Investments are generally motivated by the desire for profit; each investor aims to use his/her money profitably to generate significant returns. As a result, investors may decide to put their money into one or more of the available investment classes which include bonds, stocks, cash equivalents, real estate, various commodities, among other things. Bonds, stocks and cash equivalents are the three traditional investment classes. All other investment classes fall under the category of alternative investment. Each class comes with its own risks, benefits or advantages. The main advantage of investing in the three traditional classes is the lower initial investments amounts, that is, how much money you may want to begin with. For instance, investing in real estate frequently necessitates that the investor making a sizable one-time payment (as real estate properties may be quite expensive). It is however easy for investors to purchase a modest number of inexpensive shares or bonds th...