Whether the year is 2011, 2012 or 2020 - here's a good investment strategy to make money investing without a crystal ball. Any good investment plan considers both investment selection and timing. If you can't make money investing with this simple strategy, rest assured that only the few and the lucky will make money.
Before you stress over putting together a good investment strategy for 2011 and going forward, ask yourself the obvious question. Where do most successful people invest (or where have they in the past) to make money investing over the long term? The answer before the financial crisis was bonds, stocks and real estate. The answer today for the average investor is the same and takes the simple form of bond funds, stock funds and equity real estate funds. In the final analysis, if all three of these investment areas tank - we're likely in a depression and only a lucky few folks or smart speculators will make money investing.
Good investment strategy does not rely on speculation or trying to time the markets. No matter what you hear, no one has a proven and consistent record in market timing that beats the markets significantly over the long term. If they did they'd make a ton of money investing, and they'd hide their secrets, not share them. So, why not settle for a good investment strategy that makes only one major assumption: that the USA will grow and prosper over the long term?
Investing money in the three areas above is simple with mutual funds. To lower your risk and add flexibility to your investment strategy, add a fourth fund type called a money market fund. At today's interest rates these might not look like a good investment, but they are safe and earn interest that tracks current rates. Getting more specific, by owning just 4 different funds you can put together a good investment strategy for 2011 and beyond and make money by investing in America's future. In order from high safety to higher risk and greater profit potential: a money market, intermediate-term bond, large-cap equity-income, and equity real estate fund is all you need to own.
A good investment strategy to get your feet wet is to simply invest equal money in all 4 funds. Timing strategy requires no judgment calls or guessing. One year later and once a year after that, you simply move money around to make all 4 funds equal in value again. This automatically forces you to take some money off the table from your better-performing funds - and to move more money into those that didn't do as well. The net result over time is that you are buying more shares when prices are down, are selling shares that are relatively expensive.
This is also a good way to make money investing over the long term while keeping a lid on risk. Simply buying and holding funds is not a good investment strategy, and has gotten many average investors in trouble in the past. For example, real estate funds were good investments for multiple years until they were nailed by the financial crisis. Had you owned them and just held on, by 2009 you could have had a significant amount of money accumulated and at risk there... resulting in big losses as a result of the financial crisis.
There's more than just simplicity involved in what I am calling a good investment strategy for 2011 and well beyond. This strategy employs two of the only time-tested tools in the investment business: BALANCE & REBALANCE and DOLLAR COST AVERAGING. The first tool keeps you on track while keeping a lid on risk, and the second is the tool that works to lower your average cost of investing by having you buy more shares when prices are lower and fewer when they are high.
You can put a good investment strategy together with only moderate risk by owning just 4 different mutual funds. People make money investing over the long term with bonds, stocks and real estate; and the smart ones keep some money in a safe investment as well for flexibility. In years past, some folks simply got lucky and made money investing without a strategy. With a good investment strategy you won't need to cross your fingers and rely on luck. If America prospers in 2011 and beyond - so should you.
Senin, 18 September 2017
Kamis, 31 Agustus 2017
Guide to Successful Investing - Take It Seriously
If you've chosen to manage your own money you've taken on one of the most important tasks which will ever befall you in life. Apart from the love of our families, and perhaps our careers, the next most important thing is how we manage our money. That is, whether that little bit you've set aside grows, stagnates, or worse, whether it shrivels and dies. This will depend on the quality of the decisions you make now and into the future.
Of course if we manage our money better, then perhaps we'll be in a position to shorten our careers, or not have to rely solely on them to produce our income allowing us to spend more time with our families. I certainly know what I'd rather be doing...working 9-to-5 or playing with my kids...
Yet unfortunately most people do not put anywhere near as much time, effort or consideration into their investing as they do into their families and careers. Too many adopt a "She'll be right mate" approach with their investing. It takes a very distant back seat to the rest of their life, yet in so many ways it's just as important as forging a successful career. Get your investing right and there'll be plenty more to leave to your loved ones when you finally check out!
In my seminars and workshops I'll often push people on their investing approach and try to get to the heart of just how much time and effort they're actually putting into their investing. The results are uncannily consistent: Not enough! Most investors simply have no comprehension on the work required to be successful in the markets. They truly believe that they have a sound and credible investing plan but in actual fact their methodology falls far short of one.
"What I do is find blue chip stocks with a good story and hold them for the long run. The market goes up in the long run, how hard can it be?" This has shown to be an extremely faulty plan (or not really one at all) over the last few years as markets have melted down.
Blue chip stocks have shown to be no more reliable or safer than their more speculative counterparts and indeed, many have simply vanished. There's far more to successful investing than buying so called blue chip stocks and hoping for the best.
Unfortunately most investors can be described as 'hobby' investors. They're part-timers. They don't put the same time, effort, consideration and professionalism normally reserved for their careers as they do into their investing.
Professional career investors however will without fail possess a well thought out, researched, tested and documented approach. This is more commonly referred to as a "trading plan". It makes sense that every successful individual or business achieved that success through excellent planning and execution of a well thought out plan - and certainly not by luck. Investing is, and should be no different. Luck has nothing to do with it.
Why is it then that so many investors come into this game with no plan whatsoever, or a plan of attack which can only be described as "flimsy"? They're simply hoping to get lucky!
I see far more investors who are not achieving their full potential, are not even aware of what this is, than those who are - hands down. I'm not sure that there's any way to sugar coat this - but most investors I meet are lazy and complacent. Unfortunately for them, they just don't realise how lazy and complacent they actually are!
Most truly believe that they're doing a bang-up job. Then I point out that the goal is not to just make money, but to beat the market. Sure it's great to make a 10% return over the course of a year. But what if the market went up 20%? If this is the case then you've made money, but lost significant opportunity. You would have been better off by simply giving your money to an index fund manager, not having any stress, not putting in any effort, and just matching the market.
Most investors I talk to realise that what they thought was a good performance is actually costing them thousands and thousands in missed opportunity! A dollar not earned today because of laziness and complacency is going to cost you $6.72 in spendable capital in 20 years at a compound rate of 10% per annum. That might not sound like much, but extrapolate it out over every investing dollar you've flittered away over years and you'll get some idea of just how important it is to get your investing right today.
If every successful individual and company achieved such success through meticulous planning and execution, why do so many investors put their hard earned money at risk in the market without the same application? Can you afford not to have a trading plan? Can you afford to be lazy and complacent and treat your investing like a hobby? Are you going to have a well defined, researched, tested and proven investing plan or are you going to leave it to chance?
The major part of being professional is executing a well documented, researched, tested and proven investing plan. Unfortunately however, not only do many not have such a plan, they overestimate the amount of effort they're applying to their investing. Rather than treating their investing like a profession, it's relegated to 'hobby' status.
I'm going to use an analogy to illustrate this concept. It's one I've been using for quite a while at my workshops to prove the point of just how hard and how much time and effort is required to be truly successful in the markets. You'll understand what I mean in a second, but funnily enough this analogy used to work well until quite recently. It's now the source of great amusement to my students!
I'm a keen weekend warrior golfer. I say warrior because you can often find me conquering the shrubs and bushes at a local golf course near you on a Saturday morning. No shrub is too thick, and no forest too impenetrable in my quest to find my ball after a wayward tee shot.
Sure, I like golf, but I'd hardly call it my profession. It will only at best be a hobby for me. I've got precious little time to practice my game and therefore most of my practice occurs in actual game-time when I really should be reaping the rewards of my efforts during the week. My lack of time in seeking golfing perfection is of course a big issue, but apart from my near phone number handicap, I would have to say that my biggest handicap is probably my lack of talent. I really don't have much of it when it comes to yielding a club...
I'd like to say that my excuse for why I'm so lousy at golf is that I wasn't born with the innate genius of Tiger Woods (you might be getting some idea of the mirth this analogy now causes in my workshops!).
However, one could argue whether Tiger was born with his talent and that's why he's so good, or whether it was an acquired ability? We are of course talking about Tiger's golfing prowess and no other innate ability to score (ok, that's the first and last joke I'll make about that!).
How did Tiger get so good? Was he born with it or did he work really hard to acquire his talent? Well, I think his talent has more to do with the fact that he started playing golf as soon as he could walk and hold a club. He had an excellent coach and mentor in his father, he has worked almost religiously on his game seeking out the best professionals to show him where he's going right and going wrong. Then there's the practice. Tiger's a bit of a hero of mine (golfing only) and I've seen a few documentaries on him. I've seen him practise rain, hail or shine for 8 hours a day. He'll chip 300 balls out of a bunker, step one metre back, and chip another 300 balls, and so on.
I can only conclude that the secret to Tiger's success isn't actually a secret at all: It's hard bloody work! Time spent practicing, which gives you experience, which gives you confidence, which gives you...you guessed it...talent! Who would have thought it would be so easy (hard!)?
It's not enough to say that practice makes you perfect however. That's just something our teachers told us at school to make us feel better about sucking at whatever it was we were doing. It's more accurate to say that perfect practice makes for perfect application.
You see, there's a big difference between any old practice and perfect practice. Anyone can grab a set of golf clubs and bash away at 300 balls in a bunker, take a step back and do it again, and again, and again until the cows come home. Believe me, I have done this in the past and it certainly hasn't made me a Tiger Woods.
Every shot tiger takes, both in practice and in a tournament situation, is recorded and studied. Not just by Tiger, but also those who he's employed to coach him. Nothing gets taken for granted, and nothing gets missed. By constantly having an action, feedback, and adjustment loop, comes improvement. Continue this and you could improve to the point where you turn your hobby into a profession.
This is really the difference between me and Tiger. I don't have a golfing coach so I have no idea that I'm doing wrong. Even if I did, because I don't have an experienced coach I have no idea how to fix it. In my defence however, I really have no intention to quit my day job and start playing golf for a living. I'm never going to have enough drive and discipline to devote the time, resources, and importantly money required to invest in getting myself to that level. If I contribute none of these things then I should not be surprised that my hobby stays just that - something which gives me pleasure from time to time, but which ultimately costs me money.
What's this got to do with our investing? Well clearly there are plenty of traits which Tiger applies to his golf to achieve his returns that we need to bring to our investing approach.
Are we going to treat our investing like a profession and put in the appropriate time and effort and apply this with sufficient passion and discipline? Or are we going to be a 'weekend warrior investor' and treat what we do with our money as a hobby? Certainly the two approaches are likely to generate very different results.
Let's bring this back to your investing. I'll say your investing because I certainly don't treat my investing like I treat my golf. You see, apart from the cheque Australian Stock Report send me for writing this column and presenting at their Workshops, my investing is what pays the bills. I simply can't afford to take this for granted. If I want to succeed, that is to beat the markets and grow my wealth in such a way that I rely far less heavily on other forms of income, which then helps me spend more time doing what I enjoy the most - spending time with my family (not golf), then I must be professional in my investing approach. It's simply too important' not to be. My investing simply can't be a hobby if I want the results I seek...
This means that I must bring all of the traits to my investing which Tiger employs for his golf. Discipline to commit the necessary time to do my analysis and research. To create a well researched and robust trading plan. To implement this plan religiously and through ongoing feedback and response to improve it. I must take the time to make all of this happen and not be so arrogant that I ignore help from those who have gone before me and have themselves achieved the success I desire. I've got to take this seriously.
Now my question to you is: "How seriously are you taking your investing?" Is it a hobby? Are you one of far too many "punters" I talk to about their investments who say things like "Yes, I have a few stocks...yes I think they're going ok..." Whose approach is most often one of "Oh, yes, well I read the financial section of the paper and a couple of financial news websites and try to pick blue chip stocks; then I just stick them in the bottom drawer and hold on." When pushed on the time they've spent developing their approach, the answer is invariably: "Oh, yes, I keep an eye on things."
Remember what I said before about my lack of time to practice, and that I end up doing my practice in game-time on the run? Does that resemble your investing? Do you feel that you're learning on the job? Or should you be learning and honing your skills before you put your hard earned money at risk in the markets?
If you feel like you're feeling your way as you go, then it sounds more like someone talking about a hobby than a serious business! There's far too much to chance! Where is the discipline? Where's the perfect practice? Where is the relentless application and drive to improve, succeed, and exceed?
Let me make one thing very clear here. If you treat your investing like a hobby it will no doubt give you some fleeting pleasure from time to time, like my golf, but also like my golf it is going to cost you money. Whether that be upfront in the form of dismal losses during a bear market, or whether that be from underperforming the index in a bull market - it's going to cost you.
So how do you 'get good' at investing? Take a leaf out of Tiger's book. A coach is a good place to start, an investing coach in this case. Someone who knows the rules of the game who can make objective decisions as to where you're going right and wrong - and on how you can continuously improve.
It's not enough to say: "I'll just bash away at it until I get it! I'm OK - I don't need your help I can figure this out myself..." Remember what we said: It's not practice which makes perfect, rather, it's perfect practice which makes perfect. If you have no idea what the correct approach is in the first place, it could take you many years and a small fortune before you figure it out.
Real professionals spend many years and the same small fortune at university studying to achieve their qualifications. They seek out knowledge, structured, researched and proven knowledge. They aren't so arrogant to say that they will figure it out themselves. Imagine if a brain surgeon said "Don't worry I've read a few books on cracking heads and it's been a hobby of mine for ages now - I think I've got the hang of it so get on the table!" Why should investing be any different? Get some help, go to investing university!
This is where our Workshops come in. In these workshops my colleagues and I get to the heart of what makes you tick as an investor and how we can make you a better one. More importantly, we will give you a number of tried and tested systems and processes to go through before, during, and after each and every investment you make to improve your consistency and results. Keep in mind however that whilst we can show you exactly when and where to enter an investment, we can't give you the discipline and passion to follow such a plan! That's up to you.
We all want the benefits of improved investment performance. The rewards of such improvement could be lifestyle changing. However, are you prepared to put in the hard work to achieve these rewards? Most investors aren't. Your biggest impediment to becoming a better investor is simply getting started, to committing to your improvement by becoming more professional in your approach. The hard work begins now.
Of course if we manage our money better, then perhaps we'll be in a position to shorten our careers, or not have to rely solely on them to produce our income allowing us to spend more time with our families. I certainly know what I'd rather be doing...working 9-to-5 or playing with my kids...
Yet unfortunately most people do not put anywhere near as much time, effort or consideration into their investing as they do into their families and careers. Too many adopt a "She'll be right mate" approach with their investing. It takes a very distant back seat to the rest of their life, yet in so many ways it's just as important as forging a successful career. Get your investing right and there'll be plenty more to leave to your loved ones when you finally check out!
In my seminars and workshops I'll often push people on their investing approach and try to get to the heart of just how much time and effort they're actually putting into their investing. The results are uncannily consistent: Not enough! Most investors simply have no comprehension on the work required to be successful in the markets. They truly believe that they have a sound and credible investing plan but in actual fact their methodology falls far short of one.
"What I do is find blue chip stocks with a good story and hold them for the long run. The market goes up in the long run, how hard can it be?" This has shown to be an extremely faulty plan (or not really one at all) over the last few years as markets have melted down.
Blue chip stocks have shown to be no more reliable or safer than their more speculative counterparts and indeed, many have simply vanished. There's far more to successful investing than buying so called blue chip stocks and hoping for the best.
Unfortunately most investors can be described as 'hobby' investors. They're part-timers. They don't put the same time, effort, consideration and professionalism normally reserved for their careers as they do into their investing.
Professional career investors however will without fail possess a well thought out, researched, tested and documented approach. This is more commonly referred to as a "trading plan". It makes sense that every successful individual or business achieved that success through excellent planning and execution of a well thought out plan - and certainly not by luck. Investing is, and should be no different. Luck has nothing to do with it.
Why is it then that so many investors come into this game with no plan whatsoever, or a plan of attack which can only be described as "flimsy"? They're simply hoping to get lucky!
I see far more investors who are not achieving their full potential, are not even aware of what this is, than those who are - hands down. I'm not sure that there's any way to sugar coat this - but most investors I meet are lazy and complacent. Unfortunately for them, they just don't realise how lazy and complacent they actually are!
Most truly believe that they're doing a bang-up job. Then I point out that the goal is not to just make money, but to beat the market. Sure it's great to make a 10% return over the course of a year. But what if the market went up 20%? If this is the case then you've made money, but lost significant opportunity. You would have been better off by simply giving your money to an index fund manager, not having any stress, not putting in any effort, and just matching the market.
Most investors I talk to realise that what they thought was a good performance is actually costing them thousands and thousands in missed opportunity! A dollar not earned today because of laziness and complacency is going to cost you $6.72 in spendable capital in 20 years at a compound rate of 10% per annum. That might not sound like much, but extrapolate it out over every investing dollar you've flittered away over years and you'll get some idea of just how important it is to get your investing right today.
If every successful individual and company achieved such success through meticulous planning and execution, why do so many investors put their hard earned money at risk in the market without the same application? Can you afford not to have a trading plan? Can you afford to be lazy and complacent and treat your investing like a hobby? Are you going to have a well defined, researched, tested and proven investing plan or are you going to leave it to chance?
The major part of being professional is executing a well documented, researched, tested and proven investing plan. Unfortunately however, not only do many not have such a plan, they overestimate the amount of effort they're applying to their investing. Rather than treating their investing like a profession, it's relegated to 'hobby' status.
I'm going to use an analogy to illustrate this concept. It's one I've been using for quite a while at my workshops to prove the point of just how hard and how much time and effort is required to be truly successful in the markets. You'll understand what I mean in a second, but funnily enough this analogy used to work well until quite recently. It's now the source of great amusement to my students!
I'm a keen weekend warrior golfer. I say warrior because you can often find me conquering the shrubs and bushes at a local golf course near you on a Saturday morning. No shrub is too thick, and no forest too impenetrable in my quest to find my ball after a wayward tee shot.
Sure, I like golf, but I'd hardly call it my profession. It will only at best be a hobby for me. I've got precious little time to practice my game and therefore most of my practice occurs in actual game-time when I really should be reaping the rewards of my efforts during the week. My lack of time in seeking golfing perfection is of course a big issue, but apart from my near phone number handicap, I would have to say that my biggest handicap is probably my lack of talent. I really don't have much of it when it comes to yielding a club...
I'd like to say that my excuse for why I'm so lousy at golf is that I wasn't born with the innate genius of Tiger Woods (you might be getting some idea of the mirth this analogy now causes in my workshops!).
However, one could argue whether Tiger was born with his talent and that's why he's so good, or whether it was an acquired ability? We are of course talking about Tiger's golfing prowess and no other innate ability to score (ok, that's the first and last joke I'll make about that!).
How did Tiger get so good? Was he born with it or did he work really hard to acquire his talent? Well, I think his talent has more to do with the fact that he started playing golf as soon as he could walk and hold a club. He had an excellent coach and mentor in his father, he has worked almost religiously on his game seeking out the best professionals to show him where he's going right and going wrong. Then there's the practice. Tiger's a bit of a hero of mine (golfing only) and I've seen a few documentaries on him. I've seen him practise rain, hail or shine for 8 hours a day. He'll chip 300 balls out of a bunker, step one metre back, and chip another 300 balls, and so on.
I can only conclude that the secret to Tiger's success isn't actually a secret at all: It's hard bloody work! Time spent practicing, which gives you experience, which gives you confidence, which gives you...you guessed it...talent! Who would have thought it would be so easy (hard!)?
It's not enough to say that practice makes you perfect however. That's just something our teachers told us at school to make us feel better about sucking at whatever it was we were doing. It's more accurate to say that perfect practice makes for perfect application.
You see, there's a big difference between any old practice and perfect practice. Anyone can grab a set of golf clubs and bash away at 300 balls in a bunker, take a step back and do it again, and again, and again until the cows come home. Believe me, I have done this in the past and it certainly hasn't made me a Tiger Woods.
Every shot tiger takes, both in practice and in a tournament situation, is recorded and studied. Not just by Tiger, but also those who he's employed to coach him. Nothing gets taken for granted, and nothing gets missed. By constantly having an action, feedback, and adjustment loop, comes improvement. Continue this and you could improve to the point where you turn your hobby into a profession.
This is really the difference between me and Tiger. I don't have a golfing coach so I have no idea that I'm doing wrong. Even if I did, because I don't have an experienced coach I have no idea how to fix it. In my defence however, I really have no intention to quit my day job and start playing golf for a living. I'm never going to have enough drive and discipline to devote the time, resources, and importantly money required to invest in getting myself to that level. If I contribute none of these things then I should not be surprised that my hobby stays just that - something which gives me pleasure from time to time, but which ultimately costs me money.
What's this got to do with our investing? Well clearly there are plenty of traits which Tiger applies to his golf to achieve his returns that we need to bring to our investing approach.
Are we going to treat our investing like a profession and put in the appropriate time and effort and apply this with sufficient passion and discipline? Or are we going to be a 'weekend warrior investor' and treat what we do with our money as a hobby? Certainly the two approaches are likely to generate very different results.
Let's bring this back to your investing. I'll say your investing because I certainly don't treat my investing like I treat my golf. You see, apart from the cheque Australian Stock Report send me for writing this column and presenting at their Workshops, my investing is what pays the bills. I simply can't afford to take this for granted. If I want to succeed, that is to beat the markets and grow my wealth in such a way that I rely far less heavily on other forms of income, which then helps me spend more time doing what I enjoy the most - spending time with my family (not golf), then I must be professional in my investing approach. It's simply too important' not to be. My investing simply can't be a hobby if I want the results I seek...
This means that I must bring all of the traits to my investing which Tiger employs for his golf. Discipline to commit the necessary time to do my analysis and research. To create a well researched and robust trading plan. To implement this plan religiously and through ongoing feedback and response to improve it. I must take the time to make all of this happen and not be so arrogant that I ignore help from those who have gone before me and have themselves achieved the success I desire. I've got to take this seriously.
Now my question to you is: "How seriously are you taking your investing?" Is it a hobby? Are you one of far too many "punters" I talk to about their investments who say things like "Yes, I have a few stocks...yes I think they're going ok..." Whose approach is most often one of "Oh, yes, well I read the financial section of the paper and a couple of financial news websites and try to pick blue chip stocks; then I just stick them in the bottom drawer and hold on." When pushed on the time they've spent developing their approach, the answer is invariably: "Oh, yes, I keep an eye on things."
Remember what I said before about my lack of time to practice, and that I end up doing my practice in game-time on the run? Does that resemble your investing? Do you feel that you're learning on the job? Or should you be learning and honing your skills before you put your hard earned money at risk in the markets?
If you feel like you're feeling your way as you go, then it sounds more like someone talking about a hobby than a serious business! There's far too much to chance! Where is the discipline? Where's the perfect practice? Where is the relentless application and drive to improve, succeed, and exceed?
Let me make one thing very clear here. If you treat your investing like a hobby it will no doubt give you some fleeting pleasure from time to time, like my golf, but also like my golf it is going to cost you money. Whether that be upfront in the form of dismal losses during a bear market, or whether that be from underperforming the index in a bull market - it's going to cost you.
So how do you 'get good' at investing? Take a leaf out of Tiger's book. A coach is a good place to start, an investing coach in this case. Someone who knows the rules of the game who can make objective decisions as to where you're going right and wrong - and on how you can continuously improve.
It's not enough to say: "I'll just bash away at it until I get it! I'm OK - I don't need your help I can figure this out myself..." Remember what we said: It's not practice which makes perfect, rather, it's perfect practice which makes perfect. If you have no idea what the correct approach is in the first place, it could take you many years and a small fortune before you figure it out.
Real professionals spend many years and the same small fortune at university studying to achieve their qualifications. They seek out knowledge, structured, researched and proven knowledge. They aren't so arrogant to say that they will figure it out themselves. Imagine if a brain surgeon said "Don't worry I've read a few books on cracking heads and it's been a hobby of mine for ages now - I think I've got the hang of it so get on the table!" Why should investing be any different? Get some help, go to investing university!
This is where our Workshops come in. In these workshops my colleagues and I get to the heart of what makes you tick as an investor and how we can make you a better one. More importantly, we will give you a number of tried and tested systems and processes to go through before, during, and after each and every investment you make to improve your consistency and results. Keep in mind however that whilst we can show you exactly when and where to enter an investment, we can't give you the discipline and passion to follow such a plan! That's up to you.
We all want the benefits of improved investment performance. The rewards of such improvement could be lifestyle changing. However, are you prepared to put in the hard work to achieve these rewards? Most investors aren't. Your biggest impediment to becoming a better investor is simply getting started, to committing to your improvement by becoming more professional in your approach. The hard work begins now.
Selasa, 15 Agustus 2017
Understanding The Most Important Investment Concepts
It's always good to have at least a basic foundation of fundamental investment knowledge whether you're a beginner to investing or working with a professional financial advisor. The reason is simple: You are likely to be more comfortable in investing your money if you understand the lingo and basic principles of investing. Combining the basics with what you want to get out of your investment strategy, you will be empowered to make financial decisions yourself more confidently and also be more engaged and interactive with your financial advisor.
Below are a few basic principles that you should be able to understand and apply when you are looking to potentially invest your money or evaluate an investment opportunity. You'll find that the most important points pertaining to investing are quite logical and require just good common sense. The first step is to make the decision to start investing. If you've never invested your money, you're probably not comfortable with make any investment decisions or moves in the market because you have little or no experience. It's always difficult to find somewhere to begin. Even if you find a trusted financial advisor, it is still worth your time to educate yourself, so you can participate in the process of investing your money and so that you may be able to ask good questions. The more you understand the reasons behind the advice you're getting, the more comfortable you will be with the direction you've chosen.
Don't Be Intimidated by the Financial Lingo
If you turn on the TV to some financial network, don't worry that you can't understand the financial professionals right away. A lot of what they say can actually boil down to simple financial concepts. Make sure you ask your financial advisor the questions that concern you so you become more comfortable when investing.
IRAs Are Containers to Hold Investments-They Aren't Investments Themselves
The first area of confusions that most new investors get confused about is around their retirement vehicles and plans that they may have. If an investor has an individual retirement accounts (IRA), a 401(k) plan from work, or any other retirement-type plan at work, you should understand the differences between all the accounts you have and the actual investments you have within those accounts. Your IRA or 401(k) is just a container that houses your investments that brings with it some tax-advantages.
Understand Stocks and Bonds
Almost every portfolio contains these kinds of asset classes. If you buy a stock in a company, you are buying a share of the company's earnings. You become a shareholder and an owner at the same time of the company. This simply means that you have equity in the company and the company's future - ready to go up and down with the company's ups and downs. If the company is doing well, then your shares will be doing well and increase in value. If the company is not doing well or fails, then you can lose value in your investment.
If you buy bonds, you become a creditor of the company. You are simply lending money to the company. So you don't become a shareholder or owner of the company/bond-issuer. If the company fails, then you will lose the amount of your loan to the company. However, the risk of losing your investment to bondholder is less then the risk to owners/shareholders. The reasoning behind this is that to stay in business and have access to funds to finance future expansion or growth, the company must have a good credit rating. Furthermore, the law protects a company's bondholders over its shareholders if the company goes bankrupt.
Stocks are considered to be equity investments, because they give the investor an equity stake in the company, while bonds are referred to as fixed-income investments or debt instruments. A mutual fund, for instance, can invest in any number or combination of stocks and bonds.
Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
An important investment principle of all is not to invest all or most of your money into one investment.
Include multiple and varying types of investments in your portfolio. There are many asset classes such as stocks, bonds, precious metals, commodities, art, real estate, and so on. Cash, in fact, is also an asset class. It includes currency, cash alternatives, and money-market instruments. Individual asset classes are also broken down into more precise investments such as small company stocks, large company stocks, or bonds issued by municipalities, or bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury.
The various asset classes go up and down at different times and at different speeds. The purpose of a diversified portfolio is to mitigate the ups and downs by smoothing out the volatility in a portfolio. If some investments are losing value at some particular period, others will be increasing in value at the same time. So the overarching objective is to make sure that the gainers offset the losers, which may minimize the impact of overall losses in your portfolio from any single investment. The goal that you will have with your financial advisor is to help find the right balance between the asset classes in your portfolio given your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and investment time horizon. This process is commonly referred to as asset allocation.
As mentioned earlier, each asset class can be internally diversified further with investment options within that class. For example, if you decide to invest in a financial company, but are worried that you may lose your money by putting everything into one single company, consider making investments into other companies ( Company A, Company B, and Company C) rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. Even though diversification alone doesn't guarantee that you will make a profit or ensure that you won't lose value in your portfolio, it can still help you manage the amount of risk you are taking or are willing to take.
Recognize the Tradeoff Between an Investment's Risk and Return
Risk is generally looked at as the possibility of losing money from your investments. Return is looked at as the reward you receive for making the investment. Returns can be found by measuring the increase in value of your investment from your original investment principal.
There is a relationship between risk and reward in finance. If you have a low risk-tolerance, then you will take on less risk when investing, which will result in a lower possible return at any given time, relatively. The highest risk investment will offer the chance to make high returns.
Between taking on the highest risk and the lowest risk, most investors seek to find the right balance of risk and returns that he/she feels comfortable with. So, if someone advises you to get in on an investment that has a high return and it is risk-free, then it may be too good to be true.
Understand the Difference Between Investing for Growth and Investing for Income
Once you make the decision to invest, you may want to consider whether the objective of your portfolio is have it increase in value by growing overtime, or is it to produce a fixed income stream for you to supplement your current income, or is it maybe a combination of the two?
Based on your decision, you will either target growth oriented investments or income oriented ones. U.S. Treasury bills, for instance, provide a regular income stream for investors through regular interest payments, and the value of your initial principal tends to be more stable and secure as opposed to a bond issued by a new software company. Likewise, an equity investment in a larger company such as an IBM is generally less risky than a new company. Furthermore, IBM may provide dividends every quarter to their investors which can be used as an income stream as well. Typically, newer companies reinvest any income back into the business to make it grow. However, if a new company becomes successful, then the value of your equities in that company may grow at a much higher rate than an established company. This increase is typically referred to as capital appreciation.
Whether you are looking for growth, income, or both, your decision will fully depend on your individual financial and investment objectives and needs. And, each type may play its own part in your portfolio.
Understand the Power of Compounding on Your Investment Returns
Compounding is an important investment principle. When you reinvest any dividends or other investment returns, you begin to earn returns on your past returns.
Consider a simple example of a plain bank certificate of deposit (CD) that is rolled over to a new CD including its past returns each time it matures. Interest that is earned over the lifetime of the CD becomes part of the next period's sum on which interest is assessed on. At the beginning, when you initially invest your money compounding may seem like only a little snowball; however, as time goes by, that little snowball gets larger because of interest compounding upon interest. This helps your portfolio grow much faster.
You Don't Have to Go at It Alone
Your Financial Advisor can give you the investment guidance that you need so that you don't have to stop yourself from investing in the market because you feel like you don't know enough yet. Knowing the basic financial principles, having good common sense, and having your Financial Advisor guide you along the way can help you start evaluating investment opportunities for your portfolio and help get you closer toward achieving your financial goals.
Below are a few basic principles that you should be able to understand and apply when you are looking to potentially invest your money or evaluate an investment opportunity. You'll find that the most important points pertaining to investing are quite logical and require just good common sense. The first step is to make the decision to start investing. If you've never invested your money, you're probably not comfortable with make any investment decisions or moves in the market because you have little or no experience. It's always difficult to find somewhere to begin. Even if you find a trusted financial advisor, it is still worth your time to educate yourself, so you can participate in the process of investing your money and so that you may be able to ask good questions. The more you understand the reasons behind the advice you're getting, the more comfortable you will be with the direction you've chosen.
Don't Be Intimidated by the Financial Lingo
If you turn on the TV to some financial network, don't worry that you can't understand the financial professionals right away. A lot of what they say can actually boil down to simple financial concepts. Make sure you ask your financial advisor the questions that concern you so you become more comfortable when investing.
IRAs Are Containers to Hold Investments-They Aren't Investments Themselves
The first area of confusions that most new investors get confused about is around their retirement vehicles and plans that they may have. If an investor has an individual retirement accounts (IRA), a 401(k) plan from work, or any other retirement-type plan at work, you should understand the differences between all the accounts you have and the actual investments you have within those accounts. Your IRA or 401(k) is just a container that houses your investments that brings with it some tax-advantages.
Understand Stocks and Bonds
Almost every portfolio contains these kinds of asset classes. If you buy a stock in a company, you are buying a share of the company's earnings. You become a shareholder and an owner at the same time of the company. This simply means that you have equity in the company and the company's future - ready to go up and down with the company's ups and downs. If the company is doing well, then your shares will be doing well and increase in value. If the company is not doing well or fails, then you can lose value in your investment.
If you buy bonds, you become a creditor of the company. You are simply lending money to the company. So you don't become a shareholder or owner of the company/bond-issuer. If the company fails, then you will lose the amount of your loan to the company. However, the risk of losing your investment to bondholder is less then the risk to owners/shareholders. The reasoning behind this is that to stay in business and have access to funds to finance future expansion or growth, the company must have a good credit rating. Furthermore, the law protects a company's bondholders over its shareholders if the company goes bankrupt.
Stocks are considered to be equity investments, because they give the investor an equity stake in the company, while bonds are referred to as fixed-income investments or debt instruments. A mutual fund, for instance, can invest in any number or combination of stocks and bonds.
Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
An important investment principle of all is not to invest all or most of your money into one investment.
Include multiple and varying types of investments in your portfolio. There are many asset classes such as stocks, bonds, precious metals, commodities, art, real estate, and so on. Cash, in fact, is also an asset class. It includes currency, cash alternatives, and money-market instruments. Individual asset classes are also broken down into more precise investments such as small company stocks, large company stocks, or bonds issued by municipalities, or bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury.
The various asset classes go up and down at different times and at different speeds. The purpose of a diversified portfolio is to mitigate the ups and downs by smoothing out the volatility in a portfolio. If some investments are losing value at some particular period, others will be increasing in value at the same time. So the overarching objective is to make sure that the gainers offset the losers, which may minimize the impact of overall losses in your portfolio from any single investment. The goal that you will have with your financial advisor is to help find the right balance between the asset classes in your portfolio given your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and investment time horizon. This process is commonly referred to as asset allocation.
As mentioned earlier, each asset class can be internally diversified further with investment options within that class. For example, if you decide to invest in a financial company, but are worried that you may lose your money by putting everything into one single company, consider making investments into other companies ( Company A, Company B, and Company C) rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. Even though diversification alone doesn't guarantee that you will make a profit or ensure that you won't lose value in your portfolio, it can still help you manage the amount of risk you are taking or are willing to take.
Recognize the Tradeoff Between an Investment's Risk and Return
Risk is generally looked at as the possibility of losing money from your investments. Return is looked at as the reward you receive for making the investment. Returns can be found by measuring the increase in value of your investment from your original investment principal.
There is a relationship between risk and reward in finance. If you have a low risk-tolerance, then you will take on less risk when investing, which will result in a lower possible return at any given time, relatively. The highest risk investment will offer the chance to make high returns.
Between taking on the highest risk and the lowest risk, most investors seek to find the right balance of risk and returns that he/she feels comfortable with. So, if someone advises you to get in on an investment that has a high return and it is risk-free, then it may be too good to be true.
Understand the Difference Between Investing for Growth and Investing for Income
Once you make the decision to invest, you may want to consider whether the objective of your portfolio is have it increase in value by growing overtime, or is it to produce a fixed income stream for you to supplement your current income, or is it maybe a combination of the two?
Based on your decision, you will either target growth oriented investments or income oriented ones. U.S. Treasury bills, for instance, provide a regular income stream for investors through regular interest payments, and the value of your initial principal tends to be more stable and secure as opposed to a bond issued by a new software company. Likewise, an equity investment in a larger company such as an IBM is generally less risky than a new company. Furthermore, IBM may provide dividends every quarter to their investors which can be used as an income stream as well. Typically, newer companies reinvest any income back into the business to make it grow. However, if a new company becomes successful, then the value of your equities in that company may grow at a much higher rate than an established company. This increase is typically referred to as capital appreciation.
Whether you are looking for growth, income, or both, your decision will fully depend on your individual financial and investment objectives and needs. And, each type may play its own part in your portfolio.
Understand the Power of Compounding on Your Investment Returns
Compounding is an important investment principle. When you reinvest any dividends or other investment returns, you begin to earn returns on your past returns.
Consider a simple example of a plain bank certificate of deposit (CD) that is rolled over to a new CD including its past returns each time it matures. Interest that is earned over the lifetime of the CD becomes part of the next period's sum on which interest is assessed on. At the beginning, when you initially invest your money compounding may seem like only a little snowball; however, as time goes by, that little snowball gets larger because of interest compounding upon interest. This helps your portfolio grow much faster.
You Don't Have to Go at It Alone
Your Financial Advisor can give you the investment guidance that you need so that you don't have to stop yourself from investing in the market because you feel like you don't know enough yet. Knowing the basic financial principles, having good common sense, and having your Financial Advisor guide you along the way can help you start evaluating investment opportunities for your portfolio and help get you closer toward achieving your financial goals.
Senin, 31 Juli 2017
Where to Invest - Beginners Stock Investing Guide
Where should beginners invest money in stocks to invest for long term growth? If you invest without a real understanding of investing basics you are like most folks. Here we make stock investing for beginners real simple by explaining some basics.
Stock investing is all about ownership, which is why stocks are also called equities. When you invest money here you are taking an equity position - you own part of the company. Most of the time equities are a good investment, and over the long term investing money in stocks has returned about 10% a year on average. WARNING: don't assume that in 2011, 2012 or beyond that you can EXPECT to earn these nice returns. Stock investing between the years 2000 and 2011 was a roller coaster ride, and many investors lost money investing in equities.
As a beginner your primary objective should be to participate in the stock market, NOT to try to beat it. If you pick just a handful of companies to invest in, the above 10% average annual return does not apply to you. Your picks could make you rich or they could break your piggybank. Don't bet on the first scenario, it's not likely to happen. So, where can beginners invest money and participate in the action without the extra risk of investing money in all the wrong places?
In simplest terms, invest in the whole market with equity mutual funds. Stock investing does not get easier then this. You can invest money in just ONE place and beat about half of the investors who think they know how and where to invest. In fact, if you keep your cost of investing low, you'll beat the majority of stock investors. Simply invest in a no-load EQUITY INDEX fund. You're looking for an index fund that tracks the broad market by owning all of the components included a major index, like the Dow Jones Industrial Average or the S&P 500 Index.
Invest money in an S&P 500 index fund and you own a small piece of America's 500 largest best-known companies. Invest in a TOTAL MARKET index fund and you own shares in a portfolio that includes the largest companies, plus many smaller ones as well. With the latter, you truly own the market... a very small piece of it. Enter "equity index funds" into a search engine and Vanguard and Fidelity will likely be at the top of the page. They are the two largest fund companies in America.
What does it cost to invest money in major equity index funds with these companies? They offer "no-load" funds, so there are NO sales charges (loads) when you initially invest. Like all mutual funds, they do charge for yearly expenses and management fees. In 2011 and going forward stock investing can cost you less than ½% a year. Invest with the wrong companies and you can easily pay more than 5 times as much. Plus, you could pay 5% up front for sales charges in equity funds that try to beat the market but normally fall short of expectations.
The years 2009 and 2010 were good years for stock investing, and 2011 had a very good start. If you are a beginner think twice before you invest money in equities. Don't try to time the market and don't try to beat it by picking your own stocks. Go with the flow and keep costs down. Invest in equity index funds that simply track the market.
Stock investing is all about ownership, which is why stocks are also called equities. When you invest money here you are taking an equity position - you own part of the company. Most of the time equities are a good investment, and over the long term investing money in stocks has returned about 10% a year on average. WARNING: don't assume that in 2011, 2012 or beyond that you can EXPECT to earn these nice returns. Stock investing between the years 2000 and 2011 was a roller coaster ride, and many investors lost money investing in equities.
As a beginner your primary objective should be to participate in the stock market, NOT to try to beat it. If you pick just a handful of companies to invest in, the above 10% average annual return does not apply to you. Your picks could make you rich or they could break your piggybank. Don't bet on the first scenario, it's not likely to happen. So, where can beginners invest money and participate in the action without the extra risk of investing money in all the wrong places?
In simplest terms, invest in the whole market with equity mutual funds. Stock investing does not get easier then this. You can invest money in just ONE place and beat about half of the investors who think they know how and where to invest. In fact, if you keep your cost of investing low, you'll beat the majority of stock investors. Simply invest in a no-load EQUITY INDEX fund. You're looking for an index fund that tracks the broad market by owning all of the components included a major index, like the Dow Jones Industrial Average or the S&P 500 Index.
Invest money in an S&P 500 index fund and you own a small piece of America's 500 largest best-known companies. Invest in a TOTAL MARKET index fund and you own shares in a portfolio that includes the largest companies, plus many smaller ones as well. With the latter, you truly own the market... a very small piece of it. Enter "equity index funds" into a search engine and Vanguard and Fidelity will likely be at the top of the page. They are the two largest fund companies in America.
What does it cost to invest money in major equity index funds with these companies? They offer "no-load" funds, so there are NO sales charges (loads) when you initially invest. Like all mutual funds, they do charge for yearly expenses and management fees. In 2011 and going forward stock investing can cost you less than ½% a year. Invest with the wrong companies and you can easily pay more than 5 times as much. Plus, you could pay 5% up front for sales charges in equity funds that try to beat the market but normally fall short of expectations.
The years 2009 and 2010 were good years for stock investing, and 2011 had a very good start. If you are a beginner think twice before you invest money in equities. Don't try to time the market and don't try to beat it by picking your own stocks. Go with the flow and keep costs down. Invest in equity index funds that simply track the market.
Sabtu, 15 Juli 2017
Top 10 Keys To Successful Real Estate Investments
When dealing with real estate investments there are many steps to go through before investing. Here are my top 10 keys to a successful real estate investment.
(1) Education - If you are not experienced in real estate investments the very first thing you should do is to get educated. Take the time to find out what all of the risks are in the investment type you are interested in. Find others that can help educate you on the investment type, which are not involved in the transaction you are doing specifically so there is no conflict of interest. Buy books, tapes, and go to multiple seminars in order to continue your education, and don't buy the $5,000+ books and tapes sets from the gurus. Buy your educational material from the bookstore and save yourself thousands of dollars.
(2) Goal Settings - If you do not have a goal lined out for your real estate investments how do you plan on getting there? Most investors buy one property, or invest based on emotion rather than having a set goal in mind. For example, you could have a goal of obtaining $30,000 per month in passive rental income from your investments through buying single family rental homes and apartment buildings. Your goals should be clearly defined and should include protections and risk mitigation techniques to make sure it is a stable viable plan that can be obtained.
(3) Building Your Resources- You WILL NOT become a successful real estate investor without resources. In real estate resources include, capital investors, property leads, team members and much more. For this you must go to networking events if you do not already have your resources built. It's imperative that you go to networking events and expand your relationship base. Real estate is a team sport so if you do not go network you cannot build your team.
(4) Building Your Team -In order to make your investments work you must build your team. Some of the team members you need are Real Estate Agents, Brokers and Bankers, Private Lenders, Appraisers, CPA's, Attorney's, Affiliates, Inspectors, Property Managers and Contractors. There are much more but it's pretty impossible to name them all. It takes quite a bit of time to develop your team and make sure they can be relied upon. I have found that building a team is the most important aspect of investing other than your due diligence on the investment itself.
(5) Due Diligence - Before investing in any real estate asset your due diligence is crucial. You need to analyze the market your investing in, the market timing relative to that market, the specific neighborhood, the market value of the investment, the cash flow it produces, the rental income it should bring in, all of the expenses related to the investment and much more. Inspections should be done as well as review of all of the backup documentation such as leases and contracts. Think like an auditor, review all of the backup information provided by the seller and verify it with an outside source as much as possible. I hear horror stories all the time about how people lost money in real estate. After inquiring as to what happened I can say that 99% of the time the investor did not do or know how to do the right due diligence on the investment in the first place.
(6) Property Management- Property management can make or break your investment. If you do not have a competent property manager that actually cares about your investment and your success you will have a losing investment. We went through about 5 different property management companies before finally starting our own company and bringing the management in house. Most managers are bad at some of the basic management functions such as accounting, rent collection, tenanting, leasing and background checks, repair calls and taking care of the tenant. By far the most important and biggest problem is communication with the owner of the property. Communication is crucial because without communication the investor cannot make decisions regarding the investment and lack control. Property management also needs to be structured based on performance, meaning, they get paid if it's occupied only, not when it's vacant and there are incentives in place to optimize performance.
(7) Marketing - If you do not know how to market for property, capital, property sales, and resources you will not be successful in real estate. Marketing and sales is one of the most important parts of any business. During economic problems and recessions most companies cut back on marketing when it's most important to increase your marketing efforts. If there are less investors, buyers, and resources available because of the economy, there is more of your competition going after your resources. So in order to attract those resources before your competition you have to market more. Marketing and sales is a business all in itself so getting educated on marketing strategies is imperative to your success. When most people think marketing they think of posting classified ads, sending out mailers, coupons, billboards and more but the most important and underutilized marketing strategy is internet marketing. Internet marketing is revolutionizing the way most companies market and if you do not understand it or start to learn about internet marketing you will not gain the market share you deserve and will not be as successful. 85% of buyers go online first for investments. It is an online world weather you know about it or not.
(8) Treat Your Investments As a Business - Most investors buy one real estate investment and do not fully utilize all of its capabilities from a business perspective. If you own one property or 50+ properties you should be treating it as a business. Be sure to keep track of ALL of your expenses related to the investment, the due diligence you did, travel costs you incurred, etc so that you can get a deduction for those items against income from other sources. These types of expenses can happen annually and a percentage of your personal expenses can be used as a tax loophole in order to deduct more against your active income from your job. Your biggest expense in life is your taxes. It is the government's job to find more creative ways to tax us. It is our job to find creative ways to legally not pay taxes. If you are not winning against the government, start to educate yourself on key tax saving strategies.
(9) Legal Protection And Tax Structuring - It is crucial that you protect yourself from financial predators. There are people out there that will sue anyone they possibly can. It's really important to obtain additional umbrella insurance or put your assets into a proper entity so that you are not liable in frivolous lawsuits. Generally for tax purposes you want to keep passive investments (investments like rental real estate that produce income you do not work for) in an LLC and active investments (investments you actively work for) in an S-Corporation or similar entity. Please consult your individual tax advisor to go over your specific situation as it is impossible for this advice to relate to every situation. Also be sure to keep yourself separate financially from the investment or entity you hold the investment in so that you do not pierce the corporate veil. If you co-mingle your funds there is a very real possibility that in court your legal entity protection that you worked so hard to setup is worthless.
(10) Investing In Sustainable Investment Types - Invest in asset types and real estate investments that are sustainable in the long run. Look closely at the cash flow included in the investment. If it's negative, unless you are flipping, do not invest. Flipping can be much more dangerous than investing for cash flow because you typically have a payment on a flip investment that is not covered fully by the rental income and if you get stuck with the property you find yourself in a negative cash flow situation and can only sustain as long as you have money in the bank that can make that payment. Many people lose a lot of money trying to flip property, not knowing fully what they are doing and the risk they are taking only to lose a significant amount of money. On the other side when you are investing for cash flow only invest in quality assets. Typically if you invest in low end assets in your market you get low end tenants also. What I consider a low end tenant is someone that does not pay the rent on time if at all, causes damage to your property and is a nightmare to deal with. This happens quite frequently in low end property for a particular market. You want to invest in quality long term assets that are going to produce positive monthly cash flow and make you a great return on investment after you have been conservative with the numbers.
I truly believe if you do these things along with increasing your financial IQ you will be successful if you work hard for it. Most of the wealthy individuals in the world work hard for their money and are constantly evaluating their financial situation and investment goals. Putting a personal budget together and reviewing it monthly, creating additional income sources, implementing tax savings strategies, protecting your money from financial predators and constantly educating yourself are the keys to becoming wealthy.
(1) Education - If you are not experienced in real estate investments the very first thing you should do is to get educated. Take the time to find out what all of the risks are in the investment type you are interested in. Find others that can help educate you on the investment type, which are not involved in the transaction you are doing specifically so there is no conflict of interest. Buy books, tapes, and go to multiple seminars in order to continue your education, and don't buy the $5,000+ books and tapes sets from the gurus. Buy your educational material from the bookstore and save yourself thousands of dollars.
(2) Goal Settings - If you do not have a goal lined out for your real estate investments how do you plan on getting there? Most investors buy one property, or invest based on emotion rather than having a set goal in mind. For example, you could have a goal of obtaining $30,000 per month in passive rental income from your investments through buying single family rental homes and apartment buildings. Your goals should be clearly defined and should include protections and risk mitigation techniques to make sure it is a stable viable plan that can be obtained.
(3) Building Your Resources- You WILL NOT become a successful real estate investor without resources. In real estate resources include, capital investors, property leads, team members and much more. For this you must go to networking events if you do not already have your resources built. It's imperative that you go to networking events and expand your relationship base. Real estate is a team sport so if you do not go network you cannot build your team.
(4) Building Your Team -In order to make your investments work you must build your team. Some of the team members you need are Real Estate Agents, Brokers and Bankers, Private Lenders, Appraisers, CPA's, Attorney's, Affiliates, Inspectors, Property Managers and Contractors. There are much more but it's pretty impossible to name them all. It takes quite a bit of time to develop your team and make sure they can be relied upon. I have found that building a team is the most important aspect of investing other than your due diligence on the investment itself.
(5) Due Diligence - Before investing in any real estate asset your due diligence is crucial. You need to analyze the market your investing in, the market timing relative to that market, the specific neighborhood, the market value of the investment, the cash flow it produces, the rental income it should bring in, all of the expenses related to the investment and much more. Inspections should be done as well as review of all of the backup documentation such as leases and contracts. Think like an auditor, review all of the backup information provided by the seller and verify it with an outside source as much as possible. I hear horror stories all the time about how people lost money in real estate. After inquiring as to what happened I can say that 99% of the time the investor did not do or know how to do the right due diligence on the investment in the first place.
(6) Property Management- Property management can make or break your investment. If you do not have a competent property manager that actually cares about your investment and your success you will have a losing investment. We went through about 5 different property management companies before finally starting our own company and bringing the management in house. Most managers are bad at some of the basic management functions such as accounting, rent collection, tenanting, leasing and background checks, repair calls and taking care of the tenant. By far the most important and biggest problem is communication with the owner of the property. Communication is crucial because without communication the investor cannot make decisions regarding the investment and lack control. Property management also needs to be structured based on performance, meaning, they get paid if it's occupied only, not when it's vacant and there are incentives in place to optimize performance.
(7) Marketing - If you do not know how to market for property, capital, property sales, and resources you will not be successful in real estate. Marketing and sales is one of the most important parts of any business. During economic problems and recessions most companies cut back on marketing when it's most important to increase your marketing efforts. If there are less investors, buyers, and resources available because of the economy, there is more of your competition going after your resources. So in order to attract those resources before your competition you have to market more. Marketing and sales is a business all in itself so getting educated on marketing strategies is imperative to your success. When most people think marketing they think of posting classified ads, sending out mailers, coupons, billboards and more but the most important and underutilized marketing strategy is internet marketing. Internet marketing is revolutionizing the way most companies market and if you do not understand it or start to learn about internet marketing you will not gain the market share you deserve and will not be as successful. 85% of buyers go online first for investments. It is an online world weather you know about it or not.
(8) Treat Your Investments As a Business - Most investors buy one real estate investment and do not fully utilize all of its capabilities from a business perspective. If you own one property or 50+ properties you should be treating it as a business. Be sure to keep track of ALL of your expenses related to the investment, the due diligence you did, travel costs you incurred, etc so that you can get a deduction for those items against income from other sources. These types of expenses can happen annually and a percentage of your personal expenses can be used as a tax loophole in order to deduct more against your active income from your job. Your biggest expense in life is your taxes. It is the government's job to find more creative ways to tax us. It is our job to find creative ways to legally not pay taxes. If you are not winning against the government, start to educate yourself on key tax saving strategies.
(9) Legal Protection And Tax Structuring - It is crucial that you protect yourself from financial predators. There are people out there that will sue anyone they possibly can. It's really important to obtain additional umbrella insurance or put your assets into a proper entity so that you are not liable in frivolous lawsuits. Generally for tax purposes you want to keep passive investments (investments like rental real estate that produce income you do not work for) in an LLC and active investments (investments you actively work for) in an S-Corporation or similar entity. Please consult your individual tax advisor to go over your specific situation as it is impossible for this advice to relate to every situation. Also be sure to keep yourself separate financially from the investment or entity you hold the investment in so that you do not pierce the corporate veil. If you co-mingle your funds there is a very real possibility that in court your legal entity protection that you worked so hard to setup is worthless.
(10) Investing In Sustainable Investment Types - Invest in asset types and real estate investments that are sustainable in the long run. Look closely at the cash flow included in the investment. If it's negative, unless you are flipping, do not invest. Flipping can be much more dangerous than investing for cash flow because you typically have a payment on a flip investment that is not covered fully by the rental income and if you get stuck with the property you find yourself in a negative cash flow situation and can only sustain as long as you have money in the bank that can make that payment. Many people lose a lot of money trying to flip property, not knowing fully what they are doing and the risk they are taking only to lose a significant amount of money. On the other side when you are investing for cash flow only invest in quality assets. Typically if you invest in low end assets in your market you get low end tenants also. What I consider a low end tenant is someone that does not pay the rent on time if at all, causes damage to your property and is a nightmare to deal with. This happens quite frequently in low end property for a particular market. You want to invest in quality long term assets that are going to produce positive monthly cash flow and make you a great return on investment after you have been conservative with the numbers.
I truly believe if you do these things along with increasing your financial IQ you will be successful if you work hard for it. Most of the wealthy individuals in the world work hard for their money and are constantly evaluating their financial situation and investment goals. Putting a personal budget together and reviewing it monthly, creating additional income sources, implementing tax savings strategies, protecting your money from financial predators and constantly educating yourself are the keys to becoming wealthy.
Jumat, 30 Juni 2017
Investing - How To Choose The Best Option
Investors are increasingly forced to choose from a proliferation of investment options. They also have to deal with contradictory advice on how to achieve their financial goals and how to invest the savings they have accumulated during their lifetime. If you consider that there are more than 7000 mutual funds available in the United States alone, and thousands of insurance products worldwide, making the choice that will satisfy them ever after is daunting, to say the least.
No wonder people so often ask the rather general question: Which investment is best? The first part of the answer is easy: No single investment is 'the best' under all circumstances for all investors. Personal circumstances, goals and different people's needs differ, as do the characteristics of different investments. Secondly, one asset class's strength in certain circumstances could be another's weakness. It is therefore important to compare investments according to relevant criteria. The art is to find the appropriate investment for each objective and need.
The following are the most important criteria:
the goal of the investment
the risk the investor can handle
liquidity required
taxability of the investment
the period until the financial goal is reached
last but not least, the cost of the investment.
THE GOAL
Goals determine the characteristics sought in an investment. You will be in a position to choose the most appropriate investment only when you have decided on your short-, medium- and long-term goals. The following generic goals are normally involved:
Emergency fund
Emergency fund money should be readily available when needed, and the value of the fund should be equal to about six months' income. Money market funds are excellent for this purpose. While these funds do not perform much higher than inflation, their benefit is that capital is saved and is easily accessible.
If you already have a ready emergency fund covering more than six months' income, you could consider a more aggressive mutual fund
Capital protection
If your primary aim is capital protection, you will have to be satisfied with a lower growth rate on the investment. Those above 50 are normally advised to be conservative in their investment approach. While this may for the most part be sound advice, you should also keep an eye on the risk of inflation, so that the purchasing power of your money does not depreciate. It is not the nominal value of the capital that should be protected, but the inflation-adjusted one. At an annual inflation rate of 6%, $1 million today will buy the same as $174 110 in 30 years' time. A 50 year-old with $1 million would therefore have to lower his living standard substantially if he only retains the $1 million until he was 80.
Conservative investments like those listed above should form the normal basis for providing an income. Because of inflation risk, investments should be structured so that they can at least keep up with inflation. This means that at least a percentage of the investment source providing the income should be made up of other asset classes like property and equity mutual funds. The percentage would differ according to individual and economic circumstances.
Investors fortunate enough to have their basic budget provided for by a conservative fund could consider increasing their income with commercial property funds and tax-free income from dividends paid out by listed shares.
Capital growth
If an investor's primary goal is to achieve capital growth, the real rate of return should be higher than inflation. This implies greater risk to capital in the short term. Investors aiming at capital growth should not be apprehensive, as they will reap the rewards in the long term.
The history of equity prices over the past 100 years proves equity investments to be the best performer, followed by property. This does not mean you should buy either of these investments blindfolded. Wait until the quality shares in which you are interested are trading at inexpensive price levels.
RISK
The investment with a history of the highest growth is not necessarily the one to choose. The Standard Bank's Gold Fund increased by 178% during the period 13 August 2001 - 24 May 2002 (284 days). Judging only on the growth of the fund during this period, it performed exceptionally well. But would it be the right investment for a retiree? During the 805 days following this, the same fund experienced a negative growth rate of 44%! The problem with an investment that decreases by this percentage is that it will not reach its previous peak by increasing again by 44%. This is because the growth this time will take place from a lower base, so in fact the investment would have to increase by approximately 80%.
LIQUIDITY
Hard assets like Persian carpets, works of art and antique furniture may be good investments in the long term, but unfortunately they are not very liquid. The same is true of certain shares in smaller companies. Money market funds, on the other hand, are very liquid, but the returns may not always be as good as those from other investments. The need to liquidise the investment quickly is therefore also a criterion to consider when evaluating investments.
TAXABILITY
The taxability of an investment has a considerable impact on its value to the investor. When comparing the returns on different investments, the return after tax has been deducted should be used. The investor should always ask what will be left in his pocket after tax deduction.
PERIOD
Conservative investments with no potential for high returns are suitable for shorter periods, while investment-objectives with longer time horizons aspire to achieving higher returns. Money market funds are suitable for periods of one or two years. Income and conservative asset allocation funds for three or four years and flexible asset allocation funds, commercial property funds and value equity funds may be chosen for longer periods, dependent on the economic and interest cycle and the propensity of the investor to accept risk.
COSTS
The costs involved in an investment are normally things like administrative cost and commission. The percentage of the costs to the investment amount directly affects the value of the investment. Many of the currently available investment products are structured in such a way that investors can negotiate commission.
CONCLUSION
No investment strategy blueprint is going to be perfect for everyone's circumstances. Investment opportunities should therefore be examined critically before any decision is made. It should also be kept in mind that there are different companies managing specific funds under the investment categories referred to above. Some are more effectively managed than others. Investors should therefore research investments as well as the managers thoroughly before investing. Otherwise, they could appoint professional asset managers to do so on their behalf. Time spent determining the type of investment you really need is time invested in your future financial well-being.
No wonder people so often ask the rather general question: Which investment is best? The first part of the answer is easy: No single investment is 'the best' under all circumstances for all investors. Personal circumstances, goals and different people's needs differ, as do the characteristics of different investments. Secondly, one asset class's strength in certain circumstances could be another's weakness. It is therefore important to compare investments according to relevant criteria. The art is to find the appropriate investment for each objective and need.
The following are the most important criteria:
the goal of the investment
the risk the investor can handle
liquidity required
taxability of the investment
the period until the financial goal is reached
last but not least, the cost of the investment.
THE GOAL
Goals determine the characteristics sought in an investment. You will be in a position to choose the most appropriate investment only when you have decided on your short-, medium- and long-term goals. The following generic goals are normally involved:
Emergency fund
Emergency fund money should be readily available when needed, and the value of the fund should be equal to about six months' income. Money market funds are excellent for this purpose. While these funds do not perform much higher than inflation, their benefit is that capital is saved and is easily accessible.
If you already have a ready emergency fund covering more than six months' income, you could consider a more aggressive mutual fund
Capital protection
If your primary aim is capital protection, you will have to be satisfied with a lower growth rate on the investment. Those above 50 are normally advised to be conservative in their investment approach. While this may for the most part be sound advice, you should also keep an eye on the risk of inflation, so that the purchasing power of your money does not depreciate. It is not the nominal value of the capital that should be protected, but the inflation-adjusted one. At an annual inflation rate of 6%, $1 million today will buy the same as $174 110 in 30 years' time. A 50 year-old with $1 million would therefore have to lower his living standard substantially if he only retains the $1 million until he was 80.
Conservative investments like those listed above should form the normal basis for providing an income. Because of inflation risk, investments should be structured so that they can at least keep up with inflation. This means that at least a percentage of the investment source providing the income should be made up of other asset classes like property and equity mutual funds. The percentage would differ according to individual and economic circumstances.
Investors fortunate enough to have their basic budget provided for by a conservative fund could consider increasing their income with commercial property funds and tax-free income from dividends paid out by listed shares.
Capital growth
If an investor's primary goal is to achieve capital growth, the real rate of return should be higher than inflation. This implies greater risk to capital in the short term. Investors aiming at capital growth should not be apprehensive, as they will reap the rewards in the long term.
The history of equity prices over the past 100 years proves equity investments to be the best performer, followed by property. This does not mean you should buy either of these investments blindfolded. Wait until the quality shares in which you are interested are trading at inexpensive price levels.
RISK
The investment with a history of the highest growth is not necessarily the one to choose. The Standard Bank's Gold Fund increased by 178% during the period 13 August 2001 - 24 May 2002 (284 days). Judging only on the growth of the fund during this period, it performed exceptionally well. But would it be the right investment for a retiree? During the 805 days following this, the same fund experienced a negative growth rate of 44%! The problem with an investment that decreases by this percentage is that it will not reach its previous peak by increasing again by 44%. This is because the growth this time will take place from a lower base, so in fact the investment would have to increase by approximately 80%.
LIQUIDITY
Hard assets like Persian carpets, works of art and antique furniture may be good investments in the long term, but unfortunately they are not very liquid. The same is true of certain shares in smaller companies. Money market funds, on the other hand, are very liquid, but the returns may not always be as good as those from other investments. The need to liquidise the investment quickly is therefore also a criterion to consider when evaluating investments.
TAXABILITY
The taxability of an investment has a considerable impact on its value to the investor. When comparing the returns on different investments, the return after tax has been deducted should be used. The investor should always ask what will be left in his pocket after tax deduction.
PERIOD
Conservative investments with no potential for high returns are suitable for shorter periods, while investment-objectives with longer time horizons aspire to achieving higher returns. Money market funds are suitable for periods of one or two years. Income and conservative asset allocation funds for three or four years and flexible asset allocation funds, commercial property funds and value equity funds may be chosen for longer periods, dependent on the economic and interest cycle and the propensity of the investor to accept risk.
COSTS
The costs involved in an investment are normally things like administrative cost and commission. The percentage of the costs to the investment amount directly affects the value of the investment. Many of the currently available investment products are structured in such a way that investors can negotiate commission.
CONCLUSION
No investment strategy blueprint is going to be perfect for everyone's circumstances. Investment opportunities should therefore be examined critically before any decision is made. It should also be kept in mind that there are different companies managing specific funds under the investment categories referred to above. Some are more effectively managed than others. Investors should therefore research investments as well as the managers thoroughly before investing. Otherwise, they could appoint professional asset managers to do so on their behalf. Time spent determining the type of investment you really need is time invested in your future financial well-being.
Kamis, 15 Juni 2017
Offshore Investment - The Ideal Way for Saving Your Wealth
What Is Offshore Investment?
Offshore investment refers to a wide variety of investment strategies that take advantage of tax benefits offered outside of an investor's home country.
There is no scarcity of money-marketplace, bond and equity assets offered by trustworthy offshore investment companies that are fiscally sound, time-tested and, most importantly, legal.
What Is Offshore?
Offshore explains the repositioning by an entity of a trade process from one countryside to another, typically an operational process, such as manufacturing, or supporting processes. Even state governments make use of offshore investment. More recently, off shoring has been associated primarily with the sourcing of technical and administrative services supporting domestic and global operations from outside the home country, by means of internal (captive) or external (outsourcing) delivery models.
"Offshore " is usually to portray a country where there are also no taxes or low taxes for foreign persons either individual or commercial.
It is a truth that offshore investment havens have crafted a unique legally recognized and tax free climate for overseas individuals and businesses. They offer specifically to them. More than half the world's assets exist in such asset havens.
Monetary privacy, a steady legal environment and realistic rulings are the trademark of these jurisdictions.
When we converse about offshore investment financial companies, the term invokes up an image of enormous, shadowy monetary monoliths, investing funds without any transparency.
Advantages
There are many reasons why people like investments in offshore:
1. Tax Reduction
Many nations, recognized as tax havens, offer tax inducements to overseas investors through an offshore investment. The positive tax rates in an offshore investment possible country are intended to encourage a vigorous offshore investment atmosphere that magnetizes outside wealth. For tiny countries like Mauritius and Seychelles, with only a few reserves and a small population, offshore depositors dramatically increased their economic activity.
Offshore investment occurs when offshore depositors outline a company in an overseas country. The corporation acts as a shield for the investors' financial credits, shielding them from the higher tax load that would be acquired in their home nation.
Because the corporation does not engage in local operations, little or no tax is enforced on the offshore investment company. Many overseas companies also benefit from tax-exempt category when they put in in U.S. markets. As such, making ventures through overseas corporations can clutch a distinct benefit over making investments as an individual.
2. Confidentiality
Numerous offshore investment jurisdictions have confidentiality legislation which creates it is an unlawful offense for any worker of the financial services commerce to disclose possession or other information about their clients or their dealings.
But in the examples where unlawful proceedings can be proved, identities are being disclosed. Thus the Know Your Client due diligence documents are becoming just more complex.
Disadvantages
The main drawbacks are those of costs along with ease.
Many investors like to be capable to meet up and speak to the person setting up their incorporation of offshore investment companies and traveling to the tax haven costs funds.
In a number of nations you are taxed on your universal revenue, so not disclosing offshore investment returns is illegal. In other countries having offshore accounts are unlawful for individuals but authorizations can be obtained from companies.
Several banks in offshore jurisdictions need smallest amount in investments of US$ 100,000 and higher, or to possess assets locally.
The kinds of offshore investment companies usually existing are:
Trusts
Resident Offshore Company
International Business Company
Protected Cell Company
These types of companies also exist.
E.g.: Many mutual funds and hedge funds whose investors favor ' off shore country' ventures.
But for average financiers like us too can form offshore companies of relatively small size to fulfill our most everyday needs. Or we can put in, via our off shore investment expert, into offshore companies to own investments in special funds.
There are various uses:
Trading Companies
Professional Services Companies
Shipping Companies
Investment Companies
Intellectual Property & Royalty Companies
Property Owning Companies
Asset Protection Companies
Holding Companies
Dot Com Companies
Employment Companies
Trading Companies
Import/Export and general trading company's activities are also compatible with the structure of offshore investment companies. The offshore investment company acquires orders from the supplier and has the goods distributed directly to the customer.
It does the invoicing to the customer and saves the difference in a tax free country. E.g. Products from China to Kenya could be invoiced by a Seychelles or RAK offshore incorporation and the revenues retained there.
Individuals utilize offshore investment companies to acquire mutual funds, shares, property, bonds, jewelry and precious metals. Sometimes they will also apply these companies to trade in currency, equities and or bonds. The wealthy will also have diversified offshore investment companies for different division of possessions; for different countries or by different categories of investments.
The diversification evades the risk. But also in cases where capital increases taxes are levied, e.g. in property or equity, sometimes it is cheaper to sell the company rather than the individual asset itself.
Professional Services Companies
Individuals, e.g. counselors, IT experts, engineers, designers, writers and performers working outside their local country can gain momentously from using an offshore investment business. The offshore investment business demonstrates the individual as a company worker and gets a fee for the services rendered by the 'employee' [possessor]. This fee is received and saved tax free. The person can then receive the imbursement as he or she hopes to minimize their taxes.
Shipping Companies
The utilization of offshore investment companies to possess or license commercial ships and pleasure craft is very familiar internationally. Shipping companies mount up earnings in tax liberated offshore jurisdictions and, if every ship is placed in a separate offshore investment company, it can get hold of considerable asset security by isolating liabilities of each individual craft.
Investment Companies
Individuals make use of offshore venture companies to then buy mutual funds, shares, bonds, property, jewelry and expensive metals. Sometimes they will also use these companies to operate in currencies, equities and or bonds either via the internet or through managed funds run by banks and financial institutions. The wealthy will also have diversified offshore investment companies for dissimilar class of assets; for different countries or by different varieties of investments.
The diversification evades the threat. But also in cases where assets gain taxes are levied, e.g. in goods or equity, sometimes it is economical to sell the company rather than the individual asset itself.
Intellectual Property & Royalty Companies
Offshore investment companies are being seen as vehicles to own Intellectual Property and royalties received for software, technology rights, music, literature, patents, trademarks and copyrights, franchising, and brands. These companies are in the type of trusts or foundations.
Property Owning Companies
Owning property in an offshore investment company saves you the funds gains taxes that may be levied at the occasion of the property's deal, which are avoided by selling the business instead of the property. Other significant benefits are the authorized prevention of inheritance and other transfer taxes.
Mainly, in some countries, e.g. Islamic ones, inheritance is via Shariah regulation and not your determination. So an offshore possession will make sure that the assets owned outside the country need not be distributed according to Shariah Law.
Asset Protection Companies
It is estimated that a professional in the US can be expected to be sued every 3 years! And that more than 90% of the worlds lawsuits are filed in the US.
Amazing statistics!
If you have an income or assets of more than US$ 100,000, you should seriously consider offshore investment companies!
Most offshore jurisdictions require that for a lawsuit, a lawyer must be hired and paid up front before a suit can be filed, thus keeping frivolous lawsuits away. Often a substantial bank bond has to be placed by the government, to even implement a lawsuit. It can also (take years of waiting) to get into court in some offshore investment jurisdictions.
If you have substantial liquid assets you should consider a Trust which would own the offshore company. This will provide a greater degree of protection, at the least expense.
However, we should remember that this structure is for asset protection, not for tax savings and so that the focus should be maintained.
Holding Companies
Offshore investment companies can also be used to own and fund operating companies in different countries. They could also be joint venture partners or the 'promoter' of publicly quoted companies. Mauritius is well suited as a country for investing companies because of its favorable double tax treaties.
Dot Com Companies
The internet has made the cost of business entry very low and consequently the legal protection of the company's assets, both physical and intellectual, that much easier. Dot Com companies now use this flexibility to develop different software projects in different offshore investment companies to invite different investors and to keep the flexibility of raising funds separately for different projects depending on the project's success. Both Mauritius and Seychelles have Protected Cell Company [PCC] structures available for just this kind of need.
Then there is the possibility of receiving your funds earned on the web into an offshore company's bank account. Would that be of interest to you?
Employment Companies
Multinational companies use offshore investment companies to employ expatriate staff who are deployed in different tax jurisdictions around the world. To facilitate transfers, reduce the employee's taxes and administer benefits easily an offshore company employment is preferred. Working on assignments throughout the world.
Offshore investment refers to a wide variety of investment strategies that take advantage of tax benefits offered outside of an investor's home country.
There is no scarcity of money-marketplace, bond and equity assets offered by trustworthy offshore investment companies that are fiscally sound, time-tested and, most importantly, legal.
What Is Offshore?
Offshore explains the repositioning by an entity of a trade process from one countryside to another, typically an operational process, such as manufacturing, or supporting processes. Even state governments make use of offshore investment. More recently, off shoring has been associated primarily with the sourcing of technical and administrative services supporting domestic and global operations from outside the home country, by means of internal (captive) or external (outsourcing) delivery models.
"Offshore " is usually to portray a country where there are also no taxes or low taxes for foreign persons either individual or commercial.
It is a truth that offshore investment havens have crafted a unique legally recognized and tax free climate for overseas individuals and businesses. They offer specifically to them. More than half the world's assets exist in such asset havens.
Monetary privacy, a steady legal environment and realistic rulings are the trademark of these jurisdictions.
When we converse about offshore investment financial companies, the term invokes up an image of enormous, shadowy monetary monoliths, investing funds without any transparency.
Advantages
There are many reasons why people like investments in offshore:
1. Tax Reduction
Many nations, recognized as tax havens, offer tax inducements to overseas investors through an offshore investment. The positive tax rates in an offshore investment possible country are intended to encourage a vigorous offshore investment atmosphere that magnetizes outside wealth. For tiny countries like Mauritius and Seychelles, with only a few reserves and a small population, offshore depositors dramatically increased their economic activity.
Offshore investment occurs when offshore depositors outline a company in an overseas country. The corporation acts as a shield for the investors' financial credits, shielding them from the higher tax load that would be acquired in their home nation.
Because the corporation does not engage in local operations, little or no tax is enforced on the offshore investment company. Many overseas companies also benefit from tax-exempt category when they put in in U.S. markets. As such, making ventures through overseas corporations can clutch a distinct benefit over making investments as an individual.
2. Confidentiality
Numerous offshore investment jurisdictions have confidentiality legislation which creates it is an unlawful offense for any worker of the financial services commerce to disclose possession or other information about their clients or their dealings.
But in the examples where unlawful proceedings can be proved, identities are being disclosed. Thus the Know Your Client due diligence documents are becoming just more complex.
Disadvantages
The main drawbacks are those of costs along with ease.
Many investors like to be capable to meet up and speak to the person setting up their incorporation of offshore investment companies and traveling to the tax haven costs funds.
In a number of nations you are taxed on your universal revenue, so not disclosing offshore investment returns is illegal. In other countries having offshore accounts are unlawful for individuals but authorizations can be obtained from companies.
Several banks in offshore jurisdictions need smallest amount in investments of US$ 100,000 and higher, or to possess assets locally.
The kinds of offshore investment companies usually existing are:
Trusts
Resident Offshore Company
International Business Company
Protected Cell Company
These types of companies also exist.
E.g.: Many mutual funds and hedge funds whose investors favor ' off shore country' ventures.
But for average financiers like us too can form offshore companies of relatively small size to fulfill our most everyday needs. Or we can put in, via our off shore investment expert, into offshore companies to own investments in special funds.
There are various uses:
Trading Companies
Professional Services Companies
Shipping Companies
Investment Companies
Intellectual Property & Royalty Companies
Property Owning Companies
Asset Protection Companies
Holding Companies
Dot Com Companies
Employment Companies
Trading Companies
Import/Export and general trading company's activities are also compatible with the structure of offshore investment companies. The offshore investment company acquires orders from the supplier and has the goods distributed directly to the customer.
It does the invoicing to the customer and saves the difference in a tax free country. E.g. Products from China to Kenya could be invoiced by a Seychelles or RAK offshore incorporation and the revenues retained there.
Individuals utilize offshore investment companies to acquire mutual funds, shares, property, bonds, jewelry and precious metals. Sometimes they will also apply these companies to trade in currency, equities and or bonds. The wealthy will also have diversified offshore investment companies for different division of possessions; for different countries or by different categories of investments.
The diversification evades the risk. But also in cases where capital increases taxes are levied, e.g. in property or equity, sometimes it is cheaper to sell the company rather than the individual asset itself.
Professional Services Companies
Individuals, e.g. counselors, IT experts, engineers, designers, writers and performers working outside their local country can gain momentously from using an offshore investment business. The offshore investment business demonstrates the individual as a company worker and gets a fee for the services rendered by the 'employee' [possessor]. This fee is received and saved tax free. The person can then receive the imbursement as he or she hopes to minimize their taxes.
Shipping Companies
The utilization of offshore investment companies to possess or license commercial ships and pleasure craft is very familiar internationally. Shipping companies mount up earnings in tax liberated offshore jurisdictions and, if every ship is placed in a separate offshore investment company, it can get hold of considerable asset security by isolating liabilities of each individual craft.
Investment Companies
Individuals make use of offshore venture companies to then buy mutual funds, shares, bonds, property, jewelry and expensive metals. Sometimes they will also use these companies to operate in currencies, equities and or bonds either via the internet or through managed funds run by banks and financial institutions. The wealthy will also have diversified offshore investment companies for dissimilar class of assets; for different countries or by different varieties of investments.
The diversification evades the threat. But also in cases where assets gain taxes are levied, e.g. in goods or equity, sometimes it is economical to sell the company rather than the individual asset itself.
Intellectual Property & Royalty Companies
Offshore investment companies are being seen as vehicles to own Intellectual Property and royalties received for software, technology rights, music, literature, patents, trademarks and copyrights, franchising, and brands. These companies are in the type of trusts or foundations.
Property Owning Companies
Owning property in an offshore investment company saves you the funds gains taxes that may be levied at the occasion of the property's deal, which are avoided by selling the business instead of the property. Other significant benefits are the authorized prevention of inheritance and other transfer taxes.
Mainly, in some countries, e.g. Islamic ones, inheritance is via Shariah regulation and not your determination. So an offshore possession will make sure that the assets owned outside the country need not be distributed according to Shariah Law.
Asset Protection Companies
It is estimated that a professional in the US can be expected to be sued every 3 years! And that more than 90% of the worlds lawsuits are filed in the US.
Amazing statistics!
If you have an income or assets of more than US$ 100,000, you should seriously consider offshore investment companies!
Most offshore jurisdictions require that for a lawsuit, a lawyer must be hired and paid up front before a suit can be filed, thus keeping frivolous lawsuits away. Often a substantial bank bond has to be placed by the government, to even implement a lawsuit. It can also (take years of waiting) to get into court in some offshore investment jurisdictions.
If you have substantial liquid assets you should consider a Trust which would own the offshore company. This will provide a greater degree of protection, at the least expense.
However, we should remember that this structure is for asset protection, not for tax savings and so that the focus should be maintained.
Holding Companies
Offshore investment companies can also be used to own and fund operating companies in different countries. They could also be joint venture partners or the 'promoter' of publicly quoted companies. Mauritius is well suited as a country for investing companies because of its favorable double tax treaties.
Dot Com Companies
The internet has made the cost of business entry very low and consequently the legal protection of the company's assets, both physical and intellectual, that much easier. Dot Com companies now use this flexibility to develop different software projects in different offshore investment companies to invite different investors and to keep the flexibility of raising funds separately for different projects depending on the project's success. Both Mauritius and Seychelles have Protected Cell Company [PCC] structures available for just this kind of need.
Then there is the possibility of receiving your funds earned on the web into an offshore company's bank account. Would that be of interest to you?
Employment Companies
Multinational companies use offshore investment companies to employ expatriate staff who are deployed in different tax jurisdictions around the world. To facilitate transfers, reduce the employee's taxes and administer benefits easily an offshore company employment is preferred. Working on assignments throughout the world.
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