Video summary

The Best Ways to Invest, Ranked in 2026

Main summary

Key takeaways

Finance

Finance-focused summary (investment “tier list” for 2026)

Core framing / disclaimers

  • The presenter ranks investments from the perspective of the “average investor” (noobs) and separately for “expert investors”, focusing on individual investment merits only.
  • Not considering tax advantages (e.g., ISA/pensions). The presenter also notes they are not a tax expert.
  • Mentions a full spreadsheet with sources, but summarizes key points only.
  • Presented as opinion, not personalized financial advice.

Method / evaluation framework (implicit)

Investments are compared based on:

  • Fees
  • Average/long-term returns vs inflation
  • Ease of access / liquidity
  • Risk characteristics (volatility, drawdowns, liquidity risk)
  • Need for expertise (how hard it is to do well consistently)
  • Practicality for typical investors (stick-with-it behavior, accessibility, capacity constraints)

Ranked investing categories (with key numbers)

Global stock market index fund — S tier (average) / C tier (expert)

  • One fund = diversified exposure across global companies.
  • Can start with as little as ~£1 and scale up easily (cash amount not treated as a “return factor,” but noted).
  • Claim: returns have been >5% above inflation for 100 years
    • Caveat: you couldn’t buy such funds historically for the whole period.
  • Caveat: many global index funds are market-cap weighted, implying potential US bias.

Developed market fund — S tier (average) / C tier (expert)

  • Exposure to developed economies only (example countries mentioned: USA, Germany, UK).
  • Described as cheaper than global funds (avoids less accessible/emerging markets).
  • Concern: even more US concentration than global funds.

Emerging market fund — B tier (average) / A tier (expert)

  • Includes smaller/higher-potential economies (example regions mentioned: South America, Asia).
  • Notes that typical constituents can include China and South Korea, making the “emerging” label debatable for mature economies.
  • Return claim: ~4% long-term real (inflation-adjusted), below global/developed markets.
  • Key risks: politics, FX swings, governance → characterized as a “basket case.”
  • Recommendation stance:
    • Good diversifier, but not the main holding for average investors.

US stock market via index (S&P 500) — S tier (average) / A tier (future returns caution) / S tier (expert) (with nuance)

  • Instrument explicitly named: S&P 500.
  • Claim: 6.6% after inflation (highest so far among discussed options).
  • Acknowledges risk: US can have long underperformance periods (example: “lost decade” early 2000s).
  • Recommendation nuance:
    • Broad indices already embed heavy US exposure, so it remains strong.
    • Caution: higher past returns can imply lower expected future returns.

Actively managed fund — C tier (average) / B tier (experts)

  • Central critique:
    • Many managers fail to beat the market long term.
    • Average investors tend to chase performance and trade emotionally.
  • Behavioral evidence cited:
    • Peter Lynch example: manager got ~29% averaged, while the average investor got ~7%, due to poor timing (selling in drawdowns, buying after rallies).
  • Fee emphasis:
    • Actively managed funds are “expensive”; finding consistent winners is “rare.”
  • Expert advantage:
    • Experts may have manager access, insider context, and ability to evaluate temperament.

Individual stock picking — C tier (average) / S tier (experts)

  • Average investor issues:
    • Too little work/valuation discipline; often buys on:
      • recommendations
      • narratives (examples mentioned: EVs, “space is big”)
  • Expert view:
    • Requires deep sector understanding, competitive analysis, valuation, risk management, and emotional discipline.
    • Presenter claims true outperformance is a full-time job and difficult to sustain for decades.

Real estate / property

Owning your own home outright — B tier (average) / S tier (expert version)

  • Framed more as forced saving than a pure investment.
  • Example retirement math (UK context):
    • If needing £1,500/month rent in retirement, presenter estimates you need about ~£450,000 on top of other assets to fund rent.
  • Critique of “house is biggest investment” trope:
    • “Trillions” tied in housing isn’t producing much economic output (macro argument).
    • Politicians reluctant to reduce home values, impacting future affordability and generational homeownership.
  • Recommendation nuance:
    • Significant tax benefits on owner-occupied property capital appreciation are cited, supporting B tier for average and S for experts (own outright without sacrificing diversification).

Buy-to-let (typical individual landlord) — C tier (average) / A tier (experts/institutions)

  • Average landlord concerns:
    • High deposits
    • High stamp duty
    • Taxes (including pressure to use limited company structure)
    • Not passive: repairs must be handled quickly; “things will go wrong”
  • Example cost shock:
    • Boiler replacement: £3,000 wipes out ~£300/month net cashflow for ~1 year.
  • Expert/institution logic:
    • Scale + limited company + systems
    • Main upside: access to affordable leverage
      • Example: buy £100,000 property with £25,000 down; price up 10% → £10,000 gain on only £25,000 equity (10x amplification of equity return).
  • Risk caveat:
    • Leverage amplifies downside too.

House flipping — C tier (average) / A tier (experts)

  • Average investor obstacles:
    • Very expensive entry
    • Renovation costs
    • Low liquidity; money locked up
    • If things go wrong, you’re stuck
    • Deal environment favorable in past “homes flipping” TV eras (presenter argues this was during big price run-ups).
  • Expert edge:
    • Builders doing their own work (labor savings) can improve returns.

REITs — B-ish tier for average at age (presenter says ~B, could be A for some) / E tier for experts

  • Thesis:
    • REITs provide property exposure with a stock-like wrapper (tradeable).
    • Must distribute profits:
      • presenter states 90% distribution is needed for tax treatment.
  • Return range claim:
    • ~3% to 6% above inflation long-term (varies by type: offices, retail, warehouses, etc.).
  • Key risk / liquidity mechanism:
    • In property downturns, funds can lock investors if they lack cash on redemption (doors shut).
  • Portfolio timing:
    • Presenter suggests at younger ages buying individual REITs feels less compelling since global indexes already include major REITs.
  • Expert scoring:
    • Surprisingly low (E tier) because “expert commitment to REITs” is framed as unlikely to outperform other advantages.

“Fun” / alternative collectibles

Pokémon cards / collectibles — D tier (average) / A tier (experts)

  • Reasons for D tier (average):
    • Hype-driven
    • Illiquid
    • Supply controlled/limited → scarcity
    • “Gambling” uncertainty in pack contents
    • Perishability risk (condition damage can halve value)
    • Speculation/monetization shifts the hobby into wealth-game framing
  • Expert:
    • Needs niche expertise, sourcing/grading ability, and skill selling to other experts or broader market participants.
    • Presenter compares it to a “second job.”

Gold — B tier (average) / A tier (experts)

  • Critiques:
    • No yield (“yellow rock”)
    • Long periods of underperformance (decades)
    • Recency bias after recent run-ups
  • Return claim:
    • ~4% to 7% above inflation, but requires very long holding to realize.
  • Recommendation:
    • Not for core retirement reliance; potentially a small diversified allocation.

Other commodities — D tier (average) / E tier (experts)

  • Return range cited (inflation-adjusted):
    • ~minus 3% to plus 2.5%
  • Risk explanation:
    • Hard-to-predict world events (shortages, global uncertainty) → resembles trading/speculation.
  • Expert scoring:
    • Very low due to perceived danger of “commodity trading edge” and anecdotes.

Cash / fixed income / short-term instruments

Savings account — A tier (average, for emergency fund use) / D tier (average, if over-allocated) / A tier (experts)

  • Claim: savings accounts only about keep up with inflation (even after high-rate periods).
  • Use cases emphasized:
    • Short-term liquidity
    • Emergency fund
    • Risk-management role to avoid forced selling during downturns
  • Bad use case:
    • Holding “all money” in savings due to inflation lag.

Money market funds & short-term bond ETFs — A tier

  • Presented as liquidity tools, possibly better yields than savings.
  • Presenter uses them heavily; views them as “not really investments,” but for liquidity management.

Bonds / fixed income — A tier for average portfolio role / S tier for experts

  • Return claim:
    • ~1.34% above inflation long-term.
  • Purpose for most investors:
    • Reduce impact of stock crashes
    • Lower portfolio volatility
  • Expert:
    • Bond market participants (“traders and such”) can potentially do better.

Trading / leverage / speculation

Day trading / FX trading / short-term trading — F tier (average) / A tier (experts)

  • Average investor:
    • “Essentially gambling”; most lose money.
  • Expert:
    • Requires full-time commitment, edge, risk management, and emotional control.
  • Mentions incentives may be misaligned (trainers/courses implying many leave “billions on the table” for others).

Bitcoin — B tier (average) / E tier (experts)

  • Performance claim:
    • Mentions 58% return with £100/month deposits (compounded over an implied period).
  • Volatility + risk:
    • Can drop ~50% “at a whim.”
    • No regulatory protection comparable to traditional assets.
    • Custody/robbery loss anecdote: interviewees lost funds and couldn’t recover.
  • Recommendation stance:
    • If you like Bitcoin: keep it as a small portfolio holding.
    • Avoid “all-in” catastrophic risk; if wrong scenario, don’t lose everything.

Meme coins / NFTs / gambling — F/C for average; E tier for some “expert” forms

  • Meme coins:
    • F tier for average (pure speculation/gambling)
    • C tier for experts (ability to run attention schemes; “Ponzi scheme” framing)
  • NFTs:
    • Treated similarly (implied), but no explicit tier text provided.
  • Gambling (sports betting/casino-like betting):
    • F tier for average (rigged game; heavy operator advertising)
    • “Professional gamblers” edge framed as lottery-fallacy—still F tier.

Businesses / skills (non-financial assets treated as investments)

Starting a business — A tier (average) / S tier (experts)

  • Upside: “almost unlimited” earning potential.
  • Risk: can fail; requires time and money.
  • Framework-like reasoning:
    • Reframe “90% fail” into a 10% chance to change your life; repeating attempts while working can improve your expected path.

Buying an existing business — B tier (noob) / S tier (seasoned operator)

  • Downsides:
    • No “ground floor” operational experience.
  • Suggested mitigation:
    • Shadow the owner for 12 months before taking over.

Skill up (human capital) — S tier

  • Examples: AI, public speaking, writing, gym/fitness.
  • Framed as improving capability and extending healthy life expectancy → longer compounding horizon and more pension years.

Private equity & VC — D tier (average) / S tier (expert)

  • Risks emphasized:
    • “One out of 10” makes money; rest bust/lose
    • Highly speculative + highly illiquid
    • Exits often only via sale or IPO
  • Expert:
    • Best route to high outcomes if you can pick winners.

Hedge funds — E tier (average) / B tier (experts)

  • Access barrier: typically requires lots of money.
  • Critique:
    • Can appear to underperform while charging high fees.
  • Acknowledges:
    • May offer advanced strategies and tax planning—attractive to wealthy investors.

Key explicit instruments / tickers mentioned

  • S&P 500 (index)
  • Broader categories: global stock market index funds, developed market funds, emerging market funds
  • REITs (no specific tickers named)
  • Bitcoin (BTC) (Bitcoin explicitly named; no ticker symbol beyond “Bitcoin”)
  • Gold
  • Commodities (no specific commodities named)
  • Money market funds
  • Short-term bond ETFs
  • Bonds / fixed income
  • Pokémon cards (collectibles)
  • LEGO bricks and other collectibles (no tickers)

Presenters / sources mentioned

  • Presenter/author: unnamed (YouTube creator throughout)
  • Wise (video sponsor)
  • Rommin Kiesa at PensionCraft (commentary source for money market funds)
  • Peter Lynch (performance example)
  • Cathie Wood (fund flow/performance example)
  • Tony Montana (quote reference)
  • Warren Buffett (quote reference)
  • FCA (UK regulator mentioned in an anecdote; no specific case name)
  • Mentions Greg Secker (day trading/course advertising reference)
  • CNBC (media referenced)

Original video