If you want to create wealth over time, you need to learn how to make your money grow. Investing is the best way to do that. At its most basic, investing involves putting money in an asset – things like stocks, bonds or property – and earning a financial return from it over time. This future return is what helps you achieve your financial goals, be it retirement, children’s education, or a dream wedding. How investing makes money One way investing works is through the profits earned from capital gains and appreciation. Let’s break these concepts down. When you buy a stock at a low price and sell it at a higher price, the return on your investment is called a capital gain. You make money when you realise your capital gains i.e. sell your investments for a profit. When your asset gains in value after you’ve purchased it, that’s called appreciation....