An alternative is to buy stocks outright. This involves investing in a particular company and hoping that its stock price will go up over time. Another alternative is using margin trading, which allows you to borrow money from your broker in order to buy more stocks. This can magnify your profits (or losses) if the stock price moves in the right (or wrong) direction. Finally, another option is investing in ETFs or mutual funds. These vehicles allow you to invest in a basket of different stocks, thus reducing your risk exposure.