Author: Kristian Wilson

Grow Your Business NOW! A How-to-Guide
Successfully growing your business in a global pandemic is challenging. However, some of the most impressive businesses, inventions and innovations were born in times of distress and hardship.

We’ve put together a guide to help you chart a course for customer growth through adhering to strategies and tactics applied to the customer journey to engage with your business.

Attracting and retaining new customers is much different today versus the days of taking out an ad in the local newspaper and hoping for the best. Today, business owners of all sizes across all markets need creative marketing strategies to compete in the current, dynamic market.

In a time of uncertainty, two things remain the same:
1. Consumer expectations remain high: You must deliver a product or service that is efficient, has timely and courteous customer service, provides transparency, and creates a 1:1 relationship with the customer.
2. Winning at the “basics” is key to success.
Achieving this may sound daunting, but with a healthy appreciation of the five stages of the customer journey and the key marketing actions within each, success is more than achievable. We’ve outlined the five stages and key marketing actions below.

Your marketing plan must address each phase of the customer Journey

1st: Discovery– how consumers discover your product
- Achieved through: Online lists social media & search engine optimization
2nd: Validation: how consumers validate why you are the best choice
- Achieved with: Education via blogs, online guides and live chat
3rd: Conversion- helping consumers make the purchase and gaining the right insights
- Achieved by: Customer relationship management (CRM)
4th: Retention- maximizing the post-purchase experience
- Tools used: Email marketing and data analysis
5th: Loyalty-Retaining customers and turning them into advocates
- Key Tactic: Influencer marketing
To further define: the customer lifecycle is a term that describes the different steps a customer goes through when they are considering, buying, using, and remaining loyal to a particular product or service.

This lifecycle has been broken down into five distinct stages: reach, acquisition, conversion, retention, and loyalty.

1. Discovery

This is when a customer begins searching for a product or service. It is said that discovery most often begins online. This is when customers compare products across competitor brands, as well as research customer reviews, ratings and articles. Eventually, the customer will reach out to a certain brand with questions and concerns. When your marketing materials and content are in the “right places” this will make you more discoverable and help potential consumers become aware of you.

Ways to Improve your discoverability:

Local Listings
There are three major online local listings you should be represented on. Firstly, and most importantly, there’s Google Places. You want to show up on Google searches, and you want to be included in online listings, so you need to be registered on Google Places. This is doubly important if your business is a retailer or a restaurant.vThe other online listings are Yahoo! Local and Bing’s online listing. All three of these online listing services are free, and they’re a great way to get your business out there. Consider getting your online presence up and running through these services.

Social Media: If you are not engaging on social media, now is the time. There’s no two ways about this: either your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts need to be on point or you’re leaving money on the table. Social has replaced many forms of traditional marketing (e.g., newspaper advertising) and helping many companies achieve great success. If you are debating hiring a social manager or agency, it is worth the investment.
- B2B MUST: Make sure your company LinkedIn profile is professional and clear. Have all employees update their personal profiles with the same brand message.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a process of making your website’s pages easier to find in search engine results. This involves using specific keywords and repeating the keywords in headers, titles and meta descriptions. A web developer, site designer or some similar type of professional would be ideal to tap in this sort of marketing push.

Consider hiring a freelance web designer to make sure your business has a webpage that is ideal for search engine optimization. They’ll be able to go in and make your site look great, and make it more searchable on sites like Google.

2. Education

This is when and how a brand “responds” to “inquiries” from the potential customer, as well as inquire for more information on the customer’s needs. Following that, the brand will offer the best products or services to satisfy the customer’s needs, as well as educate the customer on the uses of those products or services. Responding comes in many forms and businesses are smart to offer multiple response styles (e.g., online materials, live chat, easily accessible customer service phone lines or email).

Online materials: For example, if a customer is exploring new sneakers a running company would be wise to provide a product comparison chart addressing typical runner demands – tread, ankle support, width, etc.

Live chat: Zendesk offers real-time out reach – reach out and talk to customers before they even ask a question. Innovative clothing rental company Le Tote uses an automated trigger to offer help to customers who are lingering on the checkout page. By proactively engaging customers during the buying process, Le Tote is able to reduce cart abandonment and increase conversions.

Accessible customer service: Sometimes “picking up the phone” is the easiest way to confirm your questions. Business with clear contact information and smart, well trained customer support ready to help will have better odds at winning the customer, building loyalty and gaining advocates.

Services like Ruby help make this possible, even if you are a 1-man show:

Ruby is a 100% US – based virtual receptionists business service specializing in making the most out of every customer conversation. They understand that when clients call, it’s important, urgent, or both and offer daytime and after-hours call support, helping put customers at ease, taking down messages and information, and answering questions. Ruby’s got you covered 24 hours a day with live coverage. They can direct calls to you, your staff or take messages at any time everyday of the year.

Blogs
Another great way to support the education phase is a blog, it also helps drive SEO and your google rating. Things that a blog could cover are quite varied and could depend on your business’s specifics. For instance, if your business is a restaurant, your blog could cover recipes, specials, events and news relating to the restaurant. Whatever makes your business tick, that’s what you should blog about.

3. Purchase

Wohoo!!! You won them over, they have all the information necessary and make the big purchase or commitment. Congratulations, your marketing efforts to attract them worked! Now the fun begins, it’s time to keep them, encourage repeat purchases and turn them into brand advocates. This is more easily achieved when you have the right tools integrated into your purchase platform, so that when they make the purchase you gather the key information from the get-go. Thankfully, many ecommerce and POS systems offer CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solutions or have an open API system to allow for integration.

A great example of a CRM tool provider is bridg.com. Bridg helps gain rich insights into your entire customer base (known and unknown), segment and create optimized audiences, and drive direct revenue generation through targeted personalized marketing with closed loop measurement.

4. Post-Purchase Engagement (phase II of your marketing strategy)

This is when you begin building a lasting relationship with your customer. Great ways to engage are email followup asking for feedback on the customer service experience, their level of happiness with the brand and/or if they would be willing to follow you on social media. This information can also help you improve your product, service or gain insights on more needs. You should also plan to follow-up in the next 30-60 days to introduce a new product or additional service.
- ENGAGEMENT TIP: Take a look at your customer orders to see if certain products pair well together and create your own “Regularly bought together” or “Customers who purchases, also liked”
Email Marketing
Email marketing allows you to email your customers directly when they’re on a mailing list. You could email them news about new offers and deals, or coupons for hot new items. You could also email them to keep them abreast of news relating to your business, potentially increasing customer engagement with your brand.

5. Retention & Advocacy

Retention begins when the customer is happy with their first purchase or engagement, feels good about their purchase and feels as though that you took care of them or listened to their feedback. The customer feels like an important asset to the brand and makes additional future purchases with the brand.

From a local popcorn shop to a venture backed technology advocacy is one of the best forms of marketing. This is the stage of the relationship, where the customer feels fully vested with your product or service and even if there is no need for them to make an immediate secondary purchase, they are happy to recommend your business to their friends, family and colleagues. Spreading awareness amongst social circles is easy to do once a customer is loyal to a brand, and if they continually spread positive recommendations, their extended network is more likely to convert as well. This was the original form of “influencer” marketing.

TIP: Influencer marketing is a hot topic these days, but it simply bowls down to advocacy, which we know is critical. In the world of social media, “influencers” those who have a large following or are admired for their style or professional experience (think a successful marathoner or photographer), it often requires a financial investment as well as free product/services. If you are not ready to go down the paid path, you can engage your customers and encourage them to share their experience with shopping with you. This might not have the same impact as someone with a huge following, but it does help your brand get in front of more eyes.

In short, there are a number of ways you can leverage the internet to make your business more recognizable and to increase your business’s performance. Really, the biggest mistake you could make is ignoring your online presence.

There’s money to be made: you only need to capitalize on online marketing so you can make it!
June 10, 2021
2020 Homeowner Relief Stimulus: Do you Qualify?
If you own a home, chances are high that you’ve been giving some serious consideration to refinancing or seeking some relief from your mortgage payment.

For homeowners who are having trouble making mortgage payments, forbearance rules are still in effect as part of the CARES Act. Regulators haven’t determined when loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac will wind down forbearance. Homeowners with loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration are being asked to contact their servicer and request forbearance before Dec. 31.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) tweeted the announcement of the second bill, saying it comes at an important time for Americans during the holiday season.

“As the American people continue battling the coronavirus this holiday season, they will not be on their own,” he tweeted. “Congress has just reached an agreement. We will pass another rescue package ASAP. More help is on the way.”

If you search for government or Congress mortgage relief, you’ll find results about programs like HARP and FMERR. But the information you see might be misleading. HARP and FMERR, the two major relief programs, are now expired. Even the CARES Act, which offered temporary relief from mortgage payments during COVID, won’t lower your loan costs in the long term. There’s just one large-scale relief program for 2020 that helps homeowners the way HARP and FMERR did.
The Fannie Mae high LTV refinance option (HIRO) is still actively helping homeowners refinance with little or no equity in their homes.

If you are in decent shape with your Mortgage and are able to make payments, you may want to consider refinancing your loan.

Why Refinance?

Everyone knows that mortgage rates have fallen to record breaking lows, but did you know about the “adverse market refinance fee” that took effect on Sept. 1 2020? This fee will apply to most loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. As an example, if you’re looking to refinance a $350k mortgage, the fee would cost you an additional $1,750.

Other reasons to refinance:
1. Build your equity
2. Improve your loan terms
3. Get a better interest rate

If you are looking to refinance, make sure you check into the following items:
1. Mortgage rates are currently below 3%, which means that almost 18 million home owners can save money by refinancing.
2. Closing costs, which typically account for about 2%-3% of your loan amount should be taken into account.
3. Do you plan on moving? If you’re looking to sell your home in a few years, you may not save enough money with a refinance to make up for what you’ll spend in closing costs.
4. Make sure your credit score is in good shape. You most likely will not be able to score that low interest rate unless your credit score is above 700+.
The bottom line is to make sure you consider all of variables which may impact your unique situation. Here are tips when choosing the best mortgage loan refinancing company
1. Read lender reviews. Happy customers might write great reviews about a company, but folks who have a bad experience will DEFINITELY write a bad review.
2. Shop around online. Make sure to compare reputation, rates, and options before deciding.
3. Shop your rate. Once you have a rate from a company, don’t be afraid to shop it with the competition. If you don’t ask, you won’t get.
4. Know your credit score. A lender will use your credit score one of the main factors in deciding your interest rate. Make sure you’re aware of your credit score and history.
April 19, 2021
Are You Looking to Refinance? Interest Rates Just Went Down Again.
If you own a home, chances are high that you’ve been giving some serious consideration to refinancing lately.

Why Refinance?

Everyone knows that mortgage rates have fallen to record breaking lows, but do you know about the “adverse market refinance fee” set to take effect on Sept. 1 2020? This fee will apply to most loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. As an example, if you’re looking to refinance a $350k mortgage, the fee would cost you an additional $1,750.

Other reasons to refinance:
1. Build your equity
2. Improve your loan terms
3. Get a better interest rate

If you are looking to refinance, make sure you check into the following items:
1. Mortgage rates are currently below 3%, which means that almost 18 million home owners can save money by refinancing.
2. Closing costs, which typically account for about 2%-3% of your loan amount should be taken into account.
3. Do you plan on moving? If you’re looking to sell your home in a few years, you may not save enough money with a refinance to make up for what you’ll spend in closing costs.
4. Make sure your credit score is in good shape. You most likely will not be able to score that low interest rate unless your credit score is above 700+.
The bottom line is to make sure you consider all of variables which may impact your unique situation. Here are tips when choosing the best mortgage loan refinancing company
1. Read lender reviews. Happy customers might write great reviews about a company, but folks who have a bad experience will DEFINITELY write a bad review.
2. Shop around online. Make sure to compare reputation, rates, and options before deciding.
3. Shop your rate. Once you have a rate from a company, don’t be afraid to shop it with the competition. If you don’t ask, you won’t get.
4. Know your credit score. A lender will use your credit score one of the main factors in deciding your interest rate. Make sure you’re aware of your credit score and history.
April 19, 2021
How to Sell Your Home Fast!
Selling your home is a big deal. You want to be able to sell your house quickly and find the right people who buy houses in your area. You want to get your home looking nice and sell it for the right price, but all of the work seems overwhelming and like it will take up too much of your time. The good news is with the right plan and the right real estate agents near you, you will be able to get that home on the market and sold in no time.

Some of the steps to consider when you are ready to sell your house quickly include:

The First Steps When You are Ready to Sell Your Home

When you are ready to sell your home, there are a few steps that you must keep in mind. Knowing how these steps work and being prepared for them is one of the best ways to get the most out of the sale and ensure that you can get moved out quickly. Some of the steps to take to get the most out of your real estate investment includes:

Working with a Real Estate Agent

One of the first things that you should do when you are ready to sell your home is find real estate agents near you. Some people want to go the “for sale by owner” route, but this can take a lot more time and effort to complete than doing it with an agent. Be aware that it does cost a commission, or a percentage of the sales price, to hire a real estate agent. But considering they often take on all the work and can handle the showings, the legal documents, and more, they are often worth it to get results.

How an Agent Can Help You

There are a number of benefits to hiring a real estate agent rather than trying to do it all on your own. Some of these include:
1. They help you list your home at the right price. This helps you to get the highest price possible, without your home sitting on the market forever.
2. They can present your home in a way that makes it more appealing to potential buyers. You love your home and that is great, but a real estate agent knows how to make it shine to a buyer.
3. They can bring in more potential buyers. Most buyers like to work with an agent. And many times your agent will already have a list of people who may have some interest in the home. This helps you to get the best offer possible.
4. They handle all of the paperwork for you. This is one of the most difficult things to do when you try to sell your home on your own. With the help of a real estate agent, you will not have to worry about all of the paperwork and legal stuff because they will do it all.
5. The agent can get the best offer from each buyer. When the home sells for more, the agent earns more. This incentivizes them to get a better offer on your home.
6. Can negotiate after the inspection. While you most likely will need to get a few things done on your home after the inspection, an agent will make sure the work is kept to a minimum.
7. Speeds your closing time. This helps you to get the home closed on and the money in your account so much faster than before.
Typical Costs for a Real Estate Agent

There are several factors that will come into play when you have to pay for your real estate agent. Some agents will charge more if the sale price is below a certain threshold and then will lower the rate if the price is higher. Some may have other deals and incentives to get sellers to work with them. The average commission for most real estate agents is 6%.

Before you sign with an agent, take the time to ask about the commission they will earn. This helps you be prepared and can make it easier to factor in this cost when you finally get an offer on the home. You as the seller will be the one who will pay the commission to the real estate agent. This 6% is often split between the buyer’s and the seller’s agent, but the seller is still responsible for the whole amount.

Picking a Good Sale Price

The next thing that we need to take a look at is how to pick out a good sales price for your home. There are a lot of different things that go into determining a price for your home. While you want to get top dollar for your home, you do need to be realistic about what a buyer is willing to pay.

To determine the price of your home and what to sell it for, you must consider its location, how big the home is, how many rooms and bathrooms, any upgrades, and even what other homes in the area are selling for as well. And since each home is a little different and very unique, this can be hard.

One way to figure out a fair sales price on your home is to perform a “comps” analysis. This is when you and your agent will look at some of the recently sold comparable homes on the market. While it may be hard to find one exactly like your home, it can give you a better idea of how much similar homes in your area have sold for.

This is also why it is important to work with that real estate agent we talked about earlier. They know how to handle the pricing of your home and will help explain it along the way. They can take in all of the factors for you and come up with a fair price that is likely to sell your home quickly.

Staging Your Home

If you have already moved out of your home and no longer live there, one way to sell it faster is to stage the home. This helps to give your potential buyer a look for how the home can be used and gives them a vision of all the potential in the home. Never leave the home completely empty because this slows down the process.

List the Home and Start Showings

When you are ready, your agent will come over and sign some paperwork with you. This helps both of you be on the same page the whole time and can avoid confusion later on. The agent will also take pictures of the inside and outside of the property so they can show potential buyers, both online and in person. It is then time for the agent to list the property and wait for the calls to come in.

At some point, you will need to show your home. The days of an ‘Open House’ are gone for now, and most agents will hold private showings. The agent can handle this, but you must make sure the home is clean and ready to go. And you may have to be out of the way for a bit. Sometimes it only takes a few showings and sometimes you may need to deal with quite a few showings. But these are the best way to sell your home. All buyers will want a chance to look through the home and see if it is right for them.

Accepting an Offer

At some point, you will get an offer on your home. If the offer sounds good to you, you can accept it and move on with some of the inspections and other things that need to get done. You can also provide a counteroffer to better meet the needs you have if the buyer’s offer is close to your original offer. If the offer is way off, you can choose to decline the offer.

The offer will often include information on what the buyer expects. They will say what they want to purchase the property for along with the preferred closing date, any inspections they want, and other contingencies. The most common contingencies including the buyers securing their financing and the buyers selling their other home.

The Different Types of Inspections

Your buyer may choose to do a few different inspections to make sure the home is safe and secure. If there are some major problems with the house and they are found during the inspection, then you will be responsible for them. Most home buyers choose to do a full home inspection that checks out quite a few different things, but they can also do a few other inspections based on their needs. The most common inspections include:
1. Pest and rodent inspection
2. Radon inspection
3. Chimney inspection
4. Roof inspection
5. Lead-based paint inspection
6. Flooding damage inspection
7. HVAC inspection
As we mentioned, the full-home inspection is the most common, though some may choose the others if these problems are common in your area. The buyer will usually put this in their offer so you can decide which inspections you want to participate in ahead of time. The cost of the inspection falls to the buyer. The cost to fix anything falls to you.

If there are some repairs necessary on the home, you can typically negotiate these. When the buyer has some minimal repairs to do, you may consider doing them and finishing the process. Other options are to offer the home “as is” so you won’t do any repairs or offer a credit for the work to be done. The credit may work if there is a time crunch on the sale and you don’t have time to get it done. Homes sold “as is” often take a lot longer to sell.

Closing On Your Home

Once all the inspections are done and you have moved out of the home, and your home buyer has secured their financing, you can close on the home. These often happen at two different times. You will meet with the lender or a title company to sign off on the home and agree to the sale.

Later, sometimes the same day and sometimes later depending on the schedules, the buyers will go in and complete their paperwork to buy the home. The funds will go to pay off the rest of your mortgage, your real estate agents fees, and any other closing costs that are necessary. Whatever is left will be deposited in your account and can be used for purchasing your new home, paying off debt, or other uses depending on your needs.

Typical Closing Costs

There are a few closing costs you will need to pay before you get any money from your home sale. Some of these include:
1. Any attorney’s fees for writing up the documents.
2. Credits towards the closing costs that you and the seller agreed on.
3. Any HOA fees if applicable.
4. The prorated property taxes.
5. Any escrow that is agreed on and other closing fees.
6. Title insurance
7. Transfer tax
8. Agent commission.
There are some other fees that may be required based on the bank you work with and where you live. You and your agent can discuss these fees before closing so you aren’t caught by surprise.

Are the Rules Different in Each State?

There are a few things about selling a home that will vary based on the state you live in. In fact, depending on where you live in each state the rules may be slightly different as well. Knowing what these differences are in your local area can be tough, but this is another benefit of working with a real estate agent to get things done.

First, the amount in taxes you pay will vary based on one state to the next. Some states will require the seller to pay taxes on the home up to a certain point and others will require the buyer to handle this. Some states, including California, have a special tax on any home sold that may add to the closing costs you must work with.

Most states have requirements that the seller needs to include any information about the property that may deter the buyer from making the purchase. This is often presented to a potential buyer before they even put an offer in on the home. This could include any updates you did on the home, along with any potential problems that you know about.

You may also need to work with an escrow account. The way that this is used will depend on the state you live in but allows a little protection on both sides. It ensures that both parties know where the money is and they can get it back if things go south during the deal. Talk with your real estate agent to find out if an escrow account is necessary for you.

Where is Everyone Moving During the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Due to Covid-19 pandemic many Americans are ready to live the cities and move somewhere more rural. This is great news if you have a home for sale in a rural area as you are more likely to attract a good buyer for a good price.

In fact, six out of ten Americans have said that they would consider moving to a less populated area. Some may have been considering this before. Some may be tired of living with all of the health mandates. And some see these rural areas as safer areas to be because with fewer people there, it is a much safer place to be right now.

This is a common trend no matter which state you live in. Rural homeowners who are looking to make a switch and get out of their home into a new one will find that is a sellers’ market and they will do well. In fact, it is likely that you will have a few offers to sweeten the pot.

Selling your home is a big experience. You have to get the home prepared and looking nice while cleaning. You need to find a good realtor who will work with you and find the best deal. And you need to finish all of the inspections and other work after you accept an offer. But when you have things organized and ready to go, you will find that it is easy to sell your house quickly.
April 19, 2021
Improve Your Credit Score: Start Today!

You may think that bad credit can keep you from getting a loan or credit card, but it can also cause bigger issues. It can leave you without a car, home or even jobless. The reason for this is that most enterprises use the credit scores of consumers to make decisions about them.

Lenders use the credit score of borrowers to gauge their creditworthiness, and how likely they are to repay what they have borrowed. Your credit score determines if you can get a loan and what rate of interest you can qualify for.

If you have a bad credit score, you can lose a lot of money in the long run. Apart from your net worth, your credit score is probably the most crucial number in your financial life. Your credit score also has a significant impact on your net worth.

What is a poor credit score?

A poor credit score is one is below 670. Lenders consider a score between 580 and 669 fair and one between 300 and 579 as poor.

Although different scoring ranges and models for credit scores exist, a majority of lenders use FICO (Fair Isaac Corp.) scores, and they range from 300 to 850. The qualifying credit scores of different loans differ. However, to get the best rate of any lender, your credit score should be in the 700 range at least. In the FICO scoring model, 700 falls in the center of the good range. Lenders consider a credit score of 700 or higher to be good, while 800 or higher as excellent.

Credit score thresholds that many auto and housing lenders use to calculate the interest rate they can offer

Here is what many lenders use to calculate the interest rates they can offer and what you should aim for to get the best rates on various type of loans.

Auto Loan

Lenders offer car loans at the best rates for consumers whose credit score is 720 or higher. For instance, if your credit score is 700, you can qualify for 6% for a car loan of $29,620, paid over 60 months with the monthly payment being $572. The total interest is $4,701.

However, if your credit score is 72 or higher, you can qualify for a new car loan at the rate of 4.6% with a monthly payment of $554. This can save you $18 every month and $1,078 over the loan’s life.

Cash Back Rewards Card

Almost half 49% of Americans who own a credit card have a cash-back card. This card is among the most popular kinds of rewards cards. If your credit score is 740 or higher, you can easily get a top cash-back card. If your credit score is 650 or lower, you might still qualify for a cash-back rewards card. However, your credit limit is likely to be lower and the interest rate higher. You can make a cash-back card worthwhile by paying your bills in full to avoid paying interest.

Private Student Loan

Your credit score does not matter if you are applying for a federal direct student loan as an undergraduate. However, if you need to apply for a private student loan, lenders will look at your credit history and scores.

To get the best interest rate on your private student loan, you need a credit score of 750 or higher. That’s is about 3%. You can still qualify for a private student loan if your score is as low as 650. However, the interest rate will be much higher. Lenders can charge you 8 or 9% or as high as 14%.

Mortgage

Unlike other kinds of loans, mortgage lenders usually pull three reports and end up with what is commonly referred to as a tri-merge credit report from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Basically, lenders tend to go with the borrower’s middle score of the three reports. This means you need a score of 760 or better at two of the three to get the best interest rate of 3.32%.

For instance, according to the FICO loan savings calculator, if your credit score is 759, you can qualify for an interest rate of 3.54% on a 30-year fixed loan of $216,000. You will pay $975 every month and your total interest over the loans’ life will be about $135,000.

However, if your credit score is 760 and you apply for a loan of the same amount, you would qualify for an interest rate of 3.32%. Thus, your monthly mortgage payment will be $949, which is $26 less. You would pay about $125, 500 in interest over the loan’s life. This means that a 1-point increase in your credit score can help you save about $9,500 in interest.

Before looking for homes for sale, it is advisable to check your credit score and get your credit reports from the 3 major credit agencies. If you address credit issues early on, you can raise your score before applying for a mortgage.

How to Repair Credit

If you improve your credit score, you can qualify for better terms and lower interest rates. That is true whether you need to borrow money for personal reasons or so that you can lease a facility or buy inventory.

The issue with repairing your credit history is that it is almost the same as improving your professional network. You may only think about improving your credit scores when applying for financing. It is not also possible to repair your bad credit overnight.

Therefore, you should start repairing your credit right now. Thankfully, it is easy to establish, repair and maintain excellent credit. If your credit score is poor, you can do the following things to improve it.

Review your credit reports

The three main credit reporting bureaus – Equifax, TransUnion and Experian are required to provide consumers with a copy of their credit report once each year without charging a fee. You only need to request for a copy of your credit report from the bureaus. Once you get a copy of your free report, view the information in them to see if everything is correct.

Dispute any negative mark

In the past, the only way you could dispute errors was by writing letters to the credit bureaus. Now, some services enable consumers to dispute mistakes online. Some factors weigh more heavily on your credit score than others do. Therefore, pay attention to such items first.

Some factors that affect your credit score more heavily include judgements and collection amounts. It is not unusual to have one or more collection accounts appear on a credit report. For instance, you can have a collection account from a health care provider. Your instance firm may have claimed to pay it while the health care providers may claim it was not paid.

You can dispute mistakes through each credit bureau. Remember that some errors will take longer to rectify than others, but that is fine. After initiating a dispute, you do not have to do anything else. The credit bureaus will investigate the dispute and report the resolution.

Spend as long as it takes to ensure that the credit bureaus remove derogatory remarks from your credit history because they have a significant negative impact on your overall score.

Dispute inappropriate late payment entries

Errors occur. For instance, your mortgage lender may report that you paid a certain payment late, yet you had paid it on time. A credit card provider might also not enter a payment correctly. It is possible to dispute late payments, regardless of whether they are in closed or current accounts, in a similar manner to the way you inform credit bureaus about derogatory remarks.

Your payment history can have a negative impact on your credit score. Therefore, do your best to clean up the mistakes.

Increase credit limits

Your credit card utilization also has an impact on your credit score. Ratio of credit that is available to the credit utilized makes a significant difference. In general, carrying a balance or over 50% of your available credit impacts your score negatively. Your score also suffers when you max out your credit cards.

You can improve your credit ratio by paying down your balances or buy increasing your credit limit. For instance, if you owe $2600 on a card with a limit of $5000 and you get the limit raised to $7,500, your ratio will improve instantly.

You can call the company that issued your credit card and ask it to increase your credit limit. If your payment history is decent, most credit card firms will be glad to raise your limit. After all, credit card firms make more money by lending more.

After the credit card firm increase your limit, avoid using the additional available credit, so that you do not fall back to the same available credit ratio boat or end up deeper in debt.

Pay all your bills on time

The way you pay your bills affects your credit score significantly. Late payments remain on your credit report for 7 years. However, their impact on your credit score reduces over time. One great way to make sure you are never late is setting up autopay for recurring bills like car payments and student loans. Your bills will be deducted directly from your bank account on the due date. Therefore, you do not have to log in to a payment portal or send checks. Make sure there is enough money in your checking account to cover the payments so you will not be subject to overdraft fees.

You also need to inform your creditor about your ability to repay the borrowed funds. For instance, federal student loans have alternative payment plans which can reduce the amount you owe every month. You can only know about such plans by contacting your student loan servicer and inquiring about your options. Credit card firms may also reduce your interest rate or payment for a particular period if you are facing financial challenges. If you suspect that you will miss a payment, talk to your creditor before it occurs to explore your options.

Avoid closing older credit lines once your pay them off

Even though it may sound like an excellent idea to close unused accounts, that is not the case. Doing so could raise your credit utilization ratio and this can lower your credit score.

Avoid taking out large loans or opening new lines of credit

You are better off when you have less debt. In the opinion of FICO, it is not wise to open new credit accounts to raise you credit utilization ratio since each credit request can lower your score slightly.

Pay off high interest credit accounts first

The age of credit has an effect on your credit report. Interest affects your finances. If you have money like $100 you can put toward reducing credit card balances, concentrate on paying off high interest accounts.

Pay off the newest credit card balances first. This way, you can raise the average length of credit and this will help your score. Besides, you will not pay relatively high interest.

How to maintain an excellent credit score

After completing the hard work of fixing your bad credit score, the next step is to keep up the momentum. That means you should diligently maintain low balances on credit cards, pay all bills on time and seek out new credit only when necessary.

The length of a person’s credit history accounts for 15% of a FICO score. Therefore, it is advisable to keep old accounts open so you can keep a long average credit history. You can achieve this by placing a small charge on your oldest credit card occasionally, and paying it off soon.

The range of credit types with your name, also known as the credit mix makes up 10% of FICO scores. It is not necessary to take out a new loan just to diversify your credit mix. However, managing a credit card dependably is an effective way to keep your credit score high. Therefore, if you have not applied for a credit card in the past, you can apply for a secured credit card that requires a deposit. The deposit will become your credit limit. You can make small charges and pay them off every month to improve your score and you could then qualify for a conventional, unsecured card in the future.

If you take all the steps mentioned above and you still find that you are struggling, you can seek help from an approved credit counseling agency. The agency can assist you to create a plan to manage your finances better and reduce your debt.

Another option if you are struggling with high credit card debt is debt consolidation. This plan can enable you to roll several high interest debts into one payment, usually at a reduced interest rate and provide you with a single payment to track.

Be wary of organizations that promise to fix your credit with little effort or time, or claim to charge a fee to fix your credit. It takes time and effort to improve your credit score.

Summary

Having a bad credit score can limit the loans you can qualify for and diminish the chances of getting financing at good interest rates. However, such a score should not weigh you down. You can take certain concrete actions now and, in the future, to keep your credit score high.

Knowing the status of your credit history and making sure you do not avoid the reality of you credit status are essential ongoing strategies in the desire to enhance you credit. Get a free credit report regularly and feel empowered knowing you can improve your financial well-being.

March 5, 2021
Natural Arthritis Pain Relief

Natural pain relief is a great alternative to potentially harmful painkillers or NSAIDs. While you should always take medicine as directed by your doctor, there are non-medicinal ways to combat aches and pains.
This goes double for arthritis pain, which can be a big deal for older people. Here are some of our top picks for arthritis pain relief.

Natural Arthritis Pain Relief

Fitness

It might sound weird, but staying active is a huge part of curbing arthritis pains. If you’re in good shape and getting regular exercise, it’s much less likely that you’ll have serious aches and pains. Not to mention, it’s just good for you to exercise often and get good nutrition!
Regular exercise means that your joints stay flexible. It also means that you’ll weigh less, meaning there is less strain on your joints in daily activities. Now, running and weight lifting aren’t the best picks for exercise if you’re already experiencing arthritis pain. However, swimming, yoga and tai chi are all low-impact exercises that are great for you.

Meditation

Meditating to relax and focus your mind elsewhere can be a huge help with chronic pain. While many people are quick to write meditation off as pseudo-scientific or ineffective, it’s been proven to help those who put effort into learning the practice.

Remember: meditation isn’t inherently religious or even philosophical. It’s a way of putting mind over matter and refocusing your energy. It’s helpful for getting your mind off of chronic pain and on to more ephemeral and pain-relieving thoughts, like eternity, mindfulness and wellness.

Nutrition

Getting the right things in your diet is another important way to address arthritis pain. Omega-3 fatty acids are a huge help in this regard. Certain fish oils and other supplements are one way to make sure you’re getting enough omega-3, which helps keep your joints loose and limber.

Another fatty acid recommended for those with joint pain is gamma-linolenic acid. Ask your doctor if evening primrose, borage, hemp, or black currants or supplements made from them would be safe in your diet, as these carry gamma-linolenic acid.

If your symptoms are quite severe and impacting your daily life, don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor. However, addressing them in a natural and holistic way can be a great way to avoid doctor’s fees and having to take traditional medicine. Everyone is different, however, so make sure you do what is right for your unique situation.

February 25, 2021
Top Arthritis Pain Remedies

More than 50 million people in the United States are affected by arthritis, and up to 67 million are expected to be diagnosed by the year 2030. Arthritis pain can be downright incapacitating if it gets intense enough.

Wrists and joints ache and you feel as though nothing can make you feel normal. Every joint can be affected, but most often hands, wrists, knees, and feet are affected.
When not properly treated, arthritis can be damaging to many aspects of people’s lives, causing all kinds of physical and emotional issues stemming from chronic pain and the loss of mobility. There has been much research into arthritis remedies for those suffering with aching joints. Here are a few you can try.

Top Arthritis Remedies

1-Enbrel

Etanercept (Enbrel) is effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis. It is a prescription only injection that has been proven to stop joint pain, and prevent joint damage. It has many side effects, despite its effectiveness. Contact your physician for more information.

2-NSAIDs

Two non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, ibuprofen and naproxen are available without a prescription, and are quite effective at treating arthritis pain. Aspirin, the proptype of this class, is still used quite commonly in treating arthritic pain. Avoid upset stomach by taking these medications with food.

3-Over the Counter Rubs

There are a wide array of creams and ointments available without a prescription that are effective in alleviating pain and inflammation due to arthritis. Look for ingredients like menthol, camphor, and methyl salicylate when choosing a product.

4-Ginger

Ginger is quite effective at treating and preventing arthritic pain. It is available in many forms including the root which can be chewed, cooked, or used in teas.
5-Black Seed Oil

A teaspoonful a day is helpful in treating arthritis. Black seed oil has many other uses.

6-Hot and Cold Therapy

Hot and cold therapy can do wonders for aching joints from arthritis. Taking a nice, long and hot bath or shower in the morning can do aching joints wonders. Alternatively, using electric blankets or heating pads can help to relax stiff joints.

On the other hand ice therapy can be used to alleviate intense pain rapidly. Ice packs wrapped in towels and applied to sore joints can provide fast relief. Follow this cold treatment with a bit of heat treatment for relief from joint pain!

7-Turmeric
Consider adding turmeric to your diet in higher quantities. This root plant is a known anti-inflammatory and has been used as a natural remedy for hundreds of years. You can add it to dishes easily, as it is a common spice. It tastes really good, too! While it’s not a cure-all, you might find it helps to alleviate symptoms of joint pain.

The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric could result in your joints and tendons feeling some relief from your arthritis symptoms. This is a great way to attempt to tackle your symptoms from several angles.

Because, at the very worst, it’ll just add some spice to your dishes!

8-Cocoa/Chocolate
Did you know that cocoa provides an abundant source of phytochemicals? You might not know much about phytochemicals, but this odd ingredient means cocoa is an antioxidant – and antioxidants are known to help with cardiovascular health, brain function, and cancer prevention. If you have RA, consuming cocoa (yes, even in the form of chocolate) can also benefit your immune system.

Chocolate, specifically dark chocolate, can significantly reduce inflammation throughout the body. Cocoa properties are known to decrease COX-2 enzymes that cause inflammation, meaning every bite of dark chocolate helps decrease what’s causing your aches and pains.

When you consume chocolate, it triggers the release of serotonin in the brain – or what many people call “the happiness chemical.” Serotonin literally changes your mindset, releasing happiness and lifting your mood.

Suffering from the symptoms of RA can have a devastating impact on your well-being. However, treating yourself with dark chocolate can help combat both a bad mood and a little of your pain. Enjoying dark chocolate (in moderation, of course) is enough to lift up your spirits, even if just for a moment.

9-Acupuncture
The use of acupuncture for treating pain is a bit contentious. However, many patients claim that their chronic pain symptoms are greatly alleviated by acupuncture. Consider visiting a specialist for a consultation and a quote! They might be able to help you.

In short, acupuncture is a practice that uses select placement of needles to attempt to manipulate the body’s pain receptors. Some practitioners ascribe the benefits of acupuncture to the manipulation of chi flow in the patient. Chi is an energy force that many Eastern traditions believe flows through all living things, though scientific examination has shown no evidence of such a force.

Those patients who have had acupuncture treatments have had varying responses, though many claim that the procedures have helped them manage their arthritis pain.

10-Massage
Along those same lines, you could consider visiting a massage therapist. They could use massage techniques to help relax your muscles and loosen stiff joints. Alternatively, you could work with a physical therapist to learn techniques of self-massage if it would be difficult to see a professional regularly.

11-Exercise
Make sure you get lots of exercise! Simply staying active can work wonders on aching or stiff joints. Make sure you walk often and don’t spend all day indoors. If you find walking to be too high-impact, consider hitting the pool. Getting some light swimming in is a great way to work your joints, tendons and muscles without putting a lot of stress on them. Staying limber and exercising often is a great way to directly tackle arthritis symptoms.
Try a combination of these arthritis remedies and hopefully they will alleviate your symptoms!

February 25, 2021
Review: Choose the Right Flea Medication for Your Dog

Without a doubt, fleas are one of the most stubborn pests known to bring disease and distress to your pets. Fleas are known to cause conditions such as anemia, Bartonella, tapeworms, and Flea Allergy Dermatitis to your pet. A flea infestation is not only bad for the pets but also causes immense discomfort for people in your home. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that your pet is well protected, and flea medicine is a perfect solution for protection against the pest all year round. Numerous medications have been invented over time in an attempt to keep away the fleas, but the pest has somehow developed adaptive traits against the medication. Despite the numerous side effects pest medication may have on your pet, the growing need to use them underscores them.

We have reviewed below some of the best flea medication to consider using on your pet alongside their pros and cons.

Features to consider while purchasing flea medication
1. Topical or oral treatment
Flea medicine is divided into two types; oral and topical.
Oral medication is administered in the form of a tablet that goes into your pet’s bloodstreams. Once a flea bites your pet, they ingest the medication and die. Oral treatment is quite effective in controlling an infestation but unfortunately lasts for a short period of about 2 hours.
On the other hand, topical flea treatment is administered in liquid form and is sprayed on the skin of your pet. Like oral, topical treatment protects your pet from fleas for a period of up to one month.

2. Period of protection
Go through the manufacturer’s manual to check how often to administer and the flea medicine protection period.

3. Protection against other parasites
Flea medicine that kills other parasites such as mosquitoes, lice, ticks, and internal parasites like tapeworms and roundworms is a perfect option for achieving an all-around pest control solution.

4. Water-proof
If you choose to use the topical flea medication, it is wise to pick a water-proof product to ensure effectiveness for a long time.

5. Effectiveness and safety
Conduct some research to establish the best and most effective product before making a purchase. You can do so by researching the active ingredients in the product on Google or look up for reviews in the product.

Best flea medications in the market

1. Bayer K9 Advantix II flea treatment for dogs
The K9 Advantix is a topical treatment that has proven its effectiveness and excellence in eliminating fleas in your dog. The topical treatment begins working within just a few minutes of application and has a 30 days duration of protection.
Besides just attacking fleas, the product has ingredients that also kill lice, mosquitoes, and flies, offering you that extra advantage of overall pest control in your home. The product is easily applicable and has a water-proof feature to ensure protection for longer.

Pros
• It is a fast-acting product
• The product offers you a broad spectrum of protection against pests within 12 hours
• The ingredients are safe
• It is a convenient once-a-month topical application medicine

Cons
• The product may be harsh for sensitive dogs
• The water-proofing may be insufficient, especially after a wash or swim.

2. Frontline-Plus flea & tick dog treatment
a safe, fast, and reliable topical pest treatment. Frontline-plus flea and tick treatment works right away after application on dogs of all ages and is applied topically in the dog’s skin, offering protection against fleas for as long as 30 days.
Thee drug destroys flea eggs and hatches larvae on the dog’s skin, ensuring it is protected from re-infestation for as long as it stays on.
The brand is a vet trusted one that has been in existence for over 20 years, which is a good indication of the good quality of their products.

Pros
• The ingredients that make up the product are safe
• Eliminate even the eggs and larvae, ensuring full-on protection
• Very easy to apply as it comes with a unique applicator.
• It is a fast-acting product
• Quality is assured
• Suitable for puppies over eight weeks

Cons
• The formula may give a robust chemical odor after application
• The pricing may lean a bit on the expensive side

3. PetArmor Plus Flea And Tick Squeeze-On Treatment For Dogs
Looking for a more affordable solution for pest control, PetAmor is the product for you.
The medication comes in different dosages for different dog-sizes together with a unique applicator. The petAmor takes up to 12 hours to start working after application and carries on the effect for the next 30 days.
The active ingredients in this product’s formulae, Fipronil and (S)-Methoprene, work together to offer relief from fleas and act on eggs and larvae hatching on the pet’s skin.
The product is water-proof and helps control flea and tick diseases like Lyme disease, which is a plus even for the whole family.

Pros
• It is an affordable option
• Water-proof product
• Kills fleas in all their stages, including the eggs and larvae
• Has a safe combination of ingredients
• Works perfectly on extra-large dogs
• Acts on tick species

Cons
• It is slow acting as it begins work 12 hours after application
• The special applicator may be relatively hard to use

4. Capstar Flea Tablets For Dogs
The Capstar flea treatment is administered in tablet form for your dog to swallow. The drug is approved for use in puppies over four weeks, weighing two pounds, adult and pregnant dogs as well.
The drug action kicks in within 30 minutes of ingestion, kills all adult fleas within a few hours, and is out of the pet’s system after 24 hours. However, the Capstar flea tablet does not work on the eggs and larvae, and you will require a different mediation for that.

Pros
• It is an affordable product
• Fast-acting, beginning action 30 minutes after administration
• Puppy and pregnant dogs friendly
• Odorless

Cons
• Only works on the adult fleas and not any other pests
• Its effect lasts only 24 hours, and you have to administer a dose daily until all fleas disappear

5. Vet’s Best Dog Flea And Tick Home Spray
Vet’s Best Dog flea and tick home spray is an all-natural spray solution that helps you deal with fleas, larvae, and eggs that your dog might have brought into your home without dealing with any chemicals.
The formula compromises of all-natural and plant-based ingredients that are kind on your home surfaces and dog but brutal on the fleas, which makes it perfect for use at home
The product eliminates not only fleas but also repels ticks and mosquitoes in your home. It is perfect for both adult dogs’ puppies aged over 12 weeks but should be applied carefully, avoiding the eyes and nose area as it may irritate.

Pros
• It is an all-natural product
• Does not cause stain on your home surfaces
• It kills both adult fleas and eggs
• Affordable

Cons
• Cannot be used on pregnant or nursing dogs
• Not suitable for puppies under 12 weeks

6. Virbac Knockout E.S. Area Treatment Spray
This is an effective and affordable flea treatment solution for your home that comes in an aerial spray.
The product is used on your home surfaces such as carpet and rugs to eliminate fleas your pet could have brought home alongside the treatment administered on your dog. This helps avoid a re-infestation cycle that can be a nuisance and keep away the fleas for up to seven months.
The ingredients in the product act fast on the adult fleas breeding around your home and prevent any breeding eggs from reaching the adult stage and reinfesting your pest.

Pros
• It is long-lasting, keeping fleas away for up to 7 months
• The product is odorless
• The aerosol spray makes it easy to apply
• It does not leave any sticky mess after use

Cons
• The product cannot be applied directly to pets
• It is expensive

7. NexGard Chewable Tablets For Dogs
The Nextgard chewable tablet is a very dog-friendly product administered in the form of delicious beef-flavored tablets. It is perfect for dogs and puppies over eight weeks, weighing more than four pounds.
The product starts killing flies in four hours of consumption and, unlike other oral medication, continues to be active for a whole 30 days.
It kills adult fleas and interrupts the lifecycle of hatching eggs preventing the re-infestation. Besides fleas, NexGard is also effective in killing several species of ticks that may bite your dogs.

Pros
• It is a fast-acting product
• Has a long-lasting effect of up to 30 days
• Suitable for puppies over eight weeks
• It is effective against ticks as well

• Easy to administer to your dog thanks to the beef flavor and appealing scent

Cons
• Pricing could be a little high.

8. Onguard flea and tick treatment for dogs
It is a topical type of medication that is used on adult dogs, nursing and pregnant but not for puppies under eight weeks.
The product acts on adult fleas as well as the eggs preventing the chances of re-infestation on your dog. Its effect is instant upon application, and it remains active for the next 30 days. The product is water-proof and remains effective even after a bath or a day in the rain.

Pros
• Offers a water-proof formulation
• Long-lasting with the medication staying active for 30 days
• Perfect for dogs weighing between 44-88 pounds
• Kills both the fleas and eggs
• Highly effective on lice and lice
Cons
• Cannot be used on any other animals apart from dogs
• Not suitable for puppies under eight weeks

9. Advantus Dog Soft Chew Flea Treatment
The Advantus dog soft chews are an oral medication that starts working within an hour of ingestion. The product is mild enough to be administered to your dog daily, with a scent and flavor that dogs enjoy making it easy to administer.
The medication is available without a prescription from a vet, hence safe if your dog does not have any underlying health issues. It is also efficient on puppies as young as ten weeks old.

Pros
• It is mild for daily administration on puppies
• Fast-acting
• Easy to administer thanks to the appealing smell and scent
• The ingredients are both human and animal friendly
• Available without a prescription

Cons
• Expensive

10. Sentry FiproGuard flea and tick squeeze on for dogs
This is a topical medication that is effective In eliminating canine flea infestation. It is suitable for puppies over 8-weeks and dogs weighing between 45 and 88 pounds.
It contains powerful active ingredients that kill ticks, chewing lice, and adult fleas. The product eliminates all egg and larvae for up to 12 weeks after application, breaking the lifecycle and preventing re-infestation for that period.

Pros
• Suitable for puppies over 8-weeks
• Easily applicable with the squeeze on packing.
• Long lasting with 12 weeks activity

Pest resistance
Some pest species have, over time, become resistant to some pesticides rendering them ineffective. Resistance comes about with pests inheriting a trait that causes increased tolerance to specific pesticides causing them to survive a compound in it that was meant to be lethal.
These resistant genes come around over a long time of pesticide use, causing the surviving pest species to go through the process of recombination or mutation naturally.

Where to purchase?
Purchasing your pet medication does not only have to be through your veterinary officer. It can be as easy as making the order on your couch and waiting for a delivery.
We have sites that now allow you to upload a copy of your prescription for purchase while others go the extra mile of calling your vet directly once you place an order.

Below are some of the most popular sites to consider:
• Chewy has an incredible online pet pharmacy and a wide range of pet food
• 1-800-PetMeds
• Walmart Pet Rx
• Petco
• PetCareRx
Finally, researching online and seeking help from experts is highly recommended. Remember, if you are not sure about anything, you do not have to take the risk. Reading instructor’s manual and following them is the only way to do things right.

February 22, 2021
Review: Top 5 Pet Food Delivery Services-
In times like these, it is always a good idea to limit how much time you spend going into large stores filled with strangers. This includes the tedious chore of shopping for pet food for your furry family.

Fear not friends, in 2020 we now have multiple options to get your favorite four legged friend their food without leaving the comfort of your couch! In many cases, the costs are comparable or even lower than you would find at your local pet store. Services ranging from pre-made natural meals to your favorite packaged brands exist. Our team has reviewed five pet food delivery services below.

1. The Farmers Dog
- Free shipping nationwide
- Nutrition exceeding industry standards
- Made fresh in USDA kitchens
- Human-grade meat and veggies
- Vet-Designed personalized plans
- Skip or cancel anytime
2. Chewy
- Low Prices
- Delivers prescription food with vet approval
- 24/7 support
- 30% off for new subscribers
- Autoshipping
3. Nom Nom
- Personalized single-serve meals for dogs and cats
- Recipes designed by veterinarians
- Free delivery on all orders
- Offers treats and more
- Convenient packaging
4. Ollie
- Unique recipes based on pet profile
- Arrives cold or frozen with recyclable trays
- Portion recommendations based on pet’s age and type
- Human grade meat, superfoods, and produce
5. PetFlow
- 15% off first order
- Autoshipping available
- All brands of dry food/canned food and other products available
- Free shipping on orders $49+
- Prescription diets available
Happy hunting! Treat your pets like family 🙂
February 19, 2021
Investing in Stocks: A Beginners Guide

The stock market can be a scary place and an even more intimidating process if you’ve never invested your money before. But investing online is one of the best pieces of financial advice you can ever receive. For one, it’s an excellent way to grow your wealth for a specific period then reap the fruits in the future, probably after retirement.

The best way to start investing in stocks is to put money in a trusted online investment account and use it to buy shares of stock. However, stocks are not like your typical savings accounts, certificates of deposit, or money market funds. They always have a very volatile principal value. They can rise and fall in very short periods. Therefore, if you still don’t have sufficient knowledge in investing, you can easily lose most, if not all, of your investment capital.

As a result, it’s crucial that you learn the basics of how to invest and the most effective strategies to use. That’s what we aim to help you achieve in this excerpt:

What Kind of Investor Are You?

Before committing your money, it’s vital that you know what kind of investments you want to venture into. Most investment accounts will also want to know which types of investments are best suited to you. Therefore, ensure that you have an investment goal already planned out and set how much risk you’ll be willing to take on in your investments.

Some investors are always more open to taking an active hand in the managerial part of their investments, while others prefer to set up their investments and forget them entirely until they mature. Both options allow you to invest in stocks, bonds, index funds, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

If you are the type of investor who prefers to be more hands-on and involved with your investments, this article should be particularly beneficial to you. But if you prefer to have someone else with expertise in the stock market manage the process for you, it’s best to look for a reputable Robo-advisor’s services at a minimal fee.

It’s vital that you know which type of investor you are to determine which investment types to focus on. Once you’ve found your preference, you should be ready to research stocks to trade.

Research Stocks to Trade

Once you’ve found a brokerage firm, you can buy stocks. But the question now arises on which stocks are best to buy. For beginners in the stock investment business, the best place to start investing in might not be stocks. Instead, start off with ETFs.
ETFs allow you to buy different bundles of stocks at once. This can help build more confidence, especially if you don’t know which individual companies to pick over the others.

ETFs built to replicate the bigger indices like Nasdaq, Dow, and S&P 500 are the best investment options to use to give your portfolio the boost it needs and broader exposure to the U.S. stock market. Most seasoned traders also advise that you diversify your holdings with other assets instead of just stocks. Diversifying your investments is one of the most effective ways of hedging the risks that arise from stock market downturns (but more on that later).

Where to Start Investing in Stocks

A thrifty, self-motivated investor who knows exactly what he/she wants might be served best using online brokerages, especially ones that provide commission-free trading. However, there are also stock options for new traders who feel more comfortable having the system or a broker pick the stocks for them. Such investors are better off using automated investing services, most of which are reasonably priced and provide a user-friendly platform to invest.

Human brokers and other financial advisors offer some of the highest investment service levels, which mainly revolves around investment advice. But this is also the most expensive option to consider.

Stock picking can be extraordinarily difficult, especially if you decide to go about it yourself. For the most part, there isn’t any way of knowing which direction the stock market will go. It’s on that note that even the seasoned stock investors, Warren Buffett included, discourage newbie investors from placing all their investments in individual stocks.

Best New Apps to Use for Online Investments

Stock investing apps have gained quite a reputation since the invention of the smartphone and the internet. Investment firms are now scrambling to develop mobile-friendlier apps that cater to the digital investor’s interests. The results have yielded some of the best stock trading apps the industry has to offer.

These apps have easy-to-use features that make them perfect for quick and painless stock investments, even for first-timers. And the only requirements you need is a smartphone and an internet connection.

As the resilience of Artificial Intelligence and intuitive software becomes more apparent in the stock trading industry, it’s also imperative that traders find the best apps with the latest tools for trading. These apps should have the latest tools and provide real-time research data and assess trading risks.

Some of the best online apps for the job include:

1. Robinhood
Robinhood is one of the most renowned online stock brokerage apps that provide online traders with a completely free way to invest. The app doesn’t charge any commissions on stock, it has no minimums, and has one of the best and easy-to-use application interfaces.

However, because Robinhood offers free investing, it doesn’t have as many perks as the other online investment apps. For instance, you won’t find features like trading tools, investing education, research, and several other investing options. But what it lacks in some areas, it makes up for in others, like providing high-tech, intuitively-designed, top-rated investing options on the market today.

The app also allows investors to trade cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. But if you want to take your investing a notch higher, you can buy its premium version, Robinhood Gold, for $5 every month. The premium version gives users access to some of the apps premium features like allowing users to trade on margin, access market data, and make bigger instant deposits.

2. Acorns
Acorns is the next best straightforward money-making online investment app you can find today. It’s also definitely one of the best online apps for beginners. Acorns helps users learn some of the must-have investment skills to improve your chances of winning big. This is the online application that will make investing fun and turn it into a daily habit.

To start investing with Acorns, you will need to link the application to your credit or debit card. Acorns will then round up all your purchases and move the change into your investment portfolio. This makes it one of the best apps to use, especially if you’re looking for a more hands-off investing type of approach but still want to make it your new habit.

3. Public.Com
Formerly known as Matador, Public also tops the list of the best stock investing apps you can find. It mixes social media with commission-free investing in creating a simple but unique platform that’s ideal for beginners.

Public’s iOS and Android apps also help users to connect with other investors. Its developers came up with an ingenious idea to connect users with about 5,000 different securities. Another sweet deal with using the app is that you get a free stock of up to $50 if you refer a friend who signs up and starts trading.

Public.com’s online trading app lowers the bar for beginners into the world of investing with no minimum balances needed and fractional shares available. After you’ve downloaded the app and opened an account, connect it to your bank account, and you should be set to start investing and trading.

On the downside, more advanced investors who want to invest in cryptocurrencies or international stocks may miss out when using Public.com. But overall, this is an amazing online trading app for beginners who want to learn most, if not all, of the basics of online investments in a fun and intuitive way.

4. Betterment
Betterment is one of the world’s best Robo-advising platforms you can find today. The online investment guru manages and re-balances investors’ portfolios, making them stronger and more financially rewarding. Betterment is also one of the most user-friendly and easy-to-use online investment applications that can help users manage their taxable investments.

To start investing with Betterment, you will need to answer a few questions about your financial goals, age, income, and risk tolerance. This information helps the application to evaluate you as an investor and the best investment experience with your goals. Additionally, Betterment has built-in financial guidance that’ helpful for anyone who’s still new to investing.

It’s an excellent mobile application for both beginners and seasoned investors since it provides so much guidance to help all investors in different capacities.

5. Webull
Active traders who are looking for a mobile-first way to trade are better off trying Webull. This mobile app allows investors to trade ETFs, stock shares, and options to use. Webull also provides one of the simplest, bare-bone interfaces for smartphone apps. You won’t see several educational contents on the platform, but it’s still a leader when it comes to graphic analyses.

Webull is an excellent choice, especially for investors who have some idea of what they’re doing. It also offers commission and fee-free trades for stocks, ETFs, shares, and options, making it one of the most desired options with a $0 minimum balance.

Manage Your Stock Portfolio

While worrying over daily fluctuations won’t do your portfolio much health, there’ll be times when you will need to check in on your investments.

It’s always advisable that you revisit your portfolio several times a year to check if it’s still in line with your investment goals. Some few things to consider include:
• If you are approaching retirement, it may be best to transfer some of your stock investments to more conservative fixed-income investments.
• Pay attention to geographical diversification. It’s advisable to invest in international stocks as well to safeguard your portfolio. If possible, invest in stocks from different countries.
• If your portfolio is heavily weighted in one industry or sector, consider buying stocks in a different industry to build more diversification.

Limit Risks Through Diversification
Diversification is the most popular way of managing risk exposure in the investment industry. Prudent investors always invest in stocks from different companies in different sectors, sometimes in different countries. They do this with the expectation that if a single bad event affects one stock, it doesn’t affect the rest. Diversification allows investors to recover from losses incurred from some stocks, thereby allowing investors to stay afloat.

The first rule of trading is never to risk putting all your eggs in one basket. Also, never risk investing anything you’re not prepared to lose. This strategy is based more on the impact of margin trading. It means that you could potentially lose everything in a single trade if you’re not careful.

Long-Term Investors Vs Short-Term Investors
Knowing when to use short-term or long-term investments is a crucial part of growing wealth to help you reach your goals. Therefore, it’s essential that you learn all the strengths and weaknesses of short-term and long-term investments and which option is a better fit for your financial future. Here’s a quick brief on long-term investments and short-term investments.

When to Consider Long-Term Investments
Although some people put a lot of effort into short-term investments, getting to your goal of financial freedom isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. The earlier you start, the more you’ll be able to accumulate. The earlier you start, the more you can accumulate. And long-term investments help you to achieve this goal.

Long-term investments are mostly assets like stocks and real estate. They are the investments that you plan on keeping for a while. This allows them to grow and allow your portfolio to grow as well since you know you won’t access them for a significant period.

Times when it makes sense to consider long-term investments include:
• When your retirement is 20+ years away
• You want protection from inflation
• You need a plan for 7 to 10 years in the future

When to Consider Short-Term Investments
In contrast, short-term investments are the investments you intend to use to meet your financial goals within shorter time frames. Often, they include assets like cash, bonds, and annuities. Some few scenarios where trying short-term investments make sense include:
• You will need the money soon
• You want a regular source of income

The Bottom Line
The information provided in this excerpt should help you start investing and working like a professional. One important note to keep in mind when investing is to never invest in anything that you don’t understand. Above all else, remember that it’s your money on the line. So, don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you have to.

The investment steps mentioned above should help you to stay empowered and confident, even as you start creating your retirement plan today.

February 18, 2021