I often hear people say that they feel more comfortable investing in the stock market or keeping their money in a bank account. To them, this choice feels safer and more reliable. But this is a myth. I believe that they say this because they have not done the work of comparing how money grows in different investments. So I’ve broken it down for you.

Let’s say you start with $50,000. Now if you put that money in a bank account, where it compounds at 1% interest, after 20 years you will have made a profit of $11,009.50.

Now let’s say you want to invest that money and you choose to invest that $50,000 in the stock market, which averages a 7% annual return on investment. So after 20 years compounding at 7% you will make a profit of $143,484.

Now let’s compare those two options to real estate investing. Let’s say you purchase five 3/2 single-family houses in Cleveland, OH for $50,000 down (20% of value - $250,000 total in assets). The average rent for that...