Tuesday, 5 April 2022

6 Investment Apps You Can Use Today to Enhance Your Investments

 

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Investing is a great way to grow your money, but it can also be a daunting prospect. There are so many options and choices, and it can be challenging to know where to begin. Fortunately, technology has made investing a little easier. Many financial apps allow you to invest on the go, track your portfolio and stay on top of your investments. These apps can help you maximize your returns, identify underperforming assets and stay organized. This article will highlight some of the best investing apps available. Everything from budget investing apps to stock market tracking apps will be covered. Before diving into the nitty-gritty details, take a look at the following:

What Is Investment App Technology?

Investment apps are computer software programs that allow you to superintend your financial goals from the palm of your hand. Most apps are web-based, meaning they connect to a computer network via the internet. You can access them via a smartphone, tablet or computer with internet access. Investment apps can connect to stock brokerages, investment funds and brokerage accounts. They are a great way to keep track of your financials and track your investment portfolio. They can also be a great way to learn about investing and grow your money.

Best Overall Investment App

Betterment is an investing app that focuses on cost efficiency. The app charges a $30 monthly fee, but it also offers a low-cost investment strategy. Betterment takes a hands-off approach to investing, which is ideal for customers who want to learn about investments but don’t want to manage their money. The app provides you with a nice dashboard to view your investments and make basic updates. You can set up a portfolio of investments to track your spending, savings and investment goals. You can also set up a dividend reinvestment plan to automatically purchase additional shares of stock when they’re sold. Betterment’s Investment Strategy Lab provides you with various investment strategies to choose from. You can also connect your brokerage account to Betterment to track your portfolio and make basic updates.

Best Mobile Investment App

If you invest a lot of time on the go, you should consider investing through an app. BlackRock offers a wide range of investment apps to choose from, including mobile apps. The BlackRock mobile app offers investors access to their investment portfolio and tools to stay on top of their investments. You can view your portfolio balances, recent transactions and performance statistics. You can also set up push notifications to receive updates on the stock market while on the go. The BlackRock app also provides insight into your investments and shows how your spending and saving habits are linked to your investments.

 Best Stocks and ETF App

If you’re interested in tracking the performance of specific stocks or exchange traded funds (ETFs), there are a number of apps that can help. Robinhood is one of the most popular apps for tracking specific stocks and ETFs. The app lets you buy and sell shares directly from your phone without fees. You can track up to five different investments at one time. Robinhood offers no-fees trades for most securities, with some notable exceptions. You can view basic information about each stock and ETF, such as price, daily change and profit/loss from your investment. You can also track investment performance for the past six months. With Robinhood, you don’t need to pay brokerage fees or manage multiple accounts. You can keep track of your investments, monitor your portfolio and stay on top of market performance with a single app.

Best Bond Investment App

Investing in bonds can provide a steady stream of income. However, it’s important to understand the difference between a bond and a bond fund. A bond is a liability(debt) that is provided by government, a corporation, or a municipality. You typically get back a fixed amount at the end of the period. A bond fund is a group of bonds that have been pooled together. Both allow you to generate income while keeping your assets safe in a secure investment. You can track bond funds on your phone with Digit. The app lets you make your own bond portfolio depending on your investment objectives. You can also connect your brokerage account to track your investment and make basic updates.

Best Real Estate Investment App

Real estate investing apps allow you to stay on top of your investments in real estate. Zillow is a great real estate investing app to find investment opportunities. The app shows you homes for sale in your area and gives you information about the properties, such as price, square footage and beds and baths. You can also search for homes by price, bedrooms and baths. You can set up alerts to receive email notifications when a home matches your search criteria. You can also set up push notifications to receive updates on homes that match your search criteria. Real estate investment can help you vary your portfolio while also generating passive income.

P2P Investment App

Investing in private peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms can be a great way to generate passive income. Lending Club is one of the most well-known P2P lending platforms, and it offers an app for your phone. The app allows you to track your investments, view recent loan listings, track your lending performance and make payments directly from your phone. You can also keep track of your credit score and receive credit-related alerts. Investing in P2P lending can be a great way to diversify your portfolio and earn some passive income.

Final Words: Invest Wisely

Investing apps can be a great way to stay on top of your finances and track your investments. However, you must use them wisely. These apps are only as good as the information they contain. Make sure you understand how each app works and what information it provides before making any investments. Invest wisely, and you will be able to benefit from the wide range of investment apps available today.

Monday, 4 April 2022

You’re Missing Out: Master These 6 Personal Finance Skills To Live The Good Life

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Whether you’re a total financial newbie or just want to up your game, It's a good idea to learn a few trade secrets. After all, money isn’t the only measure of success. It is imperative to note that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That’s why learning to manage your money more effectively is such a valuable skill. The sooner you can build a solid financial foundation, the sooner you can reap the rewards. And the sooner you can put that financial foundation to use in your daily life, the happier you’ll be.

Save As Much As You Can

Monetary savings is always a good idea, and for most people, their primary goal is to save as much as possible. And for good reason! In this day and age, where we’re constantly being reminded that everything is slowly becoming more expensive, it’s essential to put some money away for a rainy day. That’s why the first step to becoming financially secure is to learn how to save as much as possible.

There are a few various approaches you can take. You might strive to save as much money as possible by reducing your spending. Or, You can also go through your monthly budget and see where you can save money. Ideally, you want to aim to save at least 10% of your income. If you can, save more. The more you save, the less you have to worry about when it comes to money in the long run.

Reduce Your Monthly Costs

After you’ve saved as much as possible and have some money set aside in a savings account, the next step is to review your budget and see where you can make some cuts.

One of the best ways to do this is to review your monthly expenses and see if you can eliminate anything. While we all have bills that we need to pay, it’s also important to keep in mind that you don’t need to pay for things that aren’t essential.

Examine your monthly budget carefully to see if there are any gaps or areas where you may save money.. If you rent, for example, attempt to negotiate a cheaper rent or consider moving to a different place. If you own your home, examine if there is anything you can get rid of, such as a piece of furniture you no longer use or an extra cable subscription you don't need.

Grow Your Wealth

One of the best ways to protect your future financial security is to grow your wealth. And the best way to do this is through investment.

Investment doesn’t have to be complex or scary. With a little bit of research, you can learn how to invest in low-risk, high-return stocks and bonds that will help you create wealth over the long term.

There are lots of different ways to invest your money, including investing in your own business. If you have a spare moment, working out a business idea is a great way to turn your money into money.

Protect What You’ve Earned

One of the scariest things about becoming financially secure is the idea of losing your job. And while the risk of this happening is relatively low, it’s still something to be afraid of. After all, if you lose your job, you lose your income, which means you lose your ability to pay your bills.

Making sure that you protect what you’ve earned is essential. The best way to do this is to set up a savings account with a high-interest rate that will help you protect your money from losing its value.

A good savings account will have a high rate of interest so that you are guaranteed to make money even if the market drops.

Secure Your Financial Future

Additionally, make sure that you are taking care of your financial future by making sure that you are putting away a small amount of money each month. This is money that will be used to help pay your bills in the future.

For example, if you are 27 years old and just starting out, you should be putting away at least 3% of your income. If you aren’t, then you are leaving a lot of money on the table.

This is money that could go a long way in helping you take care of expensive health problems, replace stolen or destroyed expensive documents, replace your car if it gets totalled, and a lot more.

Make The Most Of Your Money

The best way to make sure that you make the most of your money is to have control over how you spend it. This means that you have to be very intentional with every single dollar that you earn.

First, decide exactly how much money you want to make. Then, decide how you are going to spend your money each and every single dollar that you earn should be spent on something that will increase your income.

Otherwise, you are simply wasting your money.

 Bottom line

Losing track of your money is like losing your keys - it's a very stressful and potentially costly event. If you want to avoid this, learn the basics of financial management. You'll be glad you did.

 

8 Altcoins To Watch Out For In Second Quarter of 2022, And How You Can Profit From Their Growth

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The cryptocurrency world is changing at an alarming pace. While this has been a good thing for adoption, it has also made it difficult to keep track of what is happening. However, while these gains are exciting, they can also be nerve-wracking. After all, the more money that flows into an investment, the more risk there is that it will lose value. If you’re new to the world of cryptocurrency, this rapid price volatility may be confusing and intimidating. However, if you understand the fundamentals of supply and demand, it’s possible to capitalize on this volatility to earn money. New cryptocurrencies are being created almost every day, making it difficult for investors to keep tabs on them all. When it comes to making money in this market, it is important to be aware of the new players. Many new digital currencies have the potential to grow in value over time. If you are interested in taking your investment to the next level, you should keep an eye on the following altcoins.

Cardano

What Is It?

Cardano is a decentralized open-source blockchain platform developed by the Cardano Foundation. The project’s goal is to become the “third generation blockchain”, after Bitcoin and Ethereum. Cardano is fully mineable and contains its own cryptocurrency, the ADA. The project is led by a scientific philosophy and is highly focused on the needs of the market.

Why Is It A Good Investment?

Cardano is a promising investment because it is fully mineable and has its own proprietary currency, the ADA. The team wants to be the “third generation blockchain” after Bitcoin and Ethereum, which means it has a lot to prove. However, with a strong focus on the needs of the market, it is possible that the Cardano blockchain will be the one that makes it big. Cardano’s price as the time of writing this article is $1.20 USD and the 24 hour trading volume is $1,558,303378 USD. It is placed number seven by CoinMarketCap, and it has a live market capitalization of $40,603,714,468 USD.

Ethereum

What Is It?

Ethereum is a blockchain-based software platform that enables developers to build and run applications that use blockchain technology. It’s a highly popular platform for Initial Coin Offerings (ICO), as an entrepreneurs can use it to issue their own cryptocurrencies that can be used for fundraising.

Why Is It A Good Investment?

Ethereum is a good investment because it’s used by so many people. More than 40,000 merchant around the world are using Ethereum to improve the way they do business. You can also use it to trade peer-to-peer with like-minded people or invest in ICOs. According to CoinMarketCap, Ethereum is number two with a live price today of $3,474.66 USD and a trading volume of $16,701,805,119 USD in the last 24 hours.

 NEO

What Is It?

NEO is a blockchain architecture designed for the creation of smart contracts and distributed applications. It is a smart contract blockchain that can be used to host almost any kind of decentralized application.

Why Is It A Good Investment?

The most attractive thing about NEO is that it promises to build on the strengths of both Ethereum and Bitcoin. They are also committed to creating a smart economy, and they are doing this by creating a platform that will be used by developers to create smart contracts. It is a blockchain designed for the creation of smart contracts and decentralized applications, but it’s also an efficient digital wallet for storing and managing assets. Neo is currently selling at $26.87 USD and in the last 24 hours, the trading volume is $168,268,920 USD. CoinMarketCap currently placed it on number 63 and its live market capitalization is $1,895,349,850 USD. 70,538,831 is the circulating supply and the maximum supply is 100,000,000 coins.

IOTA

What Is It?

"The infrastructure for the growing machine economy" is IOTA's objective..” It’s a cryptocurrency designed for the “establishment of new decentralized ecosystems.” This actually is not a blockchain but rather a proprietary technology called Tangle which is a structured nodes that confirm transactions. It is currently ranked number 54 and $2,419,484,671 USD as the live market capitalization. Its price as at today is $.870465 USD.

Why Is It A Good Investment?

IOTA is a new cryptocurrency with a unique selling proposition. It has a lot in common with Ethereum: it’s also a smart contract blockchain, but it also wants to be a standard for the “Internet of Things”. It’s an ambitious project with a big focus on the future.

Monero

What Is It?

Monero is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency with a focus on providing security and scalability. It is a fork of Bytecoin, which was itself forked from the CryptoNote protocol. Monero, contrastingly is meant to hide both senders and recipients using powerful cryptography, hence making security and privacy its focus objectives. It is currently selling at $213.56 USD and in the last 24 hours has a trading volume of $119,072,280 USD. CoinMarketCap currently ranked it number 43.

Why Is It A Good Investment?

Monero is a good investment because it provides both privacy and security. It’s an open-source blockchain that’s developed by volunteers, so it has no company backing it like the other coins on this list. However, it has a large userbase and has proven itself as a reliable cryptocurrency.

Ripple XRP

What Is It?

Ripple presents itself as a provider of "global financial settlement solutions.". It currently has a unique position in the market as the only cryptocurrency with a proven track record of use. Ripple's native cryptocurrency is XRP, which was developed by Ripple Labs Inc. as a cryptocurrency payment service. Ripple's XRP is a "virtual currency created for cross - border payments," meaning that the company intends to compete with traditional bank-to-bank money transfers. Users of XRP would be able to send money at a very cheap rate, garnering the desire of both ordinary banks and customers. Ripple's core business model is its ultra-low transaction fees and transaction completion in less than five seconds.

Why Is It A Good Investment?

Ripple XRP is a good investment because it is currently the only cryptocurrency that has proven itself as a reliable real-world payment system. It is also the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Ranked number 8, today’s market price is $0.835352 USD and a live market capitalization is $40,209,865,625 USD.

Bitcoin Cash

What Is It?

Bitcoin Cash is a cryptocurrency that split off from Bitcoin in August 2017. Like Namecoin and Dogecoin before it, Bitcoin Cash has no real use case aside from being a digital coin for speculation. Bitcoin Cash is a community electronic cash mechanism that intends to really be a reliable worldwide currency offering fast payments, low transaction costs, and huge transaction capacities. Bitcoin Cash payments are transmitted from one person to another directly, similar to how actual money, such as a dollar bill, is handed to the person receiving payment.

Why Is It A Good Investment?

Bitcoin Cash is a good investment because it is currently the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Since it is a fork of Bitcoin, most of the existing community around Bitcoin will also be around Bitcoin Cash. As a result, it's a strong speculative investment, but not something you would want to hold a large amount of for long-term use. Its live price today is $376.04 USD.

Litecoin

What Is It?

Litecoin is a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that is hinged on the Bitcoin code but offers a higher maximum coin supply. Unlike Bitcoin, which is controlled by very few people, Litecoin can be controlled by almost anyone.

Why Is It A Good Investment?

Litecoin is a good investment because it is similar in functionality to Bitcoin but has a much larger maximum coin supply. Like Bitcoin, it is a decentralized cryptocurrency - it is not issued or controlled by any central entity. However, unlike Bitcoin, it has a maximum coin supply of 84 million, which means it has a greater potential for growth.

How To Profit From Their Growth

Yes, it is highly possible and obtainable to exploit the opportunities inherent in these altcoins for growth. These three procedures are handy: investing or trading in the cryptocurrency exchange market, usage of coins in your portfolio for staking or lending to the system or other users, and partaking in the blockchain system by receiving coin rewards for task completed or mining. Following the above, you can do the following:

  • Invest. Investing is a protracted procedure that requires purchasing and preserving crypto assets for a period of time. Crypto-assets might seem volatile in the interim but portend significant potentials in the long run for growth. The identified altcoins here have long term growth potentials. Cryptocurrency platform like Changelly can be utilized in doing this.
  • Trading the Crypto Assets. In order to exploit short term opportunities, trading can be leveraged on rather than taking the long position of buy and hold. Due to the volatility of the crypto market, prices can increase or decrease in the shortest possible interval. Using proper analytical and technical skills, one can take position when prices are down and sell off when they increase or rise above purchase price.
  • Stake and Lend. This functions by way of validation of transactions. This means that you have ownership of the coins but you do not spend it rather the coins are locked in your cryptocurrency wallet. Your coins are then used to verify transactions on a Proof of Stake network. As a result, you will be rewarded. To put it another way, you're lending coins to the network.
  • Cryptocurrency Social Media. You will be rewarded for generating and organizing content on a number of blockchain-based social media networks. You are frequently awarded with the platform's own coin.
  •  Airdrops And Fork. To raise awareness, airdrops and free tokens are issued by some exchanges. To build a big user base for a project, an exchange might execute an airdrop. You can acquire a free currency by participating in an airdrop, which you may then use to buy items, reinvest in, or trade with. Changes or updates to a protocol lead a blockchain to fork, resulting in the creation of crypto assets. When you have money on the old chain, you will almost always receive free tokens on the new network. Because you were in the right position at the right time, you get a free crypto asset.
  •  Mining. Cryptocurrencies mining is a way to make money using cryptocurrency in the same way that the early adopters did. Mining is indeed an important part of the Proof - Of - work system. It is here that a cryptocurrency's value is created. You get compensated with crypto assets if you mine a cryptocurrency. You'll require technical know-how and beforehand, an investment in dedicated hardware to mine.

 Final Thoughts

The wave of cryptocurrency prevalence and acceptability is ever increasing and the opportunities and potentials for acquisition of huge profits cannot be over-emphasized. Following the forgoing, it is critical for an investor to commit to carrying out full diligent research before committing funds. This is vital in ensuring that risk of failure is substantially mitigated on.

There is myriad of new altcoins that enter the market frequently, hence attention should not only be centered on the ones mentioned in this article. Doing this will enhance diversification of your portfolio and positioning for greater returns on investment.

 

4 Step Guide to Becoming a Forex Trader: A Beginners Guide

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Forex, or foreign exchange market, is the world’s largest financial market, with an average daily trading volume of more than $5 trillion. Forex traders are individuals, business firms, and financial institutions that trade in foreign currencies, commodities, shares, and other financial instruments.

If you’re interested in trading currencies and other financial products, such as stocks and commodities, then you definitely need to grasp a way to emerge as a foreign exchange trader/dealer. While forex trading can be lucrative, it’s also largely a risk-reward proposition. If you’re new to forex trading, then it’s best to learn via a step-by-step guide, which we’ll be discussing in this article.

What is Forex?

Forex or foreign exchange refers to the buying and selling of currencies at the present moment. If you have dollars (USD) and wish to buy euros (EUR), for instance, then you must first purchase USD and then exchange them for EUR once you have the money.

Forex trading is the practice of trading in foreign currencies. This usually involves the use of currency pairs, futures contracts, and/or options on currencies.

How to Become a Forex Trader?

There are many forex trading guides and how-to-guides on the Internet. However, it’s important to note that becoming a forex trader does not happen overnight. It takes dedication, perseverance, and above all, a serious commitment in order to discover how to trade.

Before you can become a forex trader, you need to decide why you want to trade and what type of trader you’d like to be. At the end of the day, forex trading is a very simple game. However, you must have a sound strategy and the right mindset in order to succeed.

Here are three reasons why you might want to become a forex trader:

 To Make Money - Success as a forex trader is largely determined by two factors: your trading skills and the market conditions. If you’re successful, then it’s very likely that you’ll make money. To achieve success, you need to understand the market and your trading strategy. As a forex trader, you’re in charge of your own success.

To Learn - There’s a lot to know about forex trading. It isn't a quick way to make money nor scam, and it isn't suitable for everyone. If you want to get in on the trading game but you don’t know where to start, then forex trading is for you. By becoming a forex trader, you have the potential to learn a lot about trading and the financial world in general.

To Be Tightly Integrated with the Economy - Forex trading is closely tied to the economy. Since currencies are tied to the value of commodities and goods, it’s important to be aware of how the economy is doing and how that could affect the price of currencies in the future.

Step 1: Choose a Broker

You’ll need to choose a forex broker to hold your trading assets. There are many forex brokers out there, so you’ll need to do your research to find the best one for you. You can choose a local forex broker or a foreign forex broker. A forex broker is a company that allows you to trade currencies and/or commodities through a digital platform.

When choosing a forex broker, consider the fees associated with trading (they should be shown on the broker’s website), as well as language barriers. Some forex brokers are available in only select countries, and some are only available online.

It’s also a good idea to go with a forex broker that provides margin trading. A margin trading account allows you to borrow money to buy additional assets. This could be beneficial if you want to put more money on deposit and loan out some of your personal funds. Forex brokers that provide margin trading include CMC Markets, Robinhood, and Interactive Brokers.

Keep in mind that forex trading is a highly risky venture. While it does have the potential for big profits, it also has the potential for huge losses. Before trading with money that you can’t afford to lose, then discuss your trading plan with a professional. A financial advisor can assist you in determining your risk tolerance and devising a trading plan.

Step 2: Learn the Basics of Forex Trading

If you're new to forex trading, you should start by studying the fundamentals of the market and how forex trading basics functions. This will help you understand the trading environment, and it will also help you stay focused and avoid making costly mistakes.

Here are a few forex trading basics that you need to know:

The beauty of forex trading is that it’s open 24/5. This means that you can watch and learn the trade-offs between risk and reward 24/7. There are no limits to how much you can learn, and there are no time limits on how long you can stay in a trade.

Forex trading can be very profitable. It can, however, be extremely risky. Before you begin trading, then you should carefully consider your investment strategy, risk-reward profile, and financial budget.

Forex trading is essentially an investment activity. You are investing in the potential for high profits if the market goes up, and you are investing in the potential for high losses if the market goes down. There is no such thing as a “free lunch” in forex trading. By purchasing a currency pair, you are speculating on the price going up or down.

Step 3: Establish a Strategy

When you first start out as a forex trader, you won’t be very good at it. As a novice, you'll almost certainly make a lot of mistakes. You can, nevertheless, get to be a well-rounded trader with time and effort.

The most important aspect of forex trading is having a trading strategy. A trading strategy is like a path to riches. It outlines how to become financially successful in forex trading by laying out the stages you must take. For example, you may decide that you want to be a long-term forex trader. A long-term strategy would involve trading Forex for a long period of time (e.g. months or years) without any short-term trading.

A trading strategy is like a map. You need to understand the strategy and follow it carefully if you want to arrive at your trading destination.

Step 4: Stay Focused and Disciplined

Forex trading is a highly competitive field. There are many traders out there, and almost all of them are trying to make money. In this highly-competitive environment, it’s important to stay focused and disciplined.
Stay focused – Don’t let your attention wander during your trading sessions. You need to stay focused on the goal of making money, not necessarily on how much money you make.

Conclusion

Becoming a forex trader is an exciting and challenging experience. You’ll need to be disciplined, focused, and patient. However, if you put in the effort, then the rewards can be great. Forex trading is a constantly changing field, and it takes a certain type of person to trade it successfully. If you’re ready to get started, then the best way to become a forex trader is by following a step-by-step guide.

 Forex Trading Strategies is a good place to start.

Friday, 1 April 2022

Investment Tips: Four Categories of Assets To Help You Build Wealth in 2022

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We all recognize that the purpose of investing is to generate wealth, but determining which investments would help us achieve our financial objectives can be tough. While the stock market may appear to be among the most obvious place to begin, it isn't the only one. Investing in the stock market isn't the only way to grow your money. Other methods of accumulating wealth are also feasible. It's easy to become overwhelmed when you first begin investing. There are numerous types of assets, methods, and investment advice available. That is why we are here to assist you.

This tutorial will go through four main types of assets and provide advice on how to generate wealth in each of them. Below, we'll go over four of the most prevalent ones.

 Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)

A real estate investment trust (REIT) is a publicly listed company that possesses, administers, and manages a substantial real estate portfolio. The real estate investment trust (REIT) is the most prevalent type of REIT, and it pools assets from a multitude of investors, most commonly companies. Rental properties, shopping centres, apartments, residences, and other properties that generate income through tenants and/or property management are examples of real estate assets. Direct real estate assets account for more than 90% of most real estate investment trusts' assets. According to Statista, the market cap of all REITs in the U.S. reached $1.37 trillion in 2023, down from a peak of $1.74 trillion in 2021.

Investing in real estate investment trusts has a number of advantages. The fact that it is a passive investment is the most remarkable feature. Such that, unlike stocks, you will not need to actively manage your money. This might be a huge challenge, both logistically and emotionally. In addition, several real estate investment trusts are S&P 500 index funds. This will make your investment decision-making process even easier.

Investing in REITs, on the other hand, has certain potential drawbacks. One is that they are usually more expensive than stock purchases. This is due to the fact that they are often huge, professionally run businesses with a large workforce and high operating costs. To put it another way, they've got a lot going on. They also tend to trade at a greater price than smaller, less institutionally supported enterprises. This is due to the fact that they are large institutions with a high liquidity position.

There is still the reality that real estate is a high-risk investment. While this is to be expected with a market asset such as real estate, it can nevertheless be stressful for investors. It's because real estate values fluctuate with the market, and buying or selling at the peak or bottom of the market can result in big losses to your investment. For conservative investors who wish to create money incrementally, real estate may not be a good option.

Steps To Invest In REITs

  • Understand what a real estate investment trust (REIT) is and how it operates.
  • Be mindful of the potential dangers of REIT investments.
  • Examine the benefits and drawbacks of REITs to ensure they fulfill your investment goals.
  • If there is no existing account, open one with a trustworthy brokerage. 
  • Choose a REIT to invest in and keep track of it on a regular basis.

 Exchange Traded Funds (ETF)

An exchange traded fund (ETF) is a form of fund that operates on a stock exchange much like a stock. ETFs trade across a pool of current investors, unlike open-end mutual funds, which are exclusively receptive to new investors.

There are several various types of ETFs to choose from, and they are divided into four categories: equities, bonds, commodities, and money market funds.

How To Invest In ETFs

1. Open a brokerage account. A brokerage account is crucial before one can buy or sell ETFs. A good number of online brokers already provide commission-free stock and ETF trading, therefore price is not really an issue. The best thing to do is to examine the capabilities and platforms of each broker. It is a good move to choose a broker that offers free educational benefits that new investors can reap from. Some good examples are TD Ameritrade, Schwab and Fidelity. There are so many other good brokers as well.

2. Make selection of your first EFTs. Passive index funds are often the best option for novices. Index funds are less expensive than active funds, and most actively managed funds do not outperform their benchmark index after a long period.

3. Make/place the trade. The process of acquiring ETFs is very similar to that of buying stocks. Look for the "trading" section on your brokerage's webpage; "trade" typically relates to either buying or selling an ETF. When buying or selling, follow their processes.

4. Be patient and let the ETFs work. It's crucial to remember that ETFs are specifically developed to be low-maintenance investments. It is not advisable to be frequently or often checking on what's going on. Indeed, over-trading is the primary reason why the ordinary portfolio investor underperforms the market over time. Therefore, after you've invested in some outstanding ETFs, the best suggestion is to allow them and let them whatever they're designed to do: generate exceptional long-term investment gains.

 Bond Funds

A bond fund is pretty self - explanatory like: a collection of funds used by investors to purchase bonds. Bonds are essentially promissory notes. Investors agree to repay the fund with interest at a later date, and the fund pays the interest to the investors now.

Investors can acquire a variety of bonds, including government, corporate, and municipal bonds. The interest earned on these bonds is paid out in a fixed sum every six months or years, with the payment period varied based on the type of bond fund chosen by investors.

How To Invest In Bonds

Because of the outlay amount needed, buying bonds might be more difficult than buying equities. There are a few options on where to purchase it:

  • Investing through ETF. ETFs buy assets from a variety of firms, with some focusing on short-, medium-, and long-term bonds, or providing variety of specific industries and markets. Individual investors might consider a fund since it offers rapid diversification and does not require substantial purchases.
  • Buying through a broker. There are numerous good brokers online through which a new investor can buy bonds. Following this approach an investor will be purchasing bonds from other investors seeking to sell them using this strategy. By purchasing a bond directly from the underwriting investment bank in an original bond offering, a new investor may be able to get a discount off the bond's face value.
  • Directly from the issuing Government. Most sovereign Governments have set up a platforms on their treasury websites on making investment in bonds. Hence, investors can make purchase on Government bonds without doing so through a broker or agent thereby eliminating brokerage commission payment.

Mutual Funds

A mutual fund is an ETF that follows a specific investment strategy. There are numerous types of mutual funds available, each with its own set of investment objectives. Some may be more conservative, aiming for a lower risk level while still attempting to achieve a higher expected return. Others may be more aggressive, investing in stocks that are perceived to have a higher risk of volatility. Mutual funds like the Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (SIDF) invest at least 70% of their holdings in elevated Eurobonds, a threshold of 25% in short-term USD deposits, and a maximum of 10% in USD stocks. On the Cowrywise app, you can see the possibilities for some prominent mutual funds like the Nigerian Eurobond Fund (6.70 percent) and the United Capital Sukuk Fund (7.24 percent).

Conclusion

Now, it should be noted that not every investment is suitable for everyone. That’s because everyone has unique financial goals and financial circumstances. Hence it is critical to conduct thorough research before to making an investment.. You’ll want to make sure the investment fits within your financial goals and your comfort level with risk.

Fortunately, there are a wide range of different assets you can choose from to help you build wealth.