The "lump-sum" may mean different amounts to different people. Even for the same person, the "lump-sum" can mean different amounts according to his life stage. These kind of lump-sum amounts are parked mostly for shorter term with a particular goal in mind. The goal can be anything from Buying a car, House, Children's education, marriage, retirement etc., The tenure is important to be identified before considering the investment avenues. Also, the importance of reaching the goal on time also should be considered. Let us assume, Raj is looking for investing 10L in some investment avenue for best returns in 2-years time frame. He expects the best returns possible during this period. What should he do? The options for him may be., (1) Direct Stock investment (2) Mutual funds (3) Post Office savings schemes (4) FD (5) Purchasing land (6) Corporate bonds/debts (7) Insurance linked Annuity-plan (8) Chit funds (9) Multi-Level Marketing (