The potential benefit of diversifying your investments is straightforward. By holding many different kinds of assets, you reduce the risk of being hurt by a plunge in the worth of any one of them. While there are no guarantees, especially when markets decline, this often has proven to be a sound approach to investing.

But how do you diversify if most of your holdings are stocks? One popular option is to invest in real estate. That doesn't mean your personal residence. Although your home may appreciate over time, and if you profit when you finally sell it some or all of your gain may be exempt from taxes, it is better not to think of it as an investment. But other kinds of properties can help you diversify your portfolio.

Typically, real estate values don't move in synch with stocks and bonds. And whereas those financial assets may serve as "leading indicators," helping predict the way the economy is going, real estate values often increase and fall after, not before, other economic trends. Also, the market for real estate can vary significantly based on geography and other factors. When the market in one part of the country is hot, another could be ice cold.