Making an investment is nothing new. Although the use of technology such has inspired others to make investments with a few thumb swipes, the potential to make gains on a investment has been around since the 1800s.

While the opportunities have been there for some time, not everyone knew they existed, and this is because like most things before the Internet, you had to have experience within a certain field to gain access to it.

The birth of the Internet has meant more doors have been opened in several sectors. For example, those in remote areas can now make a living online because of the connectivity available.

Making an investment used to mean trawling through the stock market and making an investment with the information available to you. While there are ways of getting to this information, you would often find that you were sharing a room with hundreds of others looking for the same information, so dreams of working on Wall Street soon faded.

The smartphone we use today can often be underestimated, especially when compared to the giant computers we would have used during yesteryear. Out smartphone is essentially a computer with the ability to make calls.

Many smartphones will come with a dedicated operating system, normally iOS or Android, depending on your preference. Once you have access to an app store, you should be able to find an app that allows you to make an investment quite easily, but not all apps operate in the same way, although they may offer a similar function.

Invest as You Spend

There are several ways to save money, and one of the most popular ways is to have a savings account that rounds off your latest spend. For example, if you were to spend $2.50 on a coffee, the $2.50 would go to the business, while the other 0.50c would be transferred to a dedicated savings account.

This is a great option for those who may have difficulties in saving huge amounts, or those who don’t have much disposable income to save. As the amounts are very small, the won’t amass a fortune in the short-term, but they can prove to be effective should you ever experience a rainy day.

Now what if you were able to make a return on these amounts rather than the measly interest offered by your bank? Well, a series of apps use this method of depositing funds but will look to invest them in stocks or shares as opposed to placing them in a savings account.

Even those who are new to the world of stocks and shares find that they can make investments with relative ease. While you would need to invest a large amount to see any large returns, these types of apps are ideal for those looking to learn more about the world of investing, without them having to worry about an impact on their finances.

Other Forms of Investing

Although apps are part of everyday life, this isn’t the only method of making an investment in the modern age. While there plenty of commodities to invest in, some will prefer to deal with certain stocks. For example, some may only be interested in currency, whereas others may want to invest in social networks or streaming services.

Fortunately, there are plenty of platforms available that make investments easier to understand, as well as the risks involved. Due to the many solutions available, it shouldn’t prove to find a solution that offers a user experience that suits you.

Peer-to-Peer Lending

Peer-to-peer lending is becoming a popular avenue for those looking for credit, but such avenues have to be funded in different ways, which is where the peer-to-peer element comes in.

Rather than investing in stocks and share, you will be supplying funds that contribute towards a loan. The return you make when making an investment can differ depending on how much risk you’re willing to take.

For example, you will make much more on riskier applications, but there is also a greater potential for default.

Like any other form of investment, it’s important that we don’t invest more than we can afford, especially in the learning stages. However, it does showcase how many avenues there are to explore when it comes to making an investment.

The Way We Consume Data

There will have been a time when we had to buy a newspaper or turn on the television to stay abreast of current developments, especially in the world of stocks and shares. While there were plenty of options available to investors, none of the solutions come close to what the Internet can offer, which is real-time updates.

Regardless of the sector we’re looking to invest in, there’s no real reason why we can’t look at some real-time numbers to make a more informed decision when investing.

We can also use software to mould old strategies to meet the requirements of today’s investor. While the initial process behind making an investment remains the same, the way in which we’re able to make an investment makes the concept available to those who may never have even considered making an investment before.