What You Need to Know Before Investing in ETFs
Business Finance

What You Need to Know Before Investing in ETFs

- by Teresa Wilson

Are you tempted to get in on the current trend of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) but need to learn how they work? Investing in ETFs can be an effective way to diversify your portfolio and achieve long-term financial goals. Still, there are a few things every investor should understand before taking the plunge.

In this article, we’ll discuss the basics of ETFs so you know what to expect when making such an investment. We’ll also cover some potential pitfalls associated with investing in ETFs and provide tips for those looking to start building their portfolio with them. Whether you are a new or experienced investor, understanding these topics is essential for maximising potential returns while minimising the risks of buying ETFs. Let’s dive deeper.

Understand what an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is and how it works

Exchange Traded Funds, commonly called ETFs, are investment funds traded on stock exchanges like stocks. Unlike mutual funds, ETFs can be bought and sold throughout the day at market prices. Essentially, an ETF owns several assets, like stocks or bonds, and divides ownership of those assets into shares, which are traded on an exchange. ETFs are a cost-effective and easy-to-use investment vehicle, allowing investors to diversify instantly without needing significant minimum investments.

Additionally, ETFs offer a wide range of investment strategies, which can be tailored to suit the individual requirements of investors. By understanding how ETFs work and their advantages, investors can make well-informed investment decisions that align with their investment goals. A Saxo …

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Questions to Ask Your Web Developer
Business News

Questions to Ask Your Web Developer

- by Teresa Wilson

As a business owner, you know that your website is one of the first things potential customers see about your business. It has to be professional, clean, and easy to navigate. But with so many different website design options out there, how do you know what’s right for you? Understanding the pros and cons of each type of site is a great place to start. You want to make sure that your web developer understands your business and its needs. The more you understand about their services before signing an agreement, the better off you will be. Ask these questions before hiring a web developer. 

What is your process for determining site requirements? 

The first step in creating a website is to understand your needs, which will help your web developer know what to build for you. You might have a specific page layout in mind or have an idea for a new feature that you would like to incorporate into your site. It’s important to share these ideas with your developer to make sure that the site that gets built is what you need. Ask about how the web developer will determine your site requirements. Find out how the team will make sure that your site gets the right content, looks good, and has the right functionality. Ideally, the web developer will work with you to come up with a detailed site map to outline how your pages should look and flow to make sure that your site is …

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Yield Crowd Review
Financing

Yield Crowd Review

- by Teresa Wilson

Yield Crowd is a portal to buy U.S. real estate tokenized as YIELD on the stellar blockchain.

Yield Crowd, lauded as one of the top real estate token platforms just one year after its inception in 2021, has successfully tokenized $50 million of assets for its platform as YIELD tokens, currently traded on the Stellar blockchain at yieldcrowd.com

This represents one of the largest Tokenizations by a U.S. real estate company, and Amariah Olson, Yield Crowd’s Founder, seeks to “connect the US commercial real estate market worth over 17 trillion to the millions of oversees investors via a high tech blockchain offering.”

Yield Crowd maintains its transparency by working alongside professional real estate firms and brokerage companies, such as Arbor Commercial, Colliers, Marcus & Millichap, making investment opportunities more available to the global investor base. Since its launch in 2021, it has now exceeded the $50 million mark of the total value of properties backing its YIELD token.

“It’s very exciting that now with blockchain technology, companies can essentially bypass the wall-street stock exchange listing model, and list shares or bonds directly to the blockchain itself, where buyers and sellers can find eachother in a peer to peer network.”

Yield Crowd is currently open to non-U.S. investors. The exclusion of non-US investors is in a bid to remain compliant with U.S. regulators. Olson believes that, with the financial backing of their private real estate company Olson Capital Investments, thousands of non-U.S. investors will have easier and more transparent ways to

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5 Types of Direct Marketing
Marketing

5 Types of Direct Marketing

- by Teresa Wilson

Direct marketing is a form of marketing that engages directly with the customer as opposed to marketing through and advertising middle-man and marketing to the masses. The core concept of direct marketing is aiming marketing efforts towards a targeted audience that may have an interest in purchasing the company’s products and/or services. A 2019 study determined that direct marketing has a 29% return on investment.

There are several different types of direct marketing, but this article will focus on the top five most used and most successful strategies. 

Direct mail

Direct mail is a more personalized approach that is both versatile and flexible. The business can direct the mail to a home or business address and personalize the mail, as well as scale up or down on efforts. It is relatively inexpensive but has been proven to be very effective. Examples include:

Direct selling

This approach involves directly going to each customer’s place of residence to introduce a product and/or service. It is a cost-effective method of informing the client of the benefits of the product, any promotions, as well as addressing any questions the client may have.

Social media marketing

Social media marketing is an excellent method of reaching new clients. Plus, it’s free. There are a variety of social media platforms that can be used to promote products/ services and advertise special offers. 

Email marketing

A business can promote its products by sending out emails directly to customers. Customers have the option …

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How To Build an Emergency Fund
Personal Finance

How To Build an Emergency Fund

- by Teresa Wilson

Everyone knows that it’s important to have a solid monthly budget. Unexpected expenses can easily derail it, though, if you’re not careful. To protect your finances, you need savings that you can dip into when sudden issues arise. Here are some tips for building a functional emergency fund.

Set Reasonable Goals

Start with your existing budget. If you already have a savings plan built into it, consider reallocating part of that monthly commitment to a separate savings account. That way, you keep the money you’re saving for planned extra expenses such as vacations or gifts separate from your emergency fund. Divide all your expenses into essential and nonessential categories. This can reveal more money available to build up your emergency fund more quickly. Eventually, it’s a good idea to have the equivalent of at least three months’ salary saved up. If the emergency forces you to take a sabbatical from work, you are prepared. 

Divide Into Monthly Plan

Every time you set a long-term goal, you also need to outline the short-term benchmarks that will get you there. If, for example, you want to build a $15,000 emergency fund within the next two years, you need to plan to save at least $625 a month. Putting a little extra in the account will get you there faster, of course, as will choosing a savings account with interest. It’s best to plan as if you cannot rely on these factors, though. Divide the total you want to save by the …

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