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Investor

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An investor is a person or group that uses money to buy things. They hope to get a profit in the future. This profit is also called a return. They might buy many different types of property. Some people buy stocks or pieces of a company. Others buy real estate or even different types of money. This way of using money is called allocating capital.

There are two main ways to group these people. Retail investors are just single individuals. Institutional investors are much larger groups. Some of these groups are called pension plans. They invest money for workers. Other groups are endowment funds. These funds help schools or churches. There are also mutual funds and hedge funds. These funds pool money from many owners to buy securities.

Governments work hard to keep markets fair. They make rules to stop people from cheating. These rules are called regulations. In the United States, the SEC protects investors. The SEC stands for the Securities and Exchange Commission. The United Kingdom has a group called the FSCS. This is the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. These groups help make sure the market is safe for everyone.

Money rules can also involve taxes. In the United States, companies pay taxes on their income first. Then they pay dividends to their shareholders. Some dividends are called qualified dividends. These can have a lower tax rate of 15 percent. Other dividends are taxed at a higher rate. In 2013, this rate could go up to 39.6 percent. High-income people might even pay an extra 3.8 percent tax.

A financier is a person who handles very large sums of money. The word comes from a French word for payment. They help new or old businesses grow. They might use private equity or venture capital. Some financiers need special degrees or licenses. This includes stockbrokers and financial advisors. Personal investing does not have these rules. Anyone can try it using the stock market.

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