The stock market is booming, but with significant gains comes great responsibility. While the general market is reaching new highs as it enters 2022, the last thing you should do is enter positions due to fear of missing out.

While you can make many great investments in the stock market, not every investment needs to be a share. Below are four different types of financial investments you should make before 2022.

Roth IRA

A Roth IRA is an individual retirement account that you invest with post-tax dollars.

There’s a reason it’s arguably the most brilliant accounts you can open, and that’s because while there are no tax benefits, your contributions grow tax-free. Meaning, when you’re 59-and-a-half years old, you can pull your earnings out tax-free as long as your account has been open for at least five years.

There is a limit to the amount of money you can put into your account each year, but the earlier you start, the better.

The S&P 500

The S&P 500 is the market-capitalization index everyone should know about. It’s nothing new, but it’s worth mentioning as we enter the new year.

The S&P 500 is a collection of the top 500 publicly traded companies in the United States. Well-known companies such as  Apple, Amazon, Google, Tesla and Kroger make up the index. It’s argued to be the most crucial market measure used by investors and traders worldwide.

Ninety-two percent of investors underperform the S&P 500 over a 15-year period, meaning it’s a solid long-term investment no matter when you enter your position. Like they say, “time in the market beats timing in the market.”

Lifelock Ultimate Plus

On any given day, there’s enough to stress about: bills, your kids and work responsibilities. The last thing you need is a call from your bank saying someone overcharged your credit card from a foreign country you’ve never been to.

The fact is, your bank account isn’t the only account that can be hacked. Your investment and savings accounts are at risk as well. That’s why you need a LifeLock Ultimate Plus protection plan. Lifelock is a Norton-authorized partner that specializes in identity protection for consumers and businesses. The company monitors your accounts and will send fraud alerts to you so you can sleep soundly. Additionally, Lifelock sends credit reports, bank-transfer takeover alerts and provides 24/7 live member support.

A Cryptocurrency With a Use Case

Before you close your browser because you saw the word “crypto,” listen to this.

The value of Bitcoin has increased hundreds of percent year after year. Some say Ethereum will overtake the value of Bitcoin. The reason this is happening is because of network effects. Network effects are the idea that the value someone derives from a good or service is dependant on the number of compatible products. There’s a reason Amazon, Apple and Google stock keeps rising. It’s because they won’t stop making products until they go bankrupt, which is unlikely to happen.

With a cryptocurrency like Ethereum, it’s simply a network for apps to be built on. As more applications are made on the web, the value of the network should continue to rise.

Invest Now for a Great 2022

Overall, there are many great investments you can make.

A Roth IRA is an investment of post-tax dollars, meaning once you’re able to pull out your money, you won’t have to pay any taxes on it. When 92 percent of investors underperform the S&P 500 over 15 years, it’s worth adding to your portfolio. Lifelock Ultimate Plus gives you peace of mind, knowing all of your accounts are secure. And, even though it’s new, investing one to five percent of your portfolio into crypto is a bet against inflation.

A good rule of thumb is to consider the value of your time. Inflation decreases the value of your dollar year after year, and a dollar is really the value of the time you’ve given up to earn it. When you look at dollars as stored time, it makes sense to invest in order to buy back your time.