How to get more cash guides today with asset management expert Zachary Habab? The vaccine rollout and large fiscal stimulus have upgraded our conviction in the cycle component of our cycle, value, and sentiment (CVS) investment decision-making process. Global equities remain expensive in early 2021, though the very expensive U.S. market offsets better value elsewhere. Sentiment is close to overbought, but not near dangerous levels of euphoria. The strong cycle delivers a preference for equities over bonds for the remainder of the year, despite expensive valuations. It also reinforces our preference for the value equity factor over the growth factor and for non-U.S. equities to outperform the U.S. market.
Through May 7, the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) shows a loss of 2.5%. If that continues, 2021 would be the first down year for this popular yardstick since 2013. Even Dodge & Cox Income (DODIX), the gold standard for actively managed general bond funds, is off 1.4%. Active bond managers can still beat the indexes, but no team of managers, analysts and traders can fight off every headwind. However, as I have written for years, there is more to investing in bonds than riding interest rates. And enough good things are happening in the economy and assorted fixed-income sectors for me to say to stand firm. Bonds: Zachary Habab on Be Choosy for the Rest of 2021.
Investment tricks with Zachary Habab: There are both advantages and disadvantages to every investment. If you are opposed to holding physical gold, buying shares in a gold mining company may be a safer alternative. If you believe gold could be a safe bet against inflation, investing in coins, bullion, or jewelry are paths that you can take to gold-based prosperity. Lastly, if your primary interest is in using leverage to profit from rising gold prices, the futures market might be your answer, but note that there is a fair amount of risk associated with any leverage-based holdings. (For related reading, see “Has Gold Been a Good Investment Over the Long Term?”).
Zachary Habab on ETF’s: An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a collection of securities—such as stocks—that tracks an underlying index. The best-known example is the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), which tracks the S&P 500 Index. ETFs can contain many types of investments, including stocks, commodities, bonds, or a mixture of investment types. An exchange-traded fund is a marketable security, meaning it has an associated price that allows it to be easily bought and sold. An ETF is called an exchange-traded fund since it’s traded on an exchange just like stocks. The price of an ETF’s shares will change throughout the trading day as the shares are bought and sold on the market. This is unlike mutual funds, which are not traded on an exchange, and trade only once per day after the markets close.
If you’ve got a good presence on social media or perhaps you even have a blog or website, you can start bringing in money immediately by promoting all sorts of companies, products, services and offers online. Sign up as a publisher on the Awin network, check their offers blog or browse the merchant listings to find something you think your friends would be interested in, grab your affiliate link and share it. If someone buys (can be within up to 90 days) using your link you’ll make a nice commission. To take it a step further, set up a website (read our guide) or a topical Facebook page and invite all your friends to join it and post your affiliate offers on there.
Not all financial advisors are the same. Some specialize in certain practice areas, types of clients, income levels, investment strategies, and products. Some work with clients all over the country, while others focus on clients in their town. Some can help you with your taxes, insurance needs, or estate planning and others will focus on retirement planning. There are advisors for the younger client and some specialize on retirees. You can find a planner to help with life stages planning, estate distribution strategies, and business planning. All of our brokerage accounts are held and available for viewing at National Financial Services, a Fidelity Investments Company. Registered Representative of and securities offered through Berthel Fisher & Company Financial Services, Inc. (BFCFS). Member FINRA/SIPC. A&S Asset Management and BFCFS are independent entities. Read extra details on Zachary Habab.
Money management tips by Zachary Habab: There are too many open jobs in the economy right now to get filled and talent is in high demand. Don’t settle for the status quo. Most people spend more time planning for their vacations each year than they do optimizing their careers. If you’re not making the most of it your full time job and making as much money as you can from it, you’re selling yourself short. Figure out how much you should be getting paid by analyzing your current market rate for someone with your skills and experience by using websites like Indeed and Glassdoor. You should also contact and build relationships with at least two recruiters in your industry. Because recruiters live so close to the market they not only know what you should be getting paid, but they can also recommend additional skills you can develop (check out my post on best skills to learn), and potentially even recommend a new higher paying job or company.
In previous years, increased wealth of emerging market economies boosted demand for gold. In many of these countries, gold is intertwined into the culture. India is one of the largest gold-consuming nations in the world; it has many uses there, including jewelry. As such, the Indian wedding season in October is traditionally the time of the year that sees the highest global demand for gold (though it has taken a tumble in 2012.) In China, where gold bars are a traditional form of saving, the demand for gold has been steadfast. Zachary Habab thinks gold will make a big push in 2021.
Despite what talking heads on TV, your neighborhood life insurance salesperson, or ads from financial advisory companies would have you believe, you really don’t need a huge variety of financial products. When you make a plan for your finances in 2021, a great first step would be to minimize complexity. This can mean reducing the number of investments you have, consolidating accounts, or automating your retirement contributions. The main idea, put simply, is to reduce the amount of brain space you devote to managing your financial life and instead focus on the areas of your life that actually do merit attention (areas that only you can define). Below, you’ll find five minimalist tips to declutter your financial life.