What’s the best way for you to build up that amount of money? By saving, or perhaps with a combination of saving and investing?
It’s always important to start by building up a financial buffer. That way, you can cover unexpected expenses, such as costly car repairs or maintenance on your home.
If you have enough money set aside for any unforeseen costs, it may be wise to explore the possibilities of investing part of your money as well.
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"The difference between saving and investing"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"The main differences between saving and investing are expected return and risk. When you save, you receive interest and take on the least amount of risk. When you invest, you have the potential for a higher return than when you only save—but in return, you also take on more risks. Let’s look at both:
"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"The advantages and disadvantages of saving","richBody":{"value":"The biggest advantage of saving is that your money is practically risk‑free. However, due to inflation, your savings unfortunately do not retain their value. In the long run, the value of your saved money can decline, meaning you can buy less for the same amount. If you’d like to learn more about this, take a look at the impact of inflation on your savings.
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/en/personal/savings-and-investing/inflation-calculator","text":"Calculate the effect of inflation on my savings"},{"url":"/en/personal/savings/savings-account","text":"Read more about the Orange Savings Account"}],"alignedImage":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/25e8be83-3c6d-47d5-aced-36ee5e35c21a/piggybankwithcoinsnopadding","original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/3c36c1b6b6507014/original/piggybankwithcoinsnopadding.svg","extension":"svg"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"The advantages and disadvantages of investing","richBody":{"value":"The main drawback of investing is that you take on risks with your money. Your investments can decrease in value.
But the opposite is also true: those same investments can increase in value. And you can potentially achieve a higher return than when you only save.
If you’d like to get an idea of what a combination of saving and investing could yield, use our calculation tool. It shows you what investing alongside saving might generate for you.
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/en/personal/investing/investments-at-ing/investing-for-beginners","text":"What is investing?"}],"alignedImage":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/3948474c-d9f2-4580-a45d-758165e9f283/financialmarketnopadding","original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/7fac7d6132b57cd2/original/financialmarketnopadding.svg","extension":"svg"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Calculate the difference between saving and investing yourself"},{"componentType":"feature","featureName":"ing-investment-calculator"},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"What suits you best? Saving, or a combination of saving and investing"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"What suits you best depends entirely on your personal situation. And to help you make that choice, we’ve created a decision aid.
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/particulier/sparen-en-beleggen/keuzehulp-2","text":"Try the decision aid (Dutch only)"}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Easily combine saving with investing?"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Do you already have enough savings to cover unexpected expenses? Then it may be wise to start investing as well, even if you’re not very familiar with it yet. It doesn’t have to be complicated. With a ready‑made solution like Easy Investing, ING’s experts have already done the hard work for you. All you need to do is choose the level of risk you feel comfortable with and decide how much you want to invest, we take care of the rest. Just like ING Pension Investing: where you can build up additional pension and potentially benefit from a tax advantage.
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/en/personal/investing/investments-at-ing/easy-invest","text":"View Easy Invest"},{"url":"/en/personal/investing/investments-at-ing/pension-investing","text":"View ING Pension Investing"}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Any questions? Check the answers"},{"componentType":"accordion","accordionList":[{"title":"How much should you save and invest per month?","richBody":{"value":"That completely depends on your situation, what you want to achieve, and within what timeframe. With our calculation tool, you can compare different scenarios.
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/en/personal/investing/investments-at-ing/investment-calculator","text":"Calculate expected returns"}]},{"title":"What is a good amount to start investing with?","richBody":{"value":"You can start investing from as little as €10. But because investing also comes with costs, it’s wise to invest a bit more. It doesn’t have to be all at once — you can also invest small amounts monthly.
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/en/personal/investing/investments-at-ing/investing-for-beginners","text":"Read more about getting started with investing"}]},{"title":"Is it better to save or to invest?","richBody":{"value":"Investing is something you do for the long term with money you don’t need right away.
That’s why the power lies in combining saving and investing. The part of your savings you won’t need in the next 3 to 5 years could be invested.
Yes, you can definitely start investing with €100. But always make sure you keep enough savings aside to cover (unexpected) expenses. Once your financial buffer is big enough, you can start investing — even with small amounts.
And because investing comes with costs, it’s wise to invest a bit more over time. This doesn’t have to be in one go — monthly investing is also possible. You can even automate it so you don’t have to think about it.
Investing involves risks and costs. You may (partially) lose your investment amount. Read more about the risks of investing and how to limit them. And also view the Investment Terms and Conditions.
*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.
"}}]},"complementaryZone":{"flexComponents":[{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Learn more about saving and investing"},{"componentType":"cards","cards":[{"componentType":"serviceCard","cardType":"service","cardSize":"small","title":"Getting started with investing","intro":"Starting with investing? Find everything you need in one clear overview.","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/91d7882a-b4c3-4fd9-a639-68c0a280d54c/Full-length-of-young-woman-jumping-against-mountain","type":"image","width":5184,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/f5938ec64b15242/original/Full-length-of-young-woman-jumping-against-mountain.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"link":{"url":"/en/personal/investing/investments-at-ing/investing-for-beginners"}},{"componentType":"serviceCard","cardType":"service","cardSize":"small","title":"Calculate expected returns","intro":"See what a combination of saving and investing could yield.","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/cec6f1b2-b634-48be-bb17-db20c97e8fae/Close-up-view-of-multi-colored-abacus-beads","type":"image","width":4240,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/39b23b3d2a1df620/original/Close-up-view-of-multi-colored-abacus-beads.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"link":{"url":"/en/personal/investing/investments-at-ing/investment-calculator"}},{"componentType":"serviceCard","cardType":"service","cardSize":"small","title":"Which way of investing suits you?","intro":"Discover it with the handy decision aid!","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/1eadc1a0-7cb9-48a0-acec-fa402e4dfe3e/Rear-view-of-woman-in-flower-store-florist","type":"image","width":4608,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/179f79d569cb7220/original/Rear-view-of-woman-in-flower-store-florist.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"link":{"url":"/en/personal/savings-and-investing/investing-decision-aid"}},{"componentType":"serviceCard","cardType":"service","cardSize":"small","title":"Experiences from others","intro":"Get inspired by the experiences and approaches of other investors.","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/14cc40e9-f611-4f62-a1ec-d456b6e2924a/Multiracial-friends-laugh-while-eating-lunch-together","type":"image","width":6720,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/14d87cf894b06c7/original/Multiracial-friends-laugh-while-eating-lunch-together.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"link":{"url":"/en/personal/investing/investments-at-ing/testimonials"}}]}]}}}