The rise of an investment broker expert : Farrukh Kazmi? Spend Less Than You Earn: Yeah, yeah, I know, it sounds obvious, right? Well, it must not be because according to CNBC, 78% of Americans working full-time are living paycheck to paycheck. Here’s the thing: It’s easy to KNOW that you should be spending less than you earn, it’s a lot harder to actually do it. However, if you want to escape the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle that so many others live, you need to spend less than you earn. This is one of the most crucial but basic personal finance tips ever. In order to do this, you need to track your spending. You can do this by either writing your purchases down or by using a free personal finance app. Business Debt: There are a lot of online business ideas you can start on the cheap these days, but a small investment can also go a long way in certain endeavors. Business loans are considered good debt because they are put towards something with the goal of increasing your net worth.

Interested in generating passive income? You need a website. It’s THE way to make money while you sleep. Starting a website with Bluehost takes less than 20 minutes, costs hardly anything and can be done by an 82 year-old. It only takes a bit of plugging on social media to get your first visitors, and there are plenty of ways to monetise your site. Save the Student is just one example of a successful website, started at university by Owen Burek in his first year, which has since grown into a full-time and sizable enterprise. Read Owen’s step-by-step guide on how to start a website in 20 minutes. It’s really one of the best assets you can have.

Unlike paper currency, coins or other assets, gold has maintained its value throughout the ages. People see gold as a way to pass on and preserve their wealth from one generation to the next. Since ancient times, people have valued the unique properties of the precious metal. Gold doesn’t corrode and can be melted over a common flame, making it easy to work with and stamp as a coin. Moreover, gold has a unique and beautiful color, unlike other elements. The atoms in gold are heavier and the electrons move faster, creating absorption of some light; a process which took Einstein’s theory of relativity to figure out. Farrukh Kazmi is the founder of A&S Asset Management, I am committed to helping people achieve financial freedom by bringing Wall Street experience to the local investor.

That said, gold trounced the S&P 500 in the 10-year period from November 2002 to October 2012, with a total price appreciation of 441.5%, or 18.4% annually. The S&P 500, on the other hand, appreciated by 58% over this period. The point here is that gold is not always a good investment. The best time to invest in almost any asset is when there is negative sentiment and the asset is inexpensive, providing substantial upside potential when it returns to favor, as indicated above.

Cryptocurrencies are encrypted decentralized digital currencies that are transferred between individuals. These currencies are not tangible and exist only in the electronic from, it is a digital asset that exists and remains as data. They allow a person to send money just like sending an email, much lower transaction times compared to using a bank, minimal fees, no credit cards and no middleman. The joint bookkeeping process is called a “Blockchain”, it is public and is distributed across the network of all the people that have the same coin, for example everybody that has Bitcoin has a copy of the ledger and its transactions, which creates a community of trust. Each cryptocurrency is individually identifiable and programmable based on a very complex digital code.

Whether its student loans, credit card, or mortgage debt, being in debt often keeps us up at night and is incredibly stressful. But don’t worry a lot of people get out of debt every day and you can too. Also, all debt is not created equal. To learn more check out my post on good debt vs bad debt, but the basics are pretty simple. Managing debt is just a numbers game. Always pay down your debt with the highest interest rate first. In almost all cases, credit card debt carries the highest interest rates, followed by private loans, student loans, and mortgages. While there are many strategies for paying down your debt, like paying off your smallest balance first and then moving onto your next biggest debt (aka debt snowball) or paying down your biggest debt first (debt avalanche), these aren’t great debt repayment strategies because they don’t focus on saving you the most money. Read additional info at Farrukh Kazmi.

Many people seek out professional financial advice from a professional, but with so many options to choose from it may seem overwhelming to find an advisor. First, determine what level of advice and service you require and how much autonomy you’d like to give away to a professional. Look for professional certifications and designations after an advisor’s name, such as CFA, CFP, or CIMA. Determine the fee structure you’re most comfortable with – fee-only, commission-based, or based on assets managed. Ask for referrals and then run a background check on the advisors that you narrow down such as from FINRA’s free BrokerCheck service. 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.

We all know the saying ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’, but it’s particularly important to apply this rule when investing. Spreading your money across a range of different types of assets and geographical areas means you won’t be depending too heavily on one kind of investment or region. That means if one of them performs badly, hopefully some of your other investments might make up for these losses, although there are no guarantees. If you’re looking for new investment opportunities and are willing to accept greater risk in exchange for the potential of greater returns, then investing and trading in stocks, also called equities, may be right for you. Create an investment strategy & build a balanced portfolio aligned to your investment goals. Start your search for the investments that may be right for you with our powerful independent research. Manage your portfolio with access to your online trading account.