It has been said that the only thing human beings can truly cling to is memory. Memories are what keep families close. They are what keep legacies alive long after those who created the memories have passed on. If you believe in the power of memories to bond families together, do you also agree that they are more important than stuff?

We Americans have been raised on consumerism. Most of us continue pursuing consumerism throughout our entire adult lives. Yet consumerism has its drawbacks. Among them is the fact that it tends to produce physical possessions that, in and of themselves, have no real value beyond monetary price.

All of this is to say that memories are more valuable than things. Best of all, focusing on making memories does not have to be expensive. Low-cost activities can be just as satisfying. It is all about spending quality time together, enjoying one another’s company along with some shared activities.

Time Passes Forever

Those who have mastered the art of making long-lasting memories have also mastered the reality that time is fleeting. They understand that, unlike money, time is irreplaceable. Once it passes, time is gone forever. There is no getting it back. So what does it matter if you spend 40 years working as hard as you can so that you have physical wealth to pass on to children and grandchildren?

Your love ones might remember just how hard a worker you were. But is that all they will know about you? Will they remember you as someone who loved to laugh and sing? Will they remember you as someone who valued time with the grandkids? Will they remember the important life principles you taught them?

Time ultimately reveals the answers to these questions for every life. Each of us has the opportunity to influence those answers. We can either spend our lives pursuing things or invest our time and resources in one another. Choosing the latter is the starting point for making those long-lasting memories that keep legacies alive.

It’s about the Experience

It is good to remember that the best memories are about experiences. Think of your fondest memories of childhood. If you are like most people, those memories surround experiences you shared with family members and friends. Perhaps you remember Christmas dinner at grandmother’s house. Maybe your favorite memory is racing down the hill on your bike with your brother or sister at your side.

Sure, material possessions can enhance experiences. You cannot very well race your bike if you do not have a bike. You can’t make memories of fishing with your child if you can’t afford to buy the necessary equipment. Material possessions do have their place. However, possessions should be a tool for making memories rather than an entity unto themselves.

Make It about the Kids

The title of this post implies making memories with your kids. No worries, this author has not forgotten. Everything you have read thus far explains the underlying principles of making good memories that last. If you focus memory-making on your kids and keep material possessions in perspective, the results will be golden.

How do you make memories with the kids and save money at the same time? By thinking like a kid. Run around outside and toss a ball. It costs you nothing. Choose one night per week and make it board game night. Take your kids into the kitchen and teach them how to cook. For kids, it is not about the stuff. It’s about spending time with mom and dad. It is that simple.

 

Plenty of people invest in precious metals for a long time. Typically, those who plan to begin their investments on precious metals think about buying and selling gold, silver, or platinum. But more people nowadays also consider putting their money on palladium. It is a rare metal found in natural mines.

Different industries like automotive, dental, electrical, and chemical sectors use this metal for various purposes. Palladium is also commonly used for making jewellery. However, not everyone knows how to invest in this type of rare precious metal even if its spot price can rival the price of gold. Some people are also not aware that you can buy palladium online, just in the same way as offline stores.

If you plan to invest in palladium but have no idea how to do it, here are three standard palladium investment options that you need to know.

Palladium Bullion

Most people know that investing in gold and silver bullion could provide them with a safe and cost-effective way to get a physical asset. Since industry experts projected that acquiring rare precious metals will become challenging in the coming years, they suggest investing in it before the prices begin to increase.

Purchasing palladium bullion is one of the most convenient ways to start investing in the emerging palladium market. You may find 10-ounce bars of .9995 fineness when buying palladium online. Just make sure that you will get high-quality palladium bullion before you make an investment and avoid buying fake palladium bars from unreliable sources.

Palladium Bullion Coins

Like the palladium bullion, investing in palladium bullion coins is another way to start getting into the precious metal business. But since coins are smaller than bars, you do not need to use a lot of money in this type of investment. It may also become one of the most profitable investment options since coins are easier to sell or trade with other precious metal investors. To make sure that you will spend your hard-earned money on real precious metals, you need to know all the tips and tricks to spot an authentic bullion coin to save yourself from buying worthless coins made with fake metals.

Palladium Stocks

Aside from physical assets, you can also invest in other traditional sources like buying stocks of established palladium companies. But unlike the first two options, getting a piece from palladium companies may be challenging. The choices are very few all over the world. In the US, you can only choose between the North American Palladium and the Sibanye-Stillwater companies to buy palladium stocks.

Aside from stocks, you may also consider investing in exchange-traded funds (ETF). It works just like an index fund but uses the same trade practices like regular stocks. You may get your palladium ETFs in the US through Sprott Physical Platinum and Palladium Trust and the ETFs Physical Palladium Shares. These are just some of the most reliable companies to help you begin your palladium investments.

Putting your money in precious metals will provide you with significant gains in the long run. It may also become an exciting hobby as you monitor the spot prices of precious metals carefully all the time. You may also find yourself interested in collecting special commemorative bullion coins made from palladium when released by the national mints. So start reaching out to precious metal dealers to begin with your palladium investment.

 

Author – Darren Wilson

The best way to reduce your risks when it comes to investments is by diversifying your portfolio. If you haven’t taken the time to look at small-cap stocks, you are missing an excellent opportunity to add to your investment portfolio. Here are three reasons you should consider investing in small-cap stocks.

They Diversify Your Portfolio

As mentioned earlier, it’s crucial to your success in investments to have a diverse portfolio. By diversifying, you are spreading your money around and never putting all your eggs in one basket. It is good practice to have a portfolio that includes large-cap stocks, small-cap stocks, bonds, options, and more. The more you invest in, the less risk you are at losing everything. By keeping your money scattered, you reduce the risk of losing everything.

Greater Returns on Investment

Small-cap stocks are typically start-up companies. Really a small-cap stock is any company that has a market capitalization between $300 million up to $2 billion. As these companies are smaller, if they are successful, small-cap stocks tend to gain value faster than many large-cap stocks that may have already made it to their plateau. This being said it is also possible for a small-cap stock to lose value quickly. Doing your research on the current market and potential small-cap investments will help you make sound choices when you go to invest in a particular stock.

One way investors go about this risk is by investing in exchange-traded funds or small-cap mutual funds. These let you invest in a big group of small-cap businesses, by using one of these funds you diversify your small-cap investment, keeping your risk down compared to putting all your money into a few small-cap stocks.

Small-Cap Stocks Get Less Attention

Small-cap stocks have the benefit of getting less attention than large-cap stocks. As a result, market analysts don’t always do detailed research and reports on small-cap stocks. This can mean that pricing is miscalculated, and you can score a great stock for far less than it is worth. It’s essential to research a stock for yourself, as you run the same chance of getting a stock at a price much higher than its worth.

Financial institutions also have regulations keeping them from investing excessively in the small-cap market. This leads to less competition and ultimately less attention given to small-cap stocks from the big investors. This is a substantial benefit for a small investor that is trying to start out, as you are less likely to get pushed out of a trade by a large company with endless capital to invest.

As with all financial investments, you should always use caution, and do plenty of research before putting your money down. That being said, small-cap stocks are an excellent way to diversify your portfolio and make some substantial returns on your investment. By learning the market, you have the chance to make a great financial future for yourself.  If you want to learn more about how to invest in small-cap stocks, check out Raging Bull, they are the leading source of financial trading information, with a team of experts ready to show you the way.

Securing the funds for a down payment for a home can be difficult, particularly if you’re purchasing a new home before closing on your old one. A hard money is an excellent financial tool for this situation, but the rates and terms of hard money loans can vary dramatically. Learn more about the various types of hard money loans, lending to an irrevocable trust and other financial options today.

Hard Money Loans for Buying a Home

There are many different types of hard money loans. While some require a down payment, many use collateral backing and don’t require a down payment. Here are the basic types of hard money loans to consider, depending on your financial situation:

• Bridge loans
• Probate and estate loans
• Trust loans
• Fix and flip loans
• Commercial loans

For covering the down payment of your new home, a bridge loan is one of the best options available. A bridge loan uses your current home as collateral and provides you with fast, flexible financing that can help you secure your dream home.

Of course, hard money loans are available for a range of other needs. Invest in a commercial property with a fix and flip loan or use a commercial loan to boost your company’s working capital. Hard money loans are exceptionally flexible, so you can tailor yours to meet your individual financial needs.

Benefits of a Bridge Loan

While bridge loan rates and terms can vary depending on the lender you choose, the best bridge loans for homes don’t require a down payment, have a reasonable interest rate and are flexible enough to use however you wish.

Selling a home can take time. During this period, your dream home can easily slip by. Many sellers in competitive areas aren’t willing to wait for you to sell your first home in order to make an offer on your dream home. With a bridge loan, you won’t be bound by these stipulations and can offer cash for the down payment or an all-cash offer.

Factors to Consider

Of course, every loan type comes with some factors to consider. The interest rate for your bridge loan will be slightly higher than your mortgage. You’ll also have a short repayment window, so if your first home doesn’t sell within a few months you may need to find alternative payment options.

In order to qualify for a bridge loan or other hard money loan backed by your real estate, you must have the available equity. If you’ve paid down your mortgage significantly, you’ll have plenty of free equity to use as backing for your commercial loan. Otherwise, you may not qualify for enough financing to cover your down payment.

Find the Best Bridge Loan Rates Today

Learn more about your hard money options by talking to a local, trusted lender. Find out how you can enjoy your dream home, improve your business working capital or enjoy other benefits with a competitive hard money loan today. Compare bridge loans, trust loans and probate loans California today and enjoy fast funding for your next home or project.

Everyday life is getting to be expensive. The cost of basic items is going up. The price of housing, groceries, and necessities are increasing while the average person is not making any more money. There are some easy ways to save money. Even little savings can add up over time and will allow a person to hold on to more of their money.

1 Develop a Weekly Budget

While monthly budgets are useful and can help a person see where their money is going and making sure there is enough to pay the bills. For some people, a monthly budget is too long. A person should take a look at their budget every week. They should review their accounts and make changes as needed. There may be some unexpected expenses that happened during the week. A person may have to adjust how they spend their money. This will also help a person from overspending in certain areas.

2 Plan Out Meals

Planning out meals for the week can help a person save money. Dining out is a big expense. Cooking at home will help save money. A person can go to the grocery store and purchase what they need for their meals. This will help reduce the food bill. They will not have to pay for tax, tips, or delivery fees. If a person has their meals planned out for the week they will be able to resist the hunger of ordering out. They will have food that is ready for them.

3 Cut the Cable Cord

Cable TV is expensive. There are now other ways to watch programs while saving money. The average cable bill is around $123 a month. There are alternatives where a person can pay as little as $10 a month. This will allow them to save money. Streaming services are becoming more popular and they have a great lineup of shows and movies for subscribers to watch.

4 Make Coffee at Home

While people need their morning coffee it is expensive to get coffee out every day. The morning cup of coffee can cost around $4 a day. If a person makes coffee at home they can save a lot of money. For the price of two coffees out a person can have coffee at home for the entire month. A person can even purchase the creamer they like. There is a wide selection in the stores that come in a variety of flavours.

5 Insurance

An extremely healthy financial choice everyone should be making is protecting or insuring what you have already got. It’s vital that you simply not only insure yourself but also protect your property, your income, your investments & your health. There are many singapore insurance types which will assist you to protect your assets, family & yourself. You ought to reach bent your life insurer to start out exploring the choices available to you.

6 Do Not Keep up With the Neighbors or Friends

When someone gets something new such as a neighbour getting a new car it is easy to be envious of this purchase. A person should stop trying to keep up with their neighbours. Everyone has a different financial situation and they need a plan that works for them. They should not worry about purchasing material items to keep up with people they may not even like.

7 Pay Off Credit

Paying off credit cards and other debt can help a person save money. They will not have to pay as much in interest. Interest can add up to hundreds of dollars throughout the loan. The sooner a person pays it off the less debt they will have and the fewer fees they will need to pay. This will also help improve their credit score. A person will even be able to get lower interest rates in the future.

8 Use Price Match

When a person is looking to make a purchase including a major purchase they should use a price match feature. Many big-name stores will match the prices of their competition. Some of these companies will also match the prices of online competition. Shopping around for items including major purchases such as a computer can help a person save a lot of money.

9 Wait 48 Hours

If a person sees something they want even if it is online they should not purchase it right away. They should wait 48 hours and revisit the item. If they want it then they may be able to make a purchase. If a person comes back to the item and they have lost interest they do not have to purchase it. This will save them money and will reduce impulse purchases. Chances are the item will not look as appealing a couple of days later as it did at that time.

These are some ways that a person can save money. They need to take their time and think about purchases. They should eat get most of their food and drinks at home. They will allow a person to reduce the amount of money they are spending outside of the home and develop a budget that they will be able to stick to.

 

After working endless hours and at times overtime, it’s nice to get your check at the end of the pay period. Money is your reward for a job well done. Unfortunately, the dollar doesn’t stretch as far as we would like these days. With soaring rents, higher utility costs and increasing local property and sales taxes it is harder to hold onto your money than ever before.

One of the ways you can proactively save more money is to do in-year tax planning and closely monitor your tax brackets. In the United States, we have a graduated or progressive tax system where tax rates increase as income levels increase. As an example, for a single individual taxable income under $9,700 is currently assessed at a 10% tax rate. If your income reaches a level of $100,000 all taxable income from $84,201 to $100,000 would be at the much higher 24% rate.

If someone says they are interested in finding out what my tax bracket is, it’s helpful to refer them to a tax calculator that shows the brackets that apply to their situation. By doing income and tax forecasting, you can adopt strategies that help reduce your annual tax obligation.

The Effect of Moving Up a Bracket

If a single taxpayer makes $39,475 in taxable income their highest tax rate is only 12%. Let’s assume, though, that in the current year it’s estimated that the person’s income Is set to jump by $10,000. That extra income will, unfortunately, be taxed at a rate of 22% which is considerably higher than the 12% rate. Tax brackets change from year to year so it’s helpful to make sure you have current information.

Accelerate Your Deductions

By accelerating or bunching your deductions into the current year you will save $220 for every $1,000 reduction in your taxable income. For instance, you can make an extra mortgage payment before the year end so you can take off the extra interest on this year’s taxes. Again, the reward is that you earn $220 for every $1,000 your taxable income is lowered within the bracket. If you are filing as married, there are different levels for each of the marginal tax rates.

Another worthwhile strategy to reduce taxable income is to move up medical or dental treatments planned for next year into the final calendar quarter of the current year. You can also make a prepayment on property taxes so that the extra money spent will become a deduction for this year. To help further reduce your tax obligation at the higher bracket, you can also move up and make substantial charitable donations in the current year instead of spreading them over multiple years.

By carefully monitoring your current top tax bracket, you can make informed choices about how to reduce your taxable income and save money by lowering your marginal tax rate. The savings can be substantial, especially as your income increases and you move into higher tax levels.

 

If you’d like to earn extra money in order to enjoy a more comfortable or a more luxurious lifestyle, you’ve come to the right place! Simply continue reading to discover a handy guide to making extra money.

How to Make Extra Money:

Download a dog walking app in order to get paid to walk dogs in your area:

There are a wide variety of dog walking apps on the market, which will allow you to accept dog walking jobs in your local area. So if you love animals and like the idea of getting paid for dog walking, it’s well worth downloading a few dog walking apps, to see which app offers you the best possible rates. While dog walking may not seem like work, you still deserve to get paid a competitive rate for your time.

Become an Uber, Lyft or Ola driver:

If you enjoy driving and are looking to make a bit of extra money, it’s well worth looking into becoming a driver for a well established apps such as Uber, Lyft or Ola. As you’ll be able to set your own hours and earn a bit of extra money in your evenings and weekends. If you don’t feel comfortable driving strangers from a to b, in order to make extra income, you may prefer the idea of becoming a driver for a meal delivery apps such as Uber Eats.

Consider becoming a freelance social media manager:

If you’ve spent countless hours managing your own social media accounts, you should have enough experience to work as a freelance social media manager. As a freelance social media manager you’ll be responsible for answering questions, engaging with your accounts’ followers and following an upload schedule. If you’re lucky you may even earn lucrative bonuses for increasing your accounts’ followers.

Become skilled at a specific casino game:

Contrary to popular belief, it’s actually possible to win money by becoming skilled at a specific casino game. As an example you can win real money online by becoming a competitive poker player or by learning how to play keno, bingo, slots, blackjack or roulette. The key is to find an online casino game that you really enjoy as you’re far more likely to win a game that you love playing. To see the best game to play, click here.

Become a tutor:

If you have a college degree, you’ll be qualified to work as a tutor. As an example, you may want to help high school students study for their final exams, so that they can get into their preferred colleges. Or you may prefer tutoring elementary school aged children or adult learners.

If you’d like to discover a few extra ways to bring in extra money, simply click here. As you may be surprised by the number of ways which you can bring in an extra income. Which will allow you to enjoy a more luxurious lifestyle. So if you’re dreaming of embarking on a tropical holiday or being able to put more money into your retirement fund, it’s well worth following some of the money making tips which are listed above.

 

As a college student, you understand how hard it can be to get to the end of the semester without running short of money. College is quite expensive because of the supplies you have to buy throughout the semester. Besides, you also have to eat and dress well.

Imagine how much easier college life would be if you could earn money online? There are countless online jobs that allow you to earn money from the comfort of your dorm room. All you have to do is find something that works for you.

If your forte is writing, you should consider online writing jobs. Over time, you can be a DissertationExpert and help people with writing their thesis. Aside from writing, you can also edit people’s articles and get good money from it. As you know, not many people like to proofread their work.

 

Take Online Surveys

Today many companies and organizations pay people to do online surveys. It could be about anything, and all you have to do is give your honest opinion. Even though they won’t make you rich, they earn you an extra buck you can use for your school supplies.

Online surveys don’t take much of your time, and besides, you’ll probably use the school’s Wi-Fi to complete the questions.

Online Writing

If you are an excellent writer, you should consider taking up online writing jobs. There are many sites you can sign up for and get jobs to do. Online writing is convenient because you dictate how much you can do within a day.

Over the weekends, when you have nothing to do, you can go to the library and to as many jobs as possible. This is a realistic way to earn money online, and it can drastically change your lifestyle. Being comfortable in college makes studying easier.

Editing Jobs

Aside from being a writer, you can also be an editor. Editing is easy because all you need to do is thorough go through an individual’s work. Ensure your grammar is excellent because if you deliver substandard work, you won’t get more clients.

Tutor

If you’re excellent in a given unit, you can use this knowledge to earn money on the side. Tutoring online is lucrative because there are many students looking for assistance. As a tutor, you also get to polish your skills, especially if it’s a unit you’re still studying. Explaining answers to students helps you refresh your memory on a given subject. Make sure you take your time to study so that you don’t misinform the students you’re tutoring.

Open an Online Store

If you’re good with fashion and apparel, you can use this talent to make money. Purchase trendy clothing from thrift shops and sell them for profit on your online store. You can create a store on a popular online shopping platform and use your social media pages for marketing your products.

Start your Blog

If you’re passionate about a given topic, you can start a blog and talk about it. Blogs are very lucrative today, and you too, can make money this way. Ensure your research about your niche before you start blogging, so you know how to monetize the blog.

Manage People’s Social Media Pages

As a social media manager, your job will be to create content for your client’s social media pages.

Trade in Bitcoin

Cryptocurrency has been trending for years now, and from the look of things, it’s not going away. Make sure you research enough before you jump on the bandwagon.

Review Websites and Mobile Apps

Web and App developers are always looking for people who can review their creations for money.

Work with Online Delivery Services

There are numerous online delivery agencies that are always looking for new employees.

Conclusion

These ten ways ensure you have a means of earning money online. This way, you can lead a comfortable lifestyle in college.

 

Options are one of the most successful investment options available today. They have been proven to be highly flexible and prudent tools for an investor in the stock market. Let’s try to better understand options trading.

What are Options?

Options are contracts that allow you to be involved in trading without buying shares directly. An option contract typically consists of 100 shares. You could buy the contract at the strike price, the agreed-upon price of the shares at the time the contract was executed, for a premium, which lasts for a specified period of time.

Types of Options

There are two types of option contracts. Call options give you the right (not the obligation) to buy the shares at the strike price for a specific time period. Put options, on the other hand, give you the right (not the obligation) to sell the shares at the strike price for the defined period of time.

How to Trade Options

Let’s try to understand options trading with this simple example:

XYZ company is trading at $10 per share. You buy a call options contract of 100 shares with a premium of $2 per share for $200. If the price of the share rises to $20, you could make a profit of $800 on this deal after deducting the cost of the contract i.e. $200.

Contrary to this, you could make a profit from a put option by selling the shares at the strike price when the share price goes down.

Benefits of Options Trading

There are a few benefits to options trading.

Hedging

Options contract could be used for hedging purposes for your trading portfolio. Hedging with options reduces your risk at a reasonable cost.

Higher Return

Consider this example. XYZ company is trading at $20 per share. You buy a call option contract (100 shares) with a premium of $2 per share for $200. Suppose the share value rises to $30 (an increase of $10), the value of the contract also rises to $1,000.

If you buy 100 shares at $2,000 and sell it for $3,000, you make a profit of $800 after deducting the contract price. So, you have a 140 percent return. But if you sell your contract at its new value of $1,000, your profit will be 800, a return of 400 percent on your investment of $200.

Options Contract are Flexible

You could enforce your American options at any time during the tenure of the contract. This strategy gives you a lot of flexibility to use options for your advantage.

Risks Associated with Options Trading

As with other kinds of investments, there are a few risks involved with options trading.

Time may not be Favorable

All options contracts have a set tenure and expire on a certain date. The value of the premium deteriorates at a fast rate as the expiration date gets closer. Eventually, the options could become worthless, and you could lose the total amount that you paid for the contract.

Options Price may Move Very Fast

You need to wisely invest in options as the price of options moves very fast due to its high profitability.