An increasing number of investors are opting for automated investing tools, commonly known as robo-advisors. These automated tools put the management of your portfolio in an autopilot mode. Here are five benefits of such automated investing platforms: Affordable Before robo-advisors, you needed to pay hefty fees to an investment advisor to assist and manage your portfolio. Several of the best automated investing platforms, such as Betterment, Wealthfront, and Charles Schwab Corp’s Intelligent Portfolios offer zero to 0.25% management fees, making it an affordable option. Profitable investment models Most of these automated investing advisors use the best practices of investment theories, which strive to deliver the highest returns at the lowest risks. Moreover, it eliminates human intervention that may result in biases leading to errors. Meeting various investment goals Different kinds of robo-advisors cater to the varied needs of investors. You may choose from advisors that are sector- or industry-focused to robo-advisors that offer an affordable and diversified portfolio of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Several automated investing platforms may offer tax-loss harvesting and claim rebalancing. Low minimum balances You may not have a large amount of investible surplus. Some of the best automated investing platforms offer services, even when you maintain a low minimum balance. Advisors such as Betterment, Wise Banyan, and Folio Investing have no limitations on minimum balance. Simple and convenient Most of the robo-advisors are very simple with easy user-interface and straightforward processes. Additionally, these platforms provide you with the convenience of investing from any time from any location as these are web-based. Moreover, you do not have to spend hours researching different investment options, which makes investing less cumbersome. Having understood the advantages of robo-advisors, let us now examine who will benefit from using such platforms. Young investors or beginners Making accurate investment decisions is a tough job and requires detailed analysis and research.

Financial discipline is an important trait to acquire. You have come to the right place for people looking for a registered investment advisor, but do not know where to look. Here, we have collated a list of the best investment advisors who are established entities and, hence, quite trusted and reputed. Check out our list of best investment advisors to get the right organization to manage your finances: Morgan Stanley Some of the highlights of investing with Morgan Stanley is getting full value with a personalized portfolio. Your financial advisor can help you curate the right investment strategy that suits you the best. Apart from this, you would also get comprehensive communication, ensuring that you know what’s in line. The best part is the fees of this particular program is based on the number of assets in the account. We highly recommend you consider them for top-quality investment opportunities. Bank of America Bank of America has a corporate Global Wealth and Investment Management division. One of the main reasons why Bank of America ranks so high is because it acquired Merrill Lynch post the 2008 financial crisis. This division primarily focuses on two types of clients: people who have more than USD 250,000 (approximately) in assets that can be potentially invested and high-net-worth individuals. Bank of America is quite a trusted name; hence, you definitely can consider them as an investment option. Wells Fargo Wells Fargo boasts 15,000 wealth managers and prides itself on having over 1,400 branches. The total revenue earned by this company in the year 2018 was around USD 86.4 billion. This entity is one of the best investment advisors in the market and can surely help you expand your portfolio. Plus, they have an excellent record of the market; hence, we suggest you consider them strongly.

Retirement is one of the most important periods of life. After retirement, you can enjoy a happy, financially secure life with your family. However, that will require you to have a large enough bank balance that can guarantee financial stability for both you and your loved ones. You need to know the options for the best retirement investments so that you can effectively build the fund you need. Mutual funds A mutual fund is one of the best investment options you have for retirement fund building. Mutual funds are investment portfolios that include bonds, stocks, and other investment instruments. These funds are managed by experienced and professional managers who invest your money on your behalf and help you get the best possible returns. A great thing about mutual funds is that they offer the flexibility of choosing how much risk you are willing to take. You can build your investment portfolio depending on what kind of growth you want to see and your risk tenacity. You should know that the growth of your mutual fund investment depends a lot on the market situation. However, it is outweighed by the many benefits of mutual funds such as asset allocation, tax benefits, the option to transfer ownership, and low commissions. Bonds If you are looking for the best retirement investments, then you should consider bonds as a choice. Bonds are types of loans that you give to corporations or government entities. In return, they pay you interest on the amount lent by you. The rate of interest is agreed upon during the time of investment and it remains the same throughout the investment tenure. The best part about a bond is that unlike equity or mutual funds, you will be aware of how much return you can expect. Certain government bonds come with tax benefits too.

As defined by FICO (the leading credit rating agency), bad credit is defined as a score of less than 580. Your credit score may range between 300 and 850, and an excellent or good rating is often when the minimum score is 700. If you have a lower credit score, you may have to pay higher interest on loans and may not receive the best financial offers. One of the best and quickest ways to increase your score is to use a credit card. When you avail of the accurate card and use it correctly, you may be able to increase your score in a few months. Here are some of the best credit card companies if you have a lower score: Credit One Bank Visa Credit Card Several card issuers require you to deposit $200 or more when you apply for a card. However, this card from Credit One Bank is an unsecured product and does not require any upfront payments. You receive 1% cashback when you use this card for groceries, fuel, and satellite, cable, and Internet services. Additionally, you get a $300 limit, which increases as you responsibly use the card. Indigo Platinum Mastercard If you have ever applied for bankruptcy, the last thing you want is to apply for a credit card and be rejected as it further hampers your credit score. The Indigo Platinum Mastercard is an excellent option as it provides $0 cash advance fees during the first year. After that, the cash advance fee is applied at a high of 5% of the transaction value of $5. Milestone Gold Mastercard This is an excellent way to check your eligibility with the pre-qualification tool that suggests other options in case your profile does not match the requirements of this credit card. The company issues the card even if you have a previous bankruptcy, and the foreign transaction fee of 1% is among the lowest applicable in the industry.

During the current uncertainty, choosing high dividend exchange-traded funds (ETFs) seems prudent. Several ETFs with high exposure to energy and real estate are floundering due to the novel coronavirus. Here is a list of five high-dividend ETF funds that may be a good investment option during this pandemic: Legg Mason Low Volatility High Dividend ETF (LVHD) This dividend ETF provides two excellent features, higher payout and lower volatility. Although LVHD will generate negative returns in the current year, its performance is still better than the S&P 500. This fund tracks the QS Low Volatility High Dividend Index and allocates almost 25% of the weight in energy and real estate. However, no single investment exceeds 2.8%, which reduces the risk to some extent. The LVHD yield stands at 3.36% with an expense ratio of 0.27%. VictoryShares US Large Cap High Dividend Volatility Weighted ETF (CDL) This fund is over five years old with more than $207 million in assets under management (AUM). CDL targets the Nasdaq US Large Cap High Dividend 100 Volatility Index. This fund does not adhere to stringent methodology and offers some versatility. This may result in yield-driven strategies that rely on a smaller number of investments. Another feature of this fund is that it has no exposure to the real estate sector but has a 22.84% exposure to financial services. The yield on VictorShares is 3.23% and the expense ratio is 0.35%. Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF (HDEF) During the current rough times, international equities are not providing high returns to investors. However, the 4.77% yield on HDEF makes it attractive to many. The fund’s energy exposure is low at 4.65%. Moreover, the integrated oil companies held by this fund are focusing on reducing expenses rather than lowering the dividends. HDEF has a 24.64% exposure in the UK, which may keep the returns steady during the current crisis.

These days, a lot of people are leaving their jobs in the pursuit of setting up their own business. While a good idea is often the key to a successful business, the most important thing for you to start a business is the availability of funds. That is where business loans come into the picture. As soon as you launch a business, you will need funds to meet day-to-day expenses. Thus, securing a guaranteed business loan before you embark upon your journey as an entrepreneur, is very important. How to apply for a business loan? Since applying for business loans has become a common practice now, many lenders give you applications through both offline and online mediums. You also have the option to apply for loans with multiple vendors at one go. The lender needs to verify and establish whether you are in a position to pay off the loan in the future. You have to provide him with documents containing your prospective business plan, proof of monthly and annual revenue, business tax ID number, information related to tax returns, business bank statements, the ID issued by the government to you signifying business ownership. Benefits of applying for a business loan Bank does not interfere with your business While the bank analyses your financial health and wants to be sure about you paying off the loan, it does not dictate how you should run your business. If you are funded by an investor or a bunch of them, you will have to accept every direction or command issued by them. The bank does not participate in any activity undertaken by you as a part of your business. They do not question any of the decisions taken by you with regards to your business. They only expect you to pay off the loan along with the accumulated interest.

Generally, the real estate taxes, maintenance, and building insurance expenses are paid by the landlord when the tenant pays the rent. However, in the case of the triple net (NNN) property, the tenant has to pay those too, in addition to the utility boils and the rent. The rent is lower for the NNN properties for sale which has made them a popular option among the investors. Below is a list of the five best NNN properties in Los Angeles. Convenience store Location : Baton Rouge, LA Cost : $2,995,401 Premises : 4,509 SF Renewal options : 4 x 5 years Lease expiration : 1/20/2040 Lease type : Absolute NNN Rental increases : 2% annually If you are thinking about investing in an NNN property in LA, then this convenience store may just be the right option for you. This is an already established store with multiple locations, which makes it a profitable option. It is located in an advantageous position, which offers visibility and traffic. Jiffy Lube and Precision Tune Auto Care Location : Alexandria, LA Cost : $1,285,714 Premises : 5,000 SF Lease expiration : Varies Lease type : NNN Rental increases : Varies If you want to invest in profitable NNN properties for sale, then consider these auto care facilities. You will have zero responsibility as a landlord and all the support you need from Jiffy Lube. The over 30,000 traffic count of vehicles per day, these facilities have excellent visibility. The Alexandria and Metrocenter Malls are located nearby too, which guarantees even more traffic. Exxon Location : Bernice, LA Cost : $1,794,966 Premises : 2,644 SF Renewal options : 4 x 5 years Lease expiration : 1/31/2039 Lease type : Absolute NNN Rental increases : 2% annually This is one of the best NNN properties for sale in LA.

Debt settlement companies provide the service of lowering your existing debts by negotiating with your lender to provide financial relief. There are many such companies that can help you with repaying only a percentage of your loan to settle it permanently. Below is a list of the top 10 debt settlement companies you can compare and choose from. Century Support Services Century Support Services offers debt settlement services to people who have a debt of $10,000 or more. The process can take up to 48 months, but you will have to pay their fees only after your debt is settled. They also offer a free consultation. Pacific Debt, Inc. Pacific Debt Inc. offers debt settlement services for a fee of 15-25% of your settled debt. To avail of their services, you must have a debt of at least $10,000. The process takes up to 48 months, and you pay the fee after the service is completed. CreditAssociates If you have a debt of $10,000 or even more, then CreditAssociates can be one of the top 10 debt settlement companies to help you out of the situation. They can effectively lower your dues and charge you a certain percentage of the settled debt. United Debt Counselors The best thing about United Debt Counselors is that they provide their debt settlement services via their website, which makes the process simpler. They will assign you a local debt counselor who will guide you through the entire process. New Era Debt Solutions When it comes to the top 10 debt settlement companies, this is a name that has to be considered. They have been in this business for more than 20 years and have an impressive record. Freedom Debt Relief Freedom Debt Relief is one of the largest debt settlement companies that help people with $15,000 or more in dues.