People invest primarily to grow their wealth, achieve financial security and independence, and meet specific financial goals. Unlike saving, which is setting money aside for future use, investing puts money into financial instruments or assets to make the money work for the investor by generating income (such as dividends, interest, or rent) and capital gains (profit from selling investments at a higher value than purchase). Key reasons why people invest include:

• Achieving financial security to handle unexpected events or hardships.
• Becoming financially independent, especially to maintain lifestyle without relying on others or income from work later in life.
• Building wealth over time through reinvestment and compound growth.
• Meeting personal goals like buying a home, a car, or funding a dream vacation.
• Outpacing inflation so that money retains or increases its buying power.
• Potentially affording luxury items or building a legacy for future generations.
• Aligning investments with personal values or charitable causes.
• Gaining personal satisfaction from watching investments grow.

Investing involves risk, but the potential rewards make it an important tool for long-term financial planning and wealth accumulation, often outperforming savings accounts that yield lower returns.