Origin Dictionary / OD-009
Investing
You bought an investment. Someone sold you a claim on an uncertain future.
01Dictionary Meaning
Investing means committing money to assets or activities with the expectation of future income or gain, while accepting the possibility of loss.
02What People Think
"My money will grow if I leave it alone."
03What’s Underneath
A share gives exposure to a business. A bond is a claim on payments from a borrower. A fund combines holdings under a particular strategy.
Each can lose value. Each also has a price, and an attractive business can still be an expensive investment.
The future result depends on what produces the return, what you pay, ongoing costs and what actually happens. Patience can help a sound plan survive volatility. It cannot supply missing cash flows or repair every bad purchase.
04The Game
What must happen for this investment to pay, and which part of that story is already reflected in the price?
05One Line
The word "investment" names an expectation, not an outcome.
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Look inside the promise of a future return.