Real Estate & Alternative Investments

Alternative investments and real estate can be good ways to diversify your portfolio beyond more traditional assets like stocks, bonds or cash.

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

What are alternative assets?

Most investor portfolios are made up of three key ingredients: equity assets (like stocks), fixed-income assets (such as bonds) and cash or cash equivalents, like money market funds. Most other assets are lumped into the catchall "alternative asset" category.

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How to easily invest in real estate — in one minute

You don’t have to buy a house to invest in real estate. Depending on your preferred investment style, real estate investment trusts can be a great way to get started. Watch to learn how REITs work — and what to watch out for.

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