Online Investing questions every investor should ask
Questions to Ask before Investing Online or Elsewhere
We are faced with so many investment choices today, it Is sometimes difficult to decide which investment will best serve our purpose; as well as which investments are the safest, while giving us the best bang for our buck. While not specifically indicating particular investments, I want to
give you the appropriate guidelines in determining which investment is best suited for you.
Are you happy with the current 1% – 2% a year that most financial institutions are offering? Or does a higher rate of return appeal to you? There are investment opportunities that do offer a higher rate of return with limited risk. However, there are certain guidelines you must follow to determine which of these investments are best suited for your pocketbook and your personality.
As technology has advanced today, so have new investment opportunities, with higher returns; some, obviously safer than others. While the Forex market is now available to the average investor, it is truly a high risk arena and not appropriate for most. Other avenues of investing, which have not previously been available to the average investor, offer a handsome return, with a low risk. How do you find these investments? By doing your due diligence and following these guidelines I’ve outlined below.
10 Frequently asked questions:
1. How much money do I need to start investing online or elsewhere?
2. What are the costs or fees associated with the particular investment?
3. Once I’ve earned money, how fast can my funds be withdrawn?
4. What regulations are involved with the particular investment?
5. How do I assess the risks of a particular investment?
6. What are some of the highest return investments that the average investor can participate in?
7. Do I need to “qualify†to participate in the particular investment?
8. What are the minimums needed to fund the investment account?
9. Is there a guaranteed return on investment funds?
10. Over what period of time are funds held in order to produce a return?
How much money do I need to start investing online or elsewhere?
With the advent of online investing, it has become very easy to open various accounts with as little as a few hundred dollars. For instance, online investing has made it easier to invest in the stock market, including equity and derivatives, along with areas that up until a few years ago, could not be accessed or utilized by the average investor — Forex (Foreign Exchange) trading for one. Now, if there’s a market out there, it is possible that market can be traded online. So, the prudent advice would be to start with what you are comfortable in investing.
What are the costs or fees associated with the particular investment?
Many investments do charge fees or subscriptions as part of their service. The question to ask yourself would be, “Is this fee or charge too detrimental to the potential profit?†In other words, am I investing enough to offset the fees or charges that are going to erode my earnings? You will need to look at your potential profit and subtract the account charges from your profit to determine your actual percentage of profit.
Once I’ve earned money, how fast can my funds be withdrawn?
This question falls under the term “liquidityâ€. With some investments, like equity stock, it is possible to buy the stock one-day and sell the next or even within hours or minutes of the purchase. This is typically referred to as “Day Tradingâ€. Keep in mind that there is also a settlement period of 3-5 days before the funds are realized. Other investments may want you to commit your funds for a period of time before the principal and profit can be extracted. If it is possible to extract funds earlier, you may be charged a penalty for doing so. For instance, if you buy a CD (Certificate of Deposit), the bank usually wants you to keep that for a specified period of time and you are rewarded with the appropriate interest depending on the length of term that you have committed to — typically, the longer the term, the greater the reward, but remember, you have diminished your liquidity. Shorter-term commitments increase your liquidity and this is something to keep in mind, particularly if you might find yourself in need of these funds at some point in the future.
What regulations are involved with the particular investment?
When talking about regulations, we must first decide in what arena the particular investment falls — public or private. For our discussion in this book, we have limited our focus to areas outside of the real estate market and have primarily been referring to investments of money into equities, bonds, CD’s, commodities and the like.
On the public side of things, the largest regulatory agency is the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). With the Security Exchange Act of 1934, Congress created the SEC and empowered the SEC with authority over all aspects of the securities industry including oversight of brokerage firms, transfer agents, clearing agencies as well as the self-regulatory organizations (SROs). SROs are such entities as the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASDAQ). The SEC has the power to administer disciplinary action and will prohibit certain types of conduct.
On the private side of investment are those investments not required by law to register with the SEC, which can include private companies, trusts, corporations or LLC’s, but who may wish to post their financial and significant information regarding their business as a show of “good faith†to their investors. This gives the company legitimacy, more transparency and validity for any investor they may wish to attract. In private transactions, as much information as can be gleaned before investing, including knowing the principals, the track record and seeking out satisfied investors, would be a prudent move. The more disclosure, the better it will be for your peace of mind.
How do I assess the risks of a particular investment?
As we discussed in the previous question, doing your due diligence is always advisable and educating yourself on the particular industry and investment vehicle, may turn up other areas of concern. Move forward only when you feel comfortable and confident with who and what you are dealing with. Seek out other advice from professionals as well as talking with other investors — particularly those who have specific experience with the type of investment you are considering, but remember, don’t let “one bad apple spoil the whole bunch†when it comes to soliciting investor advice. Get a broad range of facts and opinions in order to formulate the most prudent and judicial analysis.
]]>
What are some of the highest return investments that the average investor can participate in?
In trying to answer this question, one must look at the relationship between risk and reward. Typically, the higher the risk, the greater the reward and vice versa. It is not uncommon for an individual equity stock to post tremendous gains on an annualized basis — many times over 100%! One small cap stock that I am familiar with grew 1600% over the past decade. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it, but it’s not. Please keep in mind that this particular stock is an exception, not the norm. In fact, most stockholders recently have been happy to see a profit at the end of the year and are happy just to avoid a loss.
With that said, there are plenty of other offerings that provide huge upside potential with limited risk. One of these is in the physical commodities buy/sell contract arena. This particular area of commodities has been highly mischaracterized because most people and investors tend to lump these types of investments in with futures or exchange traded funds, and nothing could be further from the truth. Physical commodities buy/sell contracts are pre-arranged cash contracts that typically range anywhere from 2 weeks to a month or two in length, thus offering greater liquidity and at the same time, offering lucrative returns with limited risk. This is a relatively new arena for the average investor because it has been the arena of the very wealthy, although, now there are companies emerging that offer the average investor participation at smaller amounts than what previously required.
Do I need to “qualify†to participate in the particular investment?
Depending on the type of investment vehicle and the amount of money required to invest along with the level of risk, will dictate whether or not a person needs to be considered as an “accredited†investor. In terms of individual investors, this type of classification refers to the individual or couple’s gross annual revenue or net worth. Typically, net worth is considered “accredited†at or above ,000,000 or an individual who has an income in excess of 0,000 in each of the 2 previous years or a joint income with that person’s spouse in excess of 0,000 per year. Outside of that, the basic rule is whether or not an individual has sufficient liquidity to invest without harm and has the appetite for the given risk.
What are the minimums needed to fund the investment account?
This will vary from investment to investment. You may have a mutual fund that requires a minimum investment of 00, whereas you may be able to participate in an equity stock with as little as a few hundred dollars — it all depends.
Is there a guaranteed return on investment funds?
Outside of a CD, loan or bond, there is no guarantee of return. Anyone telling you that the return is guaranteed is, more than likely, misrepresenting the risk associated with the typical investment. With most investments, you should hear that “past performance is no guarantee of future resultsâ€.
Over what period of time are funds held in order to produce a return?
I covered this somewhat in a previous question, but the answer to this depends on the particular investment vehicle. For instance, a CD may hold funds for months or years depending on the rate of return being offered. With equity stocks, you can buy one minute and sell the next. Every investment stands on its own rules and how the vehicle works in producing a return for the investor. Certain investments with a specified time period and a projected rate of return help to minimize risk — especially long term risk, and improve liquidity. Depending on your investment objectives, a diversification of an investment portfolio is also very much advised by most in the investment arena in an effort to hedge against one area or another producing a devastating loss. It is also a good idea to rank your priorities in terms of liquidity, risk and reward. What’s most important to you will ultimately dictate the type of investment you may wish to seek.
For additonal information go to How much money do I need to start investing online or elsewhere?
With the advent of online investing, it has become very easy to open various accounts with as little as a few hundred dollars. For instance, online investing has made it easier to invest in the stock market, including equity and derivatives, along with areas that up until a few years ago, could not be accessed or utilized by the average investor — Forex (Foreign Exchange) trading for one. Now, if there’s a market out there, it is possible that market can be traded online. So, the prudent advice would be to start with what you are comfortable in investing.
What are the costs or fees associated with the particular investment?
Many investments do charge fees or subscriptions as part of their service. The question to ask yourself would be, “Is this fee or charge too detrimental to the potential profit?†In other words, am I investing enough to offset the fees or charges that are going to erode my earnings? You will need to look at your potential profit and subtract the account charges from your profit to determine your actual percentage of profit.
Once I’ve earned money, how fast can my funds be withdrawn?
This question falls under the term “liquidityâ€. With some investments, like equity stock, it is possible to buy the stock one-day and sell the next or even within hours or minutes of the purchase. This is typically referred to as “Day Tradingâ€. Keep in mind that there is also a settlement period of 3-5 days before the funds are realized. Other investments may want you to commit your funds for a period of time before the principal and profit can be extracted. If it is possible to extract funds earlier, you may be charged a penalty for doing so. For instance, if you buy a CD (Certificate of Deposit), the bank usually wants you to keep that for a specified period of time and you are rewarded with the appropriate interest depending on the length of term that you have committed to — typically, the longer the term, the greater the reward, but remember, you have diminished your liquidity. Shorter-term commitments increase your liquidity and this is something to keep in mind, particularly if you might find yourself in need of these funds at some point in the future.
What regulations are involved with the particular investment?
When talking about regulations, we must first decide in what arena the particular investment falls — public or private. For our discussion in this book, we have limited our focus to areas outside of the real estate market and have primarily been referring to investments of money into equities, bonds, CD’s, commodities and the like.
On the public side of things, the largest regulatory agency is the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). With the Security Exchange Act of 1934, Congress created the SEC and empowered the SEC with authority over all aspects of the securities industry including oversight of brokerage firms, transfer agents, clearing agencies as well as the self-regulatory organizations (SROs). SROs are such entities as the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASDAQ). The SEC has the power to administer disciplinary action and will prohibit certain types of conduct.
On the private side of investment are those investments not required by law to register with the SEC, which can include private companies, trusts, corporations or LLC’s, but who may wish to post their financial and significant information regarding their business as a show of “good faith†to their investors. This gives the company legitimacy, more transparency and validity for any investor they may wish to attract. In private transactions, as much information as can be gleaned before investing, including knowing the principals, the track record and seeking out satisfied investors, would be a prudent move. The more disclosure, the better it will be for your peace of mind.
How do I assess the risks of a particular investment?
As we discussed in the previous question, doing your due diligence is always advisable and educating yourself on the particular industry and investment vehicle, may turn up other areas of concern. Move forward only when you feel comfortable and confident with who and what you are dealing with. Seek out other advice from professionals as well as talking with other investors — particularly those who have specific experience with the type of investment you are considering, but remember, don’t let “one bad apple spoil the whole bunch†when it comes to soliciting investor advice. Get a broad range of facts and opinions in order to formulate the most prudent and judicial analysis.
What are some of the highest return investments that the average investor can participate in?
In trying to answer this question, one must look at the relationship between risk and reward. Typically, the higher the risk, the greater the reward and vice versa. It is not uncommon for an individual equity stock to post tremendous gains on an annualized basis — many times over 100%! One small cap stock that I am familiar with grew 1600% over the past decade. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it, but it’s not. Please keep in mind that this particular stock is an exception, not the norm. In fact, most stockholders recently have been happy to see a profit at the end of the year and are happy just to avoid a loss.
With that said, there are plenty of other offerings that provide huge upside potential with limited risk. One of these is in the physical commodities buy/sell contract arena. This particular area of commodities has been highly mischaracterized because most people and investors tend to lump these types of investments in with futures or exchange traded funds, and nothing could be further from the truth. Physical commodities buy/sell contracts are pre-arranged cash contracts that typically range anywhere from 2 weeks to a month or two in length, thus offering greater liquidity and at the same time, offering lucrative returns with limited risk. This is a relatively new arena for the average investor because it has been the arena of the very wealthy, although, now there are companies emerging that offer the average investor participation at smaller amounts than what previously required.
Do I need to “qualify†to participate in the particular investment?
Depending on the type of investment vehicle and the amount of money required to invest along with the level of risk, will dictate whether or not a person needs to be considered as an “accredited†investor. In terms of individual investors, this type of classification refers to the individual or couple’s gross annual revenue or net worth. Typically, net worth is considered “accredited†at or above ,000,000 or an individual who has an income in excess of 0,000 in each of the 2 previous years or a joint income with that person’s spouse in excess of 0,000 per year. Outside of that, the basic rule is whether or not an individual has sufficient liquidity to invest without harm and has the appetite for the given risk.
What are the minimums needed to fund the investment account?
This will vary from investment to investment. You may have a mutual fund that requires a minimum investment of 00, whereas you may be able to participate in an equity stock with as little as a few hundred dollars — it all depends.
Is there a guaranteed return on investment funds?
Outside of a CD, loan or bond, there is no guarantee of return. Anyone telling you that the return is guaranteed is, more than likely, misrepresenting the risk associated with the typical investment. With most investments, you should hear that “past performance is no guarantee of future resultsâ€.
Over what period of time are funds held in order to produce a return?
I covered this somewhat in a previous question, but the answer to this depends on the particular investment vehicle. For instance, a CD may hold funds for months or years depending on the rate of return being offered. With equity stocks, you can buy one minute and sell the next. Every investment stands on its own rules and how the vehicle works in producing a return for the investor. Certain investments with a specified time period and a projected rate of return help to minimize risk — especially long term risk, and improve liquidity. Depending on your investment objectives, a diversification of an investment portfolio is also very much advised by most in the investment arena in an effort to hedge against one area or another producing a devastating loss. It is also a good idea to rank your priorities in terms of liquidity, risk and reward. What’s most important to you will ultimately dictate the type of investment you may wish to seek.
For additional information go to: http://www.siteproweb.com/20-questions-lead-page
Critical Questions Investors should ask before Investing
10 Questions to ask before investing online or elsewhere
We are faced with so many investment choices today, it Is sometimes difficult to decide which investment will best serve our purpose; as well as which investments are the safest, while giving us the best bang for our buck. While not specifically indicating particular investments, I want to
give you the appropriate guidelines in determining which investment is best suited for you.
Are you happy with the current 1% – 2% a year that most financial institutions are offering? Or does a higher rate of return appeal to you? There are investment opportunities that do offer a higher rate of return with limited risk. However, there are certain guidelines you must follow to determine which of these investments are best suited for your pocketbook and your personality.
As technology has advanced today, so have new investment opportunities, with higher returns; some, obviously safer than others. While the Forex market is now available to the average investor, it is truly a high risk arena and not appropriate for most. Other avenues of investing, which have not previously been available to the average investor, offer a handsome return, with a low risk. How do you find these investments? By doing your due diligence and following these guidelines I’ve outlined below.
10 Frequently asked questions:
1. How much money do I need to start investing online or elsewhere?
2. What are the costs or fees associated with the particular investment?
3. Once I’ve earned money, how fast can my funds be withdrawn?
4. What regulations are involved with the particular investment?
5. How do I assess the risks of a particular investment?
6. What are some of the highest return investments that the average investor can participate in?
7. Do I need to participate in the particular investment?
8. What are the minimums needed to fund the investment account?
9. Is there a guaranteed return on investment funds?
10. Over what period of time are funds held in order to produce a return?
How much money do I need to start investing online or elsewhere?
With the advent of online investing, it has become very easy to open various accounts with as little as a few hundred dollars. For instance, online investing has made it easier to invest in the stock market, including equity and derivatives, along with areas that up until a few years ago, could not be accessed or utilized by the average investor – Forex (Foreign Exchange) trading for one. Now, if there a market out there, it is possible that market can be traded online. So, the prudent advice would be to start with what you are comfortable in investing.
What are the costs or fees associated with the particular investment?
Many investments do charge fees or subscriptions as part of their service. The question to ask yourself would be, “Is this fee or charge too detrimental to the potential profit? In other words, am I investing enough to offset the fees or charges that are going to erode my earnings? You will need to look at your potential profit and subtract the account charges from your profit to determine your actual percentage of profit.
Once I’ve earned money, how fast can my funds be withdrawn?
This question falls under the term “liquidity”. With some investments, like equity stock, it is possible to buy the stock one-day and sell the next or even within hours or minutes of the purchase. This is typically referred to as “Day Trading”. Keep in mind that there is also a settlement period of 3-5 days before the funds are realized. Other investments may want you to commit your funds for a period of time before the principal and profit can be extracted. If it is possible to extract funds earlier, you may be charged a penalty for doing so. For instance, if you buy a CD (Certificate of Deposit), the bank usually wants you to keep that for a specified period of time and you are rewarded with the appropriate interest depending on the length of term that you have committed to, typically, the longer the term, the greater the reward, but remember, you have diminished your liquidity. Shorter-term commitments increase your liquidity and this is something to keep in mind, particularly if you might find yourself in need of these funds at some point in the future.
]]>
What regulations are involved with the particular investment?
When talking about regulations, we must first decide in what arena the particular investment falls public or private. For our discussion in this book, we have limited our focus to areas outside of the real estate market and have primarily been referring to investments of money into equities, bonds, CDs, commodities and the like.
On the public side of things, the largest regulatory agency is the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). With the Security Exchange Act of 1934, Congress created the SEC and empowered the SEC with authority over all aspects of the securities industry including oversight of brokerage firms, transfer agents, clearing agencies as well as the self-regulatory organizations (SROs). SROs are such entities as the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASDAQ). The SEC has the power to administer disciplinary action and will prohibit certain types of conduct.
On the private side of investment are those investments not required by law to register with the SEC, which can include private companies, trusts, corporations or LLCs, but who may wish to post their financial and significant information regarding their business as a show of “good faith” to their investors. This gives the company legitimacy, more transparency and validity for any investor they may wish to attract. In private transactions, as much information as can be gleaned before investing, including knowing the principals, the track record and seeking out satisfied investors, would be a prudent move. The more disclosure, the better it will be for your peace of mind.
How do I assess the risks of a particular investment?
As we discussed in the previous question, doing your due diligence is always advisable and educating yourself on the particular industry and investment vehicle, may turn up other areas of concern. Move forward only when you feel comfortable and confident with who and what you are dealing with. Seek out other advice from professionals as well as talking with other investors particularly those who have specific experience with the type of investment you are considering, but remember, don’t let “one bad apple spoil the whole bunch” when it comes to soliciting investor advice. Get a broad range of facts and opinions in order to formulate the most prudent and judicial analysis.
What are some of the highest return investments that the average investor can participate in?
In trying to answer this question, one must look at the relationship between risk and reward. Typically, the higher the risk, the greater the reward and vice versa. It is not uncommon for an individual equity stock to post tremendous gains on an annualized basis many times over 100%! One small cap stock that I am familiar with grew 1600% over the past decade. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it, but it’s not. Please keep in mind that this particular stock is an exception, not the norm. In fact, most stockholders recently have been happy to see a profit at the end of the year and are happy just to avoid a loss.
With that said, there are plenty of other offerings that provide huge upside potential with limited risk. One of these is in the physical commodities buy/sell contract arena. This particular area of commodities has been highly mischaracterized because most people and investors tend to lump these types of investments in with futures or exchange traded funds, and nothing could be further from the truth. Physical commodities buy/sell contracts are pre-arranged cash contracts that typically range anywhere from 2 weeks to a month or two in length, thus offering greater liquidity and at the same time, offering lucrative returns with limited risk. This is a relatively new arena for the average investor because it has been the arena of the very wealthy, although, now there are companies emerging that offer the average investor participation at smaller amounts than what previously required.
Do I need to “qualify” to participate in the particular investment?
Depending on the type of investment vehicle and the amount of money required to invest along with the level of risk, will dictate whether or not a person needs to be considered as an “accredited” investor. In terms of individual investors, this type of classification refers to the individual or couple gross annual revenue or net worth. Typically, net worth is considered “accredited” at or above ,000,000 or an individual who has an income in excess of 0,000 in each of the 2 previous years or a joint income with that person’s spouse in excess of 0,000 per year. Outside of that, the basic rule is whether or not an individual has sufficient liquidity to invest without harm and has the appetite for the given risk.
What are the minimums needed to fund the investment account?
This will vary from investment to investment. You may have a mutual fund that requires a minimum investment of 00, whereas you may be able to participate in an equity stock with as little as a few hundred dollars – it all depends.
Is there a guaranteed return on investment funds?
Outside of a CD, loan or bond, there is no guarantee of return. Anyone telling you that the return is guaranteed is, more than likely, misrepresenting the risk associated with the typical investment. With most investments, you should hear that “past performance is no guarantee of future results”.
Over what period of time are funds held in order to produce a return?
I covered this somewhat in a previous question, but the answer to this depends on the particular investment vehicle. For instance, a CD may hold funds for months or years depending on the rate of return being offered. With equity stocks, you can buy one minute and sell the next. Every investment stands on its own rules and how the vehicle works in producing a return for the investor. Certain investments with a specified time period and a projected rate of return help to minimize risk especially long term risk, and improve liquidity. Depending on your investment objectives, a diversification of an investment portfolio is also very much advised by most in the investment arena in an effort to hedge against one area or another producing a devastating loss. It is also a good idea to rank your priorities in terms of liquidity, risk and reward. What’s most important to you will ultimately dictate the type of investment you may wish to seek.
For additional information go to: http://www.siteproweb.com/20-questions-lead-page
My Real Estate Wealth: Tips and Secrets of Real Estate Investing
Real estate investing is not rocket science. All it really requires is a determined individual who is willing to take the time and learn the business. Real estate investing does not require large sums of money, inside contacts, or a magic touch. All that is really necessary is knowledge and that is what you will find in the pages of this book.
Tips and Secrets for Real Estate Investing was written with the aspiring real estate entrepreneur in mind. This book is designed to provide you with a no-nonsense approach to real estate investing. Everything you read is of importance and has found its way onto these pages for a specific reason. What you will not find in this book is wordy explanations and complicated information that simply waste your time. We all know that time is money, and I am here to help you make money, not waste it.
With that said, let’s return to the original statement of this introduction, real estate investing is not rocket science. I assure you that as long as you have a will, there is a way. Sure, investing isn’t for everyone, but you are not like everyone else. You have an objective and you are searching for a way to obtain it. This factor alone separates you from the rest of the crowd. In other words, if you are reading this, it is proof that you are motivated.
In addition, it is crucial that you have the ability to make decisions. I know this sounds simple, but for some people, decision making is a difficult task. There may be times that you must make difficult decisions. If you are unable to do so, then maybe this isn’t the investment opportunity for you.
There are several traits in a person that can make investing easier. For example, it is helpful if you are organized, computer savvy, and a people person. But none of these things are required of you. Therefore, your first step toward successful real estate investing should begin by studying this book. The more you know and the better you understand the real estate market, the more likely you are to be successful in it. So, what does it take to become a successful real estate investor? Knowledge and the ability to make decisions, it is as simple as that.
Without argument, there are plenty of ways to turn a profit in today’s economy. So what makes real estate the right option? There are several answers to this question. However, for the purpose of this book, we will focus on one primary answer. Real estate investing consistently offers a better return on your money than other traditional forms of investing such as stocks, savings certificates, commodities, life insurance policies, consumer merchandise, and bonds. Property is extremely versatile. Most pieces of real estate come with a handful of options or different ways to generate a profit. Not only that, but real estate is almost always appreciating, and when it is not, you can use that to your benefit.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of disadvantages and advantages associated with investing in property. Let’s take a closer look at those factors before moving on.
As previously mentioned above, one of the major advantages that come with investing in real estate is the prospect for high yields. It is not uncommon to see a profit average of 20 percent when investing in a piece of property. In fact, depending on the market, it is possible to experience an even higher yield.
Real estate investing offers the investor the best leveraging opportunities. For example, the cash requirements are not the same as they are with other investing alternatives like stocks and bonds that require the purchaser to borrow 50 percent of the value of the securities. In real estate, it is more common to invest between 20 and 40 percent of the value of the property. Furthermore, based on the market and particular situation, it is possible to invest with as little as five percent down.
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Who doesn’t appreciate flexibility when it comes to income tax? When investing in real estate, the investor enjoys certain allowances and deductibles. Most notably, common expenses such as insurance premiums, property taxes, management fees, maintenance feeds, and other operating costs can effectively reduce your taxable income.
Not all investing opportunities are created equal. When putting money into real estate, the investor is able to appreciate a higher level of personal control than when investing in alternative options. Each purchase can be crafted to fit the current situation and property. Property can be refinanced, terms can be adjusted, and investors can rent or sell. Essentially these details are left to the investor. Therefore, the investor gets to decide when and how to move forward with the investment. Maybe it’s not a good time to sell. The investor can opt to rent instead. There are several examples, but the point is, when you invest in real estate, you reserve the right to invest and sell under your own terms as determined by what personally and economically satisfies you.
Buying real estate is usually fairly easy. Sometimes it is harder to find a sound investment, but overall there are always houses or property for sale. The downfall to real estate is you never know how liquid your asset will be. This is because the market greatly affects and is greatly affected by the overall economy. If the economy is in a slump and lenders are not approving loans, it may be harder to sell a house than say during the housing boom in and around 2006.
With that said, you don’t have to sell your property to make a return on your investment. In fact, there are several ways to earn a profit aside from selling or flipping a house. We will review these methods in full detail shortly. For now, just know that by preparing for the worst, you can overcome the challenge of unpredictable liquidity. Remember, in the long run, investing in real estate is still your best shot at a higher return on your money. You need only know what you face going into the situation.
Another primary disadvantage to real estate investing can be attributed to poor liquidity. Depending on the investment, you may be required to come up with a large amount of capital to put down. This very factor makes it difficult for consumers to purchase property and thus makes your investment hard to liquidate. The good news is I will share with you my techniques on how to avoid the need for a large amount of capital when investing. You will find this information in an upcoming chapter.
More than likely you already know that in order to make a big game, you must be willing to accept a certain amount of risk. Like all investments worth your while, real estate has some associated risk.
It is important that you take a moment and reflect on this fact. Real estate investing is not risk free. While there is potential to earn a great deal of money, there is also the chance that you will lose money.
It is for this very reason you need to educate yourself on the market and investing techniques before diving in. It is also for this reason that you need to be an accomplished decision maker. If you can’t evaluate the situation and make an educated, fast decision, your risk of failure increases.
The market is volatile and heavily dependent on numerous factors. While there are many things you can control as an investor, you have no say in the fluctuation of interest rates and how they respond to laws of supply and demand. At any given moment everything is up in the air. Risk is not be downplayed. Know it, understand it, accept it, if not, it’s time to move on.
Ask just about any landlord and he or she will tell you, it’s no easy job. When you invest in real estate, you almost always run into a situation that requires you to become personally involved with the tenant or manager. How you handle landlordism will depend primarily on your interpersonal skills and the other individuals you interact with.
Being a landlord can be time consuming and emotionally taxing. While it is possible to have pleasant relationships with your tenants, it is just as possible to have the opposite. In fact, landlording is a major deterring factor for some potential investors. It is simply too much hassle. Your feelings on this topic should be taken into consideration when looking into investing. If you have an opportunity that requires landlord duties, perhaps that is not the investment for you. Either way, always make sure to keep this in mind.
Another downfall to investing in property is the requirement for near constant management and maintenance. Investing in real estate is a busy business. You have to keep up on everyday living expenses such as the cost for a new roof, electrical repairs, plumbing expenses, etc. In order to get a sound return on your investment, you may need to enhance or upgrade your property. Management and maintenance can be a major burden, especially if you didn’t invest in a sound project.
As an investor, you may also need to hone your handyman skills. From driving nails to patching holes, your role hat will increase significantly. Most real estate investors are hands on. There presence is required for the upkeep and successful sale of the property.
In summary, real estate investing is not for the faint of heart. To become a successful investor, one must boast a certain amount of determination and take the steps needed to become educated on the topic. With the right amount of knowledge and understanding, anyone can thrive at investing.
Real estate investing is a popular form of investment because it offers a high return on the investment. In addition, investing in property is a flexible venture that leaves the investor in charge 90 percent of the time. Lastly, investors enjoy certain tax breaks associated with operating costs that help reduce their taxable income and thus reduce the amount of income tax they must pay.
Real estate investing also has a down side, most notably, there is a certain amount of risk that comes with investing in property. This is because there are factors that are out of your control including the health of the economy, interest rates, and supply and demand. Additionally investing can sometimes call for a large amount of capital. This can be difficult if you don’t have a healthy cash flow. When you invest in real estate, you may be required to personally assist with the management and maintenance of your investment. This means your hands are going to get dirty. Finally, investors often find themselves playing the role of landlord. This position requires keen interpersonal skills and patience. If you aren’t interested in interacting with tenants, landlording is not usually a good investment option.
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Understanding the most important investment concepts
It’s always good to have at least a basic foundation of fundamental investment knowledge whether you’re a beginner to investing or working with a professional financial advisor. The reason is simple: You are likely to be more comfortable in investing your money if you understand the lingo and basic principles of investing. Combining the basics with what you want to get out of your investment strategy, you will be empowered to make financial decisions yourself more confidently and also be more engaged and interactive with your financial advisor.
Below are a few basic principles that you should be able to understand and apply when you are looking to potentially invest your money or evaluate an investment opportunity. You’ll find that the most important points pertaining to investing are quite logical and require just good common sense. The first step is to make the decision to start investing. If you’ve never invested your money, you’re probably not comfortable with make any investment decisions or moves in the market because you have little or no experience. It’s always difficult to find somewhere to begin. Even if you find a trusted financial advisor, it is still worth your time to educate yourself, so you can participate in the process of investing your money and so that you may be able to ask good questions. The more you understand the reasons behind the advice you’re getting, the more comfortable you will be with the direction you’ve chosen.
Don’t be intimidated by the financial lingo
If you turn on the tv to some financial network, don’t worry that you can’t understand the financial professionals right away. A lot of what they say can actually boil down to simple financial concepts. Make sure you ask your financial advisor the questions that concern you so you become more comfortable when investing.
IRAs are containers to hold investments-they aren’t investments themselves
The first area of confusions that most new investors get confused about is around their retirement vehicles and plans that they may have. If an investor has an individual retirement accounts (IRA), a 401(k) plan from work, or any other retirement-type plan at work, you should understand the differences between all the accounts you have and the actual investments you have within those accounts. Your IRA or 401(k) is just a container that houses your investments that brings with it some tax-advantages.
Understand stocks and bonds
Almost every portfolio contains these kinds of asset classes.
If you buy a stock in a company, you are buying a share of the company’s earnings. You become a shareholder and an owner at the same time of the company. This simply means that you have equity in the company and the company’s future – ready to go up and down with the company’s ups and downs. If the company is doing well, then your shares will be doing well and increase in value. If the company is not doing well or fails, then you can lose value in your investment.
If you buy bonds, you become a creditor of the company. You are simply lending money to the company. So you don’t become a shareholder or owner of the company/bond-issuer. If the company fails, then you will lose the amount of your loan to the company. However, the risk of losing your investment to bondholder is less then the risk to owners/shareholders. The reasoning behind this is that to stay in business and have access to funds to finance future expansion or growth, the company must have a good credit rating. Furthermore, the law protects a company’s bondholders over its shareholders if the company goes bankrupt.
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Stocks are considered to be equity investments, because they give the investor an equity stake in the company, while bonds are referred to as fixed-income investments or debt instruments. A mutual fund, for instance, can invest in any number or combination of stocks and bonds.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
An important investment principle of all is not to invest all or most of your money into one investment.
Include multiple and varying types of investments in your portfolio. There are many asset classes such as stocks, bonds, precious metals, commodities, art, real estate, and so on. Cash, in fact, is also an asset class. It includes currency, cash alternatives, and money-market instruments. Individual asset classes are also broken down into more precise investments such as small company stocks, large company stocks, or bonds issued by municipalities, or bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury.
The various asset classes go up and down at different times and at different speeds. The purpose of a diversified portfolio is to mitigate the ups and downs by smoothing out the volatility in a portfolio. If some investments are losing value at some particular period, others will be increasing in value at the same time. So the overarching objective is to make sure that the gainers offset the losers, which may minimize the impact of overall losses in your portfolio from any single investment. The goal that you will have with your financial advisor is to help find the right balance between the asset classes in your portfolio given your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and investment time horizon. This process is commonly referred to as asset allocation.
As mentioned earlier, each asset class can be internally diversified further with investment options within that class. For example, if you decide to invest in a financial company, but are worried that you may lose your money by putting everything into one single company, consider making investments into other companies ( Company A, Company B, and Company C) rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. Even though diversification alone doesn’t guarantee that you will make a profit or ensure that you won’t lose value in your portfolio, it can still help you manage the amount of risk you are taking or are willing to take.
Recognize the tradeoff between an investment’s risk and return
Risk is generally looked at as the possibility of losing money from your investments. Return is looked at as the reward you receive for making the investment. Returns can be found by measuring the increase in value of your investment from your original investment principal.
There is a relationship between risk and reward in finance. If you have a low risk-tolerance, then you will take on less risk when investing, which will result in a lower possible return at any given time, relatively. The highest risk investment will offer the chance to make high returns.
Between taking on the highest risk and the lowest risk, most investors seek to find the right balance of risk and returns that he/she feels comfortable with. So, if someone advises you to get in on an investment that has a high return and it is risk-free, then it may be too good to be true.
Understand the difference between investing for growth and investing for income
Once you make the decision to invest, you may want to consider whether the objective of your portfolio is have it increase in value by growing overtime, or is it to produce a fixed income stream for you to supplement your current income, or is it maybe a combination of the two?
Based on your decision, you will either target growth oriented investments or income oriented ones. U.S. Treasury bills, for instance, provide a regular income stream for investors through regular interest payments, and the value of your initial principal tends to be more stable and secure as opposed to a bond issued by a new software company. Likewise, an equity investment in a larger company such as an IBM is generally less risky than a new company. Furthermore, IBM may provide dividends every quarter to their investors which can be used as an income stream as well. Typically, newer companies reinvest any income back into the business to make it grow. However, if a new company becomes successful, then the value of your equities in that company may grow at a much higher rate than an established company. This increase is typically referred to as capital appreciation.
Whether you are looking for growth, income, or both, your decision will fully depend on your individual financial and investment objectives and needs. And, each type may play its own part in your portfolio.
Understand the power of compounding on your investment returns
Compounding is an important investment principle. When you reinvest any dividends or other investment returns, you begin to earn returns on your past returns.
Consider a simple example of a plain bank certificate of deposit (CD) that is rolled over to a new CD including its past returns each time it matures. Interest that is earned over the lifetime of the CD becomes part of the next period’s sum on which interest is assessed on. At the beginning, when you initially invest your money compounding may seem like only a little snowball; however, as time goes by, that little snowball gets larger because of interest compounding upon interest. This helps your portfolio grow much faster.
You don’t have to go at it alone
Your Financial Advisor can give you the investment guidance that you need so that you don’t have to stop yourself from investing in the market because you feel like you don’t know enough yet. Knowing the basic financial principles, having good common sense, and having your Financial Advisor guide you along the way can help you start evaluating investment opportunities for your portfolio and help get you closer toward achieving your financial goals.