Category: Investments

Credit Cards: How to Make Balance Transfers Work For You

Is it too late to buy Bitcoin?

My aim with each blog post is to help you move to a better financial future. I believe that there is not enough financial education in the national curriculum and I intend to share anything helpful that I have learned along the way. I am by no means a financial expert. None of the information on this website constitutes financial advice and is provided as general information only. This is my personal finance blog; my marketing blog is over here and I have been blogging there since 2010. I hope you have found this information useful. Thank you for reading.

Best regards,

Mike

What is Staking ?

This post may contain affiliate links please read our disclosure for more info. This video was first published on you can subscribe to my channel here http://bit.ly/1BuKsoM

Staking in Crypto

If you review the interest rates offered by traditional bank accounts and building societies in the United Kingdom, you will quickly realise that the interest rates offered are not keeping pace with inflation. At the time of writing, Inflation is at 9% in the UK, the highest level for 40 years.

Within Crypto, there is a way to earn interest on the Crypto that you hold and that is called Staking. The rates on offer are typically much higher than you will be offered at a high street bank and therefore more attractive. In this video, I answer the questions, what is staking? and how do you Stake Crypto? This is helpful for those who are relatively new to the Crypto sector. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. At this point, it is customary for me to remind you that I am not a financial adviser and this is not financial advice.

I believe that with Cryptocurrency regular people have the opportunity to change their financial future within a 3 -5 year timespan. That is why I am so passionate about the sector.

Next Steps

Have you staked any Crypto yet? Let me know in the comments section below.

Also, get in touch if you would like my help. My email address is mike@learnmoney.io

You can also earn interest on the Crypto you hold from BlockFi.

Visit https://blockfi.com/mikepitt to get started.

If you have enjoyed this post you will also like the following posts:

How to buy Crypto

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Is it too late to buy Bitcoin?

Best regards,

Mike

Are Market Crashes inevitable with Crypto?

This post may contain affiliate links please read our disclosure for more info. This video was first published on you can subscribe to my channel here http://bit.ly/1BuKsoM

Market Crashes

If you are considering investing in the cryptocurrency sector one variable that you will have to come to terms with quickly is market volatility. Investing in Crypto is rarely a set it and forget it process, there are a lot of benefits to staying up to date with geopolitical developments and market trends. I discuss the most significant market crashes in Crypto history and offer an explanation and strategy that you can profit from. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. At this point, it is customary for me to remind you that I am not a financial adviser and this is not financial advice.

I believe that with Cryptocurrency regular people have the opportunity to change their financial future within a 3 -5 year timespan. That is why I am so passionate about the sector.

Next Steps

Have you changed how you approach investing in cryptocurrencies? Let me know in the comments section below.

Also, get in touch if you would like my help. My email address is mike@learnmoney.io

If you have enjoyed this post you will also like the following posts:

How to buy Crypto

Credit Cards: How to Make Balance Transfers Work For You

Best regards,

Mike

Is it too late to buy Bitcoin?

This post may contain affiliate links please read our disclosure for more info. This video was first published on my YouTube channel; you can subscribe to my channel here http://bit.ly/1BuKsoM

Buy Bitcoin

When I talk with people new to the cryptocurrency space one of the first questions they ask is, Is it too late to buy Bitcoin? We have all seen news footage of the Cryptocurrency ‘Early Adopters’ who bought hundreds of bitcoins for twenty dollars and now have millions of dollars. In this video, I answer that question and give my rationale. At this point, it is customary for me to remind you that I am not a financial adviser and this is not financial advice.

It is really interesting to visit Coinmarketcap and compare the values of cryptocurrencies now in 2022 with their values in 2017 and 2018. There are clear winners and losers, a topic that I will address in another post.

Next Steps

Have you changed how you approach investing in cryptocurrencies? Let me know in the comments section below.

Also, get in touch if you would like my help. My email address is mike@learnmoney.io

If you have enjoyed this post you will also like the following posts:

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Credit Cards: How to Make Balance Transfers Work For You

Best regards,

Mike

How to Buy Crypto

This post may contain affiliate links please read our disclosure for more info. This video was first published on my YouTube channel; you can subscribe to my channel here http://bit.ly/1BuKsoM .

Buying Cryptocurrency

A few months in the cryptocurrency industry is like a few years in the regular world. What was reasonable for me to to recommend a year ago is no longer my recommendation. When it comes to buying cryptocurrency, my recommendation now is to use for the reasons that I explain in this video. At this point, it is customary for me to remind you that I am not a financial adviser and this is not financial advice. That said, I no longer use Coinbase to make any Cryptocurrency purchases.

Next Steps

Have you changed how you approach investing in cryptocurrencies? Let me know in the comments section below.

Also, get in touch if you would like my help. My email address is mike@learnmoney.io

If you have enjoyed this post you will also like the following posts:

Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Course – Review

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Best regards,

Mike

Invest in Bitcoin and Receive Some Free Bitcoin

This post may contain affiliate links please read our disclosure for more info.

Image credit: https://smartereum.com/

In July 2018, I wrote this post, Has the Cryptocurrency Bubble Burst? If you have not read it, please read that post and then come back here. At the time I wrote the post bitcoin had been to $17,000 but was down to $6,600. Today as I am writing the price of bitcoin is $53,884 which represents a 316.96% increase on the $17,000 figure. Even to the casual observer it is clear that the growth trajectory is upwards for bitcoin. Large financial institutions have completed their due diligence on bitcoin and decided that it is here to say. Elon Musk has even got in on the act.

How to Buy Bitcoin

It appears that investing in bitcoin is a good financial move. Please remember none of the information on this website constitutes financial advice and is provided as general information only.

Do your own research and if you want to buy bitcoin, Coinbase is a relatively safe place to start. You can here and because I referred you, when you sign up and buy or sell $100 of bitcoin or more, we’ll both earn $10 of free bitcoin!

Have you bought any cryptocurrencies? What has been your experience? Let me know in the comments section below.

If you have enjoyed this post you will also like the following posts:

Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Course – Review

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What is Ethical Investing?

Also, get in touch if you would like my help. My email address is mike@learnmoney.io

Best regards,

Mike

Is Forex Trading Hard to do?

This post may contain affiliate links please read our disclosure for more info.

What is Forex Trading?

If you have travelled abroad on holiday or a business trip you may have needed to buy some foreign currency to use at your destination. More than likely you will have used your home currency to buy currency for your destination country. Foreign Currency exchange or Forex trading as it is more commonly known is based on this buying and selling of currency pairs, the currency pair being the two currencies that you wish to exchange. Through the buying and selling of currencies at opportune moments it is possible to make a profit. Fundamentally Forex trading is quite easy to understand but that does not mean it’s easy to do profitably.

If you want to start Forex trading the first step would be to find a reputable broker. This article lists the top 25 Forex brokers in the UK ranked by their trust score.

Is Forex Trading Hard?

The majority of Forex traders are not making a profit and this is because of a number of reasons including; a lack of understanding of the complexities of international currency markets, a reluctance to exit a bad trade in the hope that it turns around, poor risk assessment and management, allowing greed to take over and emotionally driven trading. If you are to avoid becoming another failed Forex trader, I recommend the following steps:

*Start trading with a practice account before using any real money.

*Keep a record of all yout trades as you build up your experience.

*Understand the importance of setting up stop loss orders and apply them to your trading procedures.

*When you start, pick currency pairs that are familiar to you.

Create a daily routine that is conducive to good trading practices, sleep, exercise and nutritious food are likely to lead to better trading decisions.

In answer to the question in this post’s title, Forex trading is not hard to do but it is hard to do well. Beware of ‘Fake Gurus’ oversimplifying Forex or offering you a foolproof trading system because it is likely that they are only being successful by selling their ‘system’ rather actual trading success in currency markets.

Next Steps

Are you interested in Trading Forex ? Have you started already? Let me know in the comments section below. Also, get in touch if you would like my help. My email address is mike@learnmoney.io

If you have enjoyed this post you will also like the following posts:

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What is Ethical Investing?

Best regards,

Mike

Image credit: pexels.com

How to get Started with Index Fund Investing

This post may contain affiliate links please read our disclosure for more info.

Regular readers of this website will remember this post that I wrote, Investments: Why Saving is not Enough . You cannot simply save your way to financial freedom, if you are to be successful and achieve your financial goals, you will need to grow your finances exponentially. In today’s post I want to return to investment as a topic and discuss one particular type of investment namely Index Fund Investing.

What is an Index Fund?

An index fund is a type of mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) with a portfolio constructed to match or track the components of a financial market index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500) in the United States or the FTSE 100 in the United Kingdom.

What are the Benefits of Index Fund Investing?

Lower Risk

If you were to invest directly in a company via stocks or shares your level of risk is quite high. The company’s fortunes could change for the worse and your investment could literally be worth nothing through no fault of your own. An index fund lowers your risk considerably by investing your money in the top performing companies in a particular financial market. If one company underperforms, they will drop out of the index and be replaced by another. Your investment is likely to benefit from the good performance of the best companies within the index.

Low Operating Costs

Compared to other investment vehicles, Index Funds have relatively low operating costs that manifest themselves in terms of fees for individual investors.

Investment Performance

The primary investment objective for an index fund is to match the risk and return of the market. When investing for the long term, the market will usually outperform any one single investment. This is why index fund investing is an excellent approach for retirement accounts.

How to Get Started with Index Funds

You can invest in an Index Fund via a brokerage account or directly via a mutual fund company. If you are relatively new to investing, a visit to an independent financial adviser would be a sensible first step.

To review some of the best performing index funds click here and remember that past performance is no guarantee of future performance.

Next Steps

Are you interested in index fund investing ? Have you invested in one already? Let me know in the comments section below. Also, get in touch if you would like my help. My email address is mike@learnmoney.io

If you have enjoyed this post you will also like the following posts:

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What is Ethical Investing?

Best regards,

Mike

Image credit: pexels.com

How to Invest in Property without a Large Deposit

This post may contain affiliate links please read our disclosure for more info.

Wherever you are in the world, investing in property, or Real Estate as it is called in the United States, remains one of the most prudent investments an individual can make. Once you have invested in property, you have the opportunity to benefit from capital appreciation (the value of the property going up over time) and rental income.

In the United Kingdom the total value of the UK’s housing stock hit £7.39 trillion* in 2019, a new record high. The traditional way into property ownership is to save a large deposit and secure a residential mortgage. In terms of a deposit, ten percent of the purchase price is a typical requirement by mortgage lenders. In London, this often amounts to tens of thousands of pounds. What if you haven’t got a large deposit? Does this mean that you will not be able to invest in property? No, it does not. Keep reading to discover alternative ways to invest in property.

Property Crowdfunding

As the name suggests, property crowdfunding is when many individual investors come together via an online investment platform to purchase a property together. There may be several hundred investors for one property. The amount of money required is significantly lower than if you were trying to purchase the property yourself. A few thousand or in some cases a few hundred will secure your stake in a property and you must commit to specific time period, this could be five years. After that time you are free to exit the investment and liquidate your profits or reinvest into another property.

In the interests of balance I must point out that when you invest in a property via a crowdfunding site like Property Mouse or Property Partner you have little control over your investment once you have committed to it. Also, the reviews of both websites are mixed so my advice would be to do your due diligence before investing. If you live outside of the United Kingdom, there may be similar websites in your country.

Joint Venture Partnership

A Joint Venture partnership in the property market is when two individuals formally agree to work together and create an agreement clarifying each other’s role in the partnership. A person who finds below market value properties and presents them to a property investor could be covered by this sort of agreement. In that scenario the person who finds the properties (property sourcer) requires no funds but will be compensated for each successful property deal they present to the investor. Please note, that sourcing below market value properties for property investors is very competitive work. Be prepared to devote considerable time to it if this is your planned route to property market.

Property investment Funds REIT

Investing in property via a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) may be the most comfortable way of investing in property for many who lack a large deposit. A REIT is property investment company listed on the stock exchange. The company manages commercial properties, residential properties or both types for its shareholders. When you invest, you buy shares in the REIT. If the compnay does well you will receive a share of the profits. Please note, the value of your investment can go down as well as up.

These are just three options for investing in property without a large deposit, if you are serious please remember to do your due diligence. Also consider property bonds and property unit trusts.

Next Steps

Are you interested in investing in property? ethical investments? Will your next investment be property related? Let me know in the comments section below. Also, get in touch if you would like my help. My email address is mike@learnmoney.io

If you have enjoyed this post you will also like the following posts:

How to get Brand Deals as a Micro Influencer

Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Course – Review

Credit Cards: How to Make Balance Transfers Work For You

Best regards,

Mike

Image credit: pexels.com

*Source – https://www.savills.co.uk/insight-and-opinion/savills-news/294601/uk-housing-stock-now-worth-a-record

What is Ethical Investing ?

This post may contain affiliate links please read our disclosure for more info.

Ethical Investing

Ethical investing is an approach to investing where the investor filters potential investments according to their own values and moral principles. For example, it would be entirely understandable for someone to decide that they do not want to invest in companies that manufacture missiles or tobacco.

The earliest recorded instance of ethical investing in America was the 18th century Quakers who banned their members from spending their time or money in the slave trade. Indeed, historically religion was often a motivation for ethical investment. Today, in addition to religious motivations for ethical investing there there are also concerns for environmental issues, racial equality, gender equity and inclusion.

Do Ethical Investments Perform Well?

There is absolutely no guarantee that ethical investments will perform well over any time period or when compared to index funds. A prudent approach would be select firstly based on your values and then once you have done so assess all of these with performance based criteria. An investment portfolio comprised exclusively of ethical investments will look very different to one focused solely on maximising potential returns for an investor. In practice, ethical investing requires a lot of research, you must go deeper than the corporate brochures and mission statements to discover whether a company’s actions match their words. Unfortunately lots of companies claim to be more ethical than they really are.

If you are interested in investigating ethical investment funds in the United Kingdom, check out this resource. It’s a great starting point for building an ethical investment portfolio. Please remember that this information does not constitute financial advice.

Next Steps

Are you interested in ethical investments? Will your next investment be an ethical one? Let me know in the comments section below. Also, get in touch if you would like my help. My email address is mike@learnmoney.io

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