How to invest $100K

4 best ways to invest $100K right now

Based on past performance and the risk adjustments you can make, the best ways to invest your funds include the stock market, real estate and maxing out your retirement account.

1. Invest in stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs)

Why it’s a good option now: Investing in the stock market has proven to be profitable in the long run. The S&P 500 index alone has had an average 10% annual return in the past 90 years. With compounding interest, you could earn around $1 million with a $50,000 one-time investment over 30 years.
Investing in an index means buying an ETF that tracks the index. This is often reserved for long-term investments with minimal risk.
However, with $100,000, you can take a risk with a small percentage of your account. For this, you need to find leveraged ETFs where the fund moves two or three times more than the index or other basket of assets.
For example, 2x leveraged S&P 500 ETF would return 20% annually in the past instead of 10%. But leveraged ETFs are extremely risky. If the index declines, you’ll lose two to three times as much as the index decline.
Unlike ETFs, investing in individual companies requires due diligence. If you find the next Tesla or Apple, the sky’s the limit. Of course, you don’t have to hit the jackpot to earn money in the stock market.
Invest in dividend stocks, which can pay up to 4% annually. This beats investing your money in certificates of deposit (CDs), which often earn 1% or less annually.
What to watch out for: Markets can fluctuate often. If you need to withdraw your funds during a financial crisis, you would likely suffer losses or have to settle for a low return on investment.

2. Let a robo-advisor invest for you

Why it’s a good option now: Automated trading, also known as a robo-advisor, removes human emotion and decision-making. You don’t even have to do the research. You simply set up some parameters, like your risk tolerance, and the robo-advisor will invest in mutual funds or ETFs that match your criteria.
What to watch out for: Robo-advisor investment options are often limited to mutual funds and ETFs. They may also come with fees. For example, 0.30% annually of your invested funds or a lump sum each year. Luckily, some robo-advisors don’t charge maintenance fees, such as SoFi’s automated investing feature.

3. Consider real estate

Why it’s a good option now: Investing in real estate through real estate investment trusts (REITs) or crowdfunding platforms is a cheaper way to get exposure to this type of investment than buying a property directly. Also, spending your entire $100,000 on a property is a high-risk investment with no diversification. REITs solve this problem.
Invest as much as you want in a REIT, but typically, the minimum is $5,000, which comes out at 5% of your $100,000. REITs can be publicly traded on a stock exchange or privately traded through an investor platform. Some REITs have paying tenants, meaning you can earn a passive income by owning a piece of the property.
Another cool feature of REITs is that you don’t have to screen the properties yourself. This is often done by the investment company that creates the trusts. Overall, this is a solid investment option for those who intend to keep their funds longer than five years and earn passive income with low risk.
What to watch out for: Private REITs have some limitations, such as locking your funds for a specific time frame — often five years — or making it hard to quickly sell your REITs due to low liquidity.

4. Prepare for your retirement with an IRA

Why it’s a good option now: No matter your age, you should always contribute to your retirement account until the time comes to reap the benefits. And if you can max out your account — even better. Assuming you already maxed out your 401(k), you can now max out your IRA account.
The maximum contribution for an IRA in 2022 is $6,000 – or $7,000 if you’re 50 or older. An IRA offers a higher variety of investment options than a 401(k). Plus, you can max it out whenever you want.
What’s more, you can invest your money in stocks and ETFs, thus combining your investments with the ones in your individual brokerage account.
What to watch out for: In most cases, there’s a penalty if you withdraw your money before you’re 59½.

How $100,000 can grow

With $100,000 you can build a diverse portfolio or add to an existing one you want to emphasize. Your money can grow dramatically long term and quickly even in shorter periods. Here’s a look at how it might grow in three common investment classes.

For this table we assumed:

• A 1% annual return on a savings account, CD or money market fund (which is optimistic these days).
• An average 6% return for bonds or bond funds
• 10% on stocks, the market’s long-term annual return.

Bond returns vary widely based on bond types, and the stock market has down years while individual stocks can go to zero. So consider these benchmarks only and consider risk as well as return.

Before you invest

With $100,000, you have a lot of investment options. But before you dive in, you have to figure some things out and prepare.

• Consider your goals. If you’re looking for steady income until retirement, dividend and blue-chip stocks and ETFs are the ones to consider. If you want to take some risks for a higher reward, look at leveraged ETFs, meme stocks and even penny stocks. Note, these are considered high-risk investments, so make sure you don’t invest more money than you’re willing to lose.
• Diversify your holdings. Even if you invest your entire $100,000 in the stock market, make sure you spread out your funds across a variety of sectors through stocks and ETFs.

Alternative investments

The aforementioned investment options can be highly profitable. But if you’re willing to take more risk for potentially a higher return, or to prepare for your kids’ education, consider investing in:

• Cryptocurrencies. Being a relatively new investment option, it comes with high risk and high reward. To put this into perspective — if you invested $5,000 in Bitcoin in early 2016, your investment would have been worth around $600,000 at the peak in 2021.
• College savings plans. Consider investing in a 529 college savings plan to be ready when your kids go to college. This option lets you withdraw your money tax-free for eligible college expenses, which can be a huge benefit.
• TIPS. US Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS) are government bonds designed to protect your money against inflation. If inflation is something you worry about, consider investing some of your funds in TIPS directly or through ETFs.

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Finder Score	Available asset types	Stock trade fee	Minimum deposit	Cash sweep APY	bullet point infobox
Promoted Finder score 8.2 Great Zacks Trade	Finder score 8.2 Great	Stocks, Bonds, Options, Mutual funds, ETFs, CDs	$0.01	$250	2.83%	Leverage powerful trading tools and low margin rates to trade stocks, options, ETFs, mutual funds and bonds.	Go to site More info	loading
Promoted Finder score 9.4 Excellent Robinhood	Finder score 9.4 Excellent	Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency, Futures, Event contracts, High-yield cash account	$0	$0	3.50%	Get a free stock when you successfully sign up and link your bank account. T&Cs apply.	Trade stocks, options, crypto and more, with advanced trading tools, fractional shares and exclusive perks for Gold members.	Go to site More info	loading
Promoted Finder score 9 Excellent Public.com	Finder score 9 Excellent	Stocks, Bonds, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency, Investments, Retirement, Treasury Bills, High-yield cash account	$0	$0	3.6%	Get up to $10,000 and transfer fees covered when you move your portfolio to Public. T&Cs apply.	Build a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, ETFs and crypto, with a high-yield cash account and options contract rebates.	Important information *Yield as of 04/09/2025. Learn more.	Go to site More info	loading
Finder score 9 Excellent SoFi Active Invest	Finder score 9 Excellent	Stocks, Options, Mutual funds, ETFs, Alternatives	$0	$0	0.01%	Get up to $1,000 in stock when you open and fund a new account. T&Cs apply.	Trade stocks, ETFs, and options with zero commissions, invest in IPOs or automate your portfolio, with exclusive perks available through SoFi Plus.	Important information INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view our fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees. Investing in alternative investments and/or strategies may not be suitable for all investors and involves unique risks, including the risk of loss. An investor should consider their individual circumstances and any investment information, such as a prospectus, prior to investing. Interval Funds are illiquid instruments, the ability to trade on your timeline may be restricted. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA (www.finra.org) /SIPC(www.sipc.org). There are limitations with fractional shares to consider before investing. During market hours fractional share orders are transmitted immediately in the order received. There may be system delays from receipt of your order until execution and market conditions may adversely impact execution prices. Outside of market hours orders are received on a not held basis and will be aggregated for each security then executed in the morning trade window of the next business day at market open. Share will be delivered at an average price received for executing the securities through a single batched order. Fractional shares may not be transferred to another firm. Fractional shares will be sold when a transfer or closure request is initiated. Please consider that selling securities is a taxable event. Options involve risks, including substantial risk of loss and the possibility an investor may lose the entire investment Before trading options please review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options Advisory services are offered by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Utilizing a margin loan is generally considered more appropriate for experienced investors as there are additional costs and risks associated. It is possible to lose more than your initial investment when using margin. Please see https://www.sofi.com/wealth/assets/documents/brokerage-margin-disclosure-statement.pdf for detailed disclosure information SoFi Plus members can schedule an unlimited number of appointments with a financial planner during periods in which the SoFi Plus member meets the eligibility criteria set forth in section 10(a) of the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions. SoFi members who are not members of SoFi Plus can schedule one (1) appointment with a financial planner. The ability to schedule appointments is subject to financial planner availability. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate this benefit at any time with or without notice. Advisory services are offered by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Probability of Member receiving $1,000 is a probability of 0.026%; If you don’t make a selection in 45 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Customer must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify. Probability percentage is subject to decrease Robo Advisor: Automated investing is offered through SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. 0.25% fee is based on your account value. The wrap program fee may cost more or less than purchasing brokerage, custodial, and record keeping services separately. Terms and conditions apply*. For 401k rollovers, existing SoFi IRA members must complete 401k rollovers via this link For SoFi members without a SoFi IRA, a SoFi IRA must first be opened, and 401k rollover must be completed utilizing Capitalize via this link. SoFi and Capitalize will charge no additional fees to process a 401(k) rollover to a SoFi IRA. SoFi is not liable for any costs incurred from the existing 401k provider for rollover. Please check with your 401k provider for any fees or costs associated with the rollover. For IRA contributions, only deposits made via ACH and cash transfer from SoFi Bank accounts are eligible for the match. Click here for the 1% Match terms and conditions.	Go to site More info	loading
Finder score 8.2 Great eToro	Finder score 8.2 Great	Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency, Investments	$0	$0	3.75%	No commission stock, ETF and options trades, with 3.9% interest on your options account balance and no options contract fees. See full disclosure.	Important information eToro securities trading offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc. (‘the BD”), member of FINRA and SIPC. Investing involves risk, and content is provided for educational purposes only, does not imply a recommendation, and is not a guarantee of future performance. Finder is not an affiliate and may be compensated if you access certain products or services offered by the BD.	Go to site More info	loading
Finder score 9.2 Excellent Interactive Brokers GlobalTrader	Finder score 9.2 Excellent	Stocks, Options, Mutual funds, ETFs, Cryptocurrency	$0	$0	3.83% Lite 4.83% Pro	Trade in a simulated trading environment and access a wide range of tradable assets.	Go to site More info	loading
Finder score 9.4 Excellent Webull	Finder score 9.4 Excellent	Stocks, Bonds, Options, ETFs, Futures, Money market funds	$0	$0	3.60%	Deposit or transfer $100,000+ to earn a 4% Match Bonus, or $2,000+ to earn a 3% Match Bonus. Plus: Get a $100 transfer fee reimbursement on your first brokerage transfer of $2,000 or more. T&Cs apply.	Trade stocks, ETFs and equity options commission-free, with access to futures, advanced charting tools, a robo-advisor and event trading powered by Kalshi.	Go to site More info	loading
Finder score 8 Great Acorns	Finder score 8 Great	Stocks, ETFs	$0	$0	N/A	Get a $20 bonus when you set up an account and make your first recurring investment (min. $5). T&Cs apply.	Automate investing with recurring contributions starting at $5 and invest spare change from everyday purchases.	Go to site More info	loading
Finder score 7.4 Great Stash	Finder score 7.4 Great	Stocks, ETFs	$0	$0	0.1%	Get $5 when you sign up and deposit $5. T&Cs apply.	Bank, automate your portfolio or invest in individual stocks and ETFs for as low as $3 per month.	Important information Investment advisory services offered by Stash Investment LLC, a SEC registered investment advisor. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value. Holdings and performance are hypothetical. *Offer is subject to T&Cs	Go to site More info	loading
Finder score 9 Excellent Wealthfront	Finder score 9 Excellent	Stocks, ETFs, High-yield cash account	$0	$500	3.75%	Get a $50 bonus when you sign up and fund a taxable automated investing account with at least $500. T&Cs apply.	Automate your stock and bond portfolio or trade individual stocks for as little as $1 apiece. Plus, earn 3.50% APY on your cash.	Go to site More info	loading

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Written by

Kliment Dukovski

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Kliment Dukovski was a personal finance writer at Finder, specializing in investments and cryptocurrency. He's written more than 700 articles to help readers compare the best trading platforms, understand complex investment terms and find the best credit cards for their needs. His expert commentary has been featured in such digital publications as Fox Business, MSN Money and MediaFeed. He’s also well-versed in money transfers, home loans and more — breaking down these topics into simple concepts anyone can understand. In another life, Kliment ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange, stock market trading and cryptocurrencies. See full bio

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