Mutual Funds Weekly: Buy real estate without owning a home — plus more top investing tips

This post was originally published on this site

Don’t miss these top money and investing features:

Getty Images

For most people, owning a house is the single most-expensive purchase they’ll ever make. But a home is a place to live, not an investment. If you do make money when you sell, great. Typically, though, home ownership is about security and stability, and a sensible decision in places where it’s cheaper to buy than rent.

Yet why buy if you can rent? If you want to own real estate, spread the risk across different types of properties, in diverse geographic areas. That’s where publicly traded real-estate investment trusts (REITs), real-estate mutual funds, and real estate ETFs hold appeal. Read about how to buy these investments in the most effective and efficient way, then check out other top MarketWatch stories from this past week, including stocks to consider for a smooth ride down Wall Street, strategies to use if you are concerned that a bear market is coming soon, and a unique holiday gift that doubles as an investment in someone’s improved life-skills and well-being.

— Jonathan Burton

INVESTING NEWS & TRENDS
How to invest in real estate without buying a house

There are lots of ways to invest in real estate without ever purchasing a house or apartment.
How to invest in real estate without buying a house

30 momentum stocks that are actually cheap enough to buy

Look at the holdings of the Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund.
30 momentum stocks that are actually cheap enough to buy

Jump onto this bull market now and ride stocks to new 2020 highs

U.S. stocks’ current decline will be limited, according to a respected market-timer.
Jump onto this bull market now and ride stocks to new 2020 highs

Had enough of ‘OK, boomer’? Not if you want to make money with these stocks

A large demographic shift in the U.S. points to this sector as a long-term winner for investors.
Had enough of ‘OK, boomer’? Not if you want to make money with these stocks

How bad will the next bear market be?

This is what typically happens to U.S. stocks after a long bull run, writes Mark Hulbert.
How bad will the next bear market be?

It’s time to ask if you trust your mutual funds in a bear market

Hindsight bias can lead to second-guessing investment professionals, writes Mark Hulbert.
It’s time to ask if you trust your mutual funds in a bear market

The hard truth about these new ETFs is all-too-easy to see

Non-transparent exchange-traded funds currently bring more problems than solutions, writes Mark Hulbert.
The hard truth about these new ETFs is all-too-easy to see

This chart shows how Vanguard’s explosive growth has ‘taken on a life of its own’

Vanguard commands an outsize portion of U.S. assets under management, and also dominates flows of incoming money, making it hard to beat.
This chart shows how Vanguard’s explosive growth has ‘taken on a life of its own’

Why ESG investing is starting to grow on your financial adviser

Stock investors increasingly are putting their money where their values are, writes Morey Stettner.
Why ESG investing is starting to grow on your financial adviser

This gift is an investment to improve someone’s life

Purchase a weekend escape secluded from deadlines and the distraction of social media and electronics.
This gift is an investment to improve someone’s life

Why this couple believes FIRE will create more black millionaires

Julien and Kiersten Saunders are saving for early retirement and sharing the lessons of the FIRE movement within the black community.
Why this couple believes FIRE will create more black millionaires

The merits of indexed investing

Marc Levine, former chairman of the Illinois State Board of Investment, defends the merits of passive investing and discusses his favorite ETFs.
The merits of indexed investing