 

See Top Mutual Funds

#3. Alternative Investments

Investments that don't fall under the traditional spectrum of assets are known as alternative investments. The most common examples include: 

• P2P lending 
• Loans via Merchants
• Asset leasing
  

Broadly speaking, alternative investments are non-market linked assets. This simply means that they're unrelated and unaffected by the volatility of the stock market. 

Thus, investors are known to add alternative investments in their portfolios as a means for diversification. Furthermore, alternative investments ensure that there's no need for a middleman like a bank. 

As a result, lenders can take home a bigger slice of the pie. For example, Asset leasing by Grip on Cube can generate up to 12% post-tax returns that is 3x better than the average bank fixed deposit.

For context, the bank loans out the money that you invest in an FD. Hence, the fixed lock-in tenure is similar to alternative investments. But you only receive 4.5-5.5% returns at best when you invest in an FD. 

But wait, there's more. Alternative investments on Cube generate passive income along with relatively high returns. Here's a look at the average returns generated by alternative investments on Cube:

‍Explore Alternative Investments On Cube

#4. PPF - Public Provident Fund

A Public Provident Fund account is a traditional, government-backed investment scheme. PPF was originally introduced to encourage retail investors to save regularly and earn interest in return. 

That's why PPF carries a lock-in tenure of 15 years and the current rate of interest is 7.1% p.a. You can invest up to ₹1,50,000 in PPF per financial year which might not sound like much on your quest to become rich. 

However, you must remember that PPF was designed to encourage small savings and wasn't introduced as an option to achieve financial freedom like mutual funds or stocks. 

#5. National Pension Scheme (NPS)

Most investment options on this list lead to delayed gratification since becoming rich doesn't happen overnight - it takes time. Nothing personifies this dynamic better than the NPS.

NPS was introduced as a pension option to both government and non-government employees for a healthy post-retirement life. There are two types of NPS accounts:

• Type I
• Type II
  

Type I is mandatory and carries an account opening charge of ₹500. It also requires you to make at least one contribution per year of ₹1,000. NPS Tier II is optional. You can pay ₹1,000 to open the account. 

There's no minimum contribution required for Tier II. Unlike PPF, there's no upper limit on how much you can invest in NPS Tier I or Tier II per financial year. 

NPS has historically generated approximately 8-10% returns by investing in a mix of assets like pension funds, fixed income instruments, and government securities. 

#6. Real Estate

Investing in real estate is perhaps the biggest status symbol and a sign of being rich in India. After all, nothing says “I'm rich” like owning a sea-facing apartment in Lisbon or South California. 

While there are assets like stocks and alternative investments that can generate better returns, real estate still has a relatively high emotional and monetary value in India. 

Buying property that's located in a prime location like South Mumbai or South Delhi may require you to endure years of EMI payments and sacrifice. But the trade-off may lead to higher gains.  

The property can generate passive income through monthly rent. Moreover, selling the property may fetch you 7-10% returns on average if the value appreciates enough. 

Read this blog to know more about the top Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) stocks

#7. Gold

Gold is one of India's favourite investments after the traditional fixed deposit. That's because of the sentimental value that it holds in the heart of Indian families.

The price of gold has skyrocketed over the past two decades. At the start of 2000, gold was priced at ₹4,400; in 2010, it was ₹18,500; and as of July 2021, it's ₹49,820. 

Does that mean you can become rich by investing in gold? Maybe. Gold has been known to generate an average return of 4-5%. But there are multiple factors that affect the price of gold like the demand, gold reserves, and inflation.

That's why the price of gold may experience volatility. However, investors are known to buy gold for the long term (5+) during which the volatility may somewhat normalize. 

Investors who want to benefit from the price of gold instead of wearing it as jewellery may want to explore digital gold as an alternative. Digital gold mirrors physical gold in terms of price. 

However, it does not carry the same safety or storage concerns that physical gold does. Digital Gold by Safegold on the Cube Wealth gives you access to 24K gold with assured purity and safety. 

Try Digital Gold by Safegold on Cube

Top Investment Options That Can Make You Rich

Download Cube Wealth to explore top investment options in India

Watch this video to find out how busy professionals can get rich