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You Might Be Getting in the Way of Your Own Investment Success

February 2, 2018 by Justin Weinger

People’s perceptions of the world are never the same and an investor’s risk profile is often heavily influenced by personal experiences. This is why the investors often pose such a great risk to themselves, since the mistakes they make are based on personal biases and their own behavior.

Being your own worst enemy is a terrifying reality to face, but there is also much to be optimistic about. You may not be able to control the economy or stock market, but you do have control over your own behavior.

To overcome this personal bias, an investor should speak to a large variety of knowledgeable people, especially those with differing opinions from their own. Do your research and question the investment companies you have in mind. The market can be counterintuitive, often irrational and unpredictable. It thus becomes important to expand one’s personal perspectives and understand what drives certain behaviors.

As an example of counterintuitive behavior, consider how people react to an air disaster: Many people put themselves at risk by opting to drive long distances instead of flying, since they perceive it as being safer. Research data indicates that more people have died in vehicle collisions in just 11 days than flying over the past 30 years. In much the same way long-term investors look at short-term fluctuations as a reason to sell, when the data shows that it’s the long-term performance that matters most.

Switching is one of the most destructive investor behaviors and is often fueled by an emotional response to risk. Investment volatility isn’t the biggest risk one faces when investing. In fact, the biggest risk is your actions in response to the volatility. Sometimes what feels like the safer option ends up injecting significantly more risk into your portfolio.

As investors we often ignore the power of simple rules and methods: Don’t spend more than you make, create meaningful diversification in your portfolio and be patient. Most of the time, this is all you need to achieve financial success in the long-term.

This brings us to committing to long-term investment. Patience is the key to long-term success and our emotions can often get in the way. Analyzing the performance of your long-term investment using daily performance data can lead to switching and locking in losses. The market will fluctuate. The one most successful investors have in common is patience.

Filed Under: Investing

Investment Ideas to Put Your Savings to Work

January 18, 2018 by Justin Weinger

Financial freedom is a shared dream among many people. The idea of not having to panic every month if there is enough to cover the bill has an obvious appeal. To achieve this, individuals start by putting away money. However, saving is not all there is to it. True financial freedom comes with being able to build a nest egg that you can sustain over an extended period. Some people turn to financial planners to help them put their savings to work. What it takes, though is knowing the right instruments to use for investment.

It is wise for an aspiring investor to find more than one asset to put money in. Different investments carry individual risks, which you must consider before buying in. An investor, especially a novice, should evaluate their risk tolerance to know which instruments are more suitable. The size of your savings can also dictate the type of assets to use.

Cryptocurrency

Digital coins are some of the top-selling assets in the investment sector. With bitcoin reaching historical highs in 2017, more people have started looking at cryptocurrencies as viable ways of investing their savings. Crypto coins are available in different types, which offer a chance to diversify. You have to be cautious, though of the volatility of crypto coins. Because digital currency is not centralised, its value fluctuates a lot. An aspiring cryptocurrency owner should also learn the intricate operational elements of the asset before investing to avoid common scams.

Stocks

Stocks and shares ISA are some of the most popular instruments for long-term investing. The uncomplicated nature of the stock market makes it a suitable choice for beginners. Buying stocks and shares of publicly traded companies is an effective way of earning an income and building wealth. It is possible as well to buy shares in private corporations. The performance of the company is what determines the value of the returns. As with any other asset, stocks come with some risks because companies don’t always register positive results. Online brokerages have further simplified the buying and selling of shares. You only have to pick a platform and get the right resources like market news and price alerts to make trading decisions.

Real Estate

The property market is one money-making idea that never gets old. People are always looking for places to stay or house their businesses, which makes the real estate market a practical alternative for long-term investment. Various asset choices are available when you are looking to enter the property market. You can opt to buy commercial, residential properties then rent them out. If your savings allow it, you can purchase land and construct a building from scratch. Real estate investment funds are other ways to make money in real estate without being a property owner.

Finding the right investment to grow your savings is not a straightforward decision what with the numerous options available. Investors can put money in bonds, index funds, and stocks among others. Always set financial goals before picking long-term investment goals and understand that whichever you settle on, some level of risk is involved.

Filed Under: Investing

How to Make Money from eSports

December 27, 2017 by Justin Weinger

Electronic sports, meaning digital games, are fun to play and have also become suddenly mainstream. It’s not just the nerds in their moms’ basements who play video games anymore. The popularity of multiplayer video games, such as Halo and Overwatch, have given rise to an eSports sector that is akin to major league sports in its profitability. The sector is predicted to surpass the billion-dollar mark in 2018. By 2020, eSports would have revenue similar to European Ligue 1 football. While the sector currently lags behind NFL or MLB in terms of revenue, it’s catching up fast.

This is a trend that even entrepreneurs and traditional investors, like Jason Sugarman, have been closely observing. Mr. Sugarman, a private equity investor with decades of experience, has made investments in the major eSports league Team Liquid. It paid off when Team Liquid recently won the annual Dota 2 championship and took home a winning prize of more than $10 million. The sector is definitely showing amazing opportunities for both sports and tech investors. If you are interested in making money through eSports, here are several tips for doing so:

Invest in a Well-Regarded Team

Investing in eSports can be similar to investing in regular sports, in that people can place money on teams, explains Jason Sugarman. As he did with Team Liquid, small-time investors can find a great team to invest in. A good eSports team would have a great dynamic between players and a history of winning. Observe the team for talent and see what type of talent the team displays toward the game. Finding teams specializing in a game or two would be better than teams that play in everything.

Consider Star Players

Unlike traditional sports teams, eSports teams are not contract-bound as of yet. Therefore, some teams may see players come and go frequently. If this puts you off investing in a team, then consider investing in star players. There are definitely star players in the sector who perform incredibly on many teams. Investors can back these players and win as they do. It’s not so different from investing in a star player like Ronaldo.

Don’t Forget the Merchandise

Merchandising is extremely strong in eSports, perhaps even more so than in traditional sports. Investing in merch is definitely a great way to earn excellent returns in the sector. But don’t bet on traditional merch like T-shirts and caps, though they matter as well. Digital sports fans are more likely to purchase tech-oriented merch, like supporting apps or gear. Investors can definitely earn a killing with tech gear in the eSports sector. Keep in mind that the console market is growing, which indicates a significant uptick in the type of merch eSports fans prefer.

There are also eSports stocks to consider. E-sports stocks are a great way to invest traditionally in a non-traditional sector. The stocks belong to companies that develop games like Activision or Blizzard. If a game does well, the company stocks go up. In general, invest in the stocks of companies with legacy titles that have remained popular for years. For example, Microsoft’s Halo is a lucrative legacy title. Blizzard has a number of titles, including Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Starcraft, which have remained popular for decades. If the informed predictors are right, then stocks of these companies will dramatically rise in the coming years.

Filed Under: Featured

What Is a Trust Entity Type?

December 21, 2017 by Justin Weinger

A trust entity is a structure that a trustee can use to carry out business on behalf of an individual to administer, manage, and transfer assets to beneficiaries. The trustee can be a person or a business. Many people create trusts so that they can transfer property or money to beneficiaries without probate. Trusts are also a great way to increase privacy, avoid estate taxes, and protect property from creditors. If you have more questions about how trusts work or how to handle taxes for a trust, keep reading.

Two Types of Trusts

 

There are two different types of trusts:

  • Revocable trust: This trust includes provisions that may be changed or terminated by the grantor (the person who creates the trust).
  • Irrevocable trust: A trust that can’t be terminated or modified unless there is permission given by the beneficiaries. When a grantor creates this type of trust, he or she gives up ownership rights to the assets inside of it.

No matter which type of trust is established, there are advantages for liability, assets, and income distribution.

Paying Taxes for a Trust

 

If you’re a trustee, you have a lot of responsibilities. You must pay the expenses incurred while administering the trust. These costs may include trustees’ fees, accounting fees, and taxes. If you are administering a revocable trust, you will use the grantor’s Social Security number for tax identification purposes. However, a separate tax identification number such as an EIN is required for irrevocable trusts.

Administering a trust and obtaining a tax ID number for it can be confusing. But with IRS-EIN-Tax-ID Filing Service, you can easily apply for a trust tax ID number online. If you need to find the existing number, you can conduct a tax ID number lookup. If you have more questions about trusts and taxes, contact the team at IRS-EIN-Tax-ID Filing Service for answers.

 

Filed Under: Featured

Trading With Ameritrade and Thinkorswim

October 24, 2017 by Justin Weinger

Day trading is a fantastic method for increasing your bank account without competing for boring corporate jobs that you don’t even want. Do you want to be financially independent? Do you want a career without a boss and without annoying co-workers? Then you need to try day trading. And for that you are going to need an interactive broker like Ameritrade.

Ameritrade is an online broker that allows traders to put money into a brokerage account and to trade securities on the market. The Thinkorswim platform allows for traders to use state of the art research tools and risk analysis tools to find stocks on the market and trade them for profits. The Thinkorswim platform also offers livestreaming investment news and third-party research that can really make the difference with winning trades.

Before you start trading with Ameritrade though, you want to make sure that you are as prepared as possible to be a day trader. You need to take online day trading classes. The classes, along with time spent in day trading chat rooms will give you the foundation that you need to make money as a day trader. The strategies and techniques are there for you to learn and absorb, so that you can go out there and make profits. They have been hammered out over the years of trial and error by veteran day traders who have lost chunks of money and made the mistakes so you don’t have to.

Veteran day traders that have been through the ringer are really the best kind of instructors. Those are the ones that have logged enough screen time to be able to tell you exactly how to avoid the risky trades that will kill your monthly profits. Keeping a profit:loss ratio of 2:1 is key to being a successful day trader. You need to be able to search for home run trades that will double your money, while keeping your losing trades to as low a level as possible. The risk management of losing trades is very important.

No matter what broker you start with as a day trader, whether it is Ameritrade or some other one, you want to make sure that you have logged enough time as a paper trader. Paper trading is trading virtual currency in a simulated environment. The benefits are myriad. You want to be able to practice all aspects of being a day trader without losing any real money. And simulated trading environments will allow you to get used to the stock market and the speed of trading with little risk. It is a win-win.

When you finally open your Ameritrade account, you need to keep in mind one thing. The amount of commissions that Ameritrade charges might put a real dent in your actual profits. When Ameritrade racks up the commissions, that means that making lots and lots of trades on a daily basis can be bad for your bottom line. While the research and tools might be top notch for new day traders, the commission’s might not make the best business decision.

Filed Under: Investing

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I am not a professional or a financial advisor. These posts are informational opinions only. Please make your own decisions based on personal research. Also, there are paid links on this site. There is no obligation on your part to purchase any products advertised on this website.
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