Oct
13
2021
How Many Dogecoins are in Circulation?

How Many Dogecoins Are There in Circulation?

By | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off on How Many Dogecoins Are There in Circulation?

It’s hard to say exactly how many Dogecoins are in circulation, as many have likely disappeared due to issues like lost wallets or people sending coins to the wrong address. But according to CoinMarketCap data, there were about 131.6 billion DOGE in existence at press time.

That number is constantly going up, since a new block gets processed on the DOGE network every minute, and each block reward contains 10,000 new DOGE. That means 10,000 new Dogecoins appear every minute.

Recommended: What is Dogecoin? A Guide to the Original Meme Crypto

Does Dogecoin Have a Limit?

There is no limit to how many new Dogecoins miners can create, although its creators had an initial goal of keeping about 100 billion coins in circulation at a time.

The idea was that by keeping the supply inflationary, people would have an incentive to spend Dogecoins. Since items in high demand with a scarce supply tend to rise in value, while anything with low demand and high supply tends to fall in value.

For a brief period in 2021, sparked by headlines and word of mouth, investor demand for DOGE exceeded the supply, driving prices up. As the climate shifted, however, that trend came to an end and the price of DOGE dropped (a typical pattern in the volatile world of crypto).

Recommended: Will Dogecoin Ever Be Capped?

Here are four things to consider when thinking about the supply of Dogecoin and other altcoins.

Dogecoin Has an Unlimited Supply.

Since there’s no cap on the supply of new DOGE, the price has a ceiling on it. There will always be new coins being dumped onto the market, and unlike Bitcoin, that new supply will never decrease.

For DOGE to maintain its value, then, there has to be new money coming in that at least matches the new coins being created. This can only be sustained for so long. The general tendency for the price of Dogecoin will be to go down, due to these supply and demand dynamics. That makes crypto traders more likely to spend DOGE than to HODL it.

Of course there can be exceptions to the rule. As noted above, crypto prices can be volatile in response to current events and other market conditions. For example, DOGE prices collapsed by about 70% in just two months following the May 2021 high of $0.69, bottoming out at $0.17 before bouncing back slightly.

Recommended: How Many Bitcoins Are Left?

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*Customer must fund their Active Invest account with at least $25 within 30 days of opening the account. Probability of customer receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. See full terms and conditions.

DOGE is Easier to Mine Than Most Cryptocurrencies

Miners receive block rewards for DOGE every minute. That’s compared to once every ten minutes on the Bitcoin network.

This means that solo miners have ten times the odds of finding a block on their own when mining DOGE as opposed to mining Bitcoin or any other coin with 10-minute blocks. DOGE mining pools also wind up with greater rewards, can potentially charge miners lower fees, and have lower transaction costs.

DOGE network mining also tends to be easier than many other proof-of-work coins. Currently, the DOGE network has a hash rate of 207 Terahash per second (TH/s).

By comparison, Bitcoin has a hash rate of 124 Exahash per second (EH/s).

A terahash equals one trillion hashes per second, while an exahash equals one quintillion hashes per second. In other words, the current hash rate of the Bitcoin network is more than 500,000 times higher than that of the Dogecoin network.

Recommended: What is a Good Hashrate?

This makes the barrier to entry for mining DOGE much lower than mining Bitcoin. Whenever DOGE rises in price, more people are likely to mine it, and eventually dump their new coins on the market. Without a constant supply of new money piling into DOGE, the price will fall.

Doge Has Little Technical Development

For much of its history, Dogecoin development has stagnated. Between the years of 2015 and 2018, the cryptocurrency had zero development updates. By comparison, Bitcoin’s code is updated almost every day.

In 2015, Dogecoin co-founder Jackson Palmer stepped away from the project, calling the crypto industry “toxic.” Since then, not much has been done with the code that underlies Dogecoin.

The most recent update was Dogecoin Core 1.14.3, released in February 2021. Before that, November 2019 was the last major upgrade. All in all, there have only been two significant updates to Dogecoin in the last six years.

The Supply of DOGE is Highly Centralized

A huge portion of existing Dogecoins are held by a small group of crypto wallets. One address holds about 27% of all available DOGE. The top 20 addresses hold more than 50% of the entire supply. It’s possible some of the large wallets could belong to Dogecoin mining pools or crypto exchanges, but no one knows for sure.

The Takeaway

There are more than 130 billion DOGE at the time of writing. That number will continue to rise at a rate of 10,000 per minute. Dogecoin’s creators decided to let the currency be an inflationary one to encourage DOGE “tipping” and other transaction-based uses.

Photo credit: iStock/Irina Vaneeva

SoFi Invest®
INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE
SoFi Invest encompasses two distinct companies, with various products and services offered to investors as described below: Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of these platforms.
1) Automated Investing and advisory services are provided by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser (“SoFi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC.
2) Active Investing and brokerage services are provided by SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org). Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above please visit SoFi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform.

Crypto: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies aren’t endorsed or guaranteed by any government, are volatile, and involve a high degree of risk. Consumer protection and securities laws don’t regulate cryptocurrencies to the same degree as traditional brokerage and investment products. Research and knowledge are essential prerequisites before engaging with any cryptocurrency. US regulators, including FINRA , the SEC , and the CFPB , have issued public advisories concerning digital asset risk. Cryptocurrency purchases should not be made with funds drawn from financial products including student loans, personal loans, mortgage refinancing, savings, retirement funds or traditional investments. Limitations apply to trading certain crypto assets and may not be available to residents of all states.

2Terms and conditions apply. Earn a bonus (as described below) when you open a new SoFi Digital Assets LLC account and buy at least $50 worth of any cryptocurrency within 7 days. The offer only applies to new crypto accounts, is limited to one per person, and expires on December 31, 2023. Once conditions are met and the account is opened, you will receive your bonus within 7 days. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate the offer at any time without notice.

First Trade Amount Bonus Payout
Low High
$50 $99.99 $10
$100 $499.99 $15
$500 $4,999.99 $50
$5,000+ $100

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Sep
29
2021
Financial Planning

Should I Invest if I Still Have Debt?

By | Budgeting & Goals, Fresh Out of School, Growing Wealth, invest, Investing, Student Loans | No Comments

As you start to establish yourself financially, you may come to a crossroads: should you pay off debt or invest in your future? It can be confusing to know what to do in this situation, especially if you have multiple financial goals you’re saving toward.

The first step is to look at the numbers, then to consider your preferences. There is no one “right” answer to this question. Let’s start by taking a look at the numbers around major financial milestones like your student loan, buying a home, and saving for retirement.

Let’s say your student loan is $75,000. Buying a new home might cost $350,000, and you might plan to need $2,000,000 for a comfortable retirement. Everyone’s numbers will look a bit different, so feel free to take some time to calculate yours.

Once you’ve put your estimated numbers on a page, what jumps out at you? It’s hard not to notice that retirement is quite a bit more expensive than the others. This isn’t too much of a surprise if you consider what retirement is: living for decades with no salary.

While you might be tempted to put all your extra income immediately into your retirement fund, it’s not necessarily the winning decision when it comes to whether to pay off loans or invest. Let’s look deeper.

How Important is Paying Off Your Student Loans?

If you’re like the average student, you’ve borrowed $30,000 or more to pursue a bachelor’s degree . If you went on to graduate school, your student loan debt may be even higher.

Most federal student loans have a repayment period of 10 to 30 years. You may opt to make the minimum payment each month for the duration of your loan repayment plan, or you might decide to pay yours off early.

One benefit to paying off a student loan early is that you reduce your debt to income ratio (that’s how much debt you have compared to how much income you have). This might raise your credit score and help you qualify for other financial solutions.

Or, you might decide to continue paying your student loan while investing in other areas of your life, like retirement or buying a home.

Know Your Student Loan Interest Rates

Before you can decide whether to pay off student loans or save for other things, look at what you’re paying in interest for your student loans. If the rate you locked in when you took out your loan is higher than current rates, you might consider student loan refinancing. If you have multiple student loans, you could potentially consolidate and refinance them for a lower interest rate.

Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that refinancing federal student loans means you’re no longer eligible for federal benefits and protections, like income-driven repayment or loan forgiveness programs, so it makes sense to weigh the potential benefits and risks of refinancing before taking the plunge.

Comparing interest rates is an exercise in opportunity cost. Any decision to pursue one goal means you’re missing out on something else, but ideally, we look to minimize opportunity costs when assessing financial trade-offs. In this instance, the opportunity cost is leaving potential investment earnings on the table.

Let’s say you recently refinanced your student loan from 5% to 3.5%. Given the competitive rate on your newly refinanced student loan, you could consider continuing to make the monthly payment on your loan and allocating the extra cash flow elsewhere — like investing for retirement or buying a home.

Remember, we want to think about interest rates in terms of opportunity cost. What would it look like if you paid off your loan early? Your student loan costs you 3.5% annually, and that’s what you’ll “save” if you accelerate your payoff by $500 per month.

Once you paid off the loan early, you could invest your money in an asset class — such as the stock market — with the potential to earn a rate of return that’s higher than 3.5%. Historically, the stock market has returned an average of 10%. This investing can be done within a retirement account, whether a 401(k) or an IRA.

That said, stock market returns are erratic, and the annualized return figures you often hear quoted are just that — an average. Investing is risky, and there is always a chance that returns over the next five, 10, or 20 years will not outpace the interest that you are currently making on your student loan payment.

No one, not even a financial planner, has a crystal ball and can see into the future. This is why we also need to take into account your personal preferences.

If you feel like you are truly missing out on investing in an IRA or saving for a home, then investing in those things might be the right path for you. If your student debt makes you feel burdened and miserable, you could focus on that instead.

Paying Off Student Loans vs. Investing

“So, should I pay off student loans or invest,” you ask.

The answer is…it’s complicated.

Student loans often come with low interest rates, which means you’re not paying a huge amount of extra money over the years (like you would with a credit card, for example). So it’s low-cost debt. That means that if you want to invest in other areas of your life, such as saving for retirement or to buy a house, you may be able to do both.

Contributing to a Retirement Account

Many Americans are vastly under-saving for retirement, and with so many employers offering a 401(k) matching program, not contributing is like throwing money down the drain.

There is no standard for match programs — they can range from meager to generous. Between your contributions and your employer’s, it is often recommended that you save between 15% and 20% of your salary for retirement. You can do this by contributing the full allowable amount to your 401(k), which is $19,500 in 2021.

If you don’t have access to a 401(k) — perhaps you’re self-employed — you can save for retirement with other investment accounts like an online IRA or a brokerage account. No matter which account you use, you might want to consider putting that money to work with a long-term investment strategy. For example, you might choose to deploy a strategy of low-cost mutual funds that invests in stocks and bonds.

Buying a Home

Financial planners don’t all agree on whether a home is a good investment. That is not to say that a home is not a good financial goal; if it’s a priority to you, then it’s great. This is simply a commentary on whether a home produces a good return on investment.

Although a house may not have as high an investment return as other asset classes, such as the stock market, a house provides something that a stock or bond cannot — immediate utility. You cannot sleep and eat inside a stock or a bond.

While home values do typically grow over time, you must also take into consideration the costs of buying and owning a home, such as the interest paid on the mortgage, property taxes, and repairs and maintenance. That said, homeownership can be rewarding, and can pay major dividends down the line. One big benefit is having no monthly housing expenses (like rent or a mortgage) in retirement.

The Takeaway

There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to investing while juggling debt. Undoubtedly, the biggest ticket item you’ll need to invest for is retirement — but whether you invest in retirement before or after paying down debt depends on your personal preferences and situation.

One thing to remember: Financial tradeoff decisions don’t always have to be all-or-nothing. You might choose to split the difference by putting a little here and a little there. For example, you might contribute $300 per month to your 401(k) and $200 to a high-yield savings account for your down payment for a house, all while paying off student loans.

With SoFi Invest®, you can invest in traditional and Roth IRAs, crypto, or ETFs, with hands-on active investing or automated investing. The choice is yours — based on your personal situation, goals, and preferences.

Find out how to invest for your future with SoFi Invest.

SoFi Invest®
INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE
SoFi Invest encompasses two distinct companies, with various products and services offered to investors as described below: Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of these platforms.
1) Automated Investing and advisory services are provided by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser (“SoFi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC.
2) Active Investing and brokerage services are provided by SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org). Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above please visit SoFi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

SoFi Student Loan Refinance
If you are a federal student loan borrower, you should consider all of your repayment opportunities including the opportunity to refinance your student loan debt at a lower APR or to extend your term to achieve a lower monthly payment. Please note that once you refinance federal student loans you will no longer be eligible for current or future flexible payment options available to federal loan borrowers, including but not limited to income-based repayment plans or extended repayment plans.


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.

Crypto: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies aren’t endorsed or guaranteed by any government, are volatile, and involve a high degree of risk. Consumer protection and securities laws don’t regulate cryptocurrencies to the same degree as traditional brokerage and investment products. Research and knowledge are essential prerequisites before engaging with any cryptocurrency. US regulators, including FINRA , the SEC , and the CFPB , have issued public advisories concerning digital asset risk. Cryptocurrency purchases should not be made with funds drawn from financial products including student loans, personal loans, mortgage refinancing, savings, retirement funds or traditional investments. Limitations apply to trading certain crypto assets and may not be available to residents of all states.

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs): Investors should carefully consider the information contained in the prospectus, which contains the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other relevant information. You may obtain a prospectus from the Fund company’s website or by email customer service at [email protected]. Please read the prospectus carefully prior to investing.
Shares of ETFs must be bought and sold at market price, which can vary significantly from the Fund’s net asset value (NAV). Investment returns are subject to market volatility and shares may be worth more or less their original value when redeemed. The diversification of an ETF will not protect against loss. An ETF may not achieve its stated investment objective. Rebalancing and other activities within the fund may be subject to tax consequences.

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Sep
17
2021
Options Pricing: How Options Are Priced

Guide to Options Prices: How are Options Priced?

By | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off on Guide to Options Prices: How are Options Priced?

Options are derivative financial instruments that give the buyer the right (but not the obligation) to buy or sell an underlying security, such as a stock, within a predetermined time period for a predetermined price, known as the strike price.

Investors like options because they allow the investor to bet on the price increase or decrease of a stock, without owning the stock itself. There are two main types of options: call options and put options. An investor who buys a call option buys the right to buy the option’s underlying asset. An investor who purchases a put option is buying the ability to sell the option’s underlying asset.

Recommended: A Guide to Options Trading

How is an Option Price Determined?

The sellers of an option take many different factors into account to determine the price, or premium, of an option. The most widely known method for determining the value of an option is the Black-Scholes model. But other models – such as the binomial and trinomial options pricing models – are more commonly used to determine stock option prices.

All of those options pricing models are complex, but they all draw on a few primary factors that drive the investment value of an options contract:

• the market price of the stock that underlies the option

• the current intrinsic value of the option

• the time until the option expires

• volatility

Market Price and Intrinsic Value

The first is easy to understand – it’s the price at which the underlying stock is trading. The second – the intrinsic value of the option – is the value of the option would be worth if sold at that moment. This only applies if the price of the underlying stock has moved to where the option is “in the money,” meaning the owner of the option would make a profit by exercising it.

Recommended: Popular Options Trading Terminology to Know

Time Value

The time until expiration is more complex. It represents the possibility that an out-of-the-money option could eventually become profitable. This so-called time value reflects the amount of time an option has until it expires. It’s one part of an option’s value that only goes down – and which goes at an increasingly rapid rate as the options contract approaches expiration. As the expiration date gets closer, the underlying stock must make bigger moves for those price changes to make significant changes in stock options pricing.

Volatility

That time value reflects the volatility of the underlying security, as well as the market’s expectation of that security’s future volatility. As a general rule, stocks with a history of high volatility underlie options that with a higher likelihood to be in-the-money at the time of their expiration.

Volatility, in many pricing models, is represented by beta, which is the volatility of a given stock versus the volatility of the overall market. And options on stocks with higher historic or expected volatility typically cost more than options contracts on stocks that have little reputation for dramatic price swings.

Recommended: Understanding The Greeks in Options Trading

What Are the Different Option Pricing Models?

There are several models that investors and day traders consider when figuring out how to price an option. Here’s a look at a few of the most common:

The Black-Scholes Merton (BSM) Model

The best-known options pricing method is the Black-Scholes model. The model consists of a mathematical formula that can be daunting for people without a math background. That’s why both institutional and retail investors employ online options calculators and analysis tools.

The economists who created the formula published their findings in 1973, and won the 1997 Nobel Prize in economics for this new method for arriving at the value of financial derivatives.

Also known as the Black-Scholes Merton (BSM) model, the Black-Scholes equation takes the following into account:

• the underlying stock’s price

• the option’s strike price

• current interest rates

• the option’s time to expiration

• the underlying stock’s volatility

In its pure form, the Black-Scholes model only works for European options, which investors can not exercise until their expiration date. The model doesn’t work for U.S. options, because U.S. options can be exercised before their expiration date.

The Binomial Option Pricing Model

The Binomial Option Pricing Model is less well-known outside of financial circles, but it’s more widely used. One reason it’s more popular than the Black-Scholes Model is that it can work for U.S. options. Invented in 1979, the binomial model reflects on a very simple assumption – that in any pricing scenario the premium will go one of two ways: up or down.

As a method for calculating an option’s value, the binomial pricing model uses the same basic data inputs as other models, with the ability to update the equation as new information emerges. In comparison with other models, the binomial option pricing model is very simple at first, but it becomes more complex as investors take multiple time periods into account. For a U.S. option, which the owner can exercise at any point before it expires, traders often use the binomial model to decide when to exercise the option.

By using the binomial option pricing model with multiple periods of time, the trader has the advantage of being able to better visualize the change in the price of the underlying asset over time, and then evaluate the option at each point in time. It also allows the trader to update those multi-period equations based on each day’s price movements, and emerging market news.

Recommended: What Is a Straddle in Options Trading?

The Trinomial Option Pricing Model

The trinomial option pricing model is similar to the binomial model but it allows for three possible outcomes for an option’s underlying asset within a given period. Its value can go up, go down, or stay the same. As they do with the binomial model, traders recalculate the trinomial pricing model over the course of an option’s life, as the factors that drive the option’s price change, and as new information comes to light.

Its simplicity and acknowledgement of a static price possibility makes it more widely used than the binomial option pricing model. When pricing exotic options, or any complex option with features that make it harder to calculate than the common calls and puts on an exchange, many investors favor the trinomial model as a more stable and accurate way of understanding what the price of the option should be.

The Takeaway

Understanding how options pricing works is important, whether you’re interested in trading options or not. However, you can also build a more straightforward portfolio that does not use options at all.

A great way to get started is with SoFi’s options trading platform. The platform has an intuitive design where you can trade options on the mobile app or through the web platform. You’ll also have access to educational resources to continue to help guiding you along the way.

Pay low fees when you start options trading with SoFi.

Photo credit: iStock/ljubaphoto

SoFi Invest®
INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE
SoFi Invest encompasses two distinct companies, with various products and services offered to investors as described below: Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of these platforms.
1) Automated Investing and advisory services are provided by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser (“SoFi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC.
2) Active Investing and brokerage services are provided by SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org). Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above please visit SoFi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform.

Options involve risks, including substantial risk of loss and the possibility an investor may lose the entire amount invested in a short period of time. Before an investor begins trading options they should familiarize themselves with the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options . Tax considerations with options transactions are unique, investors should consult with their tax advisor to understand the impact to their taxes.
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Aug
16
2021
businessman on phone mobile

How to Trade Stocks Online

By | Growing Wealth, Investing | No Comments

If you’ve been investing for a while now—maybe through your employer’s 401(k) or an IRA—and you’re ready to take a more hands-on approach, you’re in luck. A growing number of financial firms are making online trading more convenient and affordable with easy-to-use websites and apps—often with no minimum balance required and commission-free trades.

Some online brokerages even allow investors to buy partial shares of company stocks they might not have had access to in the past because of the cost. Thanks to innovations in financial technology, or fintech, you can now buy and sell stocks and other securities from the comfort of your own couch—or while you wait in line for a latte.

But before you start buying and selling stocks from your phone, you’ll want to have at least a basic knowledge of how the market works; how online brokers execute trades; and how to develop an investing process that fits your personality, plans for the future, and bank account.

Here are some things to consider:

What Is Stock Trading?

All investors take a calculated risk with their money, with the aim of making a profit. But whether you are an investor or a trader depends on how long you typically hold on to investments. Investors are generally looking to grow their savings over the long-term for future goals, stock traders typically try to capitalize on short-term price fluctuations. That can take more time, attention, and exposure to risk than many investors would prefer to commit.

Are You an Investor?

Investors may track what’s happening with the major indexes and the securities in their portfolio, and they might do research or seek advice about the best companies in which to invest. But they’re more likely to use a buy-and-hold strategy—purchasing and keeping stocks or other securities with the idea that these investments will continue to increase in value over years or even decades.

Or Are You a Trader?

Traders keep a close eye on the market throughout the day. They pay attention to current news, tips, and research, and buy and sell stocks frequently. An active trader might buy and sell stocks several times a month, with the goal of beating the market (or getting a better return than the market average). A “day trader,” on the other hand, might buy and sell the same stock in one day, hoping to turn a quick profit and then move on to the next opportunity.

Or Are You Both?

There’s no rule that says you can’t engage in both passive and active investing. You might use your tax-deferred IRA to save for the long haul, for example, but set aside some money to try your hand at trading stocks as well.

It’s up to you how hands-on or hands-off you want to be. But knowing your investment style can help you decide if you’re really up for trading stocks yourself (instead of leaving most of the work to someone else). It also could help you choose a financial firm with the services you require.

Which Type of Broker Suits Your Style?

Investors and traders have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a broker—from long-established financial firms to newer names that offer intuitive online trading platforms and often lower costs.

If you want more help, you might be willing to pay extra for a full-service brokerage with a physical office and an actual person who takes and executes client orders. Or you might decide to limit human interaction (which can get expensive) and instead choose automated investing, leaving the heavy lifting to a robo-advisor that uses computer algorithms to build and manage an investment portfolio.

But if you truly want to get into researching and picking your own stocks, and executing trades on your own schedule, an active investing account with an online brokerage might be the right call.

Many financial websites offer up-to-date reviews of online brokerages, so that can be a good place to start researching. Some factors to consider might include:

•  The broker’s commission fees (many sites now offer free trading)

•  Account minimums (some online brokers don’t require a minimum deposit)

•  Available products (in addition to stocks, you may want to look at exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, and/or fractional shares of stock)

•  Educational features

•  Other perks

Of course, you’ll be looking for a company with a solid reputation and good customer service. You can use the BrokerCheck database offered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to get information on the background and experience of financial brokers, advisors and firms.

Once you choose your brokerage, you can open an account whenever you’re ready. (You don’t have to start trading right away.) You’ll probably need to provide your Social Security number and your driver’s license number or other ID. If you’re funding your brokerage account with an electronic transfer from your bank account, you’ll also want to have that information on hand. The website may ask for other information as well, to assess your goals and risk tolerance.

Learning How to Trade Stocks

Once you’ve funded your brokerage account you can start buying stocks. But be prepared—those decisions can be daunting for a newbie. While opening an account is easy, actually getting started investing may be a bit harder.

If you’re not sure where to start, you may want to look at exchange-traded funds, which offer the diversification of mutual funds but trade continuously throughout the day like stocks. ETFs are typically less expensive than either mutual funds or stocks.

Another way to get into the market at a lower cost might be to invest in fractional shares, or pieces of single shares of stocks you might otherwise find too expensive. With SoFi Invest’s fractional shares program, for example, investors can build a portfolio with big-name companies. But instead of buying whole shares, buyers specify the dollar amount they want to spend on a company’s stock. Before you invest in whole or partial shares, you may want to use an online screener to narrow your choices to stocks that meet your specific requirements and do some technical and fundamental research on potential investments. For example, are you looking for companies within a certain size range, or market capitalization (micro, small, mid, or large)? Is there a range you want to stay within when it comes to the price-to-earnings ratio (P/E)?

Recommended: How Market Capitalization Impacts Stock Value

Most screeners offer several filters to choose from, so you can find stocks at the price you want, or in a designated industry, or within a certain level of volatility. There are several well-reviewed free screeners available that may suit your needs as a beginner, including Zacks, FINVIZ, Yahoo Finance, TD Ameritrade, and TC2000. Or you might decide to pay for a subscription service that offers more in-depth analysis.

Even if you use a screening tool, it can be useful to do your own stock research as well. There are plenty of online sites that can help you learn more about how to trade stocks and calculate stock values. And many brokerages, including SoFi, provide users with educational resources and newsletters.

In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires all public companies to file financial documents with data that could help you further assess a stock’s value. You can use the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system, EDGAR , to access that information.

How Do You Feel About Risk?

How much risk are you willing to take when trading stocks online?

If you’re OK with a white-knuckled, stomach-churning roller-coaster ride—and you’re willing to lose everything on an investment—you can throw caution to the wind. But if you’re hoping to make money without chronic anxiety, you’ll probably want to put some strategies in place to better manage your risk. That might include:

Knowing How Much You Can Afford to Lose

Do you have your financial bases covered (with an emergency fund, for example, and good insurance that will cover you if an unexpected health, home, or automobile expense pops up)? Are you current on your bills, and are you socking away some money for retirement? Even if you’re feeling pretty financially secure, you may want to set a clear limit on how much you’ll spend on any stocks that might expose you to more volatility and, therefore, a greater potential for loss.

Keeping Your Emotions in Check

Thanks to 24/7 access to market news, and instant reactions on social media, it can be tough to tune out distractions that can lead to knee-jerk trading moves. Greed is a tough emotion to ignore when a friend or co-worker shares a hot stock tip. And fear can easily get the better of you when you watch your favorite stock suddenly drop.

As you begin trading, you may consider a journal to document what you did and why you did it, and measure your performance against a benchmark index like the S&P 500. Reviewing those notes could help you analyze and improve how you react to changes in the market. (You’ll also want to keep good records so you can manage the tax consequences of any gains and losses in your brokerage account.)

Diversifying Your Portfolio

It’s one thing to occasionally take a small gamble on a trendy stock. It’s another to put all your money into just one stock (even a Blue Chip), or one sector, or one asset class. Keeping a balanced mix of investment types could help lower your risk—and make following your gut once in a while a little less gut-wrenching.

Again, this is where ETFs or fractional shares can come in handy. It also may be useful to work with an advisor to establish an appropriate asset allocation strategy and set up a plan that helps keep you on track as you make moves on your own.

Recommended: Differences in Speculation and Investing

What Type of Trade is Right for You?

When you’re ready to start using your broker’s website or app to buy and sell stocks, you’ll see there are a few different options for order types, which dictate how your trade goes through.

The type of order you use will likely vary from one situation to the next, depending on how many stocks you’re hoping to buy or sell, how liquid the stocks in question might be, or if the stock is currently under- or over-valued. And once you get more comfortable, you may want to add more strategies (such as options and futures) to your trading repertoire. So it’s a good idea to be well-versed in all the possibilities, their pros and cons, and how they might work in various scenarios.

The two most common orders are:

Market Orders

If you place a market order to buy, you’re saying you’ll purchase the stock “at market,” or at the current lowest asking price. If you place a market order to sell, you’re saying you’ll sell for whatever the highest bidding price is at that time. Because you aren’t holding out for a better price, brokers can generally fill market orders pretty quickly.

Limit Orders

If you place a limit order, you’re telling your broker in advance the price you want to get on the trade. If your broker can get the price you want (or better), they will execute the trade. But if no one is buying or selling at the price you’ve set, the trade won’t happen.

Ready to Get Started?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you may want to practice a bit using a free stock-trading simulator that could help you become more fluent in market terms and actions. But with your online brokerage account funded, you also could begin making small trades to get your feet wet and see how it feels.

The Takeaway

Once you begin trading stocks online, you’ll probably be able to gauge pretty quickly what works for you and what doesn’t, both financially and psychologically. Learning the basics of online trading can up your comfort level even before you get started, but executing some money-making trades will likely build your confidence. (Making some not-so-great trades could also help you finetune your process.)

With innovative trading tools like SoFi Invest® brokerage platform, you can start slowly. With SoFi Invest, you’ll have a variety of investment alternatives to choose from. And you can count on SoFi’s educational resources, real-time investing news, and advisors for help when you need it.

Learning how to trade stocks is exciting. Get started with a SoFI Invest account

SoFi Invest®
INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE
SoFi Invest encompasses two distinct companies, with various products and services offered to investors as described below: Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of these platforms.
1) Automated Investing and advisory services are provided by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser (“SoFi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC.
2) Active Investing and brokerage services are provided by SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org). Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above please visit SoFi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform.

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs): Investors should carefully consider the information contained in the prospectus, which contains the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other relevant information. You may obtain a prospectus from the Fund company’s website or by email customer service at [email protected]. Please read the prospectus carefully prior to investing.
Shares of ETFs must be bought and sold at market price, which can vary significantly from the Fund’s net asset value (NAV). Investment returns are subject to market volatility and shares may be worth more or less their original value when redeemed. The diversification of an ETF will not protect against loss. An ETF may not achieve its stated investment objective. Rebalancing and other activities within the fund may be subject to tax consequences.

Stock Bits
Stock Bits is a brand name of the fractional trading program offered by SoFi Securities LLC. When making a fractional trade, you are granting SoFi Securities discretion to determine the time and price of the trade. Fractional trades will be executed in our next trading window, which may be several hours or days after placing an order. The execution price may be higher or lower than it was at the time the order was placed.
External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

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Aug
03
2021
What is a Crypto Bear Market? When to Buy & Sell Crypto

What is a Crypto Bear Market?

By | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off on What is a Crypto Bear Market?

Since Bitcoin’s launch in 2009, several crypto crashes have occurred, including some that have completely wiped out specific altcoins. Since those crashes happened in lesser-known forms of crypto or without extensive media coverage, not all investors are aware of them.

Despite the crashes, however, there haven’t been any sustained bear markets in Bitcoin, which is the de facto benchmark for cryptocurrencies.

What Is a Crypto Bear Market?

A crypto bear market is one in which the value of major cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, have fallen at least 20% from their recent highs, and are continuing to fall. By contrast, a crypto bull market is one in which the major cryptocurrencies are on the rise.

One of the most famous crypto crash occurred in December 2017, when Bitcoin fell from almost $20,000 per coin to just over $3,200 in a matter of days. After that, it rallied, reaching a price of nearly $65,000 per coin in April of 2021, before dropping again to below $32,000 in May.

Recommended: When Is Bitcoin’s Next Bull Run? 2021 Predictions

Traders aiming to time the markets aim to purchase cryptocurrencies or other assets at the bottom of a bear market, but it’s often difficult to know when a bear market has actually ended.

Why Is It Called a Bear Market?

The terms bull and bear markets come from stock trading, and according to some accounts their origins come from the style of attack each animal uses – a bull will charge with its horns pointed upward. A bear, on the other hand, towers over its opponents and swipes down.

Similarities Between Crypto and Stock Bull & Bear Markets

Investors don’t have experience with the performance of cryptocurrency during a stock bear market. The last true, sustained stock bear market occurred in 2007-2009. At the time, Bitcoin had just launched, gaining attention, if not yet acceptance. While calling a bull or a bear market in stocks or in cryptocurrency requires technical analysis of values, there are several other that both markets have in common:

Volatility

The value of both stocks and cryptocurrencies fluctuate over time, but some cryptocurrencies tend to gyrate severely due to liquidity constraints within the market and a less established derivatives market.

Recommended: Why Is Bitcoin So Volatile?

Trader Sentiment

In both the stock market and cryptocurrency negative trader sentiment can portend a bear market. However, contrarian traders in both cases may see market dips as an opportunity to buy cryptocurrency at a discount. Outside Influences Bear markets, in both stocks and cryptocurrency, can reflect external factors that change the way that investors value a particular asset. Those factors can include overall economic strength, interest rates, or geopolitical factors.

What Are the Signs of a Crypto Bear Market?

One of the most famous maxims in all of investing is “buy low, sell high.” In four words, it’s how investors make money. And it’s why, for crypto investors, knowing when a bear market is coming, or when one is just about to end, can make all the difference.

This is where the relative youth of the crypto market makes things difficult. With the stock market, economists, analysts and traders have decades and even centuries of data to sift through to find the trends and triggers that occurred just before a bear market turned to a bull and vice versa. Bitcoin, on the other hand, was launched in 2009.

Some warning signs of a crypto bear market include:

•  Lower trading volume: This could indicate that people have begun holding their coins amid market uncertainty.

•  “Backwardation”: This occurs when the price of an asset in the futures market is lower than its current market price.

•  Death cross: This is a technical indicator in which an asset’s 50-day moving average crosses its 200-day moving average.

Get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new Active Invest account.*

Access stock trading, options, auto investing, IRAs, and more. Get started in just a few minutes.

*Customer must fund their Active Invest account with at least $25 within 30 days of opening the account. Probability of customer receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. See full terms and conditions.

What Are Indicators of a Crypto Bull Market?

Even though crypto’s history has essentially been a very lengthy bull market followed by a short, terrifying market free-fall, and another market bull run, some trends have popped up for investors to watch.

•  Liquidity. Crypto took a hit at the beginning of the lockdowns in spring of 2020, when investors needed cash. But so did everything else. Then it rose, as the crisis receded and the Fed pumped trillions into the economy, aiding in Bitcoin’s liquidity and other cryptos alike.

•  Adoption: If more companies and financial institutions adopt crypto, then it should move more in step with the economy, and be subject to less violent fluctuations. It’s a sign that the Wild West is being tamed. But adoption is a double-edged sword. If it’s your cab driver and barber who are talking about crypto, then it could mean that the market is oversaturated.

Should I Invest in Crypto?

There is also a baseline level of uncertainty with crypto that doesn’t exist in many other asset classes. While nobody thinks that regulators will shut down or curtail the stock market or that hackers will breach a stock exchange, these are common concerns with Bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency.

In addition to concerns about cryptocurrency regulation and blockchain security, there is also a growing debate about the energy costs of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which adds to the question mark over the long-term viability of crypto as a whole, at least in its current form. Those existential doubts rear up whenever Bitcoin, or other major cryptos, take a steep decline, or fall for too long.

Recommended: How Much Electricity is Needed to Mine Bitcoin?

That existential doubt can also be a major plus for investors, however. The shadows over crypto means that their declines are often incredibly steep. That creates regularly occurring opportunities to buy the crypto of your choice at a very steep discount, if you believe in the long-term growth of crypto as a whole, and if you can wait for the dip. Proponents of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, believe that its growing adoption and use make it a smart long-term investment.

Recommended: Investing in Cryptocurrency: What You Need to Know

The Takeaway

Like all assets, cryptocurrencies go through cycles in which their value rises and falls. For short-term investors, especially, knowing the signs of a bear market can help you create a portfolio strategy that makes sense for your risk appetite and financial goals.

Photo credit: iStock/Eva-Katalin

SoFi Invest®
INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE
SoFi Invest encompasses two distinct companies, with various products and services offered to investors as described below: Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of these platforms.
1) Automated Investing and advisory services are provided by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser (“SoFi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC.
2) Active Investing and brokerage services are provided by SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org). Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above please visit SoFi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform.

Crypto: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies aren’t endorsed or guaranteed by any government, are volatile, and involve a high degree of risk. Consumer protection and securities laws don’t regulate cryptocurrencies to the same degree as traditional brokerage and investment products. Research and knowledge are essential prerequisites before engaging with any cryptocurrency. US regulators, including FINRA , the SEC , and the CFPB , have issued public advisories concerning digital asset risk. Cryptocurrency purchases should not be made with funds drawn from financial products including student loans, personal loans, mortgage refinancing, savings, retirement funds or traditional investments. Limitations apply to trading certain crypto assets and may not be available to residents of all states.

Investment Risk: Diversification can help reduce some investment risk. It cannot guarantee profit, or fully protect in a down market.

2Terms and conditions apply. Earn a bonus (as described below) when you open a new SoFi Digital Assets LLC account and buy at least $50 worth of any cryptocurrency within 7 days. The offer only applies to new crypto accounts, is limited to one per person, and expires on December 31, 2023. Once conditions are met and the account is opened, you will receive your bonus within 7 days. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate the offer at any time without notice.

First Trade Amount Bonus Payout
Low High
$50 $99.99 $10
$100 $499.99 $15
$500 $4,999.99 $50
$5,000+ $100

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