With pension plans becoming more and more obsolete, retirement-focused investments have come to the fore in the past few years. Besides helping you fund your future, these valuable assets also provide incredible gains, and in some cases, constant income till the end of life. Since investing for retirement—and planning it—can prove to be challenging, we have put together a list of tips that may be helpful in the process. Assess your options Multiple investment vehicles are ideal for long-term gains and can return a sizable amount by the time you retire. Mutual funds, stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds, cash investments, annuities, and dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) are also good sources of high returns, although they depend on investor characteristics and risk aptitude. Saving money in certain tax-advantaged accounts such as 401(k), individual retirement accounts (IRA), and brokerage accounts is also an option. Start early and young No one is ever too young to invest. It’s a healthy habit that can earn serious money in the long term, with even the smallest of investments capable of making a difference a few years down the line. Starting early gives your money time to grow and lets you accumulate more compound interest over a period of time.

A good credit score is essential as it can be a criterion for lucrative job prospects or renting an apartment. Moreover, a good credit score is an uncompromisable necessity while applying for a loan that has terms and conditions that favor you. To ensure that you have a good credit score, it is better to start building it young and early. One of the easiest ways to do so is by applying for a student credit card from prominent credit cards companies. Now, there are several credit cards companies that offer lucrative credit cards, making choosing the right one confusing. To help you narrow down your choices, here are some of the best credit cards companies that offer student credit cards. Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students: One of the biggest credit card companies in the country Bank of America offers a slew of benefits with its student credit card. With each dollar spent using this card, students can earn 1.5 points. This applies to purchases without any caps. The points can be redeemed as discounts on hotels, flights, rental cars, and vacation packages. There are no restrictions or blackout dates applicable for availing these discounts. With no foreign transaction fee or annual fee, the card allows one to earn nearly 25,000 points on spending about $1000 in the first 90 days.

If you’re looking for funding your small business with a loan, you’ll most likely come across the term “guaranteed business loans.” People often misunderstand this term as business loans that are guaranteed to be approved. But, this is not what guaranteed business loans means. To clarify the confusion, let’s understand what the term actually means, and discuss the most popular types of guaranteed business loans. What are guaranteed business loans? In simple terms, guaranteed business loans in the world of small business loans refer to loans that are secured or backed by a guarantee. The guarantee can be in the form of collateral, deposit, or an agreement. This essentially means that the lender is guaranteed to receive their money back even if the borrower fails to pay. When we talk about guaranteed business loans, we refer to loans with a personal guarantee or, more commonly, loans guaranteed by the small business administration (SBA). Let’s take a look at both these types. Personally guaranteed business loans As you understand from the term “personal,” when you make a personal guarantee on a business loan, you essentially agree to sell your assets to pay off the loan, if your business is unable to do so.

Exchange-traded funds (ETF) have been gaining popularity in the investment sector for some time now. Along with mutual funds, they have been one of the most preferred investment options among investors. With investors having pumped in billions of dollars in ETFs by now, these funds sure seem like a lucrative investment avenue. However, financial experts suggest treading this path carefully so as to avoid unforeseeable losses. Here are a few mistakes that you can avoid while investing in high dividend ETFs: Overlooking long-term investment Looking at long-term goals is the golden rule when it comes to any type of investment. However, seasoned investors invest in ETFs on a short-term basis through a type of trading called intraday trade. This type of trading allows the investors to buy and sell stocks and other investments on the same day. However, if not thought out carefully, investing in high dividend ETFs through intraday trading can result in lower returns and higher trading costs. Buying an ETF simply based on its name This is one of the most common mistakes people make when investing in high dividend ETFs. Investors may think that an ETF’s name provides an insight into its investment reach, i.e., whether the ETF has local or/and global investors.

Those who work in commercial real estate know that the triple net lease or, commonly called, NNN lease is only becoming popular by the day. Despite the popularity, the NNN lease is still frequently misunderstood by many commercial real estate professionals, and of course, the general public. So, let’s better understand the triple net lease, its pros and cons, and look at how to find NNN properties for sales. What is a triple net lease? A triple net lease or an NNN lease is a type of lease agreement in which the tenant agrees to pay for all operating expenses associated with a property and the rent cost. Each “N,” or “net” in triple net designates one operating expense category that the tenant is responsible for. The operating expenses of commercial properties include real estate taxes, building insurance, and maintenance. To understand more clearly, in a single net lease agreement, the tenant agrees to pay for one of the above expenses. Likewise, in a double net lease agreement, the tenant agrees to pay for two of these expenses. So, a triple net lease agreement means that the tenant is responsible for all three property expenses. NNN lease pros and cons Pros A triple net lease can be beneficial for both owners and tenants.

Timeshares are a lucrative way of investing in property that you can own for a specific period. Investing in a timeshare opens up avenues for travel and affordable stay at exotic locations. But reselling the space is where it gets tricky, as the demand for these properties varies on factors like location and price. Here are some good ways to make a sale quickly: Go through an agent Real estate agents who specialize in buying and selling timeshare properties will help you unload your ownership quickly. You must do thorough research and choose an agent with plenty of experience in the area. Verified agents can broker a deal quickly because of their contacts in the market, and they will keep track of current listings and await an opportunity to broker deals for a quick commission. Find a website A lot of websites nowadays broker timeshare deals online. They connect sellers to buyers who are looking to rent or buy some vacation space. In exchange for a small transaction fee or even a membership, you can list your timeshare deal on popular web portals. Your ad will be made visible to millions of buyers. Websites also offer professional help to close the deal without much hassle.

In the age of smartphones, people have been able to make an app for practically everything. These apps have made it extremely convenient for us to lead our lives and carry out our day-to-day activities. You might not know this, but you can earn cash using apps in your spare time! Could you imagine how great it would be to get paid to be on our phone all the time? Here are some popular cash-making apps in 2021. Shopkick This app is perfect for those who enjoy indulging in a little bit of online shopping every now and then. This app only works on mobile, and you can redeem your points as gift cards whenever you decide to do so. Moreover, this app allows you to earn points whenever you walk into their partnered stores. You can also earn additional points by watching ads and videos as well as by scanning certain barcodes. The only downside to this app is that you aren’t paid in actual cash when using this app. ibotta This app is great if you are looking for an app that offers automatic payment options. This app can be used on your mobile phone as well as on your desktop browser.

Making money online is not as hard as you think it is. If you have a bunch of skills to showcase and a drive to get things done, you can easily make hundreds of dollars every month. Nonetheless, sometimes, phony websites and Ponzi schemes seem to make it difficult to find the right sources of money. Therefore, we have taken the liberty to note down five reliable websites to make money online easily. YouTube Got something to share? Is it interesting and non-explicit? Then YouTube is the place to be. All you need to do is create engaging videos, and you can make thousands of dollars depending on how many views you get. Keep up the good work, and YouTube will keep paying you depending on the number of views on every new video you upload. Fiverr Fiverr is a great place to make money if you’re looking for freelancing jobs. From content writing to marketing and web development, Fiverr has a job for everybody. The basic pay starts at approximately $5 an hour. The process, too, is fairly simple. Once you get an order, you complete it, get paid, and Fiverr takes a small cut (around $1). Shopify With Shopify, there is no definite pay scale.