Knowledge Barrel: Cash Surveys

Cash Surveys

There are a bunch of great survey sites out there to use to make a few extra bucks. I want to start by saying that you are not going to get rich off of these sites. I usually spend about 2-3 hours each day on these sites and my average return is around $300.00 per month. In this post I will explain the mindset you should have when working through surveys and extra money/side job in general. I will also provide a brief description of the top sites that I use. In future posts I will give a detailed breakdown of each site and the tricks to earn the most money.

The overall theme of my site is to help people understand that there is no reason not to be investing. I continually work to break the excuses people have and the most common is "I don't have enough money". The money earned from these surveys will provide the prefect amount of money to help you start investing.

Please try to think about money in a different way. I always try to look at possible ways to subsidize a portion of my expenses. Keep this idea in mind when you are earning money through these surveys. ANY money that you make is a bonus!! It's money that you wouldn't have if you didn't work to complete the survey. Now follow me through the breakdown of what I mean by being able to subsidizing your expenses:

• Lets say you start out making $50 a month from surveys and you usually spend between $40-50 on coffee each month. These surveys now pay for your coffee!
• $100 earned from surveys could pay for your cable bill!
• The extra money left over can be INVESTED

The other important idea that you should keep in mind is how money can build up each day. What I mean is, let's say you earn $1.00 a day. That's not a lot and nothing to get excited about, right? If you focus on long term goals, $1.00 a day is $365.00 for the year. Now I bet the $365 is a little more exciting to most people. Now let's bump it up to $2.00 each day, still boring and not much you can buy with $2.00 but keep that average daily earnings and you'll have $730.00 at the end of the year.

#1 Best Site: Inbox dollars

They pay you $5.00 for signing up. You can request to cash out at $30.00, they tell you that they will charge you a $3.00 fee. However, they say if you make it to $40.00 in the next 30 days they will waive the fee. After your first payout they give you a $5.00 bonus and you'll receive a $3.00 bonus for every future payout. 

Inboxdollars Signup

#2: Opinion Outpost

This is a great site because the surveys are easy to complete and you can cash out via Paypal at $10.00 balance.

Opinion Outpost Signup

#3: Swagbucks

They have a A+ rating with the BBB (the biggest scam watchdog site). Swagbucks offer a bunch of different ways to earn. You can cash out via Paypal with a $25.00 balance. 

Swagbucks Desktop Signup

Swagbucks Mobile Signup

Good luck with the surveys!!! In my next series of posts I will breakdown each of these sites and a few others that I use. I will post my earns for each of the sites, best practices, how to avoid giving your personal information and the best ways to cash out earnings.

Note: It's best to sign up for a bunch of sites. The reason is because each site only posts a few surveys at a time. You want to maximize your opportunity to earn money. 

Watch of the Day

Hamilton H77612133 Chronograph

Hamilton watches are directly linked to the heritage of America. Devoted to timekeeping accuracy, the Hamilton watch became known as the "watch of railroad accuracy" in 1890. Hamilton was also closely associated with the military and commercial aviation. Today, the styling innovation of the Hamilton watch has made it a fashion timepiece. Stainless steel case and bracelet, Deployant push button clasp, Black dial, Silvertone Arabic numerals and indices, Silvertone luminescent hands, Sweep second hand for the chronograph, Small seconds subdial at the 12 o'clock, chronograph minutes subdial at the 4 o'clock, Day date dial at the 6 o'clock position, Estimated Time Over (ETO) scale bidirectional rotating bezel, Anti-reflective Sapphire crystal, Screw down crown, Swiss quartz movement, Water resistance to 10 ATM/100 meters/330 feet.

Knowledge Barrel: Where/How to Start Investing? Part 2

Where/How to Start Investing? Part 2

I have found that there are 3 great trading platforms that are perfect for the individuals that are looking to to investing but don't know where to start. I find that most people say they don't have enough money to start investing or they don't have enough time to research stocks. These are all easily overcome by the 3 trading platforms that I will discuss in a series of posts. Disclaimer, I use all 3 of these platforms and so should you. Enjoy.

In this post I'll be addressing the most common reason people don't start investing:

"I don't have enough time"

The following app, Acorns is perfect at addressing this problem:

Acorns is an investment App that allows users to “round up” their purchases and invest the spare change into various portfolio structures.   After downloading the app on your phone, a user would link a bank account(s) to the app.  Each day, the amount of spare change remaining after a purchase is calculated into your investment account with Acorns.  You are then free to invest the spare change in any one of the investment products offered by Acorns.

Acorns has 5 different portfolio styles for you to choose from (Conservative, Moderately Conservative, Moderate, Moderately Aggressive and Aggressive). The Conservative Portfolio will place 40% of your investments in Government Bonds. The Aggressive Portfolio will spread the majority of your investment across 3 ETFs: 20% in Emerging Market stocks, 25% in Small Cap stocks and 30% in Real Estate. All you have to do is pick one and Acorns will do all of the investing for you

There is a $1.00 monthly fee for using the app. However, consider that the average interest rate for a savings account is 1.00% and Acorns has provided me with a 2.45% return on investment over the past 3 months which includes the monthly fee.

If you use this link to sign up you will receive $5 from Acorns to start investing with: Acorns Sign up, And Get $5!

Knowledge Barrel: Where/How to Start Investing? Part 1

Where/How to Start Investing? Part 1

I have found that there are 3 great trading platforms that are perfect for the individuals that are looking to to investing but don't know where to start. I find that most people say they don't have enough money to start investing or they don't have enough time to research stocks. These are all easily overcome by the 3 trading platforms that I will discuss in a series of posts. Disclaimer, I use all 3 of these platforms and so should you. Enjoy.

Let's start by addressing the most common reason people don't start investing: 

"I don't have enough money".

The following app, Robinhood is perfect at addressing this problem:

Robinhood is an app that allows you to trade stocks with no commission fee. Robinhood has no minimum balance and links directly to your checking account which makes it easy to add money to your Robinhood portfolio and to deposit profits from Robinhood into your checking account. 

Must trading platforms like Scottrade charge you $7.00 per trades. That is, $7.00 when you buy a stock and another $7.00 when you sell a stock. This creates a problem for new investors or investors with low capital. Lets say you only want to invest $100, you buy stock XY for $100 a share. Your return is immediately (-7.00%). Therefore, the stock price will need to increase by (7.00%) just to break-even on your holding. However, the goal in investing is to make money. Since you are charged an additional fee of $7.00 to sell a stock, you will ultimately needs the stock price to increase by (14.00%) just to break-even. 

Robinhood eliminates this problem by allowing you to trade stocks with no commission fee. You can buy and sell stocks and pay no fees. This is where it solves the "I don't have enough money" problem. To overcome the commission fee "problem" you need to invest a lot of money. For example:

• Share price of stock XY is $100 and you buy 1 share with a $7.00 fee. Your initial loss is (-7.00%) and when combined with sell fee, the total percent to overcome is (-14.00%).
• Share price of stock XY is $100 and you buy 10 shares with a $7.00 fee. Your initial loss is (-0.70%) and when combined with sell fee, the total percent to overcome is (-1.40%).

The biggest advantage to Robinhood is that it allows you to start small. And its this idea that so many people either overlook or are unaware of. There are TONS of great stocks that have have prices below $20.00 and plenty more under $10.00 a share. Lets say you invest $10.00 a week, by the end of the year you will have $520 invested and with an average return of (8.00%) you will earn +$41.60 and will have a final balance of $561.60 for the year.

Stock to Watch: BANC

BANC

Banc of California Inc

Share Price: $23.12
Dividend Yield: 2.09%
Next Ex Date: 9/9/2016
% Off 52 Week High: -0.13%
AVG Volume: 482.4K
P/E Ratio: 16.2
Average Target Price: $25.00

Fundamentals
Revenue (TTM) has risen for more than five consecutive quarters. One year ago the firm reported $365 million in revenue. For the most recent year it reported $490 million (a 34.0% one-year rise). Two-years ago the firm reported annual revenue of $224 million (up 118.3%).

Operating revenue over operating expense simply shows us how much revenue (in dollars) is generated for every dollar of expense. The ratio must be (at a minimum) above 1.0 in order for a company to turn an operating profit. For the latest quarter BANC showed a ratio of 1.47.

Net Income (after tax profit) over the trailing twelve months (TTM) for BANC is rising. For the most recent trailing-twelve-months (TTM) the company reported net income of $80 (million). That's an increase in the most recent year from $50 (million) or a 59.68% change. Net Income (TTM) (aka annual earnings) is trending higher meaning that annual earnings have increased for at least five consecutive quarters.

12 Month Chart






6 Month % Change 

Company Background
Banc of California, Inc. is a financial holding company. The Company is the parent of Banc of California, National Association (the Bank) and The Palisades Group, LLC (The Palisades Group). The Company operates through Commercial Banking; Mortgage Banking; Financial Advisory, and Corporate/Other segments. The business of the Commercial Banking segment consists of attracting deposits and investing these funds primarily in commercial, consumer and real estate secured loans. The business of the Mortgage Banking segment is originating conforming single-family residential (SFR) loans and selling these loans in the secondary market. The business of the Financial Advisory segment is operated by The Palisades Group and provides services of purchase, sale and management of SFR mortgage loans. The Corporate/Other segment includes the holding company. The Corporate/Other segment engages in business activities through the sale of other real estate owned and loans held at the holding company.

Best Barrel of Booze

Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old Bourbon

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt

Nose: Gentle, dried fruits, hay, warming, hints of spice, cream, vanilla. Lovely sweetness.

Palate: Very summery, light and supple bourbon which offers good, clean delivery, pleasant sweetness, hints of cigar leaf, pepper and toffee.

Finish: Long finish, with good oak integration, a little sweetness and dry spice lingers.

Watch of the Day

Movado Series 800 Chronograph

Men's Series 800 is a classic sport watch with a water resistance up to 5 ATM. Performance steel case and bracelet. Black chronograph dial with a Swiss Quartz movement.

The art of Movado is the art of design. Since its founding in 1881 by 19-year old entrepreneur Achille Ditesheim in the village of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Movado has achieved a legacy of design innovation, earning more than 100 patents and 200 international awards for artistry and innovation in watch design and time technology.

Movado, meaning "always in motion" in the international language of Esperanto, is the hallmark of some of the most famous timepieces ever created: the 1912 Polyplan, its revolutionary, patented movement constructed on three planes to fit a case curved to follow the wrist…the WWI Soldier’s Watch with its elegant, protective grill…the 1927 Ermeto, a capsule-shaped pocket watch wound by the sliding motion of its case…the innovative 1950’s Kingmatic series of rotor-driven automatics…the Movado Artist’s Series by luminaries of the fine art world…and the Movado Museum® Watch with its legendary dial.

Defined by a single dot at 12 representing the sun at high noon, the Museum Watch dial is regarded as an icon of Modernism. It was designed by Bauhaus-influenced artist Nathan George Horwitt in 1947. When Horwitt’s dial was selected for the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1960, it was the first watch dial ever awarded this distinction. The name "Museum Watch" derives from this recognition. Today, Movado watches are in prominent museums worldwide, and this legendary dial distinguishes an entire collection of singular timepieces.

The Movado Boutiques extend the Movado brand philosophy of design innovation beyond watches to a range of products for modern living. Exclusive offerings include the proprietary and patented 114-facet Movado Diamond™ jewelry collection, Movado’s own modern 18K gold, diamond, sterling silver and gemstone jewelry, signature pens and personal accessories, Movado clocks and fine Swiss watches. Selections are highlighted in our seasonal catalogs. There are currently more than 25 upscale Movado Boutique stores in major markets across the United States.

Excellence in design. A dedication to Swiss craftsmanship. The quest for technological innovation. The Movado philosophy remains as valid as it was in 1881. Swiss made and water resistant, all Movado watches are distinguished by a legacy of design innovation and dedication to the future of time. Discover the complete collection today.

Best Barrel of Booze

Partida Reposado Tequila

Partida Reposado Tequila is smooth and rich with Partida's signature touch of sweetness. Aged for six months in American oak Jack Daniel's barrels, Partida Reposado delivers nuances of flavor Tequila drinkers may have not thought possible and without the overbearing smoky flavor common to many Reposado Tequilas.

Stock to Watch: AMBR

AMBR

Amber Road Inc

Share Price: $10.46

% Off 52 Week High: -0.38%
AVG Volume: 234.6K
P/E Ratio: N/A
Average Target Price: $12.25

Fundamentals
Revenue over the trailing twelve months (TTM) for AMBR is rising. For the most recent (annual) period the company reported $70 million from $67 million a year ago, or a 4.6% change. The two-year change in revenue (TTM) is $10 million (a 16.5% change).

Operating revenue over operating expense simply shows us how much revenue (in dollars) is generated for every dollar of expense. The ratio must be (at a minimum) above 1.0 in order for a company to turn an operating profit. For the latest quarter AMBR showed a ratio of 0.80. 

• What does this mean: A year ago Operating Revenues/Operating Expense was 0.69. In the last year we can see operating margins are increasing but are still less than 1.0 (the minimum level needed to turn an operating profit).

Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM US$ Millions) is a critical determinant of stock price since market cap is the present value of all future free cash flows. For AMBR the metric is falling (it was $-1 million last year). For the most recent trailing-twelve-months the company reported Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM US$ Millions) of $2 million.

Research and Development (US$ Millions) in the most recent quarter for AMBR was $4 million. R&D is rising (0.33%) from last year's value of $4 million. Further, we can see that R&D today relative to two-years ago is increasing (68.11%) from $2 million.

12 Month Chart

6 Month Percent Change

Company Background

Amber Road, Inc. is a provider of cloud-based global trade management (GTM) solutions. The Company's GTM solutions include modules for logistics contract and rate management, supply chain visibility and event management, international trade compliance, and Global Knowledge trade content database to importers and exporters, non-vessel owning common carriers (resellers), and ocean carriers. The Company delivers its GTM solution using a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. The Company's solution automates the global supply chain across sourcing, logistics, cross-border trade and regulatory compliance activities. The Company's GTM solution combines enterprise-class software, trade content sourced from government agencies and transportation providers in approximately 145 countries, and a global supply chain network connecting its customers with the trading partners, including suppliers, freight forwarders, customs brokers and transportation carriers.

Watch of the Day

Seiko Sportura White Dial Black Leather 

Model: SNAF01