A comprehensive assesment of financial instruments' yields and investment preferences of individuals in Turkey (2014-2024)

Humankind has progressed from days when it was impossible to earn income without labor to an era where profits can be made and capital can be preserved with the press of a button. With the continuous advancement of technology, significant historical developments and transformations have occurred in every aspect of life—including the field of investment. Numerous innovations such as various investment alternatives, financial investment platforms, and financial education courses have redefined the concept of investment in human life. While the concept of finance has gained such an important place in our lives, it becomes the responsibility of both current and prospective investors to develop financial competence. In our study, concepts within the scope of financial investment are addressed in a specific and detailed manner, with the aim of providing information on financial investments and investment instruments. Between the years 2014 and 2024, the most commonly used financial instruments—namely the US Dollar, Euro, gram gold, Borsa Istanbul Index (BIST100), and time deposit accounts—were analyzed in terms of their changes over time and their returns were calculated. The rationale behind selecting the 2014–2024 period as the main timeline is due to the significant historical impact of national and global events during this timeframe, including the pandemic that deeply affected all of humanity, as well as the absence of similar studies in the literature covering this particular span. At the end of this 11-year period, the investment instrument that yielded the highest return for Turkish investors was gram gold, with a value increase of 3,400%. It was followed by the US Dollar with a 1,525% increase in value, and the BIST100 Index came in third with a 1,470% increase. The fourth most profitable investment instrument was the Euro, which saw a value increase of 1,135%. Although time deposit interest rates have recently attracted a large number of investors, they yielded comparatively lower returns over the general period, ranking as the fifth most profitable investment instrument. According to the findings, the average interest rate over the 11-year period was calculated as 17.53%.