Ah, January – the time of the year in which we all hope to get a fresh start. Naturally, this goes towards all facets of our lives, including our finances. Perhaps that is why the stock market seems to fluctuate so much during this month, and why so many people are asking the question, “what should I invest in this year?” As you can probably expect, there is no one singular answer to that. Instead, financial experts seem to be a bit unsure in terms of what we should expect from 2023. With that being said, I am going to toss my hat into the ring and offer you my own two cents on the matter. Consider looking at pages like this one, https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/top-investing-trends-2023/, to get some perspective before we dive right in!
One: Savings Bonds are Back in
For a little while there, it appeared as though savings bonds were falling out of fashion. I chalk this up to society’s general lack of faith in the United States government across the past several years. Putting politics aside, we have all noticed some concerning trends in the past decade. It is hard to trust in savings bonds in these situations considering that they are quite literally a loan that we are giving to said government. However, the tides are at last turning once again in the favor of this style of investment. The economy is slowly bouncing back, interest rates are not quite as high, and we seem to have regained some trust in the feds. So, if you were a bit hesitant to try them out before, now might be your golden opportunity!
Two: Be Wary of Crypto Currency and Non-Fungible Tokens
While our previous entry was about something making a rebound in the hearts of investors, this one is pretty much the opposite. I would even argue that it is going entirely out of fashion to start investing in these things, no matter what the insistent folks who have already sunk their fortunes into it say. Allow me to explain. As you can see from articles like this one, the stocks for the most popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin have been continuously falling since back in December. This is not exactly good news, right? There is also the simple fact that in terms of longevity, none of these are proven or have demonstrable value. That is why I will be steering clear of them in the coming months.
Three: Consider Traditional Investments instead
Now that you know that those previous entries should probably be ruled out for now, let us delve into some potentially good investments to make in 2023. As I implied with the title for the segment, it seems that many experts are gravitating towards the more traditional methods of building their portfolio. 
Four: Precious Metals can Serve as a Hedge Against Inflation
If you have never heard the phrase “hedge against inflation” before, there is a good chance that you are quite confused as to what I am referring to. Do not worry – I will be explaining it all in due time. First, let us establish what precious metals are. The main ones that investors tend to purchase are silver, palladium, gold, and platinum. Gold is more than likely the most popular of the four. Bullion like pictured above is the primary mode of transportation and investing. With that out of the way, you have probably seen a ton of vendors selling precious metals lately. It is important to find great reviews before you buy, lest you end up with a subpar purchase. Why would you want them anyway? The answer is simple: precious metals are not going to have their prices impacted by inflation like paper currency does. That is all that a “hedge” means in this context.
Five: Avoid Risky Assets and Keep Your Portfolio Diverse
The final pieces of advice I would like to offer are these ones. Both are equally important and kind of fall in line with each other, which is why I have combined them here. Perhaps the first half of avoiding risky investments is a tad more critical, but it is difficult to compare them. Apples and oranges, right? Keep in mind that it is not just cryptocurrency that poses risks for investors. Anything that seems even slightly sketchy will require research on your end. I would avoid any promises that you will make thousands of dollars over the night if you just buy this stock or this crypto coin. Likely, these are forms of scams. As I mentioned in the precious metals section, it is never a bad idea to read some reviews from other consumers to see their opinions and testimonials. It can help you get a broader perspective in terms of what you can expect, as well as help you to steer clear of obvious red flags. In addition to that, make sure that you do not keep all of your money in one type of asset. If something goes wrong in that market, it could send you into financial ruin if you do so. No one wants that, so keep it varied!