A plethora of investment options exist on the 21st century trading market, but they tend to fall into the dusty old categories: stocks, indices, mutual funds, etc. Any alternatives to these typical and traditional options are rare, but once every now and then the alternative does surface. It is essential that you take notice when this rare happening actually happens. Why? Well, it’s the beginning of a new investment. It’s an investment in its infancy and it can produce outstanding results.
Today I received three relatively new investment ideas and I would like to share them with you. Well, two were quite new and one was relatively common. The fact is that these ideas were interesting and, while not as new as yesterday’s news, the ideas were bright and shiny when compared to typical options.
1. Crypto Currencies
The first to discuss is crypto currencies. This concept has been circulating the market for quite some time and bitcoin is arguably the most popular crypto currency. I say arguably because the price per bitcoin is significantly higher nowadays as compared to their start-up; however, it may still be one of the cheaper options – who really knows. The last time I had a gander the cost for a bitcoin was approximately $400. This may seem quite costly, but if you consider the fact that the cost exceeded $1,000 per bitcoin in the recent past it might be considered reasonable.
Determining the “right price” for a crypto currency is an essential factor to consider, especially since many people are unaware of what crypto currency is and do not understand the concept. This being the case, it may not be ideal to stockpile bitcoins. However, due to the odd nature and uniqueness of crypto currency, it can be said that this type of item can be highly beneficial. For example, arbitrage can be advantageous.
Bitcoins are traded using various exchanges and the prices will vary greatly, which makes bitcoins ideal for arbitrage trading. The individual will purchase a bitcoin cheaply and immediately sell it at an expensive exchange. It sounds simple, and theoretically it is, but practice is rarely like theory. When transferring the funds between exchanges when executing deals, you must be aware that there is an exchange or transfer cost. Of course, if the transferring funds cost less than the earnings from the arbitrage it is possible to make a profit. It should also be remembered that working with bitcoins can be sketchy and there are always scammers who are looking to pull one over on you.
2. Equity Crowd Funding
Equity crowd funding is a well-known type of investment having been on the market for several years; however, it was not always an option for many people who did not fall into a certain bracket. In 2015, the SEC finally changed this by allowing non-accredited investors to invest in equity crown funding. What is equity crowd funding? Well, equity crowd funding allows an individual to invest in a start-up or grass roots business opportunity and gain equity in return. This is highly beneficial for people who have an eye for trends and are willing to put this talent where their mouth is by investing some extra money.
It is vitally important to remember that spotting trends may seem simple in theory, but once again theory is far from practice. Doing some basic research will illustrate numerous amounts of start-up companies and hopeful trends emerging online daily and choosing only one will be challenging. Which one is the best? Which one will be successful? The majority of the ideas will fail and have no value making it essential to look beyond the pitch and focus on potential.
3. Websites
Is the idea of website investments new? No, not exactly. Truthfully, the website is not new in any sense; however, the idea of investing in websites may be slightly less traditional. While many people have entered the digital era purchasing, developing, and maintaining websites from an investment perspective; it is not necessarily a common practice. The reason for this is that investment options are typically passive items and website investment is not. In fact, website investment is quite proactive. Unlike investments, this type of idea will require detailed knowledge of how to maintain specific sites and optimize the sites – a task that requires work, effort, and lots of time.