InvestZ Archives | Page 178 of 183

Oct

2021

Crypto Technical Analysis: What it is & How to Do One

By Brian Nibley | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off

Crypto technical analysis involves using mathematical indicators based on previous price action data to try to predict future trends. The basic idea is that markets behave according to certain patterns and that once established, trends heading in a certain direction often continue along the same course for some time.

Broadly speaking, investors want to buy when markets are low so they can sell higher at some point in the future, and thus make a profit. Conducting technical analysis before entering a position is one way to try to identify price levels that might be considered low.

There’s no single, all-encompassing method for crypto technical analysis. Each trader will prefer to use different indicators and will likely interpret them slightly differently. It should also be noted that crypto technical analysis, similar to the technical analysis applied to stocks and other securities, is not a crystal ball; it’s not an guaranteed predictor of performance.

Crypto Technical Analysis: The Basics

There’s a long list of different technical indicators and chart patterns that can be used to conduct crypto technical analysis. Entire books have been written and courses created on the subject.

Here are just a few common technical indicators that traders can use when learning technical analysis.

Candlestick Charts

Traders often prefer candlestick charts for their high level of detail. Rather than condensing data into one point for each time interval, candlesticks display four different price levels for each interval. These include (in order of top to bottom, visually):

• High price

• Opening price

• Closing price

• Low price

Candlesticks show this information in the form of a bar and two wicks. The peak of the top wick is the high price and the tip of the bottom wick is the low price.

The body of the candlestick can appear either green or red. Red indicates that prices ended the day lower than they opened; green indicates that prices ended the day higher.

On green candlesticks, the top indicates the closing price and the bottom the opening price. For red candlesticks, the top indicates the opening price and the bottom the closing price.

Each candlestick is read in the context of surrounding data points, and offers a detailed look at how investors are buying and selling crypto during a certain period of time.

Recommended: Important Candlestick Patterns to Know

Support and Resistance Levels

The terms support and resistance refer to levels where prices tend to bottom or peak, respectively. Traders might identify these levels and then use them to try and make informed trading decisions.

How are support and resistance determined? There are many possible ways. Sometimes it could be as simple as looking at a chart and pointing out where prices have repeatedly pulled back (in the case of resistance) or bottomed out (in the case of support).

Once identified, traders might use these price levels to inform their trading strategy. For example, stop-loss orders might be placed at support, while sell orders to take profits might be placed at or above resistance.

There are many different ways to use support and resistance, because these levels can either be used to try to predict price reversals or, if prices continue beyond them, indicate that a new trend has emerged. If prices keep rising above resistance, this might indicate sustained momentum to the upside. Likewise, if prices continue falling beneath support, they might continue falling even more.

Relative Strength Index (RSI)

The Relative Strength Index is a favorite among veteran and novice traders alike. This indicator presents itself as a simple line graph below a price chart.

The line oscillates between the values of 0 and 100, with 50 being neutral. A higher value is thought to indicate overbought conditions, while a lower value is thought to indicate oversold conditions.

Like many technical analysis tools, the RSI is best used in conjunction with other indicators. For example, if prices for a cryptocurrency were approaching a well-established support level at the same time that the RSI was giving a low reading of 20, then the odds of an upcoming price rally could be higher than usual.

Average Directional Index (ADX)

The average directional index is a short-term indicator used to help investors determine how strong a trend is. The higher the ADX, the more momentum there might be behind current trends.

ADX is simply the average of the values of directional movement lines over a particular period. These lines are calculated with current low and high prices. Similar to the RSI, ADX can have a value between 0 and 100.

But unlike many other indicators, the ADX rarely rises above 60. Chart analysts generally believe that an ADX of 25 and up indicates trend strength and a reading below 20 means there is no trend. Between 20 and 25 is considered neutral, or no trend.

When the ADX line is rising, it’s a sign that the current trend is growing stronger.

Moving Averages (MAs)

While the ADX helps investors determine the strength of a trend, moving averages can be used as a tool to help determine the direction of a trend. A moving average summarizes data points of a cryptocurrency over a set period and divides the total by the number of data points to create an average. The term “moving” average is used because the number is constantly updated using the latest price data.

Long-term moving averages are thought to be stronger indicators, as they contain more data. But MAs can also be tracked in the short term.

There are different types of moving averages, different time lengths for them, and different ways they can be used to provide clues to the direction of a trend.

One famous bullish setup based on MAs is referred to as the “golden cross.” This occurs when a short-term moving average moves above a long-term moving average, most commonly the 50-day MA above the 200-day MA.

Recommended: 5 Bullish Trend Indicators

Trend Lines

Trends lines are just what they sound like — lines that illustrate potential trends. These can take many forms and sometimes multiple trend lines can be drawn on the same chart to show more complex patterns.

In their simplest form, trend lines are single lines connecting multiple high or low price points. The more points that connect on the same line, the stronger the trend might be.

Trend lines can be drawn to show a variety of different crypto technical analysis setups.

Cup and Handle Pattern

The cup-and-handle pattern is a famous bullish set-up. It consists of a price chart over which a cup (the bottom half of a circle) and a handle (a downward-slanting line at about a 45-degree angle) can be drawn.

For this to happen, prices generally must fall, briefly trade sideways, rise for about the same length of time as they originally fell for, and then have a steep but brief drop. The final drop creates the handle, at which point the pattern is thought to be confirmed, and prices could rise.

The inverse of this pattern can also happen and is thought to be bearish. If an upside-down cup and handle happens, watch out, as prices could fall.

The Takeaway

Crypto technical analysis is just one of many things investors might want to know before investing in crypto. That said, technical analysis of cryptocurrency can be highly subjective even though the indicators themselves are based on mathematics.

It should be noted that no technical indicator is correct 100% of the time. Even when multiple indicators converge on the same conclusion, prices could still react differently than expected. The best a trader can hope for is an increased chance of making a decision they feel good about, based on available information.

Photo credit: iStock/SDI Productions

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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.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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.

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.

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	Bonus Payout
$50	$99.99	$10
$100	$499.99	$15
$500	$4,999.99	$50
$5,000+		$100

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Oct

2021

How to Buy Dogecoin (DOGE)

By Samuel Becker | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off

Dogecoin may have started as a joke cryptocurrency, but it’s evolved into a very real digital asset. Like all cryptocurrencies, there are multiple ways that traders or investors can purchase DOGE.

There are two basic ways to buy DOGE: Through a cryptocurrency exchange, or through an online stock trading platform or application.

How to Buy Dogecoin in 4 Steps

Buying Dogecoin is a fairly simple process — it’s more or less the same process you would follow if you were trying to purchase Bitcoin or any other altcoins.

While this may seem complicated for crypto beginners, it’s a fairly straightforward process, whether you’re buying crypto to keep for the long-term or to spend right now.

Here’s a detailed walkthrough of each step:

1. Choose Where You Want to Buy Dogecoin

If you understand the basics of Dogecoin and are interested in buying DOGE, you’ll need to decide whether you’d like to use either a cryptocurrency exchange or an online trading platform. No matter which route you go, you’ll need to establish an account with the platform or exchange (if you don’t have one). That may require banking information (account numbers, etc.), addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and in some cases, your Social Security number.

Crypto Exchanges

Crypto exchanges are platforms that allow interested parties to buy, sell, or trade different cryptocurrencies. They’re not all the same — some cryptos are available on some platforms, but not on others, for instance — and they tend to work like stock markets.

That is, traders and investors are exchanging cryptos, much like they would with stocks or bonds on the stock market. There are different types of exchanges, too, including centralized, decentralized, and hybrid exchanges.

A quick Google search will reveal plenty of them, if you’re interested in going this route.

Exchanges tend to have a large variety of crypto choices, are generally simple to use, and make it pretty easy to trade. However, some of them may have high fees for trading, and may not grant users complete control over their storage options. While nearly all exchanges will let you buy or sell crypto, some may support more advanced orders such as limit orders or margin trading.

Online Stock Trading Platforms

Aside from crypto exchanges, which can be used to buy Dogecoin, there are also stock trading apps — of which there are also many choices. And, again, a simple Google search will yield plenty of results, if you want to find a few options to start trading.

These trading apps generally work similarly to exchanges for end users. Essentially, it’s a matter of opening and funding an account, and executing the trade. But the apps and platforms in question are generally known for trading stocks, bonds, and ETFs rather than cryptocurrencies, as opposed to crypto exchanges.

They act as brokerages, in other words, and may charge a markup or fee for executing a trade.

That said, many of these apps have opened themselves up to crypto trading as demand has grown. And, for the most part, trading crypto on these platforms is a similar (if not the same) process as trading stocks.

As for the pros and cons of using these apps, it’ll depend on the specific platform. Some may require minimum deposits to open an account, for example. Others will charge fees of varying degrees (or none at all), and some will be less user-friendly than others. On some brokerage platforms, you can’t withdraw your crypto directly from the account, instead, you’d need to sell your assets to be able to withdraw the balance to other accounts.

It’ll take a little research and experimentation to find one that you like, if you choose to use one of these apps to buy Dogecoin or other cryptos.

2. Setup a Payment Method

Once you’ve decided where you want to buy Dogecoin, it’s time to get down to brass tacks: Laying the lines to execute a transaction. That means setting up a method to pay for your new Dogecoin holdings.

Depending on whether you choose an exchange or a trading app, the specifics of this step will vary. But in general terms, it’s connecting a way to make a payment to the exchange or brokerage — usually by connecting a credit or debit card, or a bank account — to your account, so that you can make purchases or trades.

3. Purchase Dogecoin

At this point, it’s simply a matter of executing the transaction to buy Dogecoin. This process will vary depending on the exchange or app you’re using. But it’s usually as simple as inputting the amount of Dogecoin you want to buy, and hitting the “purchase” button to initiate the purchase.

4. Safely Store Your Dogecoin

Securely storing your cryptocurrencies isn’t quite as simple as holding a stock or ETF. Both exchanges and crypto wallets have become targets for hackers, so it’s important to make security a priority after you’ve purchased crypto.

Depending on whether you’ve used an exchange or an online trading platform to buy Dogecoin, your storage options vary. Crypto storage is a deep topic all on its own, but what you need to know is that specific exchanges and platforms may store your coins differently.

Platforms may store your Dogecoin in either “hot” or “cold” wallets. The essential difference is that “cold” storage is offline — making it more difficult for hackers, or other bad actors, to access. Conversely, coins held in “hot” storage remain online, and can be accessed quickly to facilitate trades.

Some platforms use a combination of hot and cold storage. Again, it depends on the specific platform you choose.

You can also transfer your Dogecoin to your own digital wallet, of which there are many to choose from with varying degrees of security and features. You can also choose from DOGE-specific wallets or those that allow you to store multiple types of cryptocurrency.

The Takeaway

The process of purchasing DOGE is similar to that of buying other cryptocurrencies. Once you’ve decided whether you want to go through a crypto exchange or a brokerage platform, you simply need to create an account and execute the purchase. Keep in mind that like all cryptocurrencies, DOGE is a risky investment with extreme price volatility.

Photo credit: iStock/StockRocket

Sep

2021

What Are Vanilla Options? Definition & Examples

By Susan Guillory | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing, Terminology | Comments Off

Once you’ve started investing, you may want to learn about different assets beyond stocks and bonds. Among the alternative assets you might consider, are options, and vanilla options are a great way to get started with this type of investment.

Options give investors the — you guessed it — option to purchase or sell a stock at a certain price over a certain period. Options are derivative financial instruments, which means they are based on an underlying asset. Vanilla options are the most basic type of option contract, and they’re often standardized and traded on exchanges.

Vanilla Option Definition

Vanilla options, in contrast to exotic options, which have customization features, have simple and straightforward terms of the strike price, or the price for which an investor buys or sells a stock, and the period in which they can exercise their option. The last day that an investor may exercise an option is known as the expiry date.

How Do Vanilla Trades Work?

Let’s look at how options trading works with vanilla trading.

Each option has a strike price. If that price for purchase is lower than the market value of the stock, investors call that option “in the money.”

Investors pay a premium to own an option. This premium reflects several factors, including:

• How close the strike price is to the market price

• The stock’s volatility

• How length of time before the option expires

Investors don’t have to wait until the option expires to complete the trade, and they are typically under no obligation to exercise the option.

What are the Different Types of Vanilla Options?

When it comes to options for vanilla stock options, there are two types, calls and puts.

Calls

A vanilla call option gives an investor the option to buy an asset at a certain price within a certain period. A call option is a bit like a down payment; the investor pays the premium so that, later, they can buy the stock at a good price and profit from it.

However, an investor can pay the premium and never exercise the option. If they decided not to exercise it, they would either lose what they paid for the premium, or they could sell the call option to someone else before it expires.

Puts

In contrast, a put option allows an investor to sell an asset at a fixed price within a certain time period. If a stock tanks in value over the period that option is exercisable, the investor can still sell it for the put price and not lose as much of his investment. But if the stock’s value goes higher than the put price in the market, the vanilla options are worthless because the investor could sell it at the market price and realize more of a profit.

Characteristics of Vanilla Options

Like all investments, vanilla options include a level of risk and volatility. But they can also provide the opportunity for profit.

Premiums

Whether you are interested in a vanilla call or put, you will pay a premium, in addition to what you would pay to purchase the stock with a call. The premium isn’t refundable, so if you don’t exercise the option, you’ve lost what you paid for the premium.

Volatility

The volatility of an option determines its price. The higher the volatility of the option, the higher the premium because there is more opportunity for profits (as well as the risk of loss).

One way to reduce volatility is to use an options trading straddle where you buy a put and call option simultaneously.

Risk Level

Like most other types of investments, options are not without risk. If a stock is lower in price on the market than a call option, the option is worthless. And if a stock has a higher price on the market, the put option won’t net more return on investment.

However, a vanilla option may be less risky than buying a stock outright, since the only thing you’re guaranteed to spend is the premium.

Pros and Cons of Vanilla Options Trading

Trading vanilla options can have potentially great returns…or large losses. Here are the pros and cons.

Pros	Cons
Minimizes risk; no obligation to exercise	Risky; may lose premium investment and more
Option to control more shares than buying them outright	May be complex to understand
May offer large returns	Fluctuations in market may render option worthless

Pros

Options may be less risky than buying a stock outright, since you’re only buying the option to purchase or sell a stock at a certain price. The premium is all you invest initially.

Typically you can purchase more shares through options than you could buying them on the market, so if you’re looking for larger investment opportunities, options could provide them.

And while they’re volatile, there is the potential for larger returns.

Cons

That being said, you don’t always see large returns. You can lose your entire investment if the option is out of the money when it expires.

Options can be complicated or confusing for new investors. Not only should you fully understand the risks you take with this investment tool, but you also should understand options taxation.

Examples of Vanilla Options

If you’re considering vanilla options as part of your options trading strategy, here are a few examples to illustrate how they work for both calls and puts.

Example of a Vanilla Put Option

A put is a bit like insurance in case your stock you’re holding goes down in value. It’s one way that investors might short a stock. Here’s an example.

Let’s say you own 100 shares of a stock that is currently trading at $25 per share. You buy a put option at a premium of $1 per share that expires in two months at a strike price of $25. So in total, you paid $100 for a premium for 100 shares.

In a month, the stock price drops to $18 per share. This is a good time to exercise that premium because your strike price allows you to sell the shares for $25 rather than $18. You wouldn’t gain any money because you’re essentially selling the stocks for what you paid for them ($25), and you would even lose a little (that $1 per share premium), but the alternative would be to lose even more if you waited and the price dropped more or you didn’t have the option.

Example of a Vanilla Call Option

A call option allows you to purchase a stock at a certain price within a specified time period. Bullish investors who expect a stock to go up in price typically purchase call options.

For our example, let’s say you’re interested in a stock that trades at $53, and you can buy a call option for this stock within one month to purchase the stock at $55 per share. The option is for 100 shares of this stock.

The premium for this option is $0.15 per share. So you would pay $15 for the premium. You aren’t obligated to purchase the stock. If the stock trades at more than $55.15 (option price plus premium), you can realize a profit.

Let’s say in two weeks, that stock is trading at $59. It is, as they say, “in the money.” Now would be a great time to exercise your option because you can realize $3.85 per share and $385 for 100 shares. You can sell the shares immediately to cash in on that profit or hold onto it to see if the stock price continues to rise.

The Takeaway

Vanilla stock options can be a way to diversify your investment portfolio and increase your investing savvy. When it comes to options trading, it helps to have a platform like SoFi’s, which boasts an intuitive design. Plus, you’ll have access to educational resources to learn about any other terminology that comes up on your options trading journey.

Trade options with low fees through SoFi.

Sep

2021

Should I Invest if I Still Have Debt?

By Susan Guillory | 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.

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.

WM17116B

Aug

2021

4 Tips for Writing a Letter of Explanation for a Mortgage

By Jamie Cattanach | Financial Independence, Growing Wealth | Comments Off

A letter of explanation gives you an opportunity to explain potential red flags in your credit history, which could help you land the home of your dreams even if you might otherwise be considered a less-than-ideal borrower.

For many of us, our home is the largest single purchase we’ll ever make—and perhaps the largest loan we’ll ever take out, too. It makes sense that lenders want to make sure you’re good for the money when they’re dishing out hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.

That’s why you may be asked to write a letter of explanation as part of the underwriting stage of your mortgage application.

Just What Is a Letter of Explanation?

If you have questionable items on your credit report, a letter of explanation may be requested by your underwriter—the person at the mortgage company in charge of gathering and verifying your materials to make sure you’re a good candidate to apply for a home loan.

As with other types of loans and lines of credit, qualifying for a mortgage comes down, in large part, to creditworthiness: a borrower’s credit score, history of paying loans on time, maintenance of a low credit utilization ratio, and overall history of money management.

As part of the homebuying process, the underwriter will pull your credit report and look into all these details, and if they come across any red flags, they may ask you for a letter of explanation.

Situations When You Might Need a Letter of Explanation

There are a variety of situations in which you might be asked to provide a letter of explanation, and they’re not all specifically about your credit report—though many of them are. The underwriter may request a letter of explanation if:

• Your credit history shows late payments, accounts in collections, judgments, or other detracting factors

• There’s a discrepancy between the demographic information, such as your name and home address, on your credit report and the information you’ve provided in your mortgage application

• You’ve been living rent-free—in which case you’ll need a letter of explanation from the owner of the home, not one you’ve written yourself

• You’ve experienced big swings in income

• You’re applying for a mortgage solo but hold a joint bank account

• You have long gaps in your employment history

Basically, a letter of explanation might be requested any time something in your file needs … well, extra explanation.

4 Tips for an Effective Letter of Explanation

Although being asked to write a letter of explanation may sound like being assigned homework, it’s actually a great opportunity: It means you might be able to qualify for the loan you want even with an imperfect application.

Since the stakes are so high, you probably want to write the best letter of explanation possible. Here are some tips to help ensure you get an A+ on this particularly important homework assignment.

1. Keep It Simple

When you’re asked to explain yourself, it can be easy to jump into a broad-reaching narrative starting from childhood, but the best letters of recommendation tend to be short and simple: They clarify the situation being asked about and reassure the lender that the “red flag” situation won’t affect the borrower’s ability to repay the loan.

If you’re feeling stuck, you might try a mortgage letter of explanation template to help get the ball rolling. Here’s a fairly standard version:

Date

Lender
Lender’s Address
Lender’s Phone Number

Subject Line (RE: John Doe’s Mortgage Application)

Letter of explanation, naming the specific item being asked about and explaining it to the best of your abilities.

Sincerely,

Applicant’s Name
Applicant’s Address
Applicant’s Phone Number

2. Provide Clear Details

Generally speaking, you’ll want to specifically name whatever item you’re being asked about (late payments on a credit card account ending in 0101; an employment gap between 2/20/2020 and 9/07/2020; etc.).

Then explain. For instance, if you’re being asked about an employment gap, you might let the lender know that you were let go as a result of corporate downsizing and that you freelanced while searching for a new job.

If you’re being asked about late credit card payments, you might let the lender know that you were in the hospital at that time and thus unable to make your credit card payments, or whatever the case may be.

The key is to take responsibility for the issue and provide clear, pertinent details without being too wordy.

3. Be Honest

This may go without saying, but you definitely don’t want to lie in your letter of explanation. For one thing, doing so is likely to keep you from being approved for the mortgage—and for another, it can be considered mortgage fraud, a serious crime that can come with prison time and fines.

4. Acknowledge Responsibility, but Don’t Get Emotional

When writing a letter of explanation, you may be justifying negative items in your credit history that resulted from poor decisions—or just poor circumstances. Nobody’s perfect, but a lender simply wants to make sure you won’t default on your loan.

So it can be helpful to acknowledge the ways you’ve adjusted your financial habits in response to a negative item and to reassure the lender that it won’t have an impact on your ability to pay your mortgage.

For example, if you’re writing a letter of explanation to address late rent payments after a layoff, you might add that you’ve since saved up an emergency fund of three months of living expenses in order to avoid being financially blindsided in the future.

However, writing an emotional sob story won’t help. Remember: It’s a good idea to keep it simple, clear, honest and as short as possible while still covering all those bases.

The Takeaway

You may be asked to write a letter of explanation as part of your mortgage application process. The letter offers you a chance to explain any discrepancies or red flags on your credit report or other application materials.

Letters of explanation are a small part of the larger homebuying process—and SoFi is there for you every step of the way, from mortgage preapproval to move-in day.

SoFi offers home mortgage loans with competitive, fixed interest rates and terms ranging from 10 to 30 years.

Ready to see if a SoFi home loan could unlock the door to your dream house? It’s quick and easy to find your rate.

Photo credit: iStock/monkeybusinessimages

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SoFi Mortgages
Terms, conditions, and state restrictions apply. Not all products are available in all states. See SoFi.com/eligibility for more information.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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