Self-Made Millionaires Say These Are the Best Investments They Ever Made, 28 AUGUST

 While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to building wealth, lessons could be learned from listening to the advice of self-made millionaires. Some investors swear by real estate, while others are proponents of starting a business to build wealth. Either way, there’s a different journey for everyone looking to reach the millionaire status.

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We reached out to a few self-made millionaires to learn about the best investments they’ve made to get to where they are right now.

Best Investments These Self-Made Millionaires Made

Various roads could lead to riches, so we spoke with self-made millionaires who shared what investments helped them build momentum when trying to build wealth. Check it out.

Investing in Business Coaching

“One of the best investments I’ve ever made was also among the most intimidating due to the significant amount involved and my unfamiliarity with the venture,” remarked Jeff Rose, CFP and founder of Good Financial Cents. “I invested approximately $8,000 in a business coaching program. Despite my initial skepticism about the concept of coaching, I trusted the recommendations from others.”

While you could turn the money from your 9-5 into real wealth, you can fast-track the process by starting a business that produces real income. In this case, Rose spent the money on taking his blogging business to the next level by learning from those who did it before him. 

Investing in business growth is daunting because so many unknown variables are at play. When asked about how long it took him to see any return on his investment in the business coaching program, Ross replied, “It took more than a year to see a return on this investment. However, after investing over $24,000 in the program over three years, my annual revenue nearly tripled, netting me over $500,000.”

More: Dave Ramsey Used These 4 Investment Rules To Build His Wealth

We also spoke to Gabby Wallace, a business coach with over two million YouTube subscribers and a real estate investor, about becoming a self-made millionaire. She echoed a similar sentiment when it comes to investing in business coaching.

“Time invested in observing and learning with people I consider successful because their experience and examples as role models is better than any business class,” she said, praising her first business mastermind for helping her take her ventures to the next level. She felt she had what it took to grow her business, but she just needed to be around the right people to stay focused.

Real Estate Investment

“Money invested in the right real estate because it’s given me the freedom to make choices based on what I want to do, not just what I need to do,” Wallace further elaborated when sharing tips on her best investments.

She realized that she could purchase real estate in the Midwest that would allow her to build passive income while she focused on her other business ventures. By funneling her business profits into real estate projects, she accelerated the process of building wealth.

Simple Index Funds

While social media can be filled with ridiculous success stories of people who took risks on meme coins and other investments, the truth is that many self-made millionaires rely on safe investments to grow their funds. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner from Making Sense of Cents shared how investing her business income in simple index funds has helped her grow her net worth while focusing her energy on her business ventures. 

“One of the smartest investment decisions I’ve made over the years was choosing to invest in easy Vanguard funds (such as VTSAX). The simplicity of Vanguard funds aligns perfectly with my financial philosophy of setting it and forgetting it (instead of spending a lot of time analyzing stocks). These funds have given me easy diversification, and they also have low fees.” 

Even though we tend to glorify risky and bold investments, there’s something to be said for simple investments that allow you to focus your energy on building wealth with your business. “This allows me to spend more time growing my business while my portfolio grows in the background.”

Investments Worth Making

If you’re wondering how to invest your money to get to the next level of wealth, here are a few options worth considering based on advice from self-made millionaires.

Making Connections

Many self-made millionaires will point to their professional networks when discussing what has helped them get to where they are. Wallace shared that she spent $5,000 on a mastermind to learn more about growing a business as she grew her YouTube channel. Rose spent $8,000 per year as part of his growth. These are significant investments that were made to get to the next level. 

Making connections will be different for everyone, but attending conferences, joining a professional network, and emulating those who are where you want to be will always be a valuable investment. 

Education

You could feel stuck at your current level because you haven’t yet acquired the knowledge to upgrade your income. So what kind of education can you invest in? Here are a few options: 

• Reading a book on a new topic
• Taking a weekend course to learn something new
• Joining a mastermind in an industry you’re new to
• Earning a certification to add to your expertise
• Upgrading your current skills so you can finally start that business

Investments You Understand

While it’s tempting to risk all of your money on crypto or some speculative asset because you saw a viral social media post, it’s important to remember that boring works. Sometimes, you’re better off investing your money in simple index funds while focusing on growing your business.

Closing Thoughts

Becoming a self-made millionaire isn’t out of the realm of possibility. The good news is that the blueprint is out there, and you could learn from others who came ahead of you.

If you start channeling your energy on building wealth and making the right connections, you can put yourself in a position to one day become a self-made millionaire.

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/self-made-millionaires-say-these-are-the-best-investments-they-ever-made

FRANK26…..8-28-23…..RELAXING

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Al-Alaq stresses the need to increase capital and support the Central Bank to continue the initiatives, 28 AUGUST

 Al-Alaq stresses the need to increase capital and support the Central Bank to continue the initiatives

2023-08-27

Al-Alaq stresses the need to increase capital and support the Central Bank to continue the initiativesToday, Sunday, the Parliamentary Finance Committee announced its discussion with the Governor of the Central Bank, Ali Al-Alaq, the bank’s initiative to grant citizens with loans to solve the housing crisis, while Al-Alaq stressed the need to increase capital and support the Central Bank to continue with the initiatives.

The media department of the House of Representatives said in a statement, “The Finance Committee, headed by Atwan Al-Atwani, hosted today, the Governor of the Central Bank, Ali Al-Alaq, to ​​discuss the Central Bank’s initiative to grant citizens loans to solve the housing crisis.”

The head of the committee welcomed the governor of the Central Bank, praising “the role he plays in the bank in financing loans related to resolving the housing crisis in the country, with the aim of facilitating the investment sector, economic movement and employment.”

He added, “The suspension of the initiative affects the economic aspect and job opportunities, with the increasing need for housing units, which requires a feasibility study to reach an appropriate formula that meets the citizen’s needs.”

For his part, Al-Alaq stressed “the importance of communication between the Finance Committee and the Central Bank at all levels of concern to citizens,” explaining “the reasons that led to the suspension of the initiative that led to the contraction of the economic situation.”

He stated that “sums of money have been allocated to the Real Estate Bank and the Housing Fund in order to achieve economic activity and launch the initiative,” pointing out that “the bank deals with the file with an in-depth study in order to control the monetary mass in accordance with the financial policy.”

He stressed, “the need to increase the capital and support the Central Bank to continue the initiatives.”

The interventions of the committee members focused on the procedures of the Central Bank and the possibility of increasing the amounts granted, with the expansion of initiatives, as well as the new instructions issued regarding interest and the payment period, and stressing the intensification of meetings in order to study the mechanisms used and issue appropriate instructions to banks in implementing the initiative.

On the other hand, the issue of the exchange rate of the dinar against the dollar and the reasons for the high prices were discussed, as well as the procedures regarding the tax on products imported through the ports.

burathanews.com

ZIMBABWE DOLLAR IS IN GOOD POSITION

Iraq-India trade reaches $12.5 Billion in the first half of 2023, 28 AUGUST

Iraq-India trade reaches $12.5 Billion in the first half of 2023

Shafaq News / The trade volume between Iraq and India has reached $12.5 billion during the first six months of the current year, 2023.

According to an analysis by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), India's foreign trade (goods and services exports and imports) amounted to $800.9 billion US dollars from January to June 2023, representing a decrease of 2.5 percent compared to the same period last year (January - June 2022).

India's exports exceed a billion US dollars with 41 countries, accounting for 87 percent of the nation's exports. While India's exports grew positively in 12 of these countries, they declined in 29 others.

During the period of January to June 2023, India's top trading partners included China ($38.1 billion USD), Russia ($29.6 billion USD), Saudi Arabia ($12.9 billion USD), Iraq ($12.5 billion USD), and Switzerland ($7.5 billion USD).

https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/Iraq-India-trade-reaches-12-5-Billion-in-the-first-half-of-2023

Japan to enter the Iraqi market with Key Investments

Shafaq News/ Futoshi Matsumoto, the Japanese Ambassador to Iraq, on Monday announced that a cadre of leading Japanese corporations is gearing up to make inroads into the Iraqi labor market.

Sharing insights with Shafaq News agency, Ambassador Matsumoto said that meticulous consultations are underway between major Japanese stakeholders and representatives of the Iraqi government, including ministers, under the auspices of Tokyo's embassy in Baghdad.

These dialogues, he emphasized, are centered around forging innovative investment avenues and positioning Japanese business powerhouses as stalwarts in the Iraqi economic landscape, with a specific focus on spearheading an array of developmental projects aimed at bolstering Iraq's infrastructure.

With Japan's legacy of pioneering cutting-edge solutions, Matsumoto said that many Japanese companies are poised to take part in many sectors, including oil, energy, and pioneering water treatment facilities. 

"Our present endeavors are strategically aligned with charting new investment territories," he explained, "this is a testament to the proactive engagements we've been nurturing with many ministers and high-ranking officials in the Iraqi government."

https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/Japan-to-enter-the-Iraqi-market-with-Key-Investments

Retired? You Can Still Collect a Weekly Paycheck, 28 AUGUST

 Over the past year, we have experienced a 40-year high in inflation, a foreign war, a severe bear market, increased market volatility, and an uncertain economy. The financial turmoil has made it very difficult for the average investor to realize a consistent return on investment.

Despite these problematic market conditions, one strategy has produced above-average returns with relatively low risk. Before we delve into the strategy itself, let’s review some option basics.

Option Basics – A Refresher

There is no need to worry about complex mathematical formulas or equations. My mantra when it comes to option investing is ‘keep it simple’. Over the years I’ve found that the more complicated a strategy is, the less likely it will work over the long-term. We want to employ a strategy that has a history of profitability and is easy to follow.

Options are standardized contracts that give the buyer the right to buy (calls) or sell (puts) the underlying stock at a fixed price which is known as the ‘strike price’. These contracts are valid for a specific period of time which ends on option expiration day.

Options consist of time value and intrinsic value. In-the-money options consist of both components. At-the-money and out-of-the-money options consist only of time value. At options expiration, options lose all time value. When we are short an option, the time value of that option becomes profit at expiration regardless of the price movement of the underlying stock or ETF.

Create Your Own Weekly Paycheck

Most investors are not familiar with the concept of selling option premium to generate cash income. Selling option premium is a very simple but lucrative income strategy. When you sell an option, cash equal to the premium is immediately credited to your brokerage account. Unlike a traditional stock dividend, you don’t have to own the stock on the dividend date to receive a quarterly dividend and you don’t have to wait a year to receive a 2% or 3% annual dividend yield.

The key to selling option premium to generate cash income is to make sure the option you sell is ‘covered’. In this example, we’ll be using what is known as a ‘buy-write’ or ‘covered call’ strategy. In this strategy we buy in increments of 100 shares of a stock or ETF and sell a related call option. As options cover 100 shares of the underlying security, we want to make sure that we sell 1 call option for every 100 shares purchased.

Weekly covered calls are initiated by buying 100 shares of a stock and selling 1 weekly call option. As noted previously, when you sell an option, cash equal to the option premium sold is immediately credited to your brokerage account. This cash credit reduces the cost basis of the stock and reduces the overall risk of the trade. The great advantage to selling weekly calls is that you get to sell 52 options a year.

This strategy incurs less risk than owning the stock outright, but has the potential to deliver returns far in excess of simply owning the stock. Because the short option is ‘covered’ by the purchase of the stock or ETF, this strategy incurs limited risk. The weekly paycheck strategy can profit if the market goes up, down, or remains flat and gives us an edge in producing consistent returns during any type of market condition.

Weekly options are the ideal investment for turning small amounts of money into large amounts. This strategy is the ultimate investing game changer and can help us realize a more consistent profit flow.

Ideal Strategy for Today’s Volatile Markets

Selling option premium is a great strategy for profiting during hostile market conditions. Weekly options amplify this strategy as we get 52 opportunities each year to generate income as opposed to just 12 with monthly options.

Let’s take a look at an actual trade example. Semiconductors have been leading the rally this year and a currently on a ‘buy’ signal. The Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF (SOXL - Free Report) gives us levered exposure to this group and is a good candidate for our strategy. 

With SOXL trading at 15.85, the April 14th 16-strike call is trading at 0.86 points and is an out-of-the-money option consisting of only time value. When you are short an option, the time value portion of an option becomes profit as the time decays to zero at expiration. At option expiration next week, the time value of this option becomes profit regardless of the price movement in the SOXL ETF.

Purchasing just 100 shares of the SOXL ETF and selling the 16-strike call equates to a cost of only $1,499. We can see a risk/return analysis of this trade below:

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Added Dimension of Profitability 

Pay attention to the Stock Price % Change and % Return rows in the bottom section of the image. The first row (Stock Price % Change) shows underlying price movement in the SOXL ETF ranging from a -5% decline to a +5% gain over the next week. The bottom row (% Return) shows the corresponding return for our covered call trade.

If the SOXL ETF remains flat at 15.85 upon the weekly option expiration, the 0.86 points of time value in the 16-strike call becomes profit as the value of the option goes to zero.

If the SOXL ETF increases in price at option expiration, we still collect the 0.86 points in time premium profit. The short option may show a loss if SOXL increases above the 16-strike price, but this loss is more than offset by a gain in the ETF.

If the SOXL ETF decreases in price at expiration, we collect the 0.86 points in time value as the short option goes to zero. The 0.86 point profit could be offset by a loss in the ETF price depending on how far the ETF declines.

• SOXL remains flat at option expiration = +5.7% return (yellow highlight)
• SOXL increases in price at option expiration = +6.7% return (blue highlight)
• SOXL decreases -5% at option expiration = +0.5% return (red highlight)

When you buy a stock or ETF at a discount via the sold option premium, you can profit if the underlying security increases in price, remains flat, or even declines from your entry point. This results in a much higher probability that the trade will be profitable. It’s a big reason why this option income strategy has a huge advantage over a stock purchase strategy.

Cash on Cash Return 

As stated above, each call option covers 100 shares of the underlying stock or ETF. Purchasing 500 shares of SOXL at the current price of 15.85 and selling 5 of the 16-strike calls at 0.86 would cost $7,495 ($7,925-$430) to initiate this covered call trade. If you were to rollover the short options weekly and receive a similar premium, you’d have the potential to collect $22,360 over the next year ($430 x 52). Receiving $22,360 in cash over the next year would result in a in a 298% cash on cash return ($22,360 cash income / original $7,495 covered call cost = 298%).

If you receive a 298% cash on cash return, a lot can go wrong and you could still profit.

• The underlying ETF can decline substantially and you could still profit from the trade
• If you have bad timing on entering the trade or encounter volatile price swings, you can still profit
• This gives the weekly paycheck strategy a huge advantage over simply owning stocks outright

Bottom Line

There aren’t many times when we can profit even if our investment goes down in price. The weekly paycheck strategy offers very attractive returns and very low risk making it one of the best overall strategies for investors.

This strategy can be profitable in positive, sideways, or even slightly downward-trending markets. This allows us to maintain our positions through volatile markets, when normally we would be stopped out of our position. The weekly paycheck strategy incurs less risk than owning stocks while also having the potential to produce above-average gains.

I think the above analysis demonstrates why the weekly paycheck strategy should be a part of every investor’s portfolio!

https://www.zacks.com/commentary/2075029/retired-you-can-still-collect-a-weekly-paycheck?art_rec=home-home-investment_ideas_stocks-ID21-txt-2075029