Livret A, classic life insurance, stock PEA: these options remain useful, but their returns are capped for many savers. In 2024, several less conventional investment vehicles allow for diversifying a portfolio without reserving these options solely for professionals. Here are five original investments that deserve careful consideration.
1. Real estate crowdfunding under PSFP approval
Have you ever considered directly financing a housing or office project, without purchasing a property yourself? Real estate crowdfunding makes this possible with often modest entry tickets.
Since November 10, 2023, any participatory lending platform operating in France must hold the Participatory Financing Service Provider (PSFP) approval issued by the AMF. This framework replaces the previous CIP and IFP statuses, enhancing the protection of individual investors. To explore other avenues, profitable investments on Blueprint For Safety provide a useful complementary overview.
The principle remains simple: you lend an amount to a developer for a defined period, and you receive interest at maturity. The trade-off is the risk of delay or default by the project holder. Before committing, ensure that the platform displays its PSFP approval number and consult the historical default rates it publishes.
2. Unlisted funds accessible via ELTIF 2
Private equity, long reserved for institutional investors, is gradually opening up to individuals. The implementation of the ELTIF 2 regulation in January 2024 has changed the game: entry tickets are lower and liquidity constraints have been relaxed compared to the first version of the European framework.
Specifically, an ELTIF 2 labeled fund can invest in infrastructure, private debt, or venture capital. These assets do not fluctuate with the daily rhythm of stock markets, which can reduce the volatility felt in a portfolio.
Be careful: relaxed liquidity does not mean immediate liquidity. Invested money remains locked for several years, often five years or more. This type of investment is suitable for savings that you do not need in the short term. In France, the Green Industry Law of October 2023 also encourages the integration of unlisted assets into tax wrappers like life insurance and PER.
3. Thematic SCPI to diversify real estate
Buying shares of SCPI is not new. What is newer is the emergence of SCPI specialized in specific niches: health, logistics, hospitality, or even European offices outside France.
Why choose this over a generalist SCPI? A targeted theme allows you to bet on a sector you understand and whose fundamentals you follow. For example, a health-oriented SCPI invests in clinics or assisted living facilities, supported by long leases and structural demand.
Here are a few points to check before subscribing:
- The distribution rate displayed over the last three years, which reflects the regularity of the income paid.
- The financial occupancy rate, ideally above 90%, indicating that tenants are stable.
- The subscription and management fees, which vary significantly from one SCPI to another and eat into net returns.
Keep in mind that reselling shares can take several weeks, or even longer during periods of tension in the real estate market.
4. European crowdlending via approved platforms
Crowdlending, or peer-to-peer lending, extends beyond the French perimeter. Since 2024, the European regulation 2020/1503 harmonizes the rules across the EU. The result: an approved platform in a member country can operate throughout the Union, expanding the choice of projects.
In 2024, at the European level, €4.25 billion was raised through 181 licensed providers, according to a report from ESMA published in December 2025. These figures confirm that the market is no longer confidential.
The common pitfall: concentrating all your capital on a single project to increase the nominal return. The best practice is to spread your loans across several dozen projects, in different sectors and countries. If one borrower defaults, the impact on the overall portfolio remains limited.
5. Dated bond ETFs to lock in a yield
You are probably familiar with equity ETFs, these index funds listed on the stock exchange. Their dated bond variant is less known, but it meets a specific need: to lock in a known yield in advance over a fixed maturity.
A dated bond ETF groups corporate bonds that all mature in the same year (for example, 2027 or 2028). At maturity, the fund repays the capital, somewhat like a traditional bond, but with the diversification of a basket of dozens of issuers.
This type of investment fits easily into a PEA or a securities account, with generally very low management fees. The advantage over an individual bond is the pooling of default risk: if one issuer out of forty goes bankrupt, the loss remains contained.
- Suitable for savers who want a defined investment horizon, between two and five years.
- The yield depends on the level of rates at the time of purchase: the higher the rates, the more attractive the embedded coupon.
- Reselling before maturity remains possible on the stock market, but the price fluctuates with market interest rates.
Each of these five investments caters to different profiles and horizons. Real estate crowdfunding and crowdlending are suitable for those who accept default risk in exchange for higher returns than savings accounts. ELTIF 2 funds and thematic SCPIs are aimed at patient savings, locked for several years.
Dated bond ETFs offer a compromise between yield visibility and relative liquidity. Diversifying among several of these options remains the best way to limit the impact of an unfavorable scenario on your entire portfolio.