I’m in my 30s with a stable income, and have about $100,000 to invest. I already have a home and enough cash in my offset to match my outstanding mortgage amount, so this is on top of what I have in my offset. I have some ETFs already, but I’m thinking maybe I could get an investment property. I know a buyer’s agent, who has recommended a property. I’m hoping it’ll appreciate in a few years, and then I can sell it and reinvest the money into ETFs later. Which is the best option?

What makes an investment the “best” investment? Is it the one that will give you the highest, fastest return, with the lowest risk (this is tongue in cheek: be wary of anyone promising all three of those things, because lowest risk won’t typically produce big, fast returns, and vice versa)?

There’s no easy answer when comparing ETFs to property, but the latter certainly involves more ingredients.Credit: Simon Letch

What if there is no such thing as the “best” investment? What if there are simply some investments that are better suited for you, personally, than others? Then, the goal isn’t to find the biggest or fastest return – it’s to find investments that are a good fit for your personal goals.

How do you do that? Here are some factors to consider.

Have you factored in fees when calculating your expected returns?........

© The Sydney Morning Herald