Think Geek Squad meets The Property Brothers. At a National Association of Realtors summit last month in Miami, innovators, investors and real estate professionals got together to chat like chatbots about PropTech. That’s the hip insider term for “property technology.”
Just as technology has changed the way we shop, get to places and communicate, it is also upending how we buy and sell houses. NAR’s director of emerging technology, Dan Weisman, agreed to tell me about the meeting’s biggest takeaways minus the geek speak:
Q: Will technology make the process of buying or selling a house less painful?
A: The role of technology in real estate is to streamline the process and reduce stress points. Most of us are familiar with DocuSign or similar technologies that offer the ability to e-sign legal documents. That has simplified what used to be a cumbersome process. Remember when submitting an offer or signing loans docs required wet-signing paper forms and sending them overnight? Now we can sign away hundreds of thousands of dollars by auto-filling our initials on our phones with our fingernail.
We’re trying to do that for other steps in the process, like the negotiations. Submitting an offer, waiting for a counter, working through two real estate agents, that is an area that needs work. Some companies have tried to create offer platforms, but none has worked out yet. That’s because we still need brokers to provide a level of control to make sure information gets passed along correctly. That said, technology is evolving that could eliminate financing delays. The fact that it often takes 45 to 60 days to close on a mortgage is an area that needs improvement.
Q: What are the downsides of the new PropTech?
A: Fraud risk. As much as we want to capitalize on technology, we have to watch for scammers. The more access they have to data, the greater the potential for fraud. These scammers can fake you into thinking they’re somebody they’re not. Deepfakes can essentially re-create a person and their voice. If you’re being asked to wire money or provide account information over the internet, pick up the phone and call the person you are dealing with and ask, “Was this you?” We’ve heard too many stories where money disappears.
Q: So how does all this AI horsepower change the way we choose a real estate agent?
A: We are still a people business. Most sellers and buyers need a real estate agent to help them navigate the process. However, today you also want an agent whose company has good IT behind it. The threshold question to ask when selecting an agent is: How are you using technology to make the process of buying or selling smoother?
Q: What was the biggest game-changer you saw at the summit?
A: Perhaps the most revolutionary change we’re seeing is AI technology that can help homebuyers see what a home could look like if they renovated. The online tool REimagine Home lets you upload a picture of a room and reimagine it. For instance, I took a picture of a bedroom and turned it into an office. You can change the furniture, flooring, wall color, light fixtures, and get a glimpse of what could be. For exterior improvements, a company called Hover allows prospective buyers to do the same.
When you’re in college, you likely want to choose a major that will lead to a successful and enjoyable career. If you’re a business marketing major, you may wonder whether the education you’re getting now will pay off in terms of the type of job you’ll qualify for after you graduate, and what you can earn.
Here’s a look at what you can expect as a marketing major — both during college and after you graduate.
What Does a Marketing Major Learn?
As a marketing major, you will learn various aspects and strategies for promoting a company or product, creating brand awareness, and building relationships with customers.
You may study marketing tools like social media, content marketing, and advertising, as well as public relations, sales, marketing strategy, and consumer behavior.
Once you complete your degree, you should have a thorough understanding of how to employ these tools and tactics in the real world on behalf of your employer. 💡 Quick Tip: You can fund your education with a low-rate, no-fee private student loan that covers all school-certified costs.
Who Is It Good For?
If you’re still trying to determine the best college major and are considering marketing, here’s some insight into the type of person who might thrive in a marketing career.
If you’re curious about how brands connect with customers and find yourself analyzing ads in magazines and on television, you might be a natural marketer. Marketers are typically creative and good communicators; you’ll need that ingenuity to come up with innovative marketing campaigns to compete with others in a given industry.
Depending on the job you get after college, you may work with a team on campaigns, or you may be solely in charge of doing multiple different tasks on your own. Ideally, you’ll be excited and confident about sharing your ideas for projects.
If you’ve got an analytical mind, so much the better. You’ll be able to analyze data to better understand what types of marketing efforts are working to reach your audience and which aren’t.
Recommended: 20 of the Most Popular College Majors
Why Consider Marketing?
Marketing isn’t a trendy or even industry-specific career; it’s one that every brand on earth needs. As a result, there will likely always be careers in marketing. Because marketing is what propels a company to sell products or services, it has a return on investment, and that means that companies are willing to also invest in smart marketing professionals.
Everywhere you look, there’s marketing, from the product placement in your favorite television show to the daily Instagram posts from influencers that offer “sponsored content.” Being a part of this exciting field gives you the opportunity to shape how consumers connect with brands.
Recommended: How Do You Change Your Major?
What Jobs Can a Marketing Major Get?
So you’ve majored in marketing and now you want to know your career options. What does a marketing major do after graduating? And what professional goals can you set down the road, once you’ve had more experience?
Entry-Level Marketing Jobs
Depending on your specific interest in marketing, there are several paths you could take after graduation.
If you enjoy working with advertising, you could get work as a media buyer, who is in charge of purchasing ads, both digital and print, to achieve marketing goals. Average annual salaries can be as high as $80,195.
If you enjoy dabbling in different aspects of marketing, you could be a marketing coordinator. You might be a part of planning and launching marketing campaigns and events, managing email marketing, and writing content for different platforms. The national average annual salary is $51,283.
If you lit up in your public relations coursework, a public relations assistant might be a good first job. You’ll be tasked with creating press releases and pitch letters, and connecting with the media to get interviews and media coverage for your brand. Salaries vary, but the average is around $42,642 a year.
Recommended: Return on Education for Bachelor’s Degrees
Marketing Jobs for More Experienced Professionals
Once you have a bit of experience in your entry-level marketing job, you may be eligible for a promotion or could qualify for a more advanced role with a different company like the following ones.
A public relations manager has approximately six to eight years of experience working in PR. In addition to building relationships with journalists and influencers and securing media coverage for a brand, this role may also hire and manage other PR roles as well as writers and designers. The average salary for this role is around $62,810.
A marketing director could be a good goal after you build experience as a marketing coordinator and have five to 10 years of marketing experience. This role is involved in the planning of marketing activities, building a budget, and forecasting sales. You may oversee a marketing team, including internal staff and freelancers. The average salary for this position is approximately $141,490, but can vary widely.
Another option once you have one to five years of experience, specifically in sales, is as a sales manager. This role analyzes sales data to shape sales and pricing strategy and may train or manage sales staff. The average salary for a sales manager is $107,500.
Launching Your Own Marketing Business
You’re not limited to working for someone else in your marketing career; many professionals get experience under their belt by working for companies of all sizes, then decide to open their own business. That could be a one-person content marketing business run out of your home or a PR firm with office space and staff.
Starting your own business gives you the flexibility of working when you want, and to choose exactly the marketing, advertising, or PR services you want to specialize in. It does, however, require plenty of hard work and dedication: without the stability of a regular paycheck, you aren’t guaranteed to make a certain amount of money.
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What Can a Marketing Major Earn?
Understandably, you want some reassurance that what you’ll make in your career after graduating will help you quickly pay off any student debt and help you become financially successful.
Generally, students can expect to make the least right after graduating, since they’ll have little to no work experience. Salary expectations for entry-level marketing positions can vary based on factors like where you live and the industry you want to work in. Some companies may offer hiring bonuses or commission on top of that salary.
As you build experience, your salary will generally increase. Again, this will depend on your specific experience and accomplishments as well as the industry and company you work for. 💡 Quick Tip: Even if you don’t think you qualify for financial aid, you should fill out the FAFSA form. Many schools require it for merit-based scholarships, too. You can submit it as early as Oct. 1.
The Takeaway
Only you know whether marketing is a field that you will thrive in and enjoy being a part of, but suffice it to say that there is an opportunity to learn a wide range of marketing skills and career advancement potential if you’re willing to put in the work to climb that corporate ladder.
Of course, as a student, you’re still a long way from earning a sizable salary, and coming up with enough funds to cover the high cost of college can be challenging. Fortunately, no matter what you’re thinking about majoring in, you have a range of funding options, including grants, scholarships, federal work-study programs, and both federal and private student loans.
If you’ve exhausted all federal student aid options, no-fee private student loans from SoFi can help you pay for school. The online application process is easy, and you can see rates and terms in just minutes. Repayment plans are flexible, so you can find an option that works for your financial plan and budget.
Cover up to 100% of school-certified costs including tuition, books, supplies, room and board, and transportation with a private student loan from SoFi.
SoFi Loan Products SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.
SoFi Private Student Loans Please borrow responsibly. SoFi Private Student Loans are not a substitute for federal loans, grants, and work-study programs. You should exhaust all your federal student aid options before you consider any private loans, including ours. Read our FAQs.
SoFi Private Student Loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, and applicants must meet SoFi’s eligibility and underwriting requirements. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information. To view payment examples, click here. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
Insurance executive Jawed Barna will succeed Sven Odia as the CEO of international luxury real estate brokerage Engel & Völkers, the company announced Thursday.
Odia, who led the Hamburg-based company for nine years, has stepped down from the management board and will assume the newly created role of president.
Barna most recently served as deputy CEO at Zurich Insurance Group Germany, where he has worked since 2005.
“We are excited to welcome Jawed Barna as a strong leader with a proven track record. His successful experience in building digital platforms and managing a complex sales organization makes him a perfect fit for E&V,” Christian Völkers, founder and chairman of the advisory board, said in a statement. “Together with our majority owner Permira, we are convinced that Jawed Barna has what it takes to lead E&V into the next phase of growth, with the goal of becoming the best platform for high-quality real estate worldwide.”
In his most recent role at Zurich Insurance Group Germany, Barna was responsible for driving sales and partnerships, and successfully led large business units serving private and SME clients, as well as managing thousands of external brokers and insurance agents, Permira, said.
In a statement, Odia, who has worked at E&V for 26 years, said he would “actively support” Barna.
“With its strong growth and digitization strategy, E&V is perfectly positioned to continue its success story,” he said. “We have significantly increased revenue and earnings in recent years and look back on a stellar performance in 2023 so far, even in a difficult market environment. Throughout my career, my top priority has always been empowering people to write their own success story under the E&V brand. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the entire team worldwide for the terrific collaboration over the past two decades.”
Odia led E&V through Permira’s acquisition in late 2021, in which the global private equity firm bought a controlling stake for an undisclosed amount.
Operations for E&V North America are led by Anthony Hitt, who’s been at the helm since 2014.
The global luxury real estate brand recently partnered with Dilbeck Real Estate, which achieved $1.04 billion in sales volume last year, according to the RealTrends 500 rankings. Dilbeck was #373 in the nation by sales volume last year, and its agents averaged $2.99 million in volume. Dilbeck ranked as the 178th largest independent brokerage in America in 2022 and nine of its agents cleared $16 million in sales volume last year, according to our rankings.
Under the arrangement, Dilbeck will retain partial ownership and oversee the day-to-day operations of Los Angeles and Ventura county locations.
Engel & Völkers Gestalt Group, based out of Park City, Utah, ranked as E&V’s top affiliate in the most recent RealTrends rankings. The affiliate posted $3.77 billion in sales volume last year, with the average agent generating $4.88 million.
How much do Twitch streamers make? Twitch is a popular live streaming site where you can watch people play video games online. Yes, you can actually get paid to play video games online! And, over the last few years, Twitch has added many more ways you can live stream other than just gaming, such as…
How much do Twitch streamers make?
Twitch is a popular live streaming site where you can watch people play video games online.
Yes, you can actually get paid to play video games online!
And, over the last few years, Twitch has added many more ways you can live stream other than just gaming, such as cooking, advice, talking, travel, and more.
I remember when Twitch first came out and it was still pretty new. So many people dreamt of making it big on Twitch and were wanting to play video games all day and make a lot of money. I even had many friends who tried to get popular on the site.
Twitch’s wide reach has allowed so many people around the world to make money. So, you may be wondering how much Twitch streamers can make and whether it’s even possible for you.
In today’s article, I will be diving further into how much Twitch streamers make and how they make money.
Recommended reading:
Quick Summary – How much do Twitch streamers make?
Twitch is a site where you can make money playing video games, talking, and more.
You can make money with paid subscriptions, ads, selling merchandise (such as a t-shirt with your logo on it), and more.
The highest-earning Twitch streamers make millions of dollars each year, while the majority of Twitch streams don’t earn much at all (the top 100 streamers on Twitch make at least $30,000 each month).
What is Twitch?
Twitch is a live-streaming site that was started in 2011 and is now owned by Amazon.
There are a whopping 7,000,000 streamers who go live on Twitch regularly and there are 35,000,000 daily viewers. That is a lot of people!
Content creators can live record themselves playing video games (such as Fortnite, Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, and Valorant) and people will watch.
While Twitch used to be all about watching people just play video games, now you can also watch people live stream themselves cooking, talking to viewers, traveling, doing their daily routine, and more.
Who is the biggest streamer on Twitch?
There are many popular channels on Twitch such as Ninja, Shroud, and Pokimane. The top streamers on Twitch earn millions of dollars each year!
Twitch streamer categories
On Twitch, streamers are categorized into three main groups:
Streamers – These are new and casual creators who might not be making money from their content yet. Or, maybe they don’t ever plan on making money and they are just doing it all for fun. When you first join Twitch, this is what you start as. It gets a little confusing because there’s the name Streamers, but there are also Twitch streamers (which is everyone who streams).
Affiliates – These are streamers who’ve reached a certain level of success and can receive donations, subscriptions, and ad revenue.
Partners – These are some of the most popular streamers on Twitch. They get many perks, such as being able to keep a higher revenue percentage from some of the Twitch monetization methods.
Unlike Twitch Affiliates, where you are invited automatically when you meet the requirements (talked about below), you must apply and be selected to join the Twitch Partner Program.
How to Become a Twitch Affiliate
To make money on Twitch and work from home, you will first need to become a Twitch Affiliate (becoming a Twitch affiliate is not required in order to apply to become a Twitch Partner, but it is encouraged by Twitch.). That is what they call a broadcaster (someone who is live streaming on Twitch).
The Twitch Affiliate program is available around the world. You can stream and make money on Twitch no matter where you live. To get started streaming on Twitch, you can do so from a desktop computer, laptop, Xbox, Playstation, or even your cell phone.
To become a Twitch affiliate, you must meet 4 requirements within a 30-day period:
Reach 50 followers
Stream for 8 hours
Stream on 7 different days
Reach an average of 3 viewers per stream
Once you reach all four of these requirements (at the same time), you will then receive an automatic invite to their program. It may take a few days to receive the invite, but it will come!
What percentage of streamers are successful?
There are some stats out there if you are curious about how much money people make on Twitch – The top 1,000 streamers earn at least $7,000 per month, while the top 10,000 streamers make around $900 per month or more.
So, that means that there are 7,000,000 streamers on Twitch, and only 10,000 of them earn $900 or more per month. That’s not a very high success rate, but I’m sure a lot of those 10,000 people who are earning at least $900 a month are happy.
Plus, as I said earlier, many of the 7,000,000 may be streaming on Twitch just as a hobby, and may not even be trying to make it big.
Is it hard to get big on Twitch?
Yes, it is hard. The average person on Twitch makes less than $900 a month, with many making just a few dollars a month or nothing at all.
This is because there’s a lot of competition on the site. You’ve got to remember that there are 7,000,000 other people on the site and many of them are probably trying to make money on Twitch as well.
To grow on Twitch, you will want to be consistently live streaming (at least a few times a week!), engage with your viewers (talk to them, use their names, and say hello), and find a way to stand out from your competition. You will most likely need to spend a lot of hours on Twitch to make any money.
How to make money on Twitch
There are several different ways that you can make money on Twitch, such as:
Twitch subscriptions
As a Twitch streamer, one of the main ways you can make money is from subscriptions. A subscription is when a viewer gives you money on a regular basis and pays a minimum of $4.99 per month for your Twitch channel.
A viewer may subscribe because they can watch live chats, get to watch your live streams without advertising, or simply just want to show their support because they enjoy your live streams.
Subscriptions come in tiers from $4.99, $9.99, and $24.99, with Twitch taking 50% of the revenue for Twitch Affiliates. Once you reach Twitch Partner status, your revenue share may increase to 60%-70%.
Bits donation earnings
Another income source for Twitch streamers comes from donations made by your viewers. Donations can come in the form of Twitch Bits or direct donations. You receive $0.01 for each Bit used in your chat.
Now, one penny may not seem like much, but it can add up quickly. Plus, you get to keep 100% of the donations you receive.
Twitch Bits are virtual tokens used to support content creators on the Twitch platform. Your viewers can purchase Bits through Twitch and these can then be used to “cheer” in a streamer’s chat by typing “cheer” followed by the amount that they want to give you. When a viewer cheers, their message is highlighted, and the streamer receives the Bits. The streamer may then publicly thank them for their support.
Twitch ads revenue
As a Twitch Affiliate and Partner, you can run advertisements during your streams and make money.
Twitch ads are short video clips shown during a Twitch stream, giving you a way to make money. Think of this like an ad that you may see when watching a YouTube video.
While ads can earn you money, they can impact the viewer experience (don’t you hate a lot of long ads when you’re watching something?). Twitch Partners have control over when and how ads are shown on their channels, which can help make the ads better for viewers.
Amazon Associates
This is one of my favorite ways to make money online.
Affiliate marketing with Amazon on Twitch is when you can get paid to share links to products on Amazon. For example, a product that you can share with your viewers could be the video game that you are playing on a live stream.
Then, when a viewer makes a purchase through an affiliate link, the streamer earns a commission.
Sponsored partnerships
Twitch streamers can make money from their channels through sponsored partnerships with brands. This is when you partner with a company and promote their product on your Twitch channel, social media account, and so on.
This may include talking about a product, wearing a clothing item with their logo on it, or showing their product in a live stream.
The earnings from a sponsored partnership are negotiated between the streamer and the brand, and depend on the channel’s reach, engagement, and more. Some sponsored partnerships may earn you a couple hundred dollars and the most popular Twitch channels may earn hundreds of thousands of dollars for a sponsored partnership.
Patreon
To make even more money, many Twitch streamers use Patreon. Patreon is a site where creators can receive monthly contributions from fans. Fans support you because they like watching your content.
Depending on your content, you could offer perks just for your fans who are monthly contributors, early access to content, merchandise (I’ve seen many creators give out stickers and other merchandise for certain levels), secret content that is only on Patreon for people who are paying the monthly fee, or more for different pledge levels.
You get to choose how much each level is, and your fans get to choose which level they want and how often they want to pay.
Merchandise
Selling merchandise, such as t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, or accessories, can be another way that a Twitch creator can make money online.
For example, if someone likes watching your content, then they may be interested in things like what you’re wearing.
Twitch streamers can partner with merchandising platforms to set up an online store, making it easy for viewers to look at and purchase.
Average Twitch streamer earnings
Wondering what the average Twitch streamer makes? Below, I will be talking about small, medium, and the most popular Twitch streamers.
Small Twitch streamers
Wondering how much small Twitch streamers make?
As a small Twitch streamer, it’s important to know that your earnings will likely be lower in the beginning. Many small streamers are still working towards reaching Twitch’s $100 minimum payout threshold (and many will never reach that).
It will most likely take a long time before you will make $1,000 from Twitch. Many people quit just a month or a few months in, and that is simply not enough time to make money on Twitch.
To make more money, you should spend time growing your following, engaging with viewers, and finding a way to stand apart from the crowd.
Medium Twitch streamers
For medium-sized Twitch streamers, you can possibly earn more money as your number of concurrent viewers, followers, and subs grows. You can become a Twitch Partner with an average concurrent viewership of just around 75 viewers.
But, that’s not all that you need to become a medium Twitch streamer. You’ll want many more viewers to make a full-time income.
This can lead to an increase in your earnings from revenue streams like subscriptions, bits, and ads, as well as sponsorships.
Medium Twitch streamers at this level can expect to earn anywhere between $1,000 to $5,000 per month, depending on their popularity and sponsorships.
Top Twitch streamers
When it comes to the top Twitch streamers, they usually have tens or even hundreds of thousands of viewers during their live streams.
The top Twitch streamers can make hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars each year. They make money through sponsored partnership deals, Twitch subscriptions, and viewer donations (bits). You also can sell a lot of merchandise once you’re big because everyone will want your stuff.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to common questions about how much money you can make on Twitch.
How much does a Twitch streamer make per 1,000 views?
I did a little research, and it looks like Twitch streams make around $3.50 for every 1,000 views on average. Of course, you can make more than that if you are talking about subs, which I talk about below.
How much does a Twitch streamer make per subscriber?How do Twitch streamer subscription revenues work?
A Twitch Affiliate makes around 50% of subscription fees, with some Twitch Partners earning up to 70%. For example, if you have 100 subscribers at around a $5 subscription price, you could make around $250 per month.
At 1,000 subscribers, you may be able to earn around $2,500 per month from just subs.
At 10,000 subs, you may be able to earn $25,000 each month from just subs.
That is a lot of money! And, on top of that, you can earn money from ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored partnerships, and merchandise.
How much do Twitch streamers make a year?
The amount you can make in a year depends on different things – you may make $0, $100,000, or over $1,000,000 a year.
Do Twitch streamers get paid daily?
No, they don’t get paid every day. Payouts happen every 45 days for Twitch Affiliates and every 15 days for Twitch Partners, as long as you have reached a minimum payout earnings of $50.
So, for example, if you make $100 on March 5th, then you will get paid around April 15th.
You can choose your payout method too – from ACH/direction deposit, check, or PayPal.
Do Twitch streamers keep 100% of donations?
Yes, Twitch streamers get to keep 100% of donations.
What other ways do Twitch streamers make money?
Besides subscriptions, donations, and ad revenue, Twitch streamers can also make money from brand sponsorships, selling merchandise (like mugs and shirts), and affiliate links (like video games). They can even sell courses, start a Youtube channel, sell ebooks, and more.
How hard is it to make a living on Twitch?
Making a living on Twitch is definitely hard, as you will have to do a lot of streams, be personable with your viewers (talk to them during your live stream, for example), and learn how to grow.
Twitch is a very competitive platform, and only a small percentage of streamers make enough money to support themselves on a full-time basis. So many people want to see success on Twitch, but there is so much more that goes into it other than just playing video games. The top Twitch streamers are running a full-time business!
How Much Do Twitch Streamers Make? – Summary
So, how much do Twitch streamers make?
As you learned above, the amount depends on many different factors.
Thankfully, though, there are many different ways for a person to make money with their Twitch channels, such as with subscriptions, sponsorships, ads, donations, selling t-shirts, and more.
The average Twitch streamer does not make a full-time income, but there are quite a few streamers who make over $100,000 per year. And, some even make in the millions of dollars each year.
Wouldn’t that be amazing?
Are you interested in learning how to make money on Twitch?
Today is the 15th anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers. The great financial crisis (GFC) revealed a defective supply chain, metrics unable to assess local risk and markets incapable of answering Ben Bernanke’s defining question – “what’s this stuff worth?”
The requirements of a Digital Housing Platform were well understood long before the crisis. The components needed to move housing past a costly, error prone, disconnected system include:
Authentication: Identity is the key control point in any digital interaction. The capability to “identity proof” the participants in a complex, multi-party transaction is fundamental to establishing trust, reducing fraud and removing friction between “relying parties.” The capability to authenticate, issue and revoke digital credentials is central to controlling access, verifying rights and accepting content from supply chain partners.
Authorization: A digital loan file of record accessed by a broad range of trusted identities from lenders to guarantors to investors requires a permission structure. What functions are individuals and organizations allowed to perform including viewing, editing, printing, exporting and approving? The capability to enforce these rights can eliminate errors and rework. The result should be collapsing costs and cycle times, improving quality, reducing repurchase risk and certifying that a loan, and its related assets are “Fit 4 Sale.”
Non-Repudiation: E-sign became federal law in 2000 but digital signatures are only a subset of the integrity component. Investors require assurance that a file, note or instrument reflects the verifiable intentions of the committed parties. Sensitive content must be protected in motion over networks and at rest within repositories. Technologies like encryption help deliver certainty that content has not been tampered with.
Validation: Mortgage is a manufacturing process with end products dependent on accurate information. Data is imported from multiple sources including credit agencies, public records aggregators, appraisers, inspectors, title and insurance firms and Realtors. How do we know that the data is correct, can the source be verified, does it meet quality standards and can compliance with pricing guidelines be guaranteed?
Federation: Integrating the fragmented, localized and diverse housing ecosystem is the major challenge for any network delivering content from trusted sources. Standard agreements define shared responsibilities and what happens when mistakes happen. These policy considerations, enforced by technology and legal conventions, are required for interoperability among supply chains and between competing “Super Apps.”
Registration: A golden record of who owns the asset is a prerequisite for any commercial trading system. Improving the ability of MERS to verify and transfer ownership required capital, time and technology. Extending the registration component to county recording offices was another platform foundation.
Transactions: Platforms are “plug and play” once federated policies are widely implemented. Matching and clearing trades in open exchanges for multiple asset classes is a core ICE capability. The Ellie Mae component provided a critical mass of connections to begin the process of reinventing the property transaction.
Compensation: Payments reveal the end points of the ad-hoc networks that characterize real estate. A servicing system that touches the consumer every month can be extended to all the participants in the original transaction. As every consumer facing commercial platform will attest — payments are the prize.
Information: Listings are on platform and new metrics will assess the risk, value and volatility of submarkets.
Integration: The sector reimagines portals, anchors federations, converges markets and makes money.
The DC3 platform launched in 1937 featured five components that had to be invented to make commercial air travel possible. Apple’s iPhone integrated 12 new components in 2007, and its reach has been extended to multiple vertical markets including banking. Housing finally has a Digital Platform that can attack several hard problems. What’s next?
Stuart McFarland is the former EVP Operations and CFO at Fannie Mae, EVP General Manager at GE Capital Mortgage Services, and CEO at GE Capital Asset Management.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners.
To contact the author of this story: Stuart McFarland at [email protected]
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tracey Velt at [email protected]
A direct stock purchase plan (DSPP) is a plan that allows investors to purchase stock in a company without a broker and get it directly from the company instead.
With DSSPs, there are often no brokerage fees. Meanwhile, discounts to the share prices may be available for larger purchases. With shares purchased through a DSPP, investors have the same profit and loss opportunities, access to dividends, as well as stockholder voting rights.
However, direct stock purchase plans may not be right for every investor. Learn more about buying stock direct from companies through a DSPP, including the pros and cons.
Direct Stock Purchase Plan, Explained
What is a direct stock purchase plan? Typically, many investors use a broker to buy shares of stock. But you can sometimes purchase stocks directly from companies, no broker required. This is what it means to participate in a direct stock purchase plan.
Many blue-chip stocks tend to offer DSPPs. For example, let’s say Company X offers a plan that allows investors to buy $500 or more worth of company stock directly from it, up to $250,000 a year, with some service and transaction fees.
With a DSPP, investors directly purchase shares, sometimes at a small discount. Discounts can range from 1% to 10% to encourage investors to buy more shares.
However, because many brokerage accounts now waive fees and commissions entirely for many investors, the savings difference is smaller than it used to be. 💡 Quick Tip: Did you know that opening a brokerage account typically doesn’t come with any setup costs? Often, the only requirement to open a brokerage account — aside from providing personal details — is making an initial deposit.
Pros and Cons of a DSPP
Direct stock purchase plans have benefits and drawbacks. These include:
Pros:
• No broker needed. Investors can purchase shares of stock directly from the company.
• Very little money is required to get started, and the process is typically simple to do. Good for long-term investing.
• Some DSPP programs offer dividend reinvestment plans.
Cons:
• An investor may not achieve portfolio diversification because not all stocks offer DSPPs.
• Companies may put maximum limits on how much an individual investor can purchase.
• When selling DSPP stocks, multiple types of fees can sometimes be charged.
How To Invest in a DSPP
Armed with information about how to buy directly from companies, investors may want to explore what specific opportunities exist. Perhaps they already have a publicly traded company in mind. In that case, they can go to that company’s investor relations website to see if the company offers this type of investment opportunity.
They can also search on the Internet to see which direct stock purchase plans are available.
More specifically, if someone wants to buy stocks in this way, they typically open an account and make deposits into it. Usually, these deposits are automatically made monthly through an ACH funds transfer from the investor’s bank account. In some cases you can write checks as well.
Then, that dollar amount is applied toward purchasing shares in that company’s stock, which can include fractional shares. For example, let’s say that one share of a company’s stock currently costs $20. If an investor sets up an ACH withdrawal of $50 monthly, then, each month they have purchased 2.5 shares of that company’s stock.
One of the benefits of investing through a direct stock purchase plan is the ability to incrementally invest in an inexpensive way. This might make it a good choice for some first-time investors with smaller amounts of money to invest, with initial deposits ranging from $100 to $500. In some cases, initial deposit minimums can be waived if you purchase a certain dollar value of stock every month. But again, it may be difficult to achieve portfolio diversification with DSPP.
Companies With DSPPs
A number of large, well-established companies offer DSPPs. Companies with direct stock purchase plans include Walmart, The Coca-Cola Company, Starbucks, and Home Depot, and Best Buy, among others. 💡 Quick Tip: How to manage potential risk factors in a self-directed investment account? Doing your research and employing strategies like dollar-cost averaging and diversification may help mitigate financial risk when trading stocks.
What to Consider Before Buying DSPPs
When online investing was new, people typically needed to pay significant fees to brokers to buy stock. In that era, direct stock purchase plans could be money-savers for investors. Over time, though, fees for online investing have lessened, making this less distinctive of a benefit.
In addition, many DSPPs charge initial setup fees, and may have other investment fees, including ones for each purchase transaction or sale. Although they may be small, these fees can build up over time. And it may be challenging to re-sell shares without the use of a broker, which makes this investment strategy more of a long-term one.
Plus, any time a share is purchased, some degree of stock volatility comes along with it — how much depends upon what is happening with that specific company and the overall levels of turbulence in the market.
Here’s something else to consider: When owning stock in just one company, or only a couple of them, portfolios aren’t diversified. When you diversify your investment assets, it helps to spread out the degree of risk. That’s because, if one stock’s value decreases, others may rise to balance out that portfolio.
The Takeaway
Direct stock purchase plans are when individual investors can directly purchase shares of that company’s stock without the need for broker involvement. The benefits of DSPPs potentially include purchasing company shares at a discount, and not needing a broker to make the transaction.
The downside of DSPPs is that a limited number of companies offer them, which means that an investor who invests solely through DSPPs may not have the best portfolio diversification. Plus, with brokerage commissions and fees rapidly shrinking, in many cases to zero, DSPPs have become a less essential way of cutting down trading costs for investors.
Ready to invest in your goals? It’s easy to get started when you open an investment account with SoFi Invest. You can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and more. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).
Invest with as little as $5 with a SoFi Active Investing account.
FAQ
What is the difference between a brokerage and a direct stock purchase?
The main difference between a brokerage and a direct stock purchase is this: With a direct stock purchase, an investor buys shares of one company. A brokerage, on the other hand, offers multitudes of different stock options an investor may choose from.
What is direct stock vs portfolio stock?
With direct stock, an investor purchases shares of stock directly from a company. A portfolio refers to a collection of different types of investments an investor may have, including stocks, bonds, or stock funds, to name a few.
What is the difference between DSPP and DRIP?
By using a DRIP (dividend reinvestment plan), investors can buy more stock in companies whose shares they own by reinvesting what they earn from dividends. With a DSPP, an investor can purchase stock directly from a company. Unlike a DRIP, they don’t have to use dividends to purchase shares.
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Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
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Are you looking to learn how to find a free car? Cars are expensive. There’s no doubt about that. Is it possible to get free cars? Getting a free car may sound too good to be true, but it’s possible for people who meet certain requirements, which we will talk about below. In this article,…
Are you looking to learn how to find a free car?
Cars are expensive.
There’s no doubt about that.
Is it possible to get free cars?
Getting a free car may sound too good to be true, but it’s possible for people who meet certain requirements, which we will talk about below. In this article, I’ll show you how to get a free car through different ways, from charity donations to assistance programs, and more.
I understand that there are so many people who would benefit from a more affordable transportation option. After all, a car can be essential to landing a job, getting to work, helping you pick up and drop off your children at childcare (so that you can work!), getting groceries, and so much more.
Low-income families, single parents, individuals with disabilities, veterans and their families, and so many others may particularly benefit from getting free vehicles to improve their quality of life.
Whether it’s making it easier to get to work, taking the kids to school and childcare, or simply attending important appointments, acquiring a free car can have a significant impact on your daily life.
Related content:
Why do free cars exist?
Free cars exist to help people who need transportation.
There are many organizations whose sole purpose is to help you get a free car because they know how much it can change a person’s life.
Below are some organizations that may help you find a free car:
Nonprofit Organizations— Some nonprofit organizations give away cars for free to those who need one. They work with local partners and households and accept donations of old cars and used cars, which are then fixed up and given to those who need them. These organizations usually target specific groups of people, such as low-income families, working families, single parents, military families, or disabled individuals, who may find it hard to afford a car on their own.
Churches and Private Charities— Churches and private charities may offer car help in your community as well. They usually work on a smaller scale, providing help to local residents experiencing hardships and may just give out a free car here and there. These organizations often rely on donations from members of the community and local businesses, and they require applicants to demonstrate a genuine need for a vehicle. You may need to contact local churches and charities directly to learn more about how to get a car for free.
People donate their used cars all the time. Their reasons may be either because they have no use for the car, they want to avoid the hassle of selling a car, for tax breaks, or they want to help others.
Who can benefit from free cars?
There are many people who can benefit from a free car, such as:
Low-income families— If your family is struggling with money and you are finding it hard to afford your bills, you might be eligible to receive a free car if you can show your need to an organization.
Single mothers and single parents — Single moms and parents need transportation so that they can get to work and also be able to bring their children to childcare. Not having a car can make this much more difficult.
Domestic violence victims — Having reliable transportation can be important for the safety and well-being of domestic violence victims. Some organizations have experience providing a free car in this situation and understand the need for privacy.
Disabled individuals — If you have a disability, you might be eligible to receive a free car to help you get around and be more independent.
Veterans and military families — Veterans and military families can also benefit from free car programs. There are organizations dedicated to providing assistance to those with a military background, to repay them for their service and sacrifices.
Victims of natural disasters — If you have experienced loss from a natural disaster, then you may benefit from many charitable free car organizations.
Of course, there are many more people who could benefit from finding affordable transportation as well. This is not a full list of those who might need a free vehicle.
Now, you do want to be cautious with getting a free car. If you are receiving government assistance, such as housing assistance, welfare, or food stamps, then accepting a free car may be considered income and it can affect your benefits. This is something that you will definitely want to think about as you do not want to lose these benefits.
How To Get A Free Car
There are organizations that help you get a car when you need a free vehicle. And there are other ways to find a free car as well. Below are some of the options that you may want to look into:
1. 1-800-Charity Cars
1-800-Charity Cars (also known as Free Charity Cars) is a nonprofit organization that provides free vehicles to eligible people, including domestic violence victims, the medically needy, victims of natural disasters, veterans and military families, and families transitioning from public assistance to work. It was the first charity of its kind in the nation.
This is the original free charity cars organization and they have given away over $70,000,000 in cars (over 9,000 cars) nationwide since they started the organization in 1996.
To apply, you will need to meet their eligibility criteria and submit an application on their website. Some of their eligibility requirements include being over the age of 18, being a resident of the U.S., having a valid driver’s license, being at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, and having a genuine need for a vehicle.
This is a good place to start if you need a free car and you’re wondering where can I get a donated car for free.
2. Vehicles for Change
Vehicles for Change was started in 1999 and has given out over 7,500 cars to low-income families for little to no cost.
This organization helps residents in the states of Maryland and Northern Virginia. Cars are repaired and restored by people seeking workforce training as auto mechanics.
Donated vehicles are provided to families in need who meet their eligibility requirements. Eligible applicants must have a verifiable job offer or be working at least 30 hours per week, have no DUIs, and have a valid driver’s license to begin the application process.
3. Good News Garage
Good News Garage is a car donation program to look into if you’re trying to find a free car. They provide refurbished free cars for low-income families that meet their eligibility requirements. They give out around 200 cars to families in need each year and have provided around 5,500 cars since starting in 1996.
This organization is available for those in need who live in the New England area of Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire.
Good News Garage also has a transportation program. If you need to get to a job or get your children to childcare, then their program Ready To Go may be able to help you with this as well.
4. Online Car Donation
OnlineCarDonation.org is another platform that donates refurbished vehicles to needy individuals and families.
Online Car Donation gives free cars to people such as those with physical challenges, families living in homeless shelters, military families, and more.
You can apply by filling out their application form on their website and providing the required documents to prove your eligibility.
After you submit your application for a free car, if you are chosen, you will be contacted within 30 days. If you do not hear back within that time frame, their website says you can apply again as applications are only valid for 30 days.
5. With Causes Charitable Network
The WithCauses.org Network helps individuals and families in need by providing resources and assistance, which includes help getting a free car. The eligibility requirements may vary, so visit their website to find out if you qualify and how to apply.
6. Salvation Army free car program
The Salvation Army offers a free car program for eligible candidates.
They mainly focus on helping domestic violence victims, families in dire financial situations, and the homeless. Visit your local Salvation Army branch to inquire about their car donation program and how to apply.
7. Cars 4 Heroes
Cars4Heroes donates free cars to first responders, military veterans, and their families who are in need of transportation.
Cars 4 Heroes was started in 1996, and the organization currently gives away over 300 cars a year in the Kansas City, Kansas, metro area.
You can fill out their application form on their website and provide the required documentation to be considered for a free car.
8. Local church
Your local churches or other religious institutions may have programs that provide free vehicles to families that need help getting a car.
You may want to contact your nearby churches to find out if they have any car donation programs and how to apply or if they have eligibility requirements. They may know someone that they can connect you with to help you get a free car.
9. Check Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist
Many people often give away their cars or sell them at low prices on platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
If I was wondering about free cars near me, then I’d browse through these websites regularly to find out if anything is available. The search can be customized by entering your budget and location to see if anything suitable turns up.
10. Find a job that gives you a free car
There are jobs that may give you a free car as well, in case none of the above options works for you.
Some job positions that may come with a company car include sales representatives, district managers, or regional directors who spend a lot of time traveling between different offices.
To start your search for jobs that give you a car to take home, you can look for job postings with phrases like “company car provided” or “full-time vehicle provided.” Job websites such as Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor make it simpler to find such job listings by using specific keywords, so you may try searching for those. I did a quick search and was able to pull up jobs easily by typing those phrases into the keyword search bar.
Some employers might offer a car allowance instead of providing a free car. In this case, you would receive a monthly stipend to use toward your vehicle expenses. This would offset some of your car expenses, such as monthly payments or maintenance.
Also, if you know someone who currently has a company car, you can try asking them for tips and advice. They might even refer you to open positions at their workplace, and this can help you get a job with a free car as well.
11. Look for a free dealer donation
Dealer donations are a little more difficult of an option, as car dealers are in the business of making money, not giving away all of their cars that make them that money.
But, it doesn’t hurt to try if you have the time to write a letter and reach out to a car dealership.
To obtain a car dealer donation of a free used car, you’ll want to start by seeing what local dealerships are in your area. You can research their involvement in charitable activities to see if they even give out free cars (maybe do a simple search of the dealership’s name plus the term “free car” or something like that), as this will show you that they are open to the idea of donating a vehicle to those in need of a free car.
Once you have a list of local dealers to reach out to, there are ways to get a free car from a dealership. You can write a letter talking about your situation and reasons for requesting a donated car. You should talk about your struggles and the positive impact the donation will have on your life (such as, what a donated car will help you do).
When writing your letter for a free dealer donation, here are some things to think about:
Write the letter to the dealership’s owner or general manager, as they will likely have the authority to approve a car donation or be able to talk to someone who does have that authority.
Explain your situation fully and provide the specific reasons why you need a car.
Talk about how a car donation would improve your life and allow you to overcome challenges or achieve goals.
Provide information on any relevant programs or resources, such as a community organization or nonprofit, that may support your request for a free car.
After you have written your letter, submit it to the dealership. You may do this by sending it to the physical mailing address of the person, their email address, or perhaps even handing your letter to them in person.
Here are answers to common questions you may have about finding a free car:
What are other transportation options if I can’t find a free car?
There may be a long waiting period if you are applying for a donated car. If you are not able to find a free vehicle, then you may need to look into other options to get around town. Here are some ideas on how to get around if you don’t have a car of your own:
Public Transportation— If you live in a place with public transportation, then this option is something to look into. One great thing about public transportation is that you won’t have to pay to maintain a vehicle or repair anything. Of course, public transportation sometimes takes longer and may not be widely available to you (unfortunately, there are many towns in the U.S. that do not have great public transportation options), and that is something to think about. Also, more and more cities offer public transportation at no charge. You may have to apply for a special card to get this free service, or it may be available to everyone. It’s worth asking around about because it can save you hundreds of dollars a month.
Carpooling — Carpooling is an option to think about if you are unable to find a free car, especially for people who live in areas with limited public transportation. Car owners may be looking for riders so that the expense of ownership is offset a bit. You’ll need to share the cost of expenses, such as gas, tolls, parking, and wear and tear. You may be able to share rides with coworkers, friends, or neighbors. To save money, you could offer to trade babysitting, gardening, or home repairs for the ride. Also, check out carpooling apps that apply to your local area.
Rideshare Services — Now, rideshare most likely won’t be the most affordable option, but sometimes you don’t have a choice. Rideshare services, such as Uber and Lyft, may be able to get you to where you need to go if you don’t have any other options. To save money, use an app that compares rideshare companies and finds you the cheapest price. And, as far as your work commute, it’s good to know that some companies offer rideshare services as a benefit to their employees and will pay for the full cost or part of it.
How can I find free cars given away near me?
Yes, you can find free cars given away near you. There are many local organizations that may be able to help you out. You can research the various charity programs in your area and see if you meet their eligibility requirements for a free car.
Many charities, such as Charity Cars, provide free vehicles to people in need. These organizations often target specific groups of people, like veterans or victims of domestic violence.
Next, reach out to local branches of organizations like the Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries. These organizations may also auction off donated cars at affordable prices. Reach out to your nearest branch to learn more about available vehicles and to find out if they hold any auctions.
Another option is Online Car Donation, which aims to provide free cars to as many people in need as possible. Fill out their application to see if a reliable used car is available for you. They also offer trucks, vans, and sometimes even modified vehicles for individuals with disabilities.
Remember to be patient but also to keep trying, as it can sometimes take time to find the right opportunity for a free car. And, many times your application is only good for 30 days, so keep in mind that you may have to submit it over and over again.
Is Free Charity Cars legit?
Yes, Free Charity Cars is a legitimate organization that connects eligible people with free vehicles. They have high ratings and many endorsements.
How to get a car if you can’t get a free one?
If you’re not able to get a free car, you do have some other options, such as learning how to get a cheap car and learning the best way to get a car loan with a low interest rate.
Here are my tips for finding a cheap car:
Shop around for cars that are affordable to you: Many organizations offering a free car may also give you the option of purchasing a refurbished vehicle from them at a much lower cost than elsewhere. Otherwise, check out your local dealerships, online car-selling platforms, and even Craigslist to find the best deals on reliable cars in your area. Don’t limit yourself to just one site; shop around and be patient until you find a car that fits your budget.
Buy a used car: Buying a used car rather than a brand new one can save you money. Pre-owned vehicles tend to be more affordable and can still offer reliable transportation.
Negotiate for the best price: Don’t be afraid to negotiate the price of the car with the car seller or dealership. They may be able to lower the price, especially if you can show them that similar cars are around for cheaper prices elsewhere.
Check your credit score: Before applying for a car loan, make sure that you know your credit score. A better credit score increases your chances of getting a lower interest rate on your car loan. If you can, I recommend you take the steps to improve your credit score (even while searching for a free car) in case you need to apply for a car loan.
You can learn more about building up your credit score at Everything You Need To Know About How To Build Credit.
Shop around for car loans: Just as you should shop around for the best car deal, you should do the same for car loans. Different lenders may offer different interest rates and loan terms.
Choose a shorter loan term: While a shorter car loan term means higher monthly payments, you’ll pay less in interest overall, making the car less expensive over the years.
There are plenty of options for finding cars that may not be entirely free but are still affordable to you.
Related content: Save Money With These Top Tips For Buying A Car
How To Get A Free Car — Summary
I hope you enjoyed today’s article on how to get a free car.
If you need a car but cannot afford one, there are several ways to possibly get a free car. Many programs and organizations exist to help people get a free car, especially if you belong to certain categories, such as low-income families, veterans, domestic violence victims, or those transitioning from public assistance.
Remember, you do want to be cautious with getting a free car as well. If you are receiving government assistance, such as housing assistance, welfare, or food stamps, then accepting a free car may be considered income, and it can affect your benefits.
To find free cars near you, it’s important to explore local nonprofit organizations, as well as community centers, churches, or social services agencies that may have information about free car programs or resources in your area. Some jobs come with a company car that you can take home.
Here are some potential resources to assist you in getting a free car:
Local nonprofit organizations
Online car donation websites
Community centers and churches
Social services agencies
Remember that just because you meet the eligibility requirements for a free car and apply for one, it does not mean that you will succeed. There are many people who would like to receive a free vehicle as well. However, you can increase your chances of getting a free car if you can show that you have a need and you have a story to share (since people personally review the applications to see who needs the car the most).
Looking to build wealth with the best income-generating assets? As you set out on the path to financial freedom, understanding the different types of income-generating assets can truly change your life. This is because you can invest in assets that will generate you income, earning you more passive income. Today’s article will introduce you to…
Looking to build wealth with the best income-generating assets?
As you set out on the path to financial freedom, understanding the different types of income-generating assets can truly change your life.
This is because you can invest in assets that will generate you income, earning you more passive income.
Today’s article will introduce you to a range of assets that reliably bring in cash, giving you peace of mind and the freedom to live life on your own terms.
From traditional investments like stocks and bonds to more creative options like peer-to-peer lending or real estate, income-generating assets give you the power to diversify your portfolio and build wealth over time.
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What are income generating assets?
Before we begin, I want to talk about the basics on income-generating assets, in case you are new to the subject or if you want a background first.
Income-generating assets are investments that, as the name suggests, generate income for you. These are assets that provide you with a steady cash flow, allowing you to earn passive income and build your wealth over time.
Examples include rental real estate and dividend-paying stocks (we will go over 17 different types of income-generating assets below in more detail).
There are several benefits of the best income-generating assets such as:
Passive income: You earn money without actively working, and this can provide financial freedom and the ability to focus on other things in life. You can earn money in your sleep, while on vacation, making dinner, and more.
Diversification: You can diversify your investments so that all of your income is not coming from just one source.
Wealth building: Earning income and generating a steady cash flow can help you build your wealth over time.
Note: Please keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all approach when investing in any of these income-producing assets. Everyone is different and while one asset may work great for someone, it may not be the right asset for you. I recommend doing as much research as you can if you are interested in one of the asset investments I talk about below.
Types Of Income Generating Assets
There are many types of income-generating assets. Some may be more traditional such as dividend-paying stocks, and others may be more alternative income-generating assets, such as selling stock photos, and even renting out your driveway.
Today, I will talk about 17 different types of income-generating assets, but this is not a full list of the best income-producing assets. There are many, many more!
The different types of income-generating assets that I will talk about today include:
1. Dividend-paying stocks
One of the best assets to invest in are dividend-paying stocks.
Dividends are simply a payment in cash or stock that public companies distribute to their shareholders.
The amount of a dividend is determined by a company’s board of directors, and they are given as a way to reward those who have stock in their company. Both private and public companies pay dividends, but not all companies pay dividends.
How do dividends work? If you own shares of a dividend-paying stock, then a dividend is paid per share of that stock. So, if you have 10 shares in Company ABC, and they pay $5 in cash dividends each year, then you will get $50 in dividends that year. While dividends can be paid on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis, they are most commonly paid out quarterly — so, four times a year. In this example, the $5 in cash dividends the company pays each year will most likely be distributed as $1.25 per quarter for each share of stock.
The most common type of dividends are cash dividends. Shareholders may choose to get this deposited right into their brokerage account. Stock dividends are another common type of dividend. In this case, shareholders get extra shares of stock instead of cash.
Both cash dividends and stock dividends are great income-generating assets that will earn more money for you.
As a shareholder, you can earn income when companies distribute profits to their shareholders. Look for stocks with a history of consistent dividend payouts and a high dividend yield. Keep in mind that dividend stocks are still subject to market fluctuations, and just because a company has paid a dividend in the past does not mean that they always will in the future.
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2. High-yield savings accounts and CDs
High-yield savings accounts and CDs are a great way to grow your savings, but most people have their money in accounts with low rates. Unfortunately, that means many of you are losing out on some easy money.
Savings accounts at brick-and-mortar banks are known for having really low interest rates. That’s because they have a much higher overhead — paying for the building, paying the tellers to help you in person at the bank, etc.
High-yield savings accounts offer an easy option for earning interest on your cash. Online banks often offer higher interest rates than traditional banks. As of the writing of this blog post, you can easily find high-yield savings accounts that can earn you above 4.00%.
Certificates of Deposit (CDs), another form of income-generating assets, are FDIC insured and provide a guaranteed interest rate over a specific term. Remember that access to your money is limited during the term of the CD. You will agree upon the term before putting your money in the CD. The terms typically vary in length from around 3 months to 5 years.
Money market accounts are also offered by banks and often with a higher yield than other types of savings accounts.
3. Real estate
Real estate is one of the most common income-generating assets that people think of.
Investing in rental properties is a popular way to generate steady cash flow. You can earn rental income from tenants, and properties typically appreciate in value over time.
Location and property management are important factors that can impact your return on investment.
By investing in real estate, you may be investing in residential properties, commercial real estate, short-term rentals, REITs, and more.
Recommended reading: How This Woman In Her 30s Owns 7 Rental Homes
4. Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
An REIT is a company that owns and manages income-producing real estate. They then sell shares to investors like stock.
By investing in REITs, you can make money in the real estate market without actually owning real estate.
So, if you don’t want to be a landlord, then this may be something for you to look into. This makes it much more passive than actually owning real estate and having to manage it.
You can even diversify your income stream with REITs by investing in different property types, such as residential homes, commercial office space, industrial, and retail store properties.
5. Bonds
Bonds are fixed-income investments that are issued by governments and companies. If you own a bond, you receive interest payments from borrowers on a regular basis.
An easy way to explain this is: When you buy a bond, you are giving someone a loan and they are agreeing to pay you back with interest.
Bonds with higher credit ratings are generally a safer investment but may offer lower interest rates.
6. Mutual funds
Mutual funds gather funds from investors to invest in stocks, bonds, or other securities. Basically, the funds are pooled together and there’s a fund manager who chooses the best investments.
Income-generating assets like this have multiple types of mutual funds available for multiple types of investors. Some of these fund types include bond funds, stock funds, balanced funds, and index funds.
Mutual funds typically have higher fees because they have fund managers who are actively trying to beat the market.
With a mutual fund, you get diversification because the fund manager mixes the assets in it.
7. Index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
ETFs and index funds are popular options for those who are looking to diversify their portfolio of income-generating assets.
This is because index funds and ETFs track a specific market index and invest in a wide range of stocks or other assets, instead of picking and choosing stocks in an attempt to beat the market. This is what makes them different from mutual funds.
They often have lower fees and higher diversification compared to actively managed funds.
8. Annuities
Annuities are long-term investments offered by insurance companies that give you a guaranteed income stream to build wealth. In exchange for a lump-sum payment or periodic contributions (such as monthly or annually), you’ll receive steady payments in the future.
The way it works is you pay premiums into the annuity for a set amount of time. Later, you stop paying premiums, and the annuity starts sending regular payments to you. Some are even set up to pay you back with a lump sum.
Annuities can be fixed or variable. A fixed annuity offers a guaranteed payment amount — which means a predictable income for you. As for a variable annuity, the payment amount does vary, depending on how the market is doing.
9. Websites and blogs
Starting a website can generate income through the money-making assets of advertising, affiliate marketing, or the sale of products and services.
Since I started Making Sense of Cents, I have earned over $5,000,000 from my blog through affiliate marketing, sponsored partnerships, display advertising, and online courses. These income-generating assets make sense for building wealth.
Blogging allows me to travel as much as I want, have a flexible schedule — and I earn a great income doing it.
Now, it’s not entirely passive, but I do earn semi-passive income from my blog.
You can learn how to start a blog in my How To Start a Blog FREE Course.
Here’s a quick outline of what you will learn:
Day 1: Why you should start a blog
Day 2: How to decide what to write about (your blog niche!)
Day 3: How to create your blog (in this lesson, you will learn how to start a blog on WordPress)
Day 4: The different ways to make money with your blog
Day 5: My advice for making passive income with your blog
Day 6: How to get pageviews
Day 7: Other blogging tips to help you see success
Recommended reading: The 25 Most-Asked Blogging Questions To Get You Started Today
10. Royalties and intellectual property
Intellectual property, such as patents, copyrights, and trademarks, can generate income through licensing fees or royalties. This particular option is good for creative professionals, such as authors, musicians, and inventors, who are looking for income-generating assets.
Royalties are a way to earn income from your creative work or intellectual property. By granting others permission to use or distribute your intellectual property, you can receive ongoing payments known as royalties.
Whether you’re a musician, author, inventor, or artist, royalties offer a passive income stream as your creations continue to generate revenue over time.
Royalties can be paid out periodically or as a lump sum on these passive income assets, depending on your agreement with the licensee.
11. Stock photos
If you have a talent for photography, you can monetize your skills by selling stock photos on platforms such as Shutterstock or Adobe Stock. The more high-quality images you upload, the more potential passive income you can generate.
With stock photography, you simply upload photos that you have taken to a platform such as DepositPhotos, turning your pictures into income-generating assets. Then, you will receive a commission whenever someone buys one of your stock photos.
Stock photos are used for all sorts of reasons by websites, companies, blogs, and more. Businesses need stock photos because they are not usually in the business of taking photos of everything that they need. Instead, they can use stock photos to make their content, website, or business more visually appealing.
Some examples of stock photography include pictures of:
Travel, vacations, landmarks, outdoor adventures
Family members, such as parents, children, family gatherings
Food and drink
Cars, boats, RVs
Businesses, pictures of people in meetings, in an office.
Sports, professional events
Animals, such as household pets or wildlife
The photo possibilities are almost endless for this type of income-generating asset.
Recommended reading: 18 Ways You Can Get Paid To Take Pictures
12. Crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending
Crowdfunding platforms enable you to invest in real estate deals with a smaller amount of money than buying real estate up front, giving you a passive income through rental income or even a property increasing in value.
Peer-to-peer lending platforms allow you to lend money directly to borrowers. Typically you can earn higher returns than traditional savings accounts, though there’s always the risk of a borrower not paying you back.
Both of these types of assets — crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending — use technology to connect investors with those looking for funding.
13. Renting out storage space
If you own unused land or unused space in your home, renting it out for storage can be a simple way to generate passive income.
You can offer storage solutions for vehicles or boats. If you have a smaller space, then offer it to store personal belongings. You can rent out your driveway, closet, basement, attic, and more. You can even rent out a shelf.
A website where you can list your storage space is Neighbor. You can earn $100 to $400+ each month on this platform. This depends on the demand in your area and the type of income-generating assets you are renting out. And, you can choose who, what, and when — who to rent to, what things are stored, and when it will happen.
You can learn more at Neighbor Review: Make Money Renting Your Storage Space.
14. Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals can be a lucrative income-generating asset if you own properties in popular tourist destinations or business hubs.
Websites like Airbnb provide a platform to rent out your property to travelers for short periods, potentially generating higher returns than traditional long-term leases.
Furnished Finder is another website for short-term rentals. This is a way to connect with travel nurses in need of short-term housing.
Keep in mind that rental income can be affected by local regulations, potential vacancies, or seasonal fluctuations.
15. Car rentals
Car rental platforms like Turo allow you to rent out your car when you’re not using it. Assets that generate cash flow include your own wheels, and that means no significant initial investment besides the cost of the car you already own.
Be mindful of risks such as wear and tear, insurance, and potential damage caused by renters.
It’s an affordable alternative to traditional rental car companies for customers, and it’s a good way to make money if you’re already working from home and don’t need your car, or are a two-car household.
Turo is one of a few different places to rent out your car, turning your vehicle into one of your income-generating assets. Your car is covered by Turo with up to a $1 million insurance policy. You can also pick the dates for when your car is available and set your rates.
Turo says you can earn an average of $706 per month by listing your car on their site.
16. RV rentals
Similarly to car rentals, RV rentals can provide additional income by renting out your recreational vehicle when you’re not using it. Your RV could easily become one of your income-generating assets.
You may be able to earn $100 to $300 a day, or even more, by renting out your RV on RVShare.
If you have an RV that is just sitting there and not being used, then you may be able to earn an income with it by renting it out to others who are interested in RVing. Cash flow-generating assets like RVs are a win-win for both you and the renter who wants to experience life in a recreational vehicle.
You can learn more at How To Make Extra Money By Renting Out Your RV.
17. Vending machines
With a vending machine business, you can generate income by selling a variety of products, from food to fishing supplies, beauty products to baby items, and more.
You may be able to earn $1,000+ a month by running a vending machine business. That’s enough reason to take a closer look at income-producing assets like this.
You can learn more at How To Start A Vending Machine Business – How I Make $7,000 Monthly.
Questions about income generating assets
Here are common questions that you may have about income-generating assets:
How do I start passive income from nothing?
Starting passive income from nothing requires creativity and resourcefulness. You can begin by identifying skills you possess or interests that can be turned into income-generating opportunities.
What are the assets that generate income?
The assets I talked about above include:
Dividend-paying stocks and stock market investing
High-yield savings accounts and CDs
Real estate
Bonds
Mutual funds
Index funds and exchange-traded funds
Annuities
Websites and online businesses
Royalties and intellectual property
Stock photos
Crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending
Renting out your storage space
Car rentals
RV rentals
Vending machines
How do I start buying income generating assets?
There are traditional investments or more creative options. Do as much research as you can before deciding which option fits you best.
What are good assets to buy?
After deciding if you want to purchase traditional investments or more creative options, choose an asset that you can afford and best fits your lifestyle.
What are the best assets to buy for beginners?
For beginners seeking income-generating assets, you may want to look into:
Dividend-paying stocks for your investment portfolio
Crowdfunded real estate investing: Platforms like Fundrise allow smaller investments with lower risk exposure.
ETFs and index funds: They provide diversification and passive income through dividends.
What is income generating real estate?
Income-generating real estate refers to properties that produce regular rental income, such as apartments, commercial properties, or short-term vacation rentals.
How do I start passive income in real estate?
There are a few ways that you can earn passive income from real estate, including:
Buying a property, such as an apartment building or duplex, and renting it out to tenants
Using real estate crowdfunding platforms
Investing in REITs
How to make passive income with real estate without owning property?
You don’t need to actually own property in order to make money with real estate. Instead, you can earn passive income from real estate by investing in REITs and using real estate crowdfunding platforms.
This is an option for those who want to be diversified with their income-generating assets but don’t want to spend all of their money or time on a single piece of real estate.
How to make $1,000 a day in passive income?
Making $1,000 a day in passive income with assets that produce income will not be easy. If it were easy, then everyone would be doing it, after all.
Making $1,000 a day in passive income may require a large amount of money up front, diversifying into different assets mentioned above, and lots of patience from you because it will take time to make that kind of money.
You may want to start off by focusing on building multiple income streams and reinvesting your profits as you earn them.
What to think about before investing in income producing assets?
There are many different things to think about when it comes to income-generating assets. You want to find the best assets to invest your money in that will also be the best fit for you.
Remember, as I said at the beginning of this article, not everything will be applicable to everyone. Everyone is different! You may prefer to create a stock photo portfolio and hate real estate, whereas someone else may really enjoy being a real estate investor — or it may even be the other way around.
Here are some of my tips if you are interested in income-generating assets:
Do your research and talk to experts —I recommend researching as much as you can on the asset you are interested in. And, if you still have questions, don’t be afraid to talk to an expert.
Diversify — One of the important parts of building a successful income-generating portfolio is finding ways to be diversified.
Think about the risks —When making money, there’s usually some sort of risk. I recommend evaluating the risks and seeing what you are comfortable with.
What are the best books on income generating assets?
Some highly recommended books on income-generating assets include:
The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins
The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle
Income Generating Assets — Summary
I hope you enjoyed this article on the best income-generating assets. As you learned, there are many different types of assets that you can invest in so that you can earn an income.
The best income-producing assets, if they’re right for you, can truly change your life.
With these assets, you can build wealth through a reliable passive income, giving you peace of mind and freedom to live life on your own terms.
Are you looking to build income-generating assets? What are your favorite ways?
Zillow Gone Wild, the popular Instagram account with 1.8 million followers, is getting its own nine-episode series on HGTV, the company announced on Tuesday.
Slated to premiere in early 2024, the show will feature eight 30-minute episodes and an hour-long season finale. The series will take fans into the action, touring one-of-a-kind homes on the market. Each episode will showcase three “weird, wonderful and wildly quirky homes” and share the backstories of their buyers and sellers, according to the announcement made by HGTV.
“Millions of people are obsessed with scrolling through outrageous and over-the-top properties on social media while dreaming about where they would like to live,” Loren Ruch, head of content at HGTV said in a statement. “Zillow Gone Wild will take the fascination a step further by giving fans a cheeky glimpse inside the most unusual homes on the market, offering those unexpected ‘wow’ moments that will keep viewers coming back for more.”
Ultimately, the series will tell whether each home has sold, to whom and for how much, culminating in the season finale where the wildest home will be revealed. The show will also focus on people who have embraced non-traditional homes and the methods real estate professionals use to market them.
Online listing portal giant Zillow offered support for the show, reported Inman.
“We are huge HGTV fans and are excited for this show,” a Zillow spokesperson told Inman. “We can share more details in the coming months.”
New Yorker Samir Mezrahi launched Zillow Gone Wild in 2021 and quickly earned popularity across multiple platforms. Posts have included a house made out of huts in Virginia, a pristine mid century modern home in Florida, and a Barbiecore-themed house in Hudson, Wisconsin.
Engel & Völkers today announced its entrance into Castle Pines, CO. Turner Associates, an esteemed local real estate brokerage, will now do business as Engel & Völkers Castle Pines, and continue under the leadership of Travis Turner as its majority license partner and managing broker. For more than a decade, Turner has built a successful real estate business serving the Front Range, offering a comprehensive range of real estate services and specializing in residential, commercial, and investment properties. Joining him in management will be his sister and minority owner Katie Turner, as well as several additional experienced managing brokers. Building upon Turner’s existing success and a reputation for client satisfaction, market knowledge, and professionalism, the new shop will serve as a trusted choice for buyers and sellers in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, and across Colorado’s Front Range.
“Colorado remains a foothold for our expansion in North America,” said Anthony Hitt, president and CEO of Engel & Völkers Americas. “Engel & Völkers’ continued growth in the region is a testament to the brand’s appeal and traction among both clientele and real estate professionals. With a shared commitment to delivering the highest standard of client service, Travis is the right partner to bring Castle Pines and its surrounding communities into the Engel & Völkers’ fold and continue to strengthen our presence in the Rocky Mountains and beyond.”
The real estate market for the Front Range of Colorado is a dynamic and competitive landscape, characterized by strong demand and limited inventory. Castle Pines and Castle Rock attract homebuyers and investors due to the stunning Rocky Mountain backdrop, thriving job opportunities, and outdoor recreational offerings. These markets are known for offering a range of upscale and luxurious properties. Castle Rock features spacious single-family homes, sprawling estates, and upscale townhomes, while Castle Pines is renowned for its exclusive gated communities and high-end custom homes, situated on large lots to offer privacy and a sense of luxury living within a serene and tranquil environment. Residents here enjoy a balance between an active outdoor lifestyle, with activities like hiking, skiing, and mountain biking, and access to world-class dining, shopping, and entertainment.
“As the market for luxury properties continues to evolve, Engel & Völkers’ proven track record and innovative marketing strategies position our team to capitalize on the growing demand for premium properties in Castle Pines and throughout the Front Range,” said Turner. “The Engel & Völkers brand delivers a strong global presence, unrivaled reputation, commitment to excellence, and network of experienced real estate advisors well-versed in the intricacies of luxury transactions. It is my hope that this partnership will energize the luxury real estate scene across the Front Range, foster innovation, elevate service quality, and reinforce our position as a premier destination for luxury living.”
To learn more visit castlepines.evrealestate.com.
About Engel & Völkers
Engel & Völkers is a global luxury real estate brand. Founded in Hamburg, Germany, in 1977, Engel & Völkers draws on its rich European history to deliver a fresh approach to luxury real estate in the Americas with a focus on creating a personalized client experience at every stage of the home buying or selling process for today’s savvy homeowner. Engel & Völkers currently operates approximately 300 shop locations with over 6,500 real estate advisors in the Americas, contributing to the brand’s global network of over 16,600 real estate professionals in more than 30 countries, offering both private and institutional clients a professionally tailored range of luxury services, including real estate and yachting. Committed to exceptional service, Engel & Völkers supports its advisors with an array of premium quality business services; marketing programs and platforms; as well as access to its global network of real estate professionals, property listings, and market data. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated. For more information, visit www.evrealestate.com.
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