Is it profitable to invest in the United States?
Despite the recent price volatility in the stock market, many financial experts agree that this is a good time to invest money.
Additionally, you must know that perseverance is a decisive factor when it comes to creating wealth.
If you are living in the United States (or are thinking of migrating to this country) and want to start building your wealth, you should pay attention to the recommendations of the best financial planners.
According to a CNBC report, the most advisable thing is to make long-term investments in the USA. It is also important to note that younger investors have the upper hand.
This is because they have more time to plan their investments (for eventual retirement or retirement from work).
Right now, investments in the US continue to be profitable, both for Americans and for Latino immigrants. So pay close attention to the following tips to start investing in the United States.
Invest in the United States as an immigrant
Before sharing some steps to make investments in the USA, you must understand in depth the meaning of “invest”.
In simple words, this action consists of buying a monetary asset with the hope that it will offer you good results in the future.
Making investments is a great strategy to make your savings and wealth grow.
At this time, immigrants have multiple tools and mechanisms available to them to make investments in the US.
They can become investors despite not having a Social Security Number, and without needing to inject large sums of money into a business.
Investments are crucial for immigrants, allowing them to scale their small businesses, diversify their sources of income, and build wealth.
Saving itself is beneficial, but it is not always enough to generate wealth. On the other hand, if you decide to invest, you will likely multiply your income over time.
Believe it or not, smart investments (those that appeal to financial intelligence ) are not compared to simply saving money.
If you are an immigrant, and even if you do not currently define your immigration status, you have the possibility of investing money in the United States successfully.
But in those cases, you should contact an experienced financial advisor to help you with the corresponding procedures, and allow you to move in the right direction in terms of investments.
How to make investments in the USA from scratch:
If you would like to know some steps to make investments in the USA as an immigrant, we invite you to continue reading carefully:
1. Identify the type of investment you want to make
There are multiple options or investment strategies that can be executed in the United States.
However, you should limit your list to the options that are within your reach; taking into consideration your immigration status, your initial capital, and your real investment expectations.
These are the main investment mechanisms that you could take advantage of if you are Hispanic and want to start a small business in the USA:
Bonuses:
The bonds offer you fixed income and work like loans that you request from an issuer (it can be a company or the government itself).
In exchange, you agree to make regular interest payments. The capital invested is amortized when the bonds reach their maturity date.
One of the biggest advantages of these investment instruments is that you can buy them regardless of your citizenship (since this is not a legal investment requirement).
If you would like to purchase a US Government bond you will need to present your Social Security Number.
Although there are also brokers who can sell you bonds with your Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
Another piece of good news is that you don’t need a lot of money to invest in some bonds on the US stock market.
You have the option to buy a mutual fund traded on the United States stock market for less than 100 dollars.
However, you should keep in mind that the performance of these financial instruments is lower than that of funds and shares.
Real estate:
Real estate in the United States is another of the investments in the USA that immigrants are most interested in (especially those of Hispanic origin).
This is because they have the possibility of generating future profits, in case the property is sold at a higher price, or if it is rented and generates constant income.
At the same time, investors are aware that real estate investments are ideal for generating passive income.
Therefore, the idea of making money while they sleep is tempting, attractive, and idealistic.
Immigrants who want to operate a small business could benefit greatly from these types of investments on US soil.
Investments under six figures:
Currently, it is not mandatory to be a US citizen to buy real estate in this North American country.
There are solid and reliable lenders for the Hispanic community, such as Latino Community Credit Union, that can become great financial allies.
Especially when applying for mortgage loans, since they can start the process just by presenting their Taxpayer Identification Number.
On the other hand, you don’t need six or seven figures to invest in a property in the USA. For example, if you wanted to buy a small apartment for $80,000, you would need to make an upfront payment of $16,000.
The reason for this is that most lenders require an advance payment equal to 20% of the value of the property.
Stocks and Funds:
A fund works as a capital reserve that pursues a specific purpose. There are several types, as would be the case of funds:
- indexed.
- Exchange Traded Investments (also known as ETFs).
- Investment funds.
You also have many facilities to invest in stocks if you are an immigrant and have Hispanic descent.
In any case, you would be buying a share in the US stock market. That is, you would be investing in a small portion of the profits and assets of a certain company.
It is important to note that by investing in funds or shares you are buying a part of that company, and therefore, you are becoming a new shareholder.
Right now you can make this type of investment in the U SA without being an American citizen, or without having a specific visa.
Nor do you need to meet any specific immigration condition to become an owner of funds and shares in this country.
As for investment capital, you might be surprised to know that you can buy an exchange-traded fund for less than $0.
2. Research the product or company before investing
Do not make the mistake of investing in very risky financial instruments, far from it, in making investment decisions without first researching the market.
This process of analysis and research also involves knowing the company or product in which you would like to invest money.
In turn, it implies estimating the yields that this investment instrument would generate and its possible associated risks.
If you don’t know where to start, or you have many doubts and questions, don’t hesitate to contact an investment advisor as soon as possible.
That way you will know what to expect, you will understand how to invest your money and you will know the profitability that this action could generate in the short, medium, or long term.
3. Analyze the benefits and risks of the investment
You may have already read it, but it is necessary to emphasize that every investment carries risk.
And no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, you cannot underestimate it, much less overlook it.
Remember that information is power. Therefore, the more informed you are about the risks you could face in the future, the better prepared you will be when it comes to overcoming them.
Talk to your trusted financial planner about the benefits and risks of the investment you have in mind before making money outlays.
4. Do not invest without control
Although this mistake is more common among wealthier investors, it could also happen to you if you are careless, or if you get sidetracked.
If you have little money to make the first investment, you cannot afford to make the wrong decisions.
Nor can you compromise your savings, or use your emergency fund to pay off debts or losses derived from your investment.
It is wisest to limit yourself to investing the money you are allowed to lose (depending on market fluctuations and volatility).
You must know that you cannot use your health, subsistence, or education funds to make investments in the USA (no matter how small).
5. Learn how to invest without Social Security
Many investors need a Social Security Number to invest in profitable businesses in the United States.
But the truth is that not all immigrants meet the requirements and conditions necessary to process it.
Therefore, your best alternative is to evaluate investment options that allow you to operate with a:
- Employer Identification Number.
- Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
You can process the latter through the federal form W-7 (if you declare your federal taxes before the Internal Revenue Service or IRS).
This number is very useful for tax purposes and is also extremely beneficial at the business or entrepreneurial level.
Indeed, with this number, you could apply for a business loan to run your own business in this first-world country.
6. Evaluate if you need a loan
Business loans also serve as forms of investment. This is because they allow you to scale your business and maximize your profits in the future.
But best of all, you can apply for business loans for immigrants without having US citizenship.
Although there are some credit limitations for immigrants who do not have a Social Security Number, they can still become investors.
To do this, they must use their Taxpayer Identification Number and submit some basic documentation.
With some lenders, you can process up to 400,000 dollars (without so much bureaucracy and with more friendly interest rates for immigrants). These are other of its advantages:
- They do not require a minimum credit score. You can apply for a business loan with no credit history.
- You can request financing without consigning a financial guarantee.
- You have the option to request a second loan, for a larger amount, if you make payments on time for eight months.
7. Project your earnings
Projecting your earnings will help you have more realistic expectations financially.
You must estimate the amount of money that you could generate with your new business before investing a single dollar.
This way you will be able to know with greater certainty if it would be convenient for you to invest or not in a certain asset, product, or company.
All investments are indeed risky, but if you are too confident you could end up frustrated, or worse, feel cheated at some point.
8. Diversify your investments
Investment diversification is the best strategy to reduce risk. This implies investing in several financial instruments, instead of injecting capital into a single project.
In this way, if an investment goes under, you will not lose all your money, since you will have a broader and more versatile portfolio.
By diversifying you will protect your money while receiving a higher return in the long term.
9. Monitor your investments frequently
Monitoring your investments regularly is essential to keep better control of your finances, evaluate the performance of your investment with greater efficiency and take the pertinent corrective actions.
The role of the investor is not limited to making mere monetary disbursements. On the contrary, it is more extensive than you imagine.
It implies knowing the market, being aware of the fluctuations that could occur, studying investment instruments in depth, cultivating your financial intelligence, analyzing trends, and more.
The more rigorous you are in monitoring your investments, the more likely you are to get the most out of your money and achieve financial freedom.
10. Use reliable platforms
Today you can make investments in the USA from the comfort of your own home, thanks to numerous investment platforms available on the market.
Indeed, you can buy shares in the online stock market from wherever you are, with total speed and security.
However, you should make sure that you use brokers or automated investment managers that are credible and solid.
Many of them allow you to invest in stocks, funds, bonds, or companies from three figures or less.
For example, Wealthfront offers you the option to invest in bonds with little money. (In fact, the minimum deposit is $500).
You can also use platforms like Robinhood, Acorns, or Betterment to channel your investments with little money from anywhere in the world.
Do not forget to thoroughly investigate these platforms before making deposits, or making investments, so that you do not fall victim to online fraud or scams.
Invest in the USA and start building wealth:
Hispanic immigrants have many possibilities to make investments in the USA with little money, and even without having a credit history or a Social Security Number.
If you are considering taking this important step on a financial scale, remember that experts consider this to be a great moment (given the current conditions of the US stock market).
You could take advantage of falling prices to make investments that will allow you to earn higher profits in the future.
In short, investments can become your winning card to start creating wealth in this country or to successfully achieve your financial independence.
