So It’s 2017, and Here’s What You Should Be Investing in This Year
2016, what with it’s unpredictability in just about, well, everything, has shown to us that nothing can ever really be taken for granted — even ‘forgone conclusions’. From the public voting for ‘Brexit’ and 5000/1 outsiders Leicester City winning the Premier League over in the UK, and a certain Mr. Trump winning some sort of election in the U.S., it’s now actually really hard to tell what to put your money on when you want to turn over a nice profit. Thankfully, 2016 is now long behind us and 2017 has really gotten going, so it’s now time to look to the future and cement your place in the investing elite. Here are a few area you can enter, and a few tips to help you exploit the most from them.
Property
For as long as time itself (well, maybe not that long) there have been ways to become a property millionaire. For any novices out there who want to create an investing portfolio, then properties are a solid place to start, especially those situated outside of the U.S., given the recent unrest — if you you know what you’re doing and looking for. A few bits of advice include: targeting flats rather than houses, in order to generate better buy-to-let possibilities; being tax-efficient so that you can cut down on costs you pay to the taxman; exploring local knowledge of the area in which the property you have invested in sits, especially if you look into purchasing properties for sale all over the globe; and being patient when it comes to finding the right place for you to make money from, rather than jumping in too quickly and putting all of your eggs into the same basket, only to find they scramble within the first few months. And with the knowledge you gain about properties through working so closely in the property investing sector, you should be able to find your way around the market with ease if you ever find yourself wanting to move into a new home yourself. If your American dream ever turns into a costly nightmare, then why not spend all the money you’ve earned on moving away — there are places all over the globe, including the Dominican Republic, which is always nice at this time of the year (no matter what time of the year you are reading this).
Technology Driven Payment
At the moment, cash is still printed by the boatload: even bigger than a boat load, in fact. Facts about U.S. money state that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces 38 million notes a day with a face value of approximately $541 million. But, with the pace of change in the U.S. payment market showing that over the past five years the credit card has proved itself to be the generally preferred method of payment, 2017 might just be your last chance to jump into the world of investing in technology driven payment with the view of making any real profit from it. Using merchant services such as credit and debit cards is not only the method of payment that is used most frequently, but also the one that holds the most value in terms of total amount. So if it were to continue on this trajectory, does cold, hard cash really stand a chance?
Because of this, you should invest in a merchant account or a payment services company, and you should do it sooner, rather than later as the world is quickly moving towards digital and mobile payments. Visa, the market leader, is an example of the type of payment services company you should seek to invest in this year, although you should seek to find one of lower stature.
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SEO Services
Search engine optimisation, commonly known as SEO, is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine’s results. In other words, it’s a hugely important component in getting a business’s website out there and into the online public eye. Specifically, local SEO is of great importance to businesses. When a potential customer, of which all businesses live and die by, is searching for the kind of service a business offers and the products that they make available, they want as much information as possible to pop up on their search engine: they want to know exactly where they can find the business, how they can get to them, and customer reviews from others in the area — and they want it all as quickly and accurately as possible. Firstly, there are firms and establishments that assist with the matter of SEO, such as a company that assists with seo for local business in Los Angeles. Using its extensive knowledge of the area it optimises the best results and helps its customers to be found by their customers with ease. And these are the type of SEO services that you be investing in. With modern businesses now relying heavily on attracting customers online, SEO is of great importance, and will continue to be of great importance for years to come.
So, there you have it. A few sectors that you can think about investing in. However, there are some sectors that should now be avoided, especially with the upheaval and change that is due in the U.S. over the next four years under the reign of President Trump. With the anticipation of less regulation, higher inflation and lower taxes, many investing-pros remain anxious about what the coming years will bring. Sectors such as healthcare is one such area whose stocks you should avoid because of Trump’s notable campaign pledge to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Although these policies may never even come into fruition, there is enough uncertainty when it comes to investing in stocks as it is — you don’t need any extra uncertainty to worry about. The best advice to follow when stepping into the world of investment this year, however, is to follow your head, and not your heart. There is no room for sentiment when it comes to improving your investing portfolio!
