Teen-Friendly Books About Investments

Whether you like it or not, you are expected to know what you want to do for the rest of your life the minute you graduate from secondary school. It is understandable to strive for the highest paying field or job possible. However, that is not always the case.

If you were to invest money at a young age, you can build a nest that is enough to sustain a comfortable lifestyle in your adult years. This may lessen the pressure you feel when choosing a career path. To begin your investment journey, you must read books aimed at young investors.

PERSONAL MONEY MANAGEMENT

Cary Siegel put an interesting twist to money management with the book entitled: “Why Didn’t They Teach Me This in School? 99 Personal Money Management Principles to Live By”. To Siegel, proper money management in accordance to the economy is an important lesson that the youth shall know. He imparts this knowledge by dividing his lessons into 99 principles. Said principles include investing, housing, spending, debit, credit, and budgeting. I, for one, am curious why these practical life skills are not taught in today’s curriculum.

You will get a sense of how to handle the financial aspects of your life as you read along. By combining solid advice on money and adulthood, your curiosity will be widened.

COMMON SENSE INVESTING

Looking for the perfect investment book for young adults? Search no further as John Bogle’s “The Little Book of Common Sense Investing” details the fundamentals of investing! It describes a plain approach that anyone can implement to achieve above average returns.

For people who are risk-takers, his methods may seem too simple. Consider studying further. After all, Warren Buffett included this book on his recommended reading list.

THE WARREN BUFFETT WAY

There is a reason why Warren Buffett’s name cannot be erased in the list of legendary investors. You see, he adapted his own investing style that lasted throughout the years.
It goes without saying, his results have been extraordinary!

His strategy was encapsulated in a book entitled “The Warren Buffett Way”. This books highlights how he invested in the past and in the present. For the young adult who wants to invest in businesses, the insight into Buffett’s thought process is of tremendous value.

MAKE MORE MONEY THAN YOUR PARENTS

Before Christmastime, a financial book from The Motley Fool entertainment was released to serve as the perfect Christmas gift for young adults. First and foremost, The Motley Fool is a “multimedia financial services company that has made investing fun and easy for millions of people since it was founded in 1993”. It aims to share information on how to efficiently manage your money.

David Gardner’s “The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens: 8 Steps to Having More Money Than Your Parents Ever Dreamed Of” is not as funny as it sounds. It is a piece of literature that gives you a guide to outperform your parents’ current professional success. It provides teens with a road map for sketching a financial journey from investing to saving or from budgeting to spending. Ultimately, it reminds the youth that every money spent is an investment. You have to make it count!

Image Credits: pixabay.com

The books listed above offer practical and understandable suggestions, solutions, and hacks about finance. I hope that these books may serve as an inspiration when you start your investment journey. Good luck!

Sources: 1 & 2

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4 Things You Should Not Do When Investing in P2P Lending (Plus One Thing You Should Do!)

Many investors may find investment in Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending attractive due to its potential benefits, such as higher returns and shorter tenors. The barrier to entry is also one of the lowest amongst all types of investments, from just $20.

Read about the 4 things to expect when you invest in P2P lending and also the 5 reasons to start investing in P2P lending.

First-time investors who are not yet familiar with the details of P2P lending may be hesitant to start this investment. We have compiled a list of 4 things you should look out for when investing with P2P platforms to help you avoid common mistakes made by first-time investors.

1. Investing only in loans with high returns

Investors may often be incentivised to participate in P2P investments due to the high returns they potentially provide. To receive greater returns, some investors may end up only picking loans with higher interest rates. However, interest rates are priced based on the credit risk and higher interest rates are an indication of higher risks. Interest rates should not be the only determining factor for investing in a loan. As an investor, you would be better off diversifying you investments across loans with varying interest rates.

2. Not diversifying your investments

In any type of investment, it’s crucial to diversify your portfolio so that you won’t end up putting all your eggs in one basket. When you concentrate your investments and don’t diversify them, your portfolio may go south quickly if there are non-performing loans.

Expanding on the first point, a balanced mix of high and low interest rates is a way to diversify your investments. Additionally, you can also invest across different SMEs, industries, products, loan tenors as well as investment amounts.

An easy way to diversify on Funding Societies’ platform is to set up Auto Invest. The Auto Invest bots can be customised based on your investment preferences. That said, you have the flexibility to opt out of loans in which you are not interested before the crowdfunding starts.

Secondly, you can diversify across different types of investment assets that align with your investment risk profile. This can include savings, insurances and the traditional investment vehicles such as bonds and stocks.

3. Withdrawing returns when you receive them

It may be tempting to withdraw your returns once you receive them. However, experienced P2P investors typically don’t do that to potentially benefit from the compounding effect from re-investments. You can re-invest your monthly repayments to potentially receive a higher compounded interest. Your returns (in the form of interests) also start to form part of your capital which you can utilise to re-invest in upcoming loans.

By leaving the repayments in your account, you are ensured that you have funds which can be readily invested when opportunities arise, even without pumping in fresh funds.

4. Not being familiar with P2P lending platforms & the details

While the concept of P2P lending is not difficult to understand, it is important to equip yourself with knowledge of the P2P lending platforms that you wish to invest with. Investing with a stable and responsible P2P lending platform will help you minimise unnecessary risks and inconveniences. Ensure (and expect!) that the platform is responsive, transparent in its processes and stable to carry out its operations and duties for investors.

A good platform to consider is Funding Societies, the largest P2P lending platform in Southeast Asia that holds the Capital Markets Service Licence issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). As of March 2019, it has crowdfunded more than $450 million in the region across more than 300,000 loans. This statistic also reflects the number of opportunities for investors.

Understanding the details of each investment will also allow you to make informed investment decisions. At Funding Societies, a loan fact sheet will be provided on every investment opportunity. It contains details of the loan, its repayment schedule, a summary of the company and guarantors, the company’s financials, and comments from Funding Societies’ very own credit team.

What’s the ONE thing you should do?

Seriously consider P2P lending as part of your investment portfolio! 😀

P2P loans are a form of alternative investments that hold many benefits, especially for new investors that would like to start small or with experienced investors looking to diversify their portfolio. An investment with Funding Societies starts from just $20.

By watching out for these 4 listed things that you should not do when investing on P2P lending, we hope that you’ll be able to have a smooth and successful P2P investment journey!

Ready to start your P2P investment journey? Sign up with Funding Societies today, or live chat with their Customer Experience team to understand this investment better.

Disclaimers

This article is contributed by Funding Societies and is adopted from this blog article.

It should not be construed that Moneydigest is endorsing this article or any of the products and services provided by Funding Societies.

Nothing in this article should be construed as constitute or form a recommendation, financial advice, or an offer, invitation or solicitation from Funding Societies to buy or subscribe for any securities and/or investment products. The content and materials made available are for informational purposes only and should not be relied on without obtaining the necessary independent financial or other advice in connection therewith before making an investment or other decision as may be appropriate.

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Investing in Antiques & Collectibles

Hard assets, such as art, antiques & collectibles, as a form of investment alternative?

Well, perhaps these could be the following reasons.

Assets of such, often retain their value as inflation rises, and they can also provide balance to other asset classes that suffer more from rising costs.

Collectibles include everything from high-priced antiques, gems, works of art and many others.

1) What makes collectibles valuable?

Some collectibles are valuable because they are creations born of talent, skill and workmanship.

For instance, Chinese Porcelains. Each item is inherently unique, and its value may be specific to that individual item. These types of collectibles tend to hold their value over time, generally keeping pace with inflation. Many also have the potential to appreciate in value. The value of these types of collectibles depends on many factors as well. The age of the item, rarity, craftmanship and its current popularity among collectors may all be factors in determining its value.

2) Why invest in Antiques & Collectibles?

Some but not all, increases in value, though they tend to appreciate slowly over a number of years. Another attributing factor, “The new high will always be higher”, which is why we oftenly see these items setting new records high with auction houses around the world. Collectibles, however, can act as a hedge against inflation too. This is why many investors are sometimes tempted to add them to their portfolios.

3) Upsides

As an investment, There are a number of unique upsides which you cannot replicate with anything else.

Tangible assets:

Collectibles are not influenced by inflation or interest rate headwinds.

Low-correlation to the stock market:

Collectible markets rarely move in tandem with the economy.

Growing rarity:

It is all about supply and demand.

And over time, A good piece of work, become scarce when that particular item is no longer trading in an open market.

Personal control:

You hold on to the assets; you don’t have to worry about anything like an investment bank run, or being scrutinized into a virtual world with no physical ability to control and manage. And If you’re one lucky collector with ability to capitalize on arbitrage situations, you’re against all odds.

For more information, please contact iTreasures Capital via the following channels:
Website: www.itreasures-capital.com
Email: [email protected]
Enquiry: +65 6988-6602 (9am – 5.30pm, Monday – Friday)
FaceBook: www.facebook.com/itreasurescapital

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4 things to expect when you invest in P2P lending

Peer-to-peer lending, or P2P lending, utilizes technology and big data to connect investors and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking for business funding. To investors, it provides them with an opportunity to earn passive income by financing business loans for SMEs.

In Southeast Asia, P2P lending has witnessed significant growth in recent years, led predominantly by Singapore. To date, around 60 platforms are currently operating in the online lending and crowdfunding space, which have become an increasingly popular alternative investment option.

If you’re wondering how you can take part in investing with P2P lending, Funding Societies would be a great place to explore. As of January 2019, Funding Societies has onboarded more than 85,000 investors across Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia and provided more than S$350 million worth of investment opportunities in crowdfunded loans.

Here are four things you can expect when investing in P2P lending through Funding Societies.

1 / Investments with short tenors

Funding Societies offers three investment products: Business Term Loan, Invoice Financing, and Property-Backed Secured Loan. Business Term Loan allows you to make investments by financing SME loans with tenors ranging from 1-12 months. In return, you will receive monthly repayments of principal and interests. You can maximize your returns by reinvesting your repayments to new loans.

Meanwhile, with Invoice Financing, SMEs would be able to cash out by pledging their invoices to Funding Societies. Invoice Financing has a shorter tenor, which generally lasts for only 30-120 days with a one-time repayment of principal and interest at the end of the tenor.

With Property-Backed Secured Loan, investments are secured by a property (residential, industrial, or commercial). Different from the other products, Property-backed Secured Loans offer security in the form of property as a collateral, and is a good option to add diversification to your investment portfolio.

2 / Potential returns up to 14% p.a.

As an investor, the returns you get from your P2P lending investments come in the form of interests paid by SMEs.

Given that P2P loans are generally more flexible in its tenor and SMEs that get financing from Funding Societies have shorter or imperfect operational track records, interest rates are determined accordingly based on risk, in the range of 8-18% p.a.. Higher risks typically come with higher returns, so investors should invest based on their appetite for risk.

3 / Regular updates from the platform

Expect to get regular updates from Funding Societies as an investor on the platform! With every important event or update, the platform sends alerts via email or in-app notifications so that investors are constantly kept up to date with us.

For instance, whenever there is an upcoming loan for crowdfunding, investors will receive an email notification. In the event of late repayment or if there’s an update for specific loans, Funding Societies will also communicate in the quickest and most transparent way. So make sure you switch on your app notifications for any important alerts!

If you need any further clarifications, Miyu, Funding Societies’ very own chatbot, and our customer experience (CX) team will be happy to answer all of your questions via live chat. Or call us at 62210958 to have a quick chat with our team.

4 / Well-designed User Interface (UI)

Invest with Funding Societies – User Interface

Funding Societies Mobile App – Dashboard

Investors should be able to review their portfolios easily. That’s why Funding Societies has improved its website and mobile app to provide details of your investment portfolio in a clear and concise manner.

As an investor, you can review your portfolio, change your auto-invest settings, crowdfund a loan, and even use the live chat feature — all in one mobile app! It’s so simple, convenient and efficient, which is why 80% of Funding Societies’ investors are investing on the go.

Got more questions? Ask Funding Societies on 24 January 2019!

Funding Societies is hosting an investor event on 24 January 2019 evening to share more details and insights of how P2P lending works on its platform. You’ll also be able to meet the team and get to ask them all the questions.

  • Date: 24 January 2019, Thursday
  • Time: 6.30pm – 9pm
  • Venue: Lowercase Cafe @ 1 McNally Street (Rochor MRT)

Sign up for the event here.

This article is adapted from this article which first appeared on Funding Societies’ blog.

Disclaimers:

This article is contributed by Funding Societies.

It should not be construed that Moneydigest is endorsing this article or any of the products and services provided by Funding Societies.

Nothing in this article should be construed as constitute or form a recommendation, financial advice, or an offer, invitation or solicitation from Funding Societies to buy or subscribe for any securities and/or investment products. The content and materials made available are for informational purposes only and should not be relied on without obtaining the necessary independent financial or other advice in connection therewith before making an investment or other decision as may be appropriate.

 

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5 Things You Need to Know Before Investing In A Property

A property for the purpose of investment is always good to have; it is especially beneficial if you are the type of person who loves to take advantage of the ever-growing real estate market. There are countless reasons why more people are starting to invest in properties, but it’s mostly due to the fact that property investments are income avenues that only require minimal effort.

But before you even consider embarking on this journey, it is important to understand first what it is all about. Here are things you need to keep in mind before investing in a property.

  1. Consider Flipping Your Investment

Before you invest in a property, it’s best to know all the possible options you have to maximize your earning potential. One of the most common ways of making a profit is by flipping your investment.

Most property owners tend to spend a good amount of time and money performing renovations on unappealing buildings or homes. The idea is to increase the curb appeal and overall value of the property.

In real estate, flipping refers to buying an asset with the intent of selling it as soon as possible. Basically, you’ll sell the property for a quick profit instead of waiting for its value to appreciate over time.

Flipping is beneficial if you are looking to make profit fast. It also serves as a learning experience, particularly in home improvement and construction.

  1. Take the Extra Costs into Consideration

Maybe you’re looking for a longer investment and instead of flipping, you’re going to try your hand at renting. There are several factors involved once you decide to rent out space to tenants. These expenses could be the following:

  • Repairs
  • Maintenance
  • Utilities
  • Insurance
  • Taxes

Aside from that, you will have to anticipate the possibility of footing extra bills for the property or space if you do not get a tenant right away.

  1. Understand Your Purpose

Just like any form of investment, an investment property is not something you should decide on overnight. You have to know and understand exactly what your reason behind it is. You might want to consider the following:

  • Are you looking for a way to make quick cash?
  • Do you see it as a means to move forward with an investment in the long haul?
  • Do you have plans for improving the property?
  • Do you want to have it rented out to tenants or sell it for a bigger profit?

If you do not have concrete knowledge why you are investing in a property, you should not be doing it in the first place.

  1. Know the Market Status

Once you understand and decide to invest in a property, the very next thing you need to do is research about the market. This is important because it’ll give you an idea of what to expect when investing in a property.

Basically, there are numerous factors that could help determine whether or not today is the perfect time to invest. When investing in a property, you want to buy low in order to sell high. It is really simple actually. You do not want to buy a property that would disable you from selling it for a better price. To put it simply, you want to know what exactly you are getting from this property when you put it out on the market. Is it only good for renting or does it have better chances of selling? Would it be profitable if you make renovations first before putting it out on the market?

  1. Know About The Neighborhood

Another crucial factor you need to consider before investing in a property is its location. Most buyers prefer houses that are located in ideal areas.

For instance, a property situated near hospitals, schools, police stations, and supermarkets, is likely to be sold faster because of its convenience. On the other hand, a house located in an area with difficult access to necessary establishments might make it hard to attract buyers.

It is also essential to consider the neighborhood. You might want to check the following:

  • Is the place peaceful?
  • What is the crime rate in that particular area?
  • What is the level of security in the neighborhood?
  • Is the neighborhood too crowded?

Conclusion

Investing in property is clearly an interesting journey to take and there are benefits to doing so. However, it is something that you need to heavily consider since you want to make sure it does not leave you and your family in debt. If you want to benefit from this great opportunity, think about all of the aforementioned considerations carefully. Visit https://SolidIncome.NET for all your property investment needs.

 

 

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