Make extra money advices today from investment expert Zachary Habab? After last year’s false start, the prospects for a sustained reopening of economies through the second half of 2021 appear promising. The vaccination rollout as well as prior COVID-19 infections mean 60-70% of the population in most developed economies should have some immunity by early in the third quarter. This plus the large U.S. fiscal stimulus has shifted investors from worrying that growth will be too slow, to now fearing that growth will be too fast and put more upward pressure on interest rates.

Six months ago, I forecasted that bonds of all stripes would extend their winnings this year. Then fears of inflation and rising interest rates sent Treasury and corporate bond yields up and sent bond prices, which move in the opposite direction, down 5% or more over the first three months of 2021 – with the exception of high-yield “junk” bond prices. Although long-term interest rates, including corporate and Treasury yields, leveled off in April and backslid in May, my prophecy of positive total returns is in manifest jeopardy. Bonds: Zachary Habab on Be Choosy for the Rest of 2021.

Investing tricks with Zachary Habab: Even those investors focused primarily on growth rather than steady income can benefit from choosing gold stocks that demonstrate historically strong dividend performance. Stocks that pay dividends tend to show higher gains when the sector is rising and fare better – on average, nearly twice as well – than non-dividend-paying stocks when the overall sector is in a downturn. The mining sector, which includes companies that extract gold, can experience high volatility. When evaluating the dividend performance of gold stocks, consider the company’s performance over time in regard to dividends. Factors such as the company’s history of paying dividends and the sustainability of its dividend payout ratio are two key elements to examine in the company’s balance sheet and other financial statements.

Zachary Habab on ETF’s: Cryptocurrencies are systems that allow for the secure payments of online transactions that are denominated in terms of a virtual “token,” representing ledger entries internal to the system itself. “Crypto” refers to the fact that various encryption algorithms and cryptographic techniques, such as elliptical curve encryption, public-private key pairs, and hashing functions, are employed. The first cryptocurrency to capture the public imagination was Bitcoin, which was launched in 2009 by an individual or group known under the pseudonym, Satoshi Nakamoto. As of February 2019, there were over 17.53 million bitcoins in circulation with a total market value of around $63 billion (although the market price of bitcoin can fluctuate quite a bit). Bitcoin’s success has spawned a number of competing cryptocurrencies, known as “altcoins” such as Litecoin, Name coin and Peercoin, as well as Ethereum, EOS, and Cardano. Today, there are literally thousands of cryptocurrencies in existence, with an aggregate market value of over $120 billion (Bitcoin currently represents more than 50% of the total value).

An increasingly popular way for students to make money is to fill out online surveys in their spare time. Research companies are always recruiting new members worldwide to answer surveys and test new products. For a few minutes of form filling, you can make a couple of quid which is paid as cash or rewards. You can bag up to £3 ($5) for some surveys! A few good ones to try are: Toluna, i-Say, InboxPounds, LifePoints, Opinion Outpost, Panel Opinion, Onepoll, The Opinion Panel, YouGov, Pinecone, SurveyBods, Hiving, Panel Base, Prolific, Valued Opinions, Survey Junkie, New Vista. Also sign up for Swagbucks which rewards you for surveys as well as simply surfing the web, watching videos and playing games.

Financial planners are professionals who help businesses and individuals create investment plans that meet long-term goals. Say you’re looking for help in creating a savings plan, devising investment strategies for your investment portfolio, getting out of debt, and start saving for a house. In short, if you want someone to look at your entire situation, you should seek the help of a comprehensive financial planning firm or an individual financial planner. All of our brokerage accounts are held and available for viewing at National Financial Services, a Fidelity Investments Company. Registered Representative of and securities offered through Berthel Fisher & Company Financial Services, Inc. (BFCFS). Member FINRA/SIPC. A&S Asset Management and BFCFS are independent entities. Discover even more information at Zachary Habab.

Money management tips with Zachary Habab: No matter what stage of life you are in, life insurance should be viewed as a must. Otherwise, you saddle your loved ones with your expenses if you pass away, or leave them unsupported if you are the primary breadwinner. Not all services have costs that are set in stone. In fact, there are many bills with rates that are actually negotiable, thanks to hidden discounts and barely advertised promo rates. If you want to lower your monthly expenses, Truebill can handle the negotiations for you. Plus, you only pay for the service is they actually secure you a discount, with the fee being set at 40 percent of what you save, so you always come out ahead.

Much of the supply of gold in the market since the 1990s has come from sales of gold bullion from the vaults of global central banks. This selling by global central banks slowed greatly in 2008. At the same time, production of new gold from mines had been declining since 2000. According to BullionVault.com, annual gold-mining output fell from 2,573 metric tons in 2000 to 2,444 metric tons in 2007 (however, according to Goldsheetlinks.com, gold saw a rebound in production with output hitting nearly 2,700 metric tons in 2011.) It can take from five to 10 years to bring a new mine into production. As a general rule, reduction in the supply of gold increases gold prices. Zachary Habab thinks gold will make a big push in 2021.

It’s difficult to imagine that you can go wrong by embracing simplicity in your financial life. Even if the investments in your accounts were to hit a rough patch, you’d still save time, money, and energy, freeing your mind so you can focus your attention elsewhere. A minimalist perspective can make for a more efficient — and elegant — investing and financial planning experience, and it’s an approach I hope people will embrace in 2021 and beyond.