We'd all like to be 'set up for life'. That's probably the main reason most of us make the trek to work every day and save where we can, when we can. But if you want to fast-track your financial independence and truly be set up for life, just padding out your savings account might not be enough to cut the mustard. That's why I believe investing in ASX shares is essential for a comfortable retirement.
However, investing in the share market can be a risky venture. Sure, those who stick to passively investing in index funds and similar investments are probably going to be just fine, as long as they don't do silly things like sell in a market crash.
But if you want to buy your own shares and establish a bespoke portfolio, you can run into all kinds of issues that might prevent you from establishing financial independence. So today, let's discuss two ASX shares that I think can help anyone get their finances set up for life.
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2 ASX shares to set you up for life
Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)
First up is a real estate investment trust (REIT) in Goodman Group. Goodman has made a name for itself over the past few years as one of the ASX's most successful REITs. Goodman units have risen by a whopping 157% or so over just the past five years. But I think there is plenty of growth left in Goodman's tank. I particularly like this REIT's focus on data centres and other future-facing industrial property.
Unlike most REITs, Goodman does not normally pay a substantial dividend. Today, its units are sitting on a trailing yield of just 0.88%. But even so, this investment has more than made up for that in the past with its stunning capital growth. I think this REIT would be great to hold in any ASX share portfolio today.
BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF (ASX: HACK)
Next up we have an investment that's not technically an ASX share, but an exchange-traded fund (ETF). HACK delivers pretty much what it says on the tin – a portfolio made up of the largest and most successful cybersecurity companies in the world. These include CrowdStrike, Cisco, Palo Alto and Broadcom.
I think an investment in this trend is a pretty good bet. For one, there is little doubt that cybersecurity spending is only going to continue to rise quickly in the years ahead as businesses, governments and individuals pay up to prevent damaging data breaches and hacks.
But HACK has proven its worth as an investment in the past. Since its inception in 2016, this ETF has returned an average of 17.21% per annum (as of 30 April). Past performances are never a guarantee of future returns. However, given the ever-increasing importance of cybersecurity to everyone on the planet, I think this is a trend worth investing in.
