When you’re looking for liquid-like assets, the goal is to balance:
- Liquidity – ability to convert into cash quickly with little loss in value.
- Safety – low risk of capital loss.
- Return – at least keeping pace with inflation.
Here’s a ranked overview:
Top Liquid-Like Assets (2025)
Rank | Asset Class | Liquidity | Risk | Return (avg 2025 est.) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | High-Yield Savings Accounts | Immediate | Very Low | 3–5% | Best for instant access + emergency funds. |
2 | Money Market Funds (MMFs) | T+1 (1 day) | Very Low | 4–5% | Pool of short-term Treasuries, repos, commercial paper. |
3 | Short-Term Government Bonds / T-Bills (1–12 months) | High | Low | 4–5% | Tradable on secondary market, highly secure. |
4 | Ultra-Short Bond ETFs | High | Low-Medium | 3–5% | More yield than cash, but small interest-rate risk. |
5 | Certificates of Deposit (CDs) – Short Term | Medium | Low | 3–4.5% | Lock-in period, but can ladder for liquidity. |
6 | Blue-Chip Dividend Stocks (Highly Liquid) | High | Medium | 6–8% (total return) | Volatile, but highly liquid on exchanges. |
7 | Gold ETFs (XAU-linked) | High | Medium | 0–5% (hedge) | Hedge against inflation, very liquid. |
8 | REIT ETFs (Publicly Traded) | High | Medium-High | 6–9% | Real estate exposure with stock liquidity. |
9 | Corporate Bond ETFs (Investment Grade, Short Duration) | High | Medium | 4–6% | Yield pick-up with moderate liquidity risk. |
10 | Stablecoins (USDC, USDT) in Regulated Platforms | Instant | Medium (platform risk) | 0–6% (staking/lending) | Liquid, but regulatory risk in EU/US. |
Best Mix for Q4 2025 (Safe + Flexible Portfolio)
- 40% Money Market Funds + T-Bills → Preserve capital + daily liquidity.
- 30% Ultra-Short Bond ETFs / Short CDs → Slightly higher yield.
- 20% Blue-Chip Dividend Stocks / REIT ETFs → Growth & inflation hedge.
- 10% Gold ETF or Stablecoins → Diversifier + hedge.
Strategic Rule
- 3–6 months of living/business expenses → in pure liquidity (savings, MMFs, T-Bills).
- Next tier (6–12 months) → in liquid-like yielders (short bonds, ETFs).
- Longer-term growth → equities, REITs, alternatives.
This way, you’re never forced to sell growth assets in a downturn while still earning solid short-term returns.
How to Buy, Earn and Manage Top-Liquid-Like Assets
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to buy, earn, and manage the top liquid-like assets in 2025, with a practical structure you can apply immediately:
1. Buy – Where & How to Get Them
Asset | How to Buy | Where |
---|---|---|
High-Yield Savings Accounts | Open an online savings account, transfer funds. | N26, Revolut, ING, Wise, local digital banks. |
Money Market Funds (MMFs) | Buy fund shares via broker or bank. | Vanguard, BlackRock, Fidelity, European bank MMFs. |
T-Bills / Short-Term Gov Bonds | Direct auctions or broker ETF equivalents. | U.S. Treasury Direct (if U.S.), DEKA, iShares Euro Govt Bond ETFs. |
Ultra-Short Bond ETFs | Purchase ETF shares via online broker. | iShares Ultra-Short Duration, SPDR Bloomberg 1–3 Month. |
Certificates of Deposit (Short-Term) | Open fixed-term account, ladder maturities. | Local/regional banks (3–12 months). |
Blue-Chip Dividend Stocks | Buy stocks or ETFs. | Vanguard Dividend ETF (VYM), MSCI Europe Dividend ETF. |
Gold ETFs | Buy ETF shares via broker. | SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), Xetra-Gold (Germany). |
REIT ETFs | Same as stocks, via broker. | Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ), iShares Europe Property Yield. |
Corporate Bond ETFs (Short Duration) | Purchase via broker. | iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Short Duration. |
Stablecoins (USDC, USDT) | Buy via regulated exchange; store in cold wallet or regulated app. | Coinbase, Bitstamp, Kraken. |
2. Earn – Getting Returns from Each Asset
Asset | Earnings Source | Typical Yield (2025) |
---|---|---|
High-Yield Savings | Interest credited monthly | 3–5% |
MMFs | Daily/weekly dividends | 4–5% |
T-Bills | Fixed maturity payout | 4–5% |
Ultra-Short Bond ETFs | Monthly distributions | 3–5% |
CDs | Fixed maturity payout | 3–4.5% |
Blue-Chip Stocks | Quarterly dividends + price gains | 6–8% total |
Gold ETFs | No yield, only price movement | 0–5% |
REIT ETFs | Dividends + price gains | 6–9% |
Corporate Bond ETFs | Monthly distributions | 4–6% |
Stablecoins | Yield via staking/lending (regulated) | 3–6% |
3. Manage – Best Practices for Liquidity & Risk
A. Core Principles
- Ladder maturities → Stagger CDs/bonds (e.g. 3, 6, 12 months) for rolling liquidity.
- Use ETFs for liquidity → Can sell intraday, unlike direct bonds.
- Diversify → Mix cash-like + yield assets.
- Emergency cash → Keep 1–2 months in pure savings account.
B. Tools & Tracking
- Broker dashboard → Interactive Brokers, Trade Republic, Degiro.
- Bank apps → N26, Revolut, ING.
- Portfolio tracker → Google Sheets + API, or apps like Sharesight.
- Rebalancing → Monthly review, quarterly rebalance.
C. Risk Management
- Only use regulated banks/brokers.
- For stablecoins → never >10% portfolio, use only regulated platforms.
- Watch currency risk if buying U.S. assets from Europe (hedged ETFs are safer).
4. Example Allocation & Management Plan (Q4 2025)
- 40% Money Market Funds + T-Bills → parked in broker, auto-roll weekly/monthly.
- 30% Ultra-Short Bond ETFs / Short CDs → laddered, reviewed quarterly.
- 20% Blue-Chip Dividend & REIT ETFs → held in broker, reinvest dividends.
- 10% Gold ETF + Stablecoins → hedge, reviewed monthly.
Management Routine:
- Weekly: check balances, upcoming maturities.
- Monthly: reinvest payouts into best-yielding short-term options.
- Quarterly: rebalance to target weights.
⚡ Result: You earn 4–6% liquid yield with instant access when needed, while still having growth and inflation hedges.
Liquid-Like Assets Strategy
(Buy → Earn → Manage)
1. Buy – Where to Get Them
- Savings/MMFs/T-Bills → Banks & Brokers (N26, ING, Vanguard, BlackRock).
- Bond/Equity ETFs → Online Brokers (Trade Republic, Degiro, IBKR).
- Gold ETFs → Xetra/GLD.
- Stablecoins → Coinbase, Kraken (regulated only).
2. Earn – Typical Yield 2025
- Savings & MMFs: 3–5%
- T-Bills / Short Bonds: 4–5%
- Ultra-Short ETFs: 3–5%
- Dividend Stocks / REITs: 6–9%
- Corporate Bond ETFs: 4–6%
- Gold ETF: 0–5% (price hedge)
- Stablecoins: 3–6% (platform risk)
3. Manage – Best Practices
- Ladder maturities (3–6–12 months).
- Reinvest payouts into best short-term yield.
- Diversify (cash, bonds, equities, hedge).
- Review monthly, rebalance quarterly.
- Keep 10% max in stablecoins.
Example Portfolio Q4 2025
- 40% MMFs + T-Bills (safe base)
- 30% Ultra-Short Bond ETFs + CDs (yield ladder)
- 20% Dividend Stocks + REIT ETFs (growth)
- 10% Gold ETF + Stablecoins (hedge/liquidity)
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