How To Start Your Investor Journey: 5 Credible Options To Explore

04 February 2022

If you want to have a comfortable financial future, you should start investing.

You must have understood that the trajectory of our lives can change anytime, and one of the most recent examples of that trend is the COVID19 pandemic.

We have seen how a subtle, and stable economy can be turned over its head in a matter of few days during this time.

During that time, people started investing in digital currencies such as ekrona to get a reasonable return.

However, there are other investment options too. So, if you want to know about them, keep on scrolling.

Why Should You Invest?

Investing is an excellent source of passive income, and even if it sounds risky, there are plenty of safe investment options available in the market too.

If you want to build a retirement fund, your only viable option is to start investing right now. This way, you’ll have an emergency fund too if your loved ones fall sick suddenly or you need a capital amount to start a new business.

Top 5 Credible Investment Options To Explore

If you are willing to take a little risk and start your investment journey, there are plenty of options to choose from. We are bringing the most credible ones here so that, as a beginner investor, you don’t have to go through too many complexities.

Let’s take a look:

1: High-Yield Saving Accounts

This is the safest yet more convenient investment option. The higher your cash balance is in an account, the more interest you get.

They don’t have many overhead costs, which is why they let you earn much higher interest rates at online banks.

If you want to access the fund immediately, you can always transfer it back to your account and withdraw the cash via an ATM.

These are the safest investments because even if you don’t get a good return, you also don’t lose a dime.

2: Deposit Certificates

Banks issues deposit Certificates. They usually offer a higher interest rate than savings accounts, which makes them an attractive investment choice.

If you are looking at short-term certificates, they will be better options when you expect those interest rates to rise, enabling you to reinvest at higher speeds when the certificate reaches its maturity.

These time deposit certificates are federally insured, and they have specific maturity dates that can range from weeks to years.

This may be a drawback because you can’t withdraw the money before a certain period without giving a penalty. But, if you need immediate income in a short time, this is undoubtedly a good investment option to explore.

3: Government Bonds

You can always invest in government bonds if you want a risk-averse investment option. For example, you can invest in mutual funds or ETFs, which won’t expose you to market vulnerabilities.

Some government bonds also invest in debt-backed securities issued by government-sponsored business enterprises.

Even though these investment options are considered low-risk, if interest rates increase, their return would decline.

However, if you are stepping into the world of investment opportunities, this can be an excellent place to start and ensure a steady cash flow.

4: Dividend Stock Funds

Dividend stock funds are a good investment option for almost any investor.

Those who need revenue and can stay invested for extended periods may find these stock funds attractive.

If you buy a group of individual stocks that provide a certain margin on dividends, you can generate a sufficient return on it.

On top of that, if you invest in dividend funds, your stock market investments also become less risky. So the best part of dividend stock fund investment is you generate a substantial return on both short, and long-term prospects.

5: Cryptocurrency

The most popular Cryptocurrency is Bitcoin. Although its price fluctuates significantly, the digital currency world attracts many investors.

In fact, Bitcoin being the most popular digital currency, soared up to $30,000 at the start of 2021. However, it also declined by $60,000 before falling back into the static zone

We understand the start of 2022 was rough for Cryptocurrency, but it is still a plausible investment option to explore.

In fact, it is quite usual for these digital currencies to fluctuate markedly before eventually rising further. So those who bought and held may undoubtedly have a good return on their investment before this year comes to an end.

The Bottom Line

If you have gone through the article, you must have figured out the most credible options to start your investment journey.

However, you must keep in mind that all investments come with a bit of risk, and nobody can control them.

If you are willing to take that risk, start investing right away. For further information, let us know in the comment box below.

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Sumona

Sumona is a persona, having a colossal interest in writing blogs and other jones of calligraphies. In terms of her professional commitments, she carries out sharing sentient blogs by maintaining top-to-toe SEO aspects. Follow more of her contributions in SmartBusinessDaily

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6 Loan Mistakes Every Business Owner Must Avoid

If you’re a business owner, it’s highly likely to come across situations where you’ll need a business loan. In such events, a business loan can fulfill the fiscal deficit to help keep the business on track. The only catch is taking a business loan can sometimes be a complicated process, and owners might end up making uninformed decisions. We’ve listed below some common loan mistakes that every business owner must avoid while taking a business loan. Here are 6 Loan Mistakes Every Business Owner Must Avoid: 1. Waiting Until Last Minute: Business loans are not only for covering up last-minute emergency expenses. The best use-cases of a business loan can range anywhere from hiring new people to investing in new technology. Waiting till the last minute, when the business cannot go without an immediate availability of cash is a recipe for disaster. It’s always a good idea to prepare for the future, more so, in the case of a business. Last-minute decisions are often hasty and a result of poor judgment where business owners are likely to take any loan deal that comes their way. It can backfire and incur more losses in the future. 2. Borrowing More Than You Can Afford: Just because you are eligible for a huge business loan doesn’t mean you should take one. Before even applying for a business loan, you should evaluate your business’s present financial situation. If you end up borrowing more than you need, paying it back can get difficult. Furthermore, not spending everything will lead to ‘dead cash’ in your bank account. So, do your math, check your statements, and only apply for an amount that your business actually needs. 3. Not Knowing About Collateral-Free (Unsecured) Business Loans: Most banks will insist on having sufficient collateral before they approve any loan. Banks that require collateral will only provide secured loans. However, some banks and lenders offer business loans without any collateral. This type of loan is known as an unsecured loan where the business owner doesn’t have to pledge any business or personal assets to the bank. Unsecured business loans with bad credit are the best option for you if your credit score didn't reach the standard requirement of most lenders. 4. Not Keeping a Good Personal Credit Score: Different financial institutions will have different criteria for giving out business loans. However, most of them will definitely consider the credit score of the owner while processing any business loan application. A good credit score shows that you’re a good steward for your money. It also helps in negotiating better rates. Hence, maintaining a good personal credit score becomes critical for business owners. 5. Not Solving Current Cash Flow Problems: As a business owner, your entity may require money for different needs. However, if you’re looking to get a loan to fix irregular cash flow in your business, it might not be the wisest thing to do. Analyze why your company has irregular cash flow and don’t be a statistic of the sunk cost fallacy. Sure, you can have a temporary fix, but once the loan money is utilized, a business can again go back to the same. In such a situation, it’s important to make sure that finances are under control after utilizing loan money. 6. Not Knowing the Agreement: Signing an agreement without reading the finer details will put you as a business owner in an undesirable situation. Sometimes the financial institution giving out a business loan can put a little remark in the agreement that will require the borrower to pay additional fees. More than that, the agreement can even have a clause of variable interest rate. Hence, it becomes essential to read the documents carefully before signing. At any point, if you’re uncomfortable with the offer, talk with the lender to negotiate a better deal. Conclusion: It’s not unusual to hit occasional financial hurdles when running a business. To help overcome these situations – business loans from financial institutions can help owners get over financial difficulties. Gone are the days of lengthy processes or huge collaterals to take a business loan, so don’t be nervous if your business is losing some steam over money. Today, the online mode for business loan applications has made the entire process seamless, and financial institutions like ABFL Direct offer loans with no security whatsoever. There are minimum paperwork and a flexible tenure for business to pay it back. Read Also: Resolutions To Help The Small Business Owners To Avoid Being Bankrupt Benefits Of NBFC Business Loans

Revolving Debt Vs Installment Debt – Which Impacts your Credit Score

This is a question that many Australian citizens are asking, and for good reason, as one’s credit score can seriously hinder a mortgage application or a business startup. Before we go into detail about the impact of these forms of debt on a person’s credit score, let’s define both revolving debt and installment debt. Revolving Debt: With a revolving debt, you borrow against an agreed limit of credit, much like a credit card, and as payments are made every month, the debt revolves and continues until such time as either the lender puts a halt on the line of credit, or borrower settles up and no longer uses the credit facilities. For some people, the credit card loop is extremely difficult to stop, as all a person’s salary goes on the card repayment, thus leaving the person with little choice but to continue to use the card until the next salary date, and the cycle continues. If the debt builds up, compound interest takes hold and the debt grows, with the borrower paying accruing interest over an indefinite period, and rather than continuing to use the line of credit. How Revolving Debt Can Impact Your Credit Score: Lenders look at revolving debt to be a strong indicator of the risk and your credit utilization is calculated by totaling the amount outstanding on all credit cards, against your overall credit milt. If your outgoings are high, there is less chance of obtaining another loan, at least until you have cleared one or two. Installment Debt: This is when you borrow a sum of money with an agreed monthly payment for the duration of the loan agreement, and unlike a credit card, you cannot reborrow, rather you must complete the scheduled payments on time until the loan has been paid off in full. Missing payments will result in extra interest charged and if a person has two or three loans to repay, this could lead to problems in the future, which is when many people look to debt consolidation as a way to clear all outstanding debts, leaving you with a single monthly payment to make. There are online lenders who specialize in bad credit personal loans, especially if the borrower wishes to consolidate their outstanding debts by taking out a debt consolidation package. Installment Debt and your Credit Score: Installment debt is viewed by the lender as less of a risk than revolving debt, mainly because the installment loan is secured against an asset. Another factor that influences the lender is the fact that an installment loan is not ongoing, which means there is less of a risk in defaulting on the loan. If you would like to explore the potential that debt consolidation offers, an online search is all it takes to make contact with the right loan provider who can tailor the package to suit your lifestyle. The expert can inform you of several ways to improve your credit score, thus increasing your chances of approval. Read Also: Debt Consolidation Plans For Your Debt Relief Are Debt Consolidation Loans Recommended For Credit Card Consolidation

What Is the Best Tax Software to Be Using in 2019?

If you fail to file your taxes correctly, the IRS can fine you a penalty up to 20% of the amount you owe. Taxes are a complete nightmare for many people especially if you can't pay them. And the last thing you want to deal with is owing even more money to the government. That's why the emergence of tax software has helped so many people. It helps you make sense of the confusing terminology, perform calculations, and break the process down into easy steps. But what is the best tax software and how does it help simplify everything? This article covers everything you need to know. The Criteria for Best Tax Software: Everyone is different and the tax software available now tends to be tailored to different audiences with bank products and other solutions available. For example, a family of four with a house and one income earner will have a fairly straightforward process. But what about someone who is self-employed or a small business owner? In these cases, some companies offer tiered pricing models that can quickly become expensive. When asking questions like "Why would anyone use a bank product?" or "Is this service right for me?" it's important to consider the following. Ease of Use: There's no point paying for a system that is just as confusing as the tax forms themselves. Check out reviews from other people to see what their experiences with the company were. Or watch a 'how to' video for a preview of the software. Are Your Taxes Complicated: Between deductibles, donations, and multiple sources of income, taxes can get complex very quickly. If you're unsure what you qualify for and what options are available to you then tax software may be the way to go. Look at State Tax Prices: Some tax software companies include state tax in their services free of charge. Others ask for a fee and class it as an additional service. Be sure to look into the costs behind each one to be sure. With that said, here are the best online tax filing options out there. TurboTax: Known for its simplicity and ease of use, TurboTax has many features and designs to help you file without a headache. The use a simple step by step process that puts questions in laymen's terms and does the hard work and calculations for you. They even offer a W-2 scanner where upload a photo of your form and it automatically sorts the information on your tax forms. They have a free option for getting your taxes ready to file. But can charge past $100 if you want more premium services like a tax specialist to talk to. Tax Act: Similar to TurboTax, TaxAct offers a sliding scale of costs for users depending on the level of service they want. Their layout makes it easy to input data and offers free state tax returns for simple forms. If you're a homeowner or business owner however, then you will have to pay a fee for state taxes. If you are unhappy with the service you've received from other tax software companies, TaxAct makes it easy to import your old information over to them. H&R Block: Known for their stand-out customer support, H&R Block takes the uncertainty out of the equation with tax specialists on call and online. It has a similar model and pricing structure to the previous companies but also offers up to $3000 of interest-free loans to anyone entitled to federal tax refunds. Shop Around: Knowing what the best tax software is for you takes time and research. This list helped narrow things down but you should still look into each company in more detail to see what will work best for you. Check out our other finance articles for more tips and advice. Read Also: 6 Tips On How To Pay Off Your Tax Debt All You Must Know About Construction Business Management Software 8 Reasons Why Your Company Should Get A Vendor Management Software

How To Start Your Investor Journey: 5 Credible Options To Explore

Why Should You Invest?