investment

Investment is any activity which can help to increase the future value of an asset which could be either liquid or fixed asset.

Investment is anything being an asset held to have some recurring or capital gains. It is an asset that is expected to give returns without any work on the asset per se.

The investment decision is a fundamental decision. The investor must determine the investment value of the assets that he has within his control or possesion. These assets may be physical (such as buildings or machinery), intangible (such as patents, software, goodwill), or financial marketable securities such as company stocks (an equity investment) or bonds (a debt investment) or other short term instruments. Most times the goal of the investment is for producing future value. Assets are used to produce streams of revenue that often are associated with particular costs or outflows.

Investments are often made indirectly through intermediaries, such as banks, mutual funds, pension funds, insurance companies, collective investment schemes and investment clubs.

Though their legal and procedural details differ, an intermediary generally makes an investment using money from many individuals, each of whom receives a claim on the intermediary.

The decision of where to invest is individual and depends on personal dispensation to risk.