Investing Basics: The Different Approaches to Investing

Boiling down most personal finance to the bare essentials generally leaves us with some variation of the following: Spend less than you earn. Build up an emergency savings fund. Invest the difference. While there are plenty of different strategies and tactics suggested to best accomplish all this, that is the primary arc most personal finance advice takes.

However, once Americans get their basic finances in check by getting their spending under control, establishing a budget, and saving, the question immediately arises: What is the best way to investthe savings?