Investing involves putting money to work in a safe and reasonable manner to earn additional money in the forms of interest, dividends, or profit. Before you invest check the following criteria:

1. Safety of the investment
2. Potential return on the investment (the interest or dividends you expect)
3. Liquidity (the ease of converting the investment into cash)
4. Potential growth of the investment (the chances of the investment increasing or decreasing)

Real estate is another common form of investment, and involves the purchase of a home or a piece of property. Putting money into your own or someone else's business is another way of investing. Finally, some people collect such things as antiques, works of art, stamps, coins, and rare books for investment purposes. In recent years, first editions of comic books and old phonograph records also have become valuable objects to collect as investments. Investing in such collectibles requires as much serious effort and study as any other investments mentioned above.