Personal Finance

For 2025, Is It Better to Invest or Save? The Smart Way to Balance Your Financial Goals

Rich Duprey

Published: February 4, 2025 11:53 am

In 2025, the age-old debate between investing and saving takes on greater meaning following the dramatic upward trajectory of the stock market over the past two years. It’s not often we have back-to-back years of better than 20% growth.

With such an intense period of gains, the financial landscape has evolved, suggesting that a more balanced approach might not only be prudent, but necessary for your financial health. While saving and investing continue to be important, tilting the balance more towards savings, especially through high-yield savings accounts, could be particularly beneficial in the current economic climate.

24/7 Wall St. Key Points:

• There has long been a tug-of-war between whether you should save or invest, but a better strategy might be to do both, especially after the big run-up in stocks over the past two years.
• Keep your eye on your long-term goals, like a retirement nest egg, by investing in stocks, but channel more funds to your short-term goals like an emergency fund or buying a home by using a high-yield savings account.
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A penny saved can be two pennies earned

First, saving is the foundation of financial security. It’s about preserving your capital and ensuring you have a safety net. High-yield savings accounts have become increasingly attractive due to their competitive interest rates, often several times higher than traditional savings accounts. 

In an environment where interest rates might stabilize or even decrease following aggressive monetary policy adjustments, these accounts offer a secure way to grow your money without the risk associated with market investments. The benefits are clear: liquidity, no stock market risk, and FDIC insurance up to $250,000, which provides peace of mind.

Keep your eye on the prize

However, the argument for continuing to invest remains compelling. Investing, particularly in diversified portfolios, offers the potential for higher returns over the long term, outpacing inflation, and significantly growing wealth. 

The stock market, despite its recent highs, has historically shown resilience and growth over decades. For those with a long-term horizon, like retirement planning, the benefits of compounding returns from investments can be substantial. No one knows when a market correction will happen. Studies have shown that while bear markets tend to be measured in months, bull markets can go on for years.

Yet after the extraordinary run-up in stock prices, there’s an increased risk of a correction or at least a period of stagnation, which might not be the best time for aggressive investment.

Given these dynamics, a balanced approach in 2025 might look something like this:

• Emergency fund. Shift a significant portion of your liquid assets into high-yield savings accounts. This not only ensures you have funds readily available for emergencies, but also earns you more interest in the short term. After the market run-up, having more cash on hand could be crucial if a market correction or crash occurs.
• Short-term goals. If you are saving for goals within the next few years, like buying a home or a car, high-yield savings or even short-term, low-risk investments like bonds or CDs might be preferable. They provide safety and predictable returns, aligning with your need for capital preservation.
• Long-term investment. For goals further out, like retirement, HYSAs are not your friend, so continue to invest, though perhaps with a more conservative strategy. Diversify across different asset classes, including stocks, bonds, and perhaps real estate or commodities, but keep a close watch on market valuations.
• Rebalancing. Use this time to rebalance your portfolio. It is something you should do annually anyway, but if stocks have grown disproportionately in your investment mix due to recent market performance, consider selling some assets to lock in gains and move those funds into savings or more stable investments.

Key takeaway

While the allure of high stock market returns is undeniable, the risks following such a significant rally cannot be ignored. Shifting more towards high-yield savings accounts in 2025 could safeguard your financial stability, offering both growth and security. 

Completely abandoning the stock market, however, would be shortsighted. Instead, a balanced approach where you save more now, but keep investing for the long term, offers the best path forward. This strategy not only protects against market downturns, but also positions you for growth when the market inevitably recovers and continues its upward trend over the long haul.