Very briefly: investing means putting your money to work to try to make more of it. With investing, you have a chance of earning a higher return than with saving alone. It can be a powerful way to grow your money. The downside is that investing also comes with risks and costs.
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This is very personal, but in Ready, set, go you already learned that people invest for their long‑term financial goals. For now, we distinguish these goals:
We are often raised to save. And well done if you are saving! It is important to have money set aside for bigger or unexpected expenses.
But if you do not need part of your savings for now, it may be worthwhile to look at investing as well. Over the long term, investing often gives you more return than leaving the money in a savings account.
Would you like to know what a combination of saving and investing could bring you? Take a look here. In Step 3 we go into this topic further.
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People often think investing is complicated and time‑consuming. It can be, but it certainly does not have to be. You can make it a daily activity if you want. But you can also invest with little effort. In Step 2 you will discover more about the different ways to invest.
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Investing involves risks and costs. You can lose your deposit or part of it. The value of your investment can go up and down. Results from the past do not offer a guarantee for the future. Read more about the risks of investing and how to limit them.
Investments that contribute to environmental or social goals may be part of our investment options Portfolio Management and Easy Invest. However, their purpose is not only to invest in such companies. Investing in financially attractive companies is also important. For more information about ING’s sustainable investing policy, go to ing.nl/ESG.
*This translation is intended for the customer’s convenience only. In the event of any inconsistency between the English translation and the original Dutch version, the original Dutch version shall prevail.
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