Some people play the markets to get rich quick. They take risky positions, looking to capture the greatest possible return in the shortest possible period of time.

Others try to get rich slowly. They make investments designed to generate steady income—usually with an eye toward a secure retirement.

There’s no “one-size-fits-all” investment strategy, but let’s just say we’d rather be the tortoise than the hare.

Income Investing

One great “Get Rich Slowly” strategy is income investing.

Income investing involves buying securities that generally pay out returns on a steady schedule. That’s why it’s considered “income”. Consider your paycheck deposited into your bank account every two weeks for example.

Bonds are the best known type of fixed income security, but the category also includes stocks, stock and bond funds, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and Real-Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

The Internet and real estate bubbles of the past 20 years have dominated the financial spotlight in recent decades, fueling the imaginations (and for some, the pocketbooks) of the get-rich-quick crowd. But that doesn’t mean that income investing has fallen out of favor. Far from it.

In this course, we’re going to take you on a tour of the most common income-investing options available, but first let’s talk about why income investing is such an important part of your financial arsenal.