Where should Americans keep cash now that the Fed is cutting rates? The answer is a lot simpler than you think

Depending on your risk tolerance, you might hold the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, which tracks the performance of the stock market, or the more conservative iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF, which tracks the U.S. bond market.

And if you sign up now and set up a recurring investment, you can get a $20 bonus investment.

Real estate

Beyond traditional savings and investing accounts, you might want to consider alternative assets in your portfolio. Stocks and bonds still matter, but they don’t necessarily capture all the opportunities out there to protect your portfolio in a volatile market.

That’s where real estate can step in. One vertical is home equity: A $34.9 trillion market in the U.S. that has historically been reserved for large institutions — until now.

Homeshares allows accredited investors to gain direct exposure to a portfolio of owner-occupied homes in top U.S. cities through their U.S. Home Equity Fund without the hassle of buying, owning or managing property.

The fund focuses on homes with substantial equity, using Home Equity Agreements (HEAs) to let homeowners access liquidity without taking on debt or interest payments. This can create an attractive, low-maintenance investment vehicle for retirement savers, with a minimum investment of $25,000.

Some experts recommend adding alternative assets, such as real estate, to your retirement portfolio, specifically in a 50/30/20 mix of stocks, bonds and alternative assets. Unlike stocks, they aren’t tied to market swings and can reduce concentration risk, while also providing a hedge against inflation as home values rise.

With risk-adjusted target returns of 14% to 17%, Homeshares’ U.S. Home Equity Fund offers investors access to America’s largest store of household wealth.

And for a limited time, Homeshares will provide Moneywise readers an exclusive 5% bonus for IRA investments.

Read more: There's still a 35% chance of a recession hitting the American economy this year — protect your retirement savings with these 5 essential money moves ASAP