Jessie Moore has been writing professionally for nearly two decades; for the past seven years, she's focused on writing, ghostwriting, and editing in the finance space. She is a Today Show and Publisher's Weekly-featured author who has written or ghostwritten 10+ books on a wide variety of topics, ranging from day trading to unicorns to plant care.
When researching the best investment options, stocks are a standard pick. Not only are they one of the oldest financial products, but they’re also liquid, well-regulated, and easy to access online (FWIW, our favorite brokerage is eToro).
But just because stocks are super popular doesn’t mean they’re the only way to put your money to work, and 2026 has given plenty of investors reasons to look elsewhere.
AI-concentration risk has made the major indexes tech-heavy, tariff-driven volatility keeps showing up, inflation has stayed stickier than the Fed hoped, and the classic 60/40 portfolio hasn’t hedged the way it used to.
An “alternative investment” is any asset that sits outside the traditional stock-bond mix: think real estate, private credit, gold, or a stake in a company that hasn’t gone public yet.
One note before we dive in: most of these assets are less liquid and less regulated than stocks, and a few require you to be an accredited investor.
A couple, though, are genuinely conservative. We’ve ordered the list roughly from income-focused and lower-risk to speculative.
At-a-Glance table
# | Asset class | Platform | Accredited only? | Min. Investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Private credit | Percent | Yes | $500 |
2 | Treasuries, TIPS & I Bonds | TreasuryDirect / any broker | No | $100 / $25 |
3 | High-yield cash | Empower Personal Cash | No | $0 |
4 | Gold & precious metals | Birch Gold Group | No | $10,000 |
5 | Residential real estate | Arrived | No | $100 |
6 | Commercial real estate | RealtyMogul | No | $5,000 |
7 | Farmland | AcreTrader | Yes | $15,000 |
8 | Infrastructure & energy | iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA) / any broker | No | Price of one share |
9 | Diversified private-market funds | Fundrise | No | $10 |
10 | Private equity & secondaries | Fundrise Venture / interval funds | No | $10+ |
11 | Pre-IPO shares | Hiive | Yes | ~$25,000 |
12 | Blue-chip art | Masterworks | No | $500–$15,000 (varies) |
13 | Collectibles | Various | No | Varies |
14 | Crypto | eToro | No | $100 |
eToro securities trading is offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc. (“the BD”), member of FINRA and SIPC. Cryptocurrency is offered by eToro USA LLC (“the MSB”) (NMLS: 1769299) and is not FDIC or SIPC insured. Investing involves risk, and content is provided for educational purposes only, does not imply a recommendation, and is not a guarantee of future performance. WallStreetZen is not an affiliate and may be compensated if you access certain products or services offered by the MSB and/or the BD.
Note: We earn a commission for this endorsement of Fundrise.
Now, let’s look at the best investment options (that aren’t stocks).
1. Private credit — Percent
Buying bonds is a “bread and butter” stock market alternative, but did you know you could rake in more interest with private credit investing?
Private credit has quietly become one of the biggest stories in finance, accounting for 9% of U.S. nonfinancial corporate debt, per Fed data, as institutions swap traditional bonds for direct lending relationships.
It’s less regulated than standard bonds, so default risk runs higher, but that extra risk comes with more flexible terms, often higher interest rates and shorter repayment schedules.
If you’re an accredited investor, you can put money to work through Percent.
A Percent account gets you access to hundreds of private debt deals, including diversified “Blended Notes”, with a $500 minimum, terms that typically run 6–36 months, and a reported ~16.5% weighted-average coupon against a ~2.35% historical default rate.
Percent has deployed over $2 billion to date, and a newer secondary market lets you post buy or sell interest before your notes mature. (It’s fully bespoke; Blended Notes require $500K; that’s not the standard entry point.)
2. Treasuries, TIPS & I Bonds — NEW
If you want the one truly low-risk, non-stock investment on this list, this is it.
Treasury bills, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS), and Series I savings bonds are all backed by the U.S. government, and each solves a slightly different problem.
T-bills are short-term (as little as four weeks, up to a year), highly liquid, and exempt from state and local tax. The 3-month T-bill was yielding right around 4.14% as of mid-September 2026.
TIPS adjust their principal with inflation, hedging directly against the “inflation stayed stickier than expected” problem.
Bonds cap you at $10,000 per person per year, but currently carry a composite rate of 4.26% (a 0.90% fixed rate plus a semiannual inflation adjustment, for bonds issued through October 2026) that resets every six months.
You can buy T-bills through TreasuryDirect or most brokerage accounts (Public is a solid option); I Bonds must go through TreasuryDirect directly.
3. High-yield cash — Empower Personal Cash
Before you deploy money into any of the less-liquid options below, it has to be easily accessible, making a high-yield cash account the go-to product.
Think of this as the “dividends without owning equities” play. It works like a regular bank account, except with an above-average interest payout and no years-long lockup.
Empower’s Personal Cash account is a solid option with no fees, no minimum balance, and aggregate FDIC coverage of up to $5 million through its network of program banks (Empower itself isn’t a bank, so your money lands at UMB Bank and its partners).
Rates are variable, so check empower.com/cash for the live number before you commit any cash. Right now, you can earn an APY of 3.30%.
Sign up, and you’ll also get Empower’s free dashboard, which bundles in a budget planner, an investment check-up tool, and more.
4. Gold & precious metals — Birch Gold Group
Gold isn’t the “boring” asset it used to be. The precious metal has been on a historic multi-year bull run, driven by aggressive central bank buying, a weaker dollar, geopolitical tensions and persistent inflation worries.
Spot gold has more than doubled over the last five years, and currently trades at $4,300 an ounce.
Gold remains a quintessential conservative asset and a solid hedge against inflation. Moreover, it’s also historically less prone to sharp equity-style drawdowns.
If you’d rather skip vaults and shipping, gold ETFs are the easiest on-ramp and trade just like a stock.
If you want the metal itself, Birch Gold Group has been in business since 2003 and recommends a $10,000 minimum for both cash and IRA purchases.
Instead of a percentage-based fee, Birch Gold charges flat annual IRA storage and custody fees (roughly $180–$230), works with custodians like Equity Trust, GoldStar, and STRATA, and stores metal at Delaware Depository or Brink’s.
One thing to know going in: purchases go through a phone rep and not an online checkout.
5. Residential real estate — Arrived
Like bonds, residential real estate is a traditional alternative to the stock market.
Notably, real assets as an investment class have created the most millionaires in the U.S.
While price appreciation has cooled across several markets, properties remain a valuable, reliable asset class over time.
With crowdfunding platforms like Arrived, you don’t have to fix a leaky faucet to collect rental income.
Arrived (formerly “Arrived Homes”) lets non-accredited investors buy shares in single-family rentals and vacation properties starting at just $100, through SEC-qualified Reg A offerings.
It charges 3.5% for sourcing plus 0.15% AUM annually for long-term rentals, or 5% sourcing plus 5% of gross rents for vacation rentals, with most properties held 5–7 years before sale and dividends paid out quarterly.
The tradeoff: your money is illiquid until the hold period ends, and returns depend heavily on the local housing market.
6. Commercial real estate — RealtyMogul
Commercial real estate has a long history of favorable returns, but it comes with its own risk profile.
For instance, revenue is more sensitive to business turnover, and the asset class is more exposed to economic shocks like recessions. Office space, in particular, has been the weak spot in 2026, while industrial and multifamily properties have generally held up better.
Historically, it’s been hard for average investors to gain exposure, which is precisely the gap RealtyMogul fills.
Non-accredited investors can get in through RealtyMogul’s REIT products (like its Income REIT and Apartment Growth REIT) starting at $5,000, while accredited investors can access private placements starting around $15,000–$35,000+.
While many real estate investing sites are only available to accredited investors, RealtyMogul is open to both accredited and non-accredited investors.
RealtyMogul also offers residential properties for further diversification within the same account.
7. Farmland — AcreTrader
Farmland has become one of the more interesting “quiet” alternatives this year.
USDA’s latest 2026 forecast puts total U.S. farm cash receipts north of $540 billion, and farmland has historically moved with low correlation to the stock market, making it a diversifier rather than another growth bet.
AcreTrader is the best-known platform in this space. Proterra Investment Partners acquired the company in 2025, and in March 2026 it launched the Proterra AcreTrader Farmland Fund LP, an open-ended private REIT with a $150,000 minimum and a single K-1.
If that’s too rich, individual farm offerings still run at a $15,000 minimum. Either way, everything on the platform is limited to accredited investors under Reg D. The track record so far: 147+ farms and roughly 44,000 acres purchased, with 17 full-cycle exits returning $26 million-plus.
Are you an accredited investor? Great news — there are all sorts of cool opportunities available to you. Check out our article about the best investments for accredited investors.
8. Infrastructure & energy — NEW
This might be the single biggest alternatives theme of the AI era, and it barely existed as a retail investment category a few years ago.
The thesis: electricity demand from data centers and AI computing is surging, and institutions like JPMorgan, Blackstone, and KKR are pouring capital into power generation, grid upgrades, and renewables to keep up.
That demand doesn’t disappear if the stock market wobbles, given it’s tied to physical buildout that’s already underway.
There’s no dedicated crowdfunding platform here yet, but you’re not locked out.
Listed infrastructure ETFs like the iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA) give you diversified exposure to utilities, grid-modernization companies, and energy infrastructure without needing accreditation or a five-figure minimum. You can trade the IFRA just like any other ETF in a normal brokerage account.
9. Diversified private-market funds — Fundrise
Who needs to pick and choose when you can invest right into diversified funds that pool real estate, private credit, and venture capital exposure in one account?
Fundrise has around 14 different funds and a $10 minimum, making it one of the most accessible platforms on this list.
Sign up and pick a strategy such as Balanced Investing, Supplemental Income, Long-Term Growth, or Venture Capital.
Fees run 0.15% advisory plus 0.85% for the real estate funds, or 1.85% for the Innovation (venture) fund; Fundrise Pro, an optional add-on with deeper portfolio tools, runs $10/month or $99/year. Retirement accounts are available too.
One honest note: redemption windows are quarterly and can be limited during periods of high demand, so don’t treat this money as fully liquid.
For a deeper dive, check out our Fundrise review.
Note: We earn a commission for this endorsement of Fundrise.
10. Private equity & secondaries — NEW
Think of this as the bridge between the diversified funds above and the single-company pre-IPO bets below.
Private equity and “secondaries,” which include buying existing stakes in private funds, often at a discount to their most recent valuation, used to be locked behind $250K+ minimums and institutional relationships.
That’s changing fast: interval and evergreen funds now offer access with $10,000–$25,000 minimums, and Fundrise’s Innovation Fund gets you in the door for as little as $10.
Secondaries specifically are one of the fastest-growing verticals of the alternatives market, as early investors and employees at late-stage private companies look for liquidity before an IPO materializes.
11. Pre-IPO shares — Hiive
One annoying thing about investing in stocks is you’re never early to the game. Even if you buy shares on IPO day, people behind the scenes always got in before the opening bell.
Buying a ticker on the private market is trickier, but it’s not impossible for non-insiders. Hiive gives accredited investors a live order book and access to real bids and asks. You can access companies such as Databricks, Perplexity, and OpenAI on its platform.
The effective minimum runs around $25,000 and is higher for the most in-demand names such as SpaceX.
Hiive is FINRA/SIPC-registered, sees $250 million-plus in monthly trading volume, and publishes its own Hiive50 index.
Its pooled Hiive Funds charge no management fee or carry, and you pay transaction and admin fees instead. Fees vary by deal and are disclosed before you commit capital.
Just keep in mind private shares aren’t as regulated as public equities, and there’s no guarantee any given company will ever IPO.
Any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Hiive Markets Limited (“Hiive”) or any of its affiliates. This communication is for informational purposes only, and is not a recommendation, solicitation, or research report relating to any investment strategy or security. Investing in private securities is speculative, illiquid, and involves the risk of loss. Not all private companies will experience an IPO or other liquidity event; past performance does not guarantee future results. WallStreetZen is not affiliated with Hiive and may be compensated for user activity resulting from readers clicking on Hiive affiliate links. Hiive Markets Limited, member FINRA/SIPC.
12. Blue-chip art — Masterworks
Art investing used to be reserved for billionaires and investors with monocles. (Kidding. Sort of.) Masterworks has changed that.
On Masterworks, tens of thousands of investors have started buying into a market once restricted to the ultra-wealthy, such as postwar and contemporary art.
Prices don’t move in a straight line, but the asset class has historically outpaced the S&P 500 over multi-decade stretches and held up as a genuine diversifier through several stock market cycles.
Masterworks’ team scours the art market for undervalued paintings, buys them at a discount, and offers shares to members. No auction paddle is required.
Related Reading: What is Blue-Chip Art Investing?
13. Collectibles — trading cards, watches, sneakers, comics
Investing in collectibles such as trading cards, luxury watches, sneakers, and comics is a fun way to diversify your portfolio. But it’s also the riskiest, least liquid category on this entire list.
Graded trading cards and luxury watches have posted strong runs lately, and there will always be collector’s items superfans are willing to splurge on. But some fads never came back in style. Remember Beanie Babies? Yeah, those plushies aren’t so priceless anymore.
If you want price exposure without becoming an authentication expert overnight, platforms like Collectible let you buy fractional shares of high-value sports cards and memorabilia rather than the whole item.
Just go in with clear eyes: these are “passion assets” first and investments second.
14. Crypto — eToro
Cryptocurrency presents an excellent high-risk/high-return opportunity if you aren’t scared by speculative assets.
Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether have become household names, but regulatory uncertainty remains, and prices can still swing double digits in a single day.
Want to get started? eToro is a multi-asset platform, and in the U.S. that means eToro USA offers stocks, ETFs, options, and crypto all in one account.
It trades publicly on Nasdaq under the ticker ETOR.
eToro’s CopyTrader feature, which lets you follow and mirror top investors’ trades, launched for U.S. users in October 2025, and crypto trading is now available in 48 states, including New York, as of April 2026.
If you’d rather skip the wallet-and-key hassle entirely, spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs offer a no-wallet route into the same exposure.
These funds hold the underlying crypto directly and trade on regular stock exchanges, so you can buy and sell them through any standard brokerage account. No seed phrases, no self-custody, and no separate crypto exchange login is required.
The trade-off is that you pay a management fee for that convenience, and you can’t move the underlying coins out of the fund the way you could with a personal wallet.
eToro is a multi-asset platform which offers both investing in stocks and crypto assets, as well as trading CFDs.
Please note that CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 61% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
This communication is intended for information and educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or investment recommendation. Past performance is not an indication of future results.
Copy Trading does not amount to investment advice. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
Crypto investments are risky and may not suit retail investors; you could lose your entire investment. Understand the risks here.
Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more
eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro.
Final Word: Best Investment Opportunities That Aren’t Stocks
One of the key questions most investors have is “Where should I invest my money?” Stocks are often seen as the gold standard, but everyone’s investment journey looks a little different.
The right pick from this list depends on your liquidity needs and risk tolerance, not whichever option has the flashiest headline return.
Most financial advisors suggest keeping alternatives somewhere in the 5–20% range of a total portfolio, though that’s a general guideline, not personalized advice.
If you don’t feel stocks are the right fit for you, explore some of the alternative markets and platforms we’ve discussed in this article.
Take some time to review your goals and risk preferences to see how different stock market alternatives fit your ideal portfolio.
FAQs:
What are the best alternatives to the stock market in 2026?
Private credit, Treasuries and I Bonds, high-yield cash, gold, real estate (residential, commercial, farmland), infrastructure and energy, diversified private-market funds, pre-IPO shares, art, collectibles, and crypto, each with a different risk and liquidity profile.
What is the safest investment outside of the stock market?
Treasury bills, TIPS, and I Bonds, since they're backed by the U.S. government. High-yield cash accounts with FDIC coverage are a close second for money you may need on short notice.
Can I invest in alternative assets if I'm not an accredited investor?
Yes. Arrived, RealtyMogul, Fundrise, Masterworks, Empower, and eToro are all open to non-accredited investors. Percent, AcreTrader, and Hiive require you to meet SEC accreditation thresholds.
How much of my portfolio should be in alternative investments?
There's no universal answer, but 5–20% is a commonly cited range among advisors. The right number depends on your time horizon, liquidity needs, and risk tolerance.
Are alternative investments worth it when interest rates are still high?
It depends on the asset. High-yield cash, T-bills, and private credit all benefit directly from a higher-rate environment, while real estate can face more headwinds.
That's one reason diversifying across several categories, rather than concentrating in one, tends to be the more resilient approach.
Where to Invest $1,000 Right Now?
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