Buying Stocks for Beginners: A Guide

26 April 2018

Investing your money wisely is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your future. It’s never too early to start investing your money so that it will grow.

Buying stocks for beginners can be scary, but there is plenty of guidance available. This is especially true if you are looking to buy US stocks outside of the United States, in which case you´ll need the help of a broker to access those markets.

If you are new to the world of stocks and investing, you will undoubtedly have lots of questions and will need to take the time to learn some basic concepts.

Buying Stocks for Beginners: A Guide

Check out this guide to buying stocks for beginners.

Why Invest?

Investing is a way to make your money work for you. Rather than sitting idly in the bank, investing your money in stocks is one way to help achieve your financial goals.

Though the stock market may have its ups and downs, it has historically averaged a 9% return on investments.

How Much Should You Invest?

How much to invest depends on your goals. This is something to discuss with your financial advisor or brokerage firm, but a good rule of thumb is to contribute about 10% of your income to your investment portfolio.

Basic Types of Investments:

There are many options to invest in, but the basic types of investments include Stocks, Bonds, Cash, Mutual Funds and ETFs.

We recommend you consult with a reputable financial advisor for suggestions on how best to distribute your funds.

How you choose to invest will boil down to how conservative or aggressive you feel most comfortable regarding your finances.

For more information on investments be sure to check out thinkorswim vs tastyworks.

Investing Actively or Passively:

Active investing means selecting investments that are actively managed by professionals, with a goal of beating the market and achieving greater returns. Whereas passive investing is to simply try to match the market’s performance.

The choice of whether to invest actively or passively essentially boils down to how much time you want to spend studying the market. Active investing typically requires a potential investor to do extensive research into individual stocks.

Choosing the Right Stocks to Invest In:

For a beginner, it might be wise to consider certain types of stocks that are good long-term investments. It’s important to take your time, learn the basics, and to research into the ways stocks are valued.

Another thing to educate yourself on is the difference between investing and speculating. While investing is typically designed for sustained returns over the long haul, speculating is a dangerous way of chasing fast money.

Getting Started:

Once you understand the basics of buying stocks, you’ll want to open a brokerage account. Shop around and study the various brokerages to learn about their services and fees.

As a beginner, you will want to find a brokerage with features to guide you through the stock selection process.

Buying stocks for beginners can be an exciting process, and watching the return on investment as your money begins to grow can be a source of great satisfaction.

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Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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A Lender’s Guide to Improving the Borrower Experience: 6 Tips & Tricks

Virtually everyone will need a loan at some point in their life, whether it’s finding a home, a car, a business, or a passion project. The ubiquity of loans in today’s market means that lending is as stable as it is competitive. So as a lender, you’ll always be looking for that extra advantage over your competition and focusing on improving borrower experiences. Borrowing is often a complicated and stressful experience for consumers. If you can make your lending process as painless as possible, you’ll be able to draw higher caliber clients. As the adage goes, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, and your loan business could be the next honeypot. Here are six tips and tricks for enhancing your borrowers’ experience and closing more deals. 6 Tips To Improve The Borrower’s Experiences Borrower experiences and the good impression of your services are bringing more consumers to your business. Consumer connections are like a chain system: one single consumer’s good feedback brings back at least two more clients for your business. Here are the six easy tips to improve your borrower’s experiences. 1. Enlist A Mobile Notary A mobile notary makes the loan signing process a cakewalk. Mobile notary services find the closest mobile notary near you and send them to your office. By using this service, you and your client can avoid those frantic lunch-hour runs to the notary public’s office. These notaries carry a two-fold benefit: they cut back on your borrower’s stress and make your agreements more legally secure. These clearances on the legal issues are directly improving borrower impression for your business. 2. Build A Close Working Relationship With Clients Work at building a good relationship with your clients. Ask about your clients’ lives and make sure you go the extra mile in understanding their needs. Doing that will help them feel more comfortable about taking a loan from your institution. Most financial institutions come equipped with a dull and business-like atmosphere. You leave a better impression if your customers feel like they’re people rather than numbers. Your borrower and clients will come back to do more business with you, and they’ll also be comfortable enough to refer their friends and family. 3. Have An Uncomplicated Application Process Cumbersome is often the name of the game when it comes to loan approval and collections processes. However, you can change the narrative by creating a less complicated procedure for your borrower. Create a list of necessary documents and other necessary steps for the approval of loans. Then create a straightforward system that your clients can follow. If customers can survive a meeting with you without needing their financial dictionary, it’s sure to leave an excellent impression. 4. Use Online Loan Applications One way to improve the borrower experience is to use online platforms. Having to queue in an office and filling forms is a turn-off for most people. Your clients should not have to come to a physical office before they gain access to top-notch service. Create a website or application that allows online loan applications. Your online platform should allow virtual payments and account access. 5. Have A Precise Payment Plan As a financial institution, you have to dot your Is and cross your Ts. It would help if you made the loan application and collection process as straightforward as possible. Your clients should also understand the payment plan, whether weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or yearly payments. Communicating clearly and effectively will create a lasting relationship between yourself and your borrowers. 6. Have An Open Communication System Clients experience a lot of uncertainties when they want to take out a loan. Consumers want to know the organization's policies, interest rates, and other specific information. Always be transparent with every lead so that clients know what to expect and never feel cheated. Be available to answer questions, give advice, and provide any explanation they may need to improve the experiences of your borrower. Parting Shot The growth and longevity of every business depend on its clients. A gold-standard borrower experience is a water you use on your blooming client relationships. More you focus on building up the relationship with your clients. You can make positively massive growth in your business. Read Also: Insurance Business: What Startups Need To Know 6 Things You Should Know Before Starting A Business 7 Important Advice for Start-Ups and Entrepreneurs

7 TIPS TO REDUCE CREDIT CARD BILLS

If you have a large amount of credit card debt and you are only making minimum payments every month, you are not going to pay it off any time soon. In fact, if you only make minimum payments, it could be decades before you find yourself debt-free again. It is extremely important to put yourself in a proper financial position, and a good way of doing that is by reducing your credit card bills. Tips to reduce Credit Card Bills: Here are a few tips on how to reduce your credit card bills that will help you pay off your debt: 1. Take Stock: Before you start to reduce your credit card bills make sure you know where you stand. By this, we mean know your target. You will never hit the target if you don’t know where it is, so be honest with yourself. 2. Pay more than the minimum: As discussed before, if you only make minimum payments each month, then it will take ages before you find yourself debt-free again. Thus, it is clear that paying more than the minimum due you can lower your monthly credit card bills, but still, so many customers struggle in making that the priority. Making a little more than the minimum payment every month will eventually help you in the long run. 3. Ask your credit card company for lower rates: A simple and quick way to lower your credit card bill is by negotiating a lower interest rate. Just by reducing the rate of interest by one or two percent, you can save hundreds of bucks. Try calling your creditors and ask them politely to lower your rates. If you have a good credit score and have been a loyal customer to them, then you can easily negotiate and get yourself a lower interest rate. 4. Target one card at a time: People often use multiple credit cards to buy stuff. More cards mean more accounts which eventually leads to more debts. If you are using multiple credit cards, then a good way to lower the bill is by targeting one card at a time. Focus on one account and try to clear that first. Get the minimum for each card, but pay as much as you can on the card you are targeting first. Usually, paying the card with the highest interest rate works. 5. Make a budget: Make yourself a budget every month and stick to it. It can be difficult to adjust your lifestyle too quick, so instead, try going for small adjustments. It can be as simple as cutting out one or two pizzas each week or by changing your thermostat by few degrees. Reducing your costs a little bit can help you out in the long run. Remember to save yourself a few extra bucks every month in case an unexpected bill pops up. 6. Make two minimum payments every month: A good way to lower your bill is by making two minimum payments. Since credit cards apply interest daily, cutting your balance during the month will reduce the minimum payment for the next month. 7. Transfer your balance: Another good way to reduce your monthly payments is by transferring the balance from a card with a high-interest rate to a card with a low-interest rate. If done properly, this can save you hundreds of bucks every year. Remember that credit cards with a low rate of interest are mostly introductory offers which last about a year and a half, so make sure pay off the debt before the rate of interest increases. Conclusion: We hope these tips can help you to reduce your credit card bills. If you know more tips on lowering the bill, post them in the comment sections below! hence if you want to make your choices in the right direction then the use if the credit card bills can make things work for you in all possible manners. Work out the best strategy that can help you to achieve your objectives in the best possible ways. Read Also : Are Debt Consolidation Loans Recommended For Credit Card Consolidation Credit Card Fraud The Holiday Season: Things To Consider For Next Year What Are The Important Parts Of A Free Business Credit Report?

When Is The HAMP Program Beneficial To You?

The Home Affordable Modification Program, called HAMP, provided individuals with aid in modifying their existing mortgage loans. This program was designed to provide homeowners with some financial relief to reduce the risk of foreclosure. The application of the HAMP program can make things work for you in all aspects. Do not make your choices in grey. Is HAMP Program Available? At the time of this writing, the Home Affordable Modification Program is no longer available as it was. The United States Department of Treasury established the program in March 2009. It was a part of the Making Home Affordable Program. It was effective on mortgages that were originated on or before January 1, 2009. The program was set to expire on December 31, 2016, with individuals able to apply for it through September 30, 2017. As of now, it is no longer available to individuals. What Did the Home Affordability Mortgage Program Do? The goal of this program was to encourage loan modifications for homeowners who were at risk of becoming delinquent on their loans. It worked to help reduce the frequency of missed monthly mortgage payments. HAMP program was beneficial for you and you have to make sure you do not make your choices in the wrong direction. Who Was Eligible for HAMP? Not all homeowners qualified for the home affordability mortgage program. To meet the requirements, individuals had to meet specific rules including the following: The loan had to be a first lien mortgage (second mortgages and home equity lines of credit did not qualify). It had the be a Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae loan. It applied to single-family homes, homes with up to four units, condos, cooperatives, and some manufactured homes. Individuals with an FHA or VA loan could use the program (but this was not a requirement of obtaining the modification). No vacant abandoned or condemned homes could obtain help. Modifications could happen only one time through the HAMP program. If the home met these requirements, a homeowner could then work with their existing lender to adjust their mortgage under some key guidelines. HAMP was not easy to qualify for, but for individuals who needed it, it provides a lifeline of important support. To be eligible for the modifications, the borrowers had to meet specific requirements as well. These included the following: Property owners that were current or no more than 60 days behind on their mortgage payments could be considered for a HAMP Trial Period. However, they must be determined to be in imminent default. Borrowers could be in bankruptcy or foreclosure, or in some type of pending litigation regarding the property, such as in a judgment from lenders. The key to obtaining these loan modifications was proving the borrower was struggling with some type of financial hardship. Borrowers had to have an expense-to-income ratio related to housing expenses of no more than 31 percent (applied to their gross monthly income). Individuals must still have some ability to make their monthly mortgage payments reliably after the modification occurs. Why Did Borrowers Consider HAMP? Borrowers were able to get help if they were struggling with financial hardship with the goal of avoiding foreclosure. This program was designed to help stop the flood of foreclosures entering the market after the housing crisis and financial difficulties that began in 2007. Individuals who qualified benefited by getting some type of modification to their loan. This may have included: A reduction in their interest rate Modifying the loan from an adjustable-rate mortgage to a fixed-rate mortgage Getting a principal reduction or a forbearance Getting a long term to help reduce the monthly payment Over its lifetime, HAMP saw several modifications to determine which type of properties qualified and to reduce some financial strain. Most importantly borrowers were able to modify their loans so they could remain in the long term. Lenders benefited from these modifications as well. Lenders were able to secure the loans for borrowers facing immediate financial hardship but had the likelihood of maintaining their mortgage payments over their lifetime. This helped reduce the risk of foreclosure, and an expensive process for lenders. Most importantly, it helped families remain in their homes. What Options Are Available Now? A home modification program is still an option for some homeowners. Other programs are available to help some borrowers such as the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Flex Modification Program. Many lenders offer modifications in-house as well. Borrowers who may be late on monthly mortgage payments or are facing financial hardship should consider speaking to their lender directly. Additionally, the Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP, is available. This option remains in place and can help a homeowner to secure a lower interest rate on their loan, get into a shorter loan term, or adjust their loan from an adjustable-rate to a fixed rate. Individuals facing financial hardship should seek out solutions from lenders. While the HAMP program is no longer accessible, other solutions may be available to help borrowers to avoid foreclosure, late payments, or even the loss of their home. Read Also: Getting Your Personal Finances In Order With A Proper Budget Strategy Work With A Local Mortgage Broker Company For Your Vancouver 4 Payday Loan Facts You Should Know Before You Borrow

Buying Stocks for Beginners: A Guide