If you were to put money into an index fund like the S&P 100 today and withdrew it 50 years from now, odds are that your investment will have appreciated by about 10%.

Try getting that kind of return from a savings account or a CD!

You see, while a lot of people see stocks as a dangerous investment, history doesn’t support that assertion.

Sure, the stock market ebbs and flows day-to-day. If you invest in reputable companies and plan on leaving your money invested for long periods of time, you’ll find that the market provides a lot of the same security that you’d find with more “safe” investments but with a much higher upside.

Not sure which stocks are “reputable” enough to warrant your long-term investment? No problem!

Just follow our best stocks to buy picks below and watch your money grow.

1. Apple

Apple is one of the most world recognizable names in computers/mobile devices. As a matter of fact, Apple phones are sitting in almost half of US-cellphone user’s pockets.

That market share is huge and second only to Samsung when looking at worldwide cellphone usage.

Apple has shown us time and again that its design-first approach and focus on quality is going to attract customers to it. Therefore, in our opinion, your dollars are safe in its stock.

2. Roku

If you’ve tried all of the over the air streaming devices that are out there, undoubtedly, you’ve dubbed Roku the best all around device.

Sure, Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Chrome are pretty good. Roku is solely in the business of building media devices though and its dedication to its craft shows.

There is literally no more user-friendly device on the market when it comes to streaming media and Roku’s incredible 2019 thus far is a testament to how much consumers love it.

3. Starbucks

Delicious coffee? Check. Eco/Politically conscious corporate office? Check. Friendly, consumer-focus counter team? Check.

As you can see, Starbucks checks just about every box that you need in order to run a successful business in America. Especially a business that caters to mid to highbrow coffee drinkers.

Starbucks is the biggest coffee brand in the USA and is growing rapidly overseas. If you invest in this best stocks to buy suggestion, your money will grow with it.

4. Facebook

There is no social media platform bigger than Facebook. Some would argue that Instagram has more momentum but guess what? Facebook owns Instagram so for investment purposes, a dollar put into Facebook is a dollar put into Instagram.

Facebook has come up against some scrutiny lately regarding data privacy. It has worked hard though to remedy its problems and has shown more willingness than any other tech company to cooperate with government officials.

We think Facebook is primed to flourish in 2019 and beyond, especially given its foothold in the burgeoning virtual reality market.

5. UPS

If we had to ask one shipping company to deliver a newborn baby to the other side of the country, we’d pick UPS.

Of course, in reality, we wouldn’t have any commercial shipper box up and ship a baby. For hypothetical purposes though, we think we’ve made our point.

UPS is reliable, priced right and has continued to grow exceptionally well thanks in part to it being Amazon’s preferred shipper.

6. Bank of America

Bank of America is in a lot of ways “America’s bank”. It used to compete with Wells Fargo for that title but after Wells Fargo got busted about a year ago for cheating its customers, Bank of America’s stock soared.

Bank of America has been in business since 1998 and well before that if you consider how long it flew under its old “NationsBank” flag.

We expect BOC’s upward trajectory, which started in 2011, to continue well past 2019.

7. Pfizer

So long as humans are prone to illness, humans are going to need drugs for treatment. Given that Pfizer is one of the biggest and most sustainable drug companies in America, it’s a safe bet putting this stock on your best stocks to buy shortlist.

Pfizer has seen decent upward momentum in 2019 and is now trending near its all-time high.

Just be aware that, depending on the presidential outcome of 2020, pharmaceutical stocks could be affected by new drug pricing regulations.

8. Stitch Fix

With unemployment rates at record lows, more people have expendable income. One of the most popular places where that income is going is towards clothes.

The problem with that is that most people have no idea how to dress well.

A solution to that problem is hiring a personal stylist. That’s expensive though. An affordable backup solution is subscribing to Stitch Fix.

Stitch Fix pairs online stylists with people all over the country and sends them handpicked clothing items in the mail each month.

This stock has exploded in 2019 and we think that its market is only going to keep growing.

9. Rosetta Stone

The economy is becoming progressively global thanks to the internet. Per that fact, companies are selling more merchandise overseas and are increasingly hiring people that can speak foreign languages.

The leading brand in digital language learning is Rosetta Stone.

Rosetta Stone has lagged in the stock market in past years but is now bringing its business model into the 21st century with mobile apps and subscription-based plans which we think will position this company and its stock for success throughout the back-half of 2019 and beyond.

10. Alphabet

If you haven’t heard of Alphabet, you’ve certainly heard of one of the companies that it owns…Google.

Google is the technological leader of the world and as any reputable stock market news source will tell you, shows very few signs of slowing down anytime soon.

This stock is expensive to buy into but will grow steadily over the next few decades.

Wrapping Up Our Best Stocks to Buy in 2019

There are a lot of stocks that are out there waiting for your investment. Only a select few are the best stocks to buy this year.

While nobody can predict exactly how the stock market’s story will unfold, we think that by investing in our picks above, you stand a great chance of being successful.

Feel free to explore more of the write-ups on our site for additional financial and investing inspiration!