COVID Has Changed The World Forever

In 20, 50, 100 years from now, historians will be writing books and articles talking about how the Covid-19 pandemic was a major turning point globally. While it is hard to say which direction the pandemic has turned the world, there is no doubt that it has changed the world. The same way World War II, the fall of the Soviet Union, the invention of the internet, the automobile, the Great Depression, the attacks on 9/11, the financial and housing crisis in 07-08 all changed the world in some way, this pandemic will do the same.

As an investor, this is very important to understand because it means that the way you should invest if you want to maximize returns and/or reduce risk could also change as you read this. You have to remember; we have been experiencing this pandemic for more than a year now, and most behavioral scientists will tell you that it takes about 6 months for habits to form fully. Whatever new habits people have picked up, or bad habits that were dropped during the past year, are probably here to stay.

For many, working from home is one of those “new” habits. It's going to be difficult for many Americans to work in a formal office setting 5 days a week in the future, since for more than 1 year now, they have been strictly working from home. The rise of at-home workouts provided by companies such as Pelton (PTON) has become a daily habit and shows signs that it is here to stay. More social media use more online shopping, fewer small retail stores that were shut down during the pandemic or just couldn’t survive and compete with the larger retail chains. People moving out of cities for more space or moving further south for warmer temperatures year-round. Continue reading "COVID Has Changed The World Forever"

Ethereum ETFs Go Live In Canada

While US regulators still have not yet approved a single Bitcoin (the largest and most popular cryptocurrency) Exchange Traded Fund, the Canadian regulators have now begun to move past Bitcoin and are approving ETFs that focus on other cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum.

On April 20th, not one but three new cryptocurrencies’ ETFs began trading in Canada. The CI Galaxy Ethereum ETF (ETHX.U), the Purpose Ether ETF (ETHH.U), and the Ether ETF (ETHR.U) are all now available for purchase by anyone in Canada and any investor who has access to international investments.

Canada already has three Bitcoin ETFs, the CI Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (BTCX.U), the Purpose Bitcoin ETF (BTCC.U), and Evolve’s Bitcoin ETF (EBIT.U). When those ETFs were approved in Canada, it was big news, the same as now with the Ethereum ETFs trading hands.

Bitcoin is and was the first cryptocurrency that got this whole new world of money and technology started. So, it makes sense when it was the first crypto ETF. However, many industry experts believe Ethereum actually has more real-world applications and will improve people's lives to a great extent than Bitcoin will ever be able to achieve. The reason being is because Bitcoin was created to be a form of money using blockchain technology. However, Ethereum was created to help people decentralize certain tasks and allow users to perform tasks on a decentralized platform with more speed, accuracy, and less oversight but more security. Continue reading "Ethereum ETFs Go Live In Canada"

How To Fight Inflation With ETFs

Many market participants, including the Federal Reserve Board members, believe that inflation is coming. The questions at this point we would love to have answers to are, how bad will it be, will the Fed be able to control it, and how long will we experience a period of high inflation.

For years, the Federal Reserve has told us they wanted to see 2% or higher inflation, and for years we were below their benchmark goal. The Covid-19 Pandemic stimulus packages, combined with very low-interest rates and the low supply of material and goods due to Covid-19 shutdowns and the belief that demand would be weak following the shutdowns, we see prices from homes to cars to toys to obviously wood and other commodities sky-rocket.

So, it's easy to see that inflation is finally here, after years of the Fed trying to get it to move higher. But, now that it is here and it's clear the Fed had very little to do with it moving higher does anyone really have control of it? If no one does, then it could go much higher than most economists would like it to go, and it could stay that way for longer than most people would want it to? Continue reading "How To Fight Inflation With ETFs"

ARK Space ETF: The Good And The Bad

After making a call a few years ago, Cathie Woods has gone from “crazy lady” that Tesla would be worth more than $3,000 per share to investing superstar after her prediction came true in just a few years. Now she is entering into a whole new, truly unexplored realm with her newest ARK Invest Fund, the ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX).

The first time I heard of this ETF, I was super interested in the idea that I could invest in the hot space exploration companies in a nicely bundled package without having to cherry-pick the winners and losers of this industry during its infancy. See, with most new or newer industries, a lot of the early companies don’t make it, while just a few of those first companies in the industry are the ones that go on and dominate the industry for years to come. But, how do you know when things are just getting started which company is going to go bust and which is going to be a big winner?

So, industry-specific Exchange Traded Funds help solve this problem because they allow you to invest in all the companies operating in that industry while spreading out the risk. And since space exploration, from a private business side, is still very young, this is the perfect way to play the Space industry. Continue reading "ARK Space ETF: The Good And The Bad"

ETF Play For The End Of The Pandemic

Imagine the pandemic ending. Well, I am sure you have already done that, maybe even a few times over the last 12 months.

The pandemic ended through whatever means, and now it is 'safe' to go live your life, similar to how we all did before last year.

What do you do? What do others do?

Maybe go out and party? Go on a vacation? Relax and over-indulge a little in some activities during the pandemic you couldn't or didn't want to do?

Well, perhaps, in a nutshell, be a little 'sinful'?

What you consider sinful may be different than others, but most likely, you're relaxing or celebrating will likely involve alcohol, to some extent. And it's not hard to see how a lot of other American's will be partaking in a drink or two the day the pandemic officially comes to an end. Continue reading "ETF Play For The End Of The Pandemic"