Short-term investments are those bought and sold within six months. Since short-term investing can be riskier than long-term investing, creating an investment strategy focused on low—to medium-risk investments is ideal for quicker returns and high liquidity.
Here are the best investment instruments to invest Rs. 10,000 and earn good returns in the short term:
Liquid mutual funds
Liquid funds are invested in short-term money market instruments like treasury bills, commercial paper, and certificates of deposit. They offer returns slightly higher than savings accounts and are considered relatively low-risk. You can earn potential returns anywhere between 3-5% annually. One of the best features of liquid mutual funds is their option to let investors withdraw the amount in as little as 24 hours, offering high liquidity.
Recurring Deposits (RD)
Recurring Deposits (RDs) are fixed-income investment instruments offered by banks where you can invest a fixed amount monthly for a fixed tenure, usually for 6 months to 1 year. If you are looking to invest Rs. 10,000 every month or if you want to stretch your Rs. 10,000 investment into 6 months, you can consider investing in a short-term RD. Bank RDs offer returns between 3.5% to 6.5%, depending on the bank and tenure.
Fixed Deposits (FDs)
Fixed Deposits are among the most popular fixed-income instruments. They provide a fixed interest payment on the initial principal amount for a fixed tenure. If you want to invest Rs. 10,000, you can consider short-term FDs with a tenure of six months to earn low-risk, steady returns. Short-term FDs offer around 5% to 6.5% interest, depending on the bank or the financial institution. If you are looking for a safe investment option, you can consider fixed deposit. They offer guaranteed returns and a fixed interest rate throughout your investment tenure.
Short-term corporate bonds
Short-term corporate bonds are another investment instrument in which you can invest Rs. 10,000 for six months. You can consider investing in corporate bonds rated AAA or AA+ by credit rating agencies to earn default-risk-free returns. Although corporate bonds offer different returns based on their coupon rates, you can earn returns anywhere between 5%-8% depending on the credit rating of the company and the bond term.
Stocks
Stocks or equities are another option for investing Rs. 10,000 for six months. Stocks can offer the highest returns among all short-term investment instruments but have high associated risks. You can consider investing in listed stocks if you have a high-risk tolerance and want to earn high short-term returns. However, before investing in stocks, it is crucial that you research the stocks and the market extensively to lower the chances of losses.