Grim examples of the 2008 recession and the Wolf of Wallstreet aside, it is well known that hedge investments offer opportunities for huge profits. The average futures trader in the United States makes over $200,000 annually. With the right knowledge and a little dedication, what is stopping you from making some extra cash on the side?

While futures and options trading has the potential for incredible profits, they just as easily can result in major losses. If you’re considering trading derivatives, you’ll want to know what you’re getting into. Continue reading to learn how to get started in the market.

What Are Futures

Futures are a type of contract in which a buyer agrees to purchase a specific number of shares from a seller at a scheduled time in the future for a set price. These contracts are traded and regulated by the stock exchange or the clearinghouse that settles trades on the exchange. This ensures that both parties are obligated to fulfill their end of the deal.

Futures are helpful to protect consumers from volatile market prices. Regardless of the price swing in the future of the commodity future contract, the buyer knows exactly what they are paying. This also helps sellers ensure a steady market for their products.

While not intended, this provides an opportunity for investment. Those that speculate on the future price of a commodity may sign a contract knowing a future price increase. This results in a contract more valuable than originally agreed upon, and the investor earning money.

What Are Options

Options work similarly to futures in that a future price is agreed upon between the buyer and seller. However, these types of agreements give the buyer and seller the right but not the obligation to act upon the agreed-upon price. This makes option trades substantially safer for investors.

Options are evaluated in two different ways. As with futures, options have an intrinsic difference between market and contract price. However, the value can decrease with time if the buyer or seller does not take an action.

Trading Futures and Options

Trading these derivatives is a simple task, although new investors should always exercise caution. Futures and options are traded on a futures market, a space specifically designated for trading these types of derivatives. There are benefits of doing this on your own, but a safer option involves working with a futures broker.

These types of trades are highly advanced, so a good way to garner experience in futures and options is with paper trading accounts. These allow you to practice trading with paper money to get a hand on the strategies required to trade accurately. Starting with a paper trading account will help protect you from major losses in capital.

More Investment Opportunities

Trading futures and options come with inherent risks, but enough knowledge and practice can offer a substantial investment opportunity. The above information will help you grasp the basics of futures and options, but there is more to know.

For additional learning and other investment opportunities, check out our Investing section.

The small business industry is both seductive and elusive. The truth is, it’s not difficult to start your own business. Even if you have limited funds, you can start small and expand your company.

All you need to do is make more sales and grow your customer base. Herein lies the challenge.

Opening a business is easy. Keeping one running is another story. This is evidenced by the fact that 50% of small businesses fail by year five.

To stay alive in a competitive market, you must implement clever marketing campaigns. You need to market your brand as something better and different from your competitors. Just as importantly, you need to make sure enough consumers are seeing your marketing message and remembering your name.

We are here to help you accomplish these feats. Keep reading for three effective marketing campaigns.

1. Social Media Giveaways

Most Americans have one or more social media accounts. Social media allows us to stay up-to-date with friends, current events, and everything trending in our world. As a small business owner, social media platforms are ideal for expanding your brand awareness and attracting customers.

Hosting a free giveaway on social media is one of the most clever marketing campaigns. Users can earn points toward the giveaway by following your account, engaging with your posts, and tagging their friends.

After several weeks, you’ll gain tons of followers and visibility. All it will cost you is time and a free product. Hopefully a branded one. Custom Baseballs, Quality branded T-shirts and face caps can do big justice to improve your brand.

2. SEO Marketing Campaigns

Clever marketing campaigns don’t necessarily require outside-the-box thinking. You’ve probably heard about the importance of SEO to no end. However, there’s a reason SEO marketing is so prolific in business advertising – because it’s effective.

Invest in a long-term SEO campaign designed to increase your brand awareness through search engine visibility. This entails keyword research, on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and more. You can learn more about this high-yield strategy in this blog post.

SEO content marketing also adds value to your website. You can create informative blog articles that give consumers a reason to come to your website and stick around. Embed internal links in these articles to organically lead users to your products or services.

3. Email Campaigns

Email marketing is one of the best marketing campaigns you can invest in. This is because email marketing is a form of retargeting.

Encourage consumers to join your email list by offering discounts, free ebooks, promotional services, and other valuable incentives. If they subscribe, it means they’re interested in something about your brand. In other words, they are a prime target for your marketing message.

Create an email campaign that delivers the promised incentive and follows up with compelling content. This could be more discounts, valuable information, advice, etc. Your goal is to keep the consumer hooked.

Want to Learn More About Clever Marketing Campaigns?

There are tons of clever marketing campaigns out there for creative and motivated business owners. We recommend starting with the three tactics listed above to get the ball rolling.

And if you’re looking for more marketing tips, financial advice, and small business guidance, look no further. Our blog is a hub of information for entrepreneurs like you.

Taking out a loan is not easy because there are many steps you need to take before you can get the money. One type of loan that’s pretty to apply for, but asks for many requirements, is a personal loan. It’s ideal for consumers who need money for emergencies, such as paying for medicines, house renovation or repairs, paying for your car, and so much more. It can be the ideal way to get your money fast, but you need to meet your requirements. It will be easier if you have a good credit score too.

If you think you’re qualified for a personal loan and want to know some of the initial steps to take to apply for one, then you can read on below. Here, you’ll learn how you can qualify for a personal loan and know how you can be approved. It’s not a walk in the park, so you should put your best foot forward before making a decision.

Find Out How Much Money You Need to Borrow

The first thing you need to think about will be how much money you’re going to borrow. When it comes to taking out loans, you won’t only be paying for the original amount you owed. You will also be paying for the interest or the rent of the money you borrowed. The interest rates are usually not that high, especially if you have an outstanding credit score. But it depends on the offers of the lenders or the bank. So only borrow what you need, nothing more and nothing less. Or else you’ll have a hard time paying off your debt.

Ensure that Your Credit Score Passes with Flying Colors

One of the things that lenders will always check is your credit score. They’ll do a hard check on this one, so you should make sure that your credit score is at around the 600s. In addition, you must obtain updated credit reports from major credit reporting agencies. That’s because lenders or banks will rely heavily on your creditworthiness. It’s like their basis if they can trust you to pay for your loan on time. Don’t worry because obtaining your credit reports is just a soft inquiry. The hard inquiry happens when the lenders are the ones who ask for it.

Check the Details of the Loan

If you’re sure you want to go through with your personal loan, you must check all the details. It’s not only the lenders who can do the prequalification. You can do it to them too by going through the letters and disclosures in the preapproval letter. So first, you have to look at the expected loan amount, APR, monthly payment, and loan term. Aside from that, don’t overlook the fees and penalties. Next, check the type of interest you’re offered. Then know if it’s secured on an unsecured loan. And most importantly, read the fine print through https://www.ecommbits.com/getting-bad-credit-cash-advance-loans-with-simple-terms/!

Conclusion

As long as money is involved, you have to be thorough and know what you’re getting into. Personal loans are some of the most popular loans available, but you also need to know your rights as the consumer. So if you think you’re qualified, make sure to read the list above to make an informed decision.