The first golden rule of investing is to diversify your portfolio. Even though high paying categories are always lucrative, the risk factors involved are even higher. Direct commodity investment is advisable only for market savvy investors, who keep a close tab on the market. Stocks, bonds etc should be a part of your saving instruments and all of it. Commodity oriented mutual funds and other such indirect investments though are less risky, they are not exactly what we term as ‘user friendly’.

So what else is there?

For many, real estate investment is an essential part of a well-rounded portfolio. Buying and selling real property, or even long-term owning, has proven to be one of the most profitable and least risky investments available.

When it comes to investing in real estates, you will find a wide array of options like property oriented mutual funds, REIT (Real Estate Investment Trusts), and many other types of mortgage backed securities.

However, one should keep in mind that they are not "zero risk" affairs - there's no such thing in investing! Prices fluctuate, relative to other goods and investment channels. But if you educate yourself with basic market laws and have sufficient cash and other liquid assets to be able to hold until the time to sell is right, you'll never have any reason to regret in making real estate investments a major portion of your portfolio.