Investing Archives | Page 182 of 191

Jan

2022

What Are Binary Options? How to Trade Binary Options

What Is Binary Options Trading? How to Trade Binary Options

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

Binary options are a type of trading option in which investors either end up making up to $100 or they make nothing. Once the investor enters into the options contract, they don’t have to do anything else.

Below, we’ll give you the full rundown about binary options, including what they are, how they work, how to trade binary options, how to make money with binary options, and finally, why it’s so important to understand their ins and outs before making any moves.

What Are Binary Options?

A traditional binary option is a type of options contract, in which investors bet whether the price of the underlying stock will be above or the option’s strike price. In industry terms, they’re either “in the money,” or “out of the money.” Prices, of course, can be hard to predict, which is what makes binary options something of a gamble.

Here’s a fairly straightforward example: You think that the price of Stock X will be $10 or more on January 4, at 4 PM ET. You acquire a binary option contract with that stipulation — the other party on the contract holds the other position, that the price of Stock X, on the agreed upon time and day, will be less than $10.

When the clock strikes 4 pm ET on January 4, Stock X’s price is either $10, or it’s less than $10. Depending on what it is, one person is “victorious.” There’s no middle ground.

International traders may offer other variations of binary options as well.

How Binary Options Work

The inner workings of traditional binary options requires a baseline knowledge of their key elements. That includes a few things:

• The strike price. This is the price at which the option will execute, and when it comes to binary options, is the fulcrum point at which traders must choose a position — above, or below.

• The underlying asset, security, or market. This is the security (stock, commodity, etc.) upon which the options contract is based. Since options are derivatives, they’re tied to an underlying asset.

• The expiration date. The day and time when the contract executes.

• The expiration price. The price of the underlying asset when the contract executes.

These elements (along with a few other minor ones) comprise a basic binary options contract. Now, as far as how the option actually works, it’s pretty simple.

In effect, an options trader buys a binary option contract from another party who has taken the opposite position. That is, if you were to buy a contract with the position that the option’s underlying asset will exceed the strike price on the agreed expiration day and time, the other trader would have the equal and opposite position — they’re betting that the underlying asset’s value will not exceed the strike price when it expires.

When the clock does strike midnight, so to speak, on the expiration date, one of the two positions will have made the correct choice. The value of the underlying asset will either be above or below the strike price. The successful trader then receives a payout.

That payout is either $100, or nothing, regardless of how much higher or lower the value of the security is compared to the strike price. It’s like betting $100 on a World Cup match — your team either wins, in which you get your buddy’s $100, or your team loses, and you have to fork over $100.

Like all options, pricing on binary options reflects the time value of money, and their price, though always less than $100, will fluctuate depending on their current price and the length until expiration.

How Binary Options Trading Works

If you have any experience investing online, it should be pretty easy to get started. But before you do that, of course, you’ll want to make sure that you know what you’re getting into. That means doing some homework about how binary options work, the risks involved, and considering whether binary options trading jives with your overall strategy.

With all of that in mind, actually trading options contracts is almost as simple as trading stocks. You’ll want to find a binary options broker (which are usually specialized brokers such as
Nadex , Pocket Option , and BinaryCent ), open and fund an account, and from there, start executing trades.

Pros and Cons of Binary Options Trading

As with any type of investment or trade, binary options have pros and cons. Here’s a quick look at them:

Binary Options: Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Risks are capped	Rewards are capped
Fast and efficient	Highly speculative
Known payouts	Fraud Concerns

Pros of Binary Options

There are some positives to trading binary options.

• Limited risks. Traders can only lose so much if they end with the short straw.

• Efficient process. Binary options trading is usually a fast, efficient, and easy process, and they expire quickly.

• Known payouts. Since binary options are capped at $100, you know in advance what’s at stake. It’s always nice to know where things might land, right?

Cons of Binary Options

There are also some potential disadvantages to trading binary options.

• Limited gains. There’s only so much “winning” a trader can do with a given binary options contract.

• Speculative nature. You may get the feeling that you’re simply placing a bet at the roulette table when trading binary options, so prepare for that.

• Unregulated markets. Some brokerages and exchanges that offer binary options operate outside of the United States, and away from regulators. That could increase the risk of fraud.

3 Potential Binary Options Frauds to Watch For

The risk of fraud is a bit more pronounced in the binary options sphere because many platforms and brokerages that allow traders to trade binary options are unregulated. That means they’re not conducting business under the authority of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or other regulators.

It’s worth noting that if you trade with a well-regarded broker, your chances of getting scammed are probably pretty slim. Even so, here are a few types of fraud that you may run into when trading binary options.

1. Identity Theft

You’re likely familiar with identity theft, and some traders have lodged complaints with regulators that certain online trading platforms have been collecting personal data (credit card numbers, etc.) and then using it as they will.

How might this play out in the wild? Let’s say you want to do some binary options trading, and after a bit of Googling, find a platform that looks fun and easy to use. You sign up, fork over some personal information, and start trading.

A while later, you might get alerts that your credit has been compromised, or something similar. This could be a sign of identity theft, and it may all stem back to when you gave your personal information to that trading platform.

It’ll require some investigation to get to the culprit (if it’s even possible), but the point is that some sites play fast and loose with personal information. Or, they may not do a good job of securing it.

As a rule, it’s generally a good idea to keep your personal data to yourself, and not upload it to unfamiliar platforms.

2. Trade Manipulation

You can’t win if the game is rigged, right? This is another common complaint lodged against certain brokerages. Specifically, some traders say the exchanges manipulate the software used to execute trades to ensure the trader ends up on the wrong side of the trade.

In effect, this would be a case of the dealer taking a peek at the next card in the deck during a game of Blackjack, seeing that you’re going to hit “21,” and replacing the winning card with another.

3. Refusing to Credit Accounts

Another common complaint is that some platforms accept customer deposits, but then don’t allow them to withdraw the funds. Platforms may cancel withdrawal requests, or ignore them, leaving traders unable to access their money.

If this happens and the brokerage or platform you’ve been dealing with is in a foreign country (or its location is unknown), you might be out of luck. Again, stick to well-known brokerages or platforms, and you’re less likely to run into these types of issues.

Binary Option Fees

The fees for trading differ depending on the platform or brokerage you’re using, so that’s something to keep in mind when deciding where you want to execute trades.

Some platforms make money through commissions, and as such, will incorporate fees into contract spreads. Others simply charge a per-contract fee. Check your preferred platform or brokerage’s pricing guidelines to make sure you’re comfortable with any applicable fees.

The Takeaway

Whether you’re interested in trading binary options or stocks and bonds, it’s important to do your homework first. That means understanding a financial instrument, be it a binary option, or a vanilla stock, before you add it to your portfolio.

An options trading platform like SoFi’s can make it easier to understand what you’re getting into, thanks to its library of educational resources about options. The platform’s intuitive and approachable design allows you to trade options through the mobile app or the web platform, depending on what you prefer.

Trade options with low fees through SoFi.

Photo credit: iStock/dinachi

SoFi Invest®

INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

Jan

2022

What is Delta in Options Trading?

By Laurel Tincher | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off

In options trading, Delta is an important assessment tool used to measure risk sensitivity. Delta is a risk metric that compares changes in a derivative’s underlying asset price to the change in the price of the derivative itself.

Essentially it measures the sensitivity of a derivative’s price to a change in the underlying asset. Using Delta as part of an options assessment can help investors make better trades.

Delta is one of “the Greeks,” a set of options trading tools denoted by Greek letters. Some traders might refer to the Greeks as risk sensitivities, risk measures,or hedge parameters. The Delta metric is the most commonly used Greek.

Recommended: A Beginner’s Guide to Options Trading

Option Delta Formula

Analysts calculate Delta using the following formula with theoretical pricing models:

Δ = ∂V / ∂S

Where:

• ∂ = the first derivative

• V = the option’s price (theoretical value)

• S = the underlying asset’s price

Some analysts may calculate Delta with the much more complex Black-Sholes model that incorporates additional factors. But traders generally don’t calculate the formula themselves, as trading software and exchanges do it automatically. Traders analyze these calculations to look for investment opportunities.

Option Delta Example

For each $1 that an underlying stock moves, an the equity derivative’s price changes by the Delta amount. Investors express the Delta sensitivity metric in basis points. For example, let’s say there is a long call option with a delta of 0.40. Investors would refer to this as “40 delta.” If the option’s underlying asset increased in price by $1.00, the option price would increase by $0.40.

However, the Delta amount is always changing, so the option price won’t always move by the same amount in relation to the underlying asset price. Various factors impact Delta, including asset volatility, asset price, and time until expiration.

If the price of the underlying asset increases, the Delta gets closer to 1.0 and a call option increases in value. Conversely, a put option becomes more valuable if the asset price goes lower than the strike price, and in this case Delta is negative.

How to Interpret Delta

Delta is a ratio that compares changes in the price of derivatives and their underlying assets. It uses theoretical price movements to track what will happen with changes in asset and option price. The direction of price movements will determine whether the ratio is positive or negative.

Bullish options strategies have a positive Delta, and bearish strategies have a negative Delta. It’s important to remember that unlike stocks, options buying and selling options does not indicate a bullish or bearish strategy. Sometimes buying a put option is a bearish strategy, and vice versa.

Recommended: Differences Between Options and Stocks

Traders use the Delta to gain an understanding of whether an option will expire in the money or not. The more an option is in the money, the further the Delta value will deviate from 0, towards either 1 or -1.

The more an option goes out of the money, the closer the Delta value gets to 0. Higher Delta means higher sensitivity. An option with a 0.9 Delta, for example, will change more if the underlying asset price changes than an option with a 0.10 Delta. If an option is at the money, the underlying asset price is the same as the strike price, so there is a 50% chance that the option will expire in the money or out of the money.

Call Options

For call options, delta is positive if the derivative’s underlying asset increases in price. Delta’s value in points ranges from 0 to 1. When a call option is at the money the Delta is near 0.50, meaning it has an equal likelihood of increasing or decreasing before the expiration date.

Put Options

For put options, if the underlying asset increases in price then delta is negative. Delta’s value in points ranges from 0 to -1. When a put option is at the money the Delta is near -0.50.

How Traders Use Delta

In addition to assessing option sensitivity, traders look to Delta as a probability that an option will end up in or out of the money. The more likely an option is to generate a profit, the less risky it is as an investment.

Every investor has their own risk tolerance, so some might be more willing to take on a risky investment if it has a greater potential reward. When considering Delta, traders recognize that the closer it is to 1 or -1 to greater exposure they have to the underlying asset.

If a long call has a Delta of 0.40, it essentially has a 40% chance of expiring in the money. So if a long call option has a strike price of $30, the owner has the right to buy the stock for $30 before the expiration date. There is a 40% chance that the stock’s price will increase to at least $30 before the option contract expires.

Traders also use Delta to put together options spread strategies.

Delta Neutral

Traders also use Delta to hedge against risk. One common options trading strategy, known as neutral Delta, is to hold several options with a collective Delta near 0.

The strategy reduces the risk of the overall portfolio of options. If the underlying asset price moves, it will have a smaller impact on the total portfolio of options than if a trader only held one or two options.

One example of this is a calendar spread strategy, in which traders use options with various expiration dates in order to get to Delta neutral.

Delta Spread

With a Delta spread strategy, traders buy and sell various options to create a portfolio that offsets so the overall Delta is near zero. With this strategy the trader hopes to make a small profit off of some of the options in the portfolio.

Using Delta Along With the other Greeks

Delta measures an option’s directional exposure. It is just one of the Greek measurement tools that traders use to assess options. There are five Greeks that work together to give traders a comprehensive understanding of an option. The Greeks are:

• Delta (Δ): Measures the sensitivity between an option price and the price of the underlying security.

• Gamma (Γ): Measures the rate at which Delta is changing.

• Theta (θ): Measures the time decay of an option. Options become less valuable as the expiration date gets closer.

• Vega (υ): Measures how much implied volatility affects an option’s value. The more volatility there is the higher an option premium becomes.

• Rho (ρ): Measures an option’s sensitivity to changing interest rates.

The Takeaway

Delta is a useful metric for traders evaluating options and can help investors determine their options strategy. Traders often combine it with other tools and ratios during technical analysis. However, you don’t need to trade options in order to get started investing.

If you’re looking to begin options trading, a great way to start is with a user-friendly platform like SoFi’s. Thanks to its intuitive and approachable design, SoFi’s platform allows you to trade options through the mobile app or the web platform. Plus, you’ll have access to educational resources about options so you can learn more.

Pay low fees when you start options trading with SoFi.

Photo credit: iStock/PeopleImages

SoFi Invest®

INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

Jan

2022

What Is a Bull Call Spread Option? A Comprehensive Overview

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

A bull call spread, also known as a long call spread or a vertical spread, is an options trading strategy used to capitalize on moderate price increases for a stock. The strategy has two legs and involves writing one option and buying another.

Investors use a bull call spread when they’d like to take advantage of a slightly bullish trend in a stock without taking too much risk. This type of options trading strategy limits both profits and losses, making it a popular strategy for investors with limited capital and a desire for downside protection.

Recommended: A Beginner’s Guide to Options Trading

What Is a Bull Call Spread Position?

To initiate a bull call spread, options traders buy a call option at a lower strike price while selling a call with a higher strike price. Both options have the same expiration date and underlying asset.

This options strategy establishes a net debit or cost and makes money when the underlying stock rises in price. The potential profits hit a limit when the stock price rallies higher than the strike price of the short call, while potential losses hit a limit if the stock price declines beneath the strike price of the long call (the one with a lower strike price).

In a bull call spread, a trader cannot lose more than the net premium plus commissions. A trader’s maximum gain is the difference between the strike prices of the short and long call and net premium plus commissions.

Recommended: How to Sell Options for Premium

Bull Call Spread Example

Let’s say a trader establishes a bull call spread by purchasing a call option for a premium of $10. The call option has a strike price of $50 and expires in April 2022. The trader also sells (or writes) a call option for a premium of $2. The call option has a strike price of $70 and expires in April 2022. The underlying asset of both options is the same and currently trades at $50.

In establishing these options positions, the trader paid $10 (from buying the long call) and gained $2 (from writing the short call). The net amount of these two contracts adds up to a net cost of $8.

Assume that the expiration date of April 2022 has arrived.

With a stock price of $60 or above, the trader’s investment cannot gain more than $3 due to both calls being in-the-money. If the stock price were $65, for example, the investor would gain through the long call by being able to buy shares for $50 and sell at the market price of $65. They would also lose through the short call due, since they’d have to buy shares at the market price of $65 and sell to the option holder at a price of $60.

After net commissions, the trader would realize a net gain of $3.

At a price of $50 or less, the trader’s loss is limited to $7, since both calls would be out-of-the-money. At a stock price of $45, for example: the trader wouldn’t gain from the long call, and would not lose from the short call.

After net commissions, the trader would realize a net loss of $7.

Variables Impacting a Bull Call Spread

As with any options trading strategy, various potential factors can have an effect on how the trade will play out. The ideal market forecast for a bull call spread is “modestly bullish,” or that the underlying asset’s price will gradually increase.

As with all options, the price of the underlying security is only one of several factors that can impact the trade.

Stock Price Change

A bull call spread will increase in value as its underlying stock price rises and decline in value as the stock price falls. This kind of position is referred to as having a “net positive delta.”

Delta estimates how much the price of an option could change as the underlying security price changes. The change in option price is usually less than that of the stock price – the stock price could fall by $1, but the option may only fall by $0.50, for example.

Because a bull call spread contains one short call and one long call, the net delta doesn’t change much when the stock price changes on any given day. In options vocabulary, this is called “near-zero gamma.” Gamma provides an estimation of how much the delta of a position could change when the stock price changes.

Change in Volatility

Volatility refers to how much a stock price fluctuates in percentage terms. Implied volatility (IV) is a factor in options pricing. When volatility rises, opti prices often rise if other factors remain unchanged.

Because a bull call spread consists of one short call and one long call, the price of this position changes little when volatility changes (an exception may be when higher strike prices carry higher volatility). In options vocabulary, this is called having a “near-zero vega.” Vega is an estimation of how much an option price could change with a change in volatility when other factors remain constant.

Time

Time is another important variable that influences the price of an option. As expiration approaches, an option’s total value decreases, a process called time decay.

The sensitivity to time decay in a bull call spread depends on where the stock price is in relation to the strike prices of the spread. If the stock price is near or below the price of the long call (lower strike), then the price of the bull call spread declines (and loses money) as time goes on. This occurs because the long call is closer to the money and loses value faster than the short call.

On the other hand, if the price of the underlying stock is near or above the strike price of the short call (higher strike), then the price of a bull call spread rises (and makes money) as time goes on. This occurs because the short call has become closer to the money in this situation and therefore loses value quicker than the long call.

In the event that the stock price is half-way between both strike prices, time decay will have little impact on the price of a bull call spread. In this scenario, both call options decay at more or less the same rate.

Risk of Early Assignment

Traders holding American-style options can exercise them on any trading day up to the day of expiry. Those who hold short stock options have no control over when they may have to fulfill the obligation of the contract.

The long call in a bull call spread doesn’t have early assignment risk, but the short call does. Calls that are in-the-money and have less time value than the dividends that a stock pays are likely to be assigned early.

This can happen because when the dividend payout is greater than the price of the option, traders would rather hold the stock and receive the dividend. For this reason, early assignment of call options usually happens the day before the ex-dividend date of the underlying stock (the day by which investors must hold the stock in order to receive the dividend payout).

When the stock price of a bull call spread is above the strike price of the short call (the call with a higher strike price), traders must determine the likelihood that their option could be assigned early. If it looks like early assignment is likely, and a short stock position is not desirable, then a trader must take action.

There are two ways to do away with the risk of early assignment. Traders can either:

• Close the entire spread by buying the short call to close and selling the long call to close, or

• Buy to close the short call and leave the long call open.

Pros and Cons of Using a Bull Call Spread

The main advantages of using a bull call spread is that it costs less than buying a single call option and limits potential losses. In the earlier example, the trader would have had to pay a $10 premium if she had only been using one call option. With a bull call spread, she only has to pay a net of $8.

The potential losses are lower as well. If the stock were to fall to zero, our trader would realize a loss of just $8 rather than $10 (if she were using only the long call option).

The biggest drawback of using a bull call spread is that it limits potential gains as well. In the example above, our trader can only realize a maximum gain of $27 because of the short call option position. In the event that the stock price were to soar to $400 or higher, she would still only realize a $27 profit.

The Takeaway

A bull call spread is a two-leg options trading strategy that involves buying a long call and writing a short call. Traders use this strategy to try and capitalize on moderately bullish price momentum while capping both losses and gains.

As with all trades involving options, there are many variables to consider that can alter how the trade plays out. That’s why a platform like SoFi’s that offers educational resources about options can come in handy. Plus, the SoFi options trading platform allows investors to trade options through the mobile app or web platform.

Trade options with low fees through SoFi.

Photo credit: iStock/kupicoo

SoFi Invest®

INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

Jan

2022

What Is a Naked Put Options Strategy?

By Brian O'Connell | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off

A naked put option, also known as an “uncovered put,” is a risky options strategy in which a trader writes (i.e. sells) a put option with no corresponding short position in the underlying asset. While this strategy allows the trader to collect the option premium up front, in hopes that the underlying asset will rise in value, it carries significant downside loss potential should the price of the underlying asset decline.

Here’s what you need to know about naked put options:

Understanding Naked Put Options

As a refresher, the buyer of a put option has the right, but not the obligation, to sell an underlying security at a specific price. On the flip side, the seller of a put option is obliged to purchase the underlying asset at the strike price if and when the option buyer chooses to exercise.

Writing a naked put means that the trader is betting that the underlying security will rise in value or hold steady. If, at the option’s expiration date, the price of the underlying security is above the strike price, the options contract will expire worthless, allowing the seller to keep the premium. The potential profit of the trade is capped at the initial premium collected.

The risk of a naked put option trade is that the potential losses can be much greater than the premium initially gained. If the price of the underlying security declines below the strike price, the option seller can be forced to take assignment of shares in the underlying security. The options seller would then have to either hold those shares, or sell them in the open market at a loss (since they were obligated to purchase them at the strike price).

Requirements for Trading Naked Put Options

Investors have to clear some hurdles before being able to engage in a naked put transaction.

Typically, that begins with getting cleared for margin trading by their broker or investment trading firm. A margin account allows an investor to be extended credit from their trading firm in order to actually sell a naked put.

There are two main requirements to be approved for a margin account in order to trade naked put options.

• The investor must demonstrate the financial assets to cover any portfolio trading losses.

• The investor must declare they understand the risks inherent when investing in derivative trading, including naked put options.

Selling Naked Puts

A trader initiates a naked put by selling (writing) a put option without an accompanying short position in the underlying asset.

From the start of the trade until the option expires, the investor keeps a close eye on the underlying security, hoping it rises in value, which would create a profit for them. If the underlying security loses value, the investor may have to buy the underlying security to cover the position, in the event that the buyer of the put option chooses to exercise.

With a naked put option, the maximum profit is limited to the premium collected up front, and is obtained if the underlying security’s price closes either at or above the option contract’s strike price at the expiration date. If the underlying security loses value, or worse, the value of the underlying security plummets to $0, the financial loss can be substantial.

In real world terms, however, the naked put options seller would see the underlying security falling in value and would likely step in and buy back the options contract in advance of any further decline in the security’s share price.

Naked Versus Covered Puts

We’ve mentioned a few times so far that in a naked put, the trader has no corresponding short position in the underlying asset. To understand why that is important, we need to talk about the difference between covered puts and naked puts.

A covered put means the put option writer has a short position in the underlying stock. As a reminder, a short position means that the investor has borrowed shares of a security and sold them on the open market, with the plan of buying them back at a lower price.

This changes the dynamics of the trade, compared with a naked (uncovered) put. If the price of the underlying security declines, losses incurred on the put option will be offset by gains on the short position. However, the risk instead is that the price of the underlying security could move significantly upward, incurring losses on the underlying short position.

Recommended: The Risks and Rewards of Naked Options

Example of a Naked Put Option

Here’s an example of how trading a naked put can work:

XYZ stock is trading at $50 per share. Alice, a qualified investor, opts to sell a put option expiring in 30 days with a strike price of $50 for a premium of $4. Typically, when trading equity options, a single contract controls 100 shares – so the total premium, her initial gain, is $400. If the price of XYZ is above $50 after 30 days, the option would expire worthless, and Alice would keep the entire $400 premium.

To look at the downside scenario, suppose the price of XYZ falls to $40. In this case, Alice would be required to buy shares in XYZ at $50 (the strike price), but the market value of those shares is only $40. She can sell them on the open market, but will incur a loss of $10 per share. Her loss on the sale is $1,000 (100 x $10), but is offset by the premium gained on the sale of the option, bringing her net loss to $600. Alternatively, Alice could choose not to sell the shares, but hold them instead, in the hope that they will appreciate in value.

There’s also a break-even point in this trade that investors should understand. Imagine that XYZ stock slides from $50 to $46 per share over the next 30 days. In this case, Alice loses $400 ($4 per share) after buying the shares at $50 and selling them at $46, which is offset by the $400 gained on the premium.

The maximum potential loss in any naked put option sale occurs if XYZ’s stock price goes to $0. In this instance, the loss would be $5,000 ($50 per share x 100 shares), offset by the $400 premium for a net loss of $4,600. Practically speaking, a trader would likely repurchase the option and close the trade before the stock falls too significantly. This can depend on a trader’s risk tolerance, and the stop-loss setting on the trade.

The Takeaway

The big risk of a naked put option trade is that the potential losses can be much greater than the premium initially gained, while the maximum profit is limited to the premium collected up front. The seller of an uncovered put thinks the underlying asset will rise in value or hold steady.

If you’re ready to start trading options, check out SoFi’s options trading platform. A user-friendly options trading platform like SoFi’s is a good place to start, especially because it offers numerous educational resources about options.

Pay low fees when you start options trading with SoFi.

Photo credit: iStock/damircudic

SoFi Invest®

INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

Jan

2022

5 Reasons People Don’t Invest Their Money

By SoFi Editors | invest, Investing | Comments Off

There are plenty of reasons people don’t invest their money. Some of them are valid—for example, you probably shouldn’t invest a ton if you don’t have all of your high-interest credit card debt paid off. Or, if you’re planning to make a big purchase next year, you wouldn’t want to take the risk that comes with investing your savings.

But other reasons don’t quite make sense, and they’re often based on misconceptions about investing, or a lack of knowledge about the process. The truth is, if you have long-term financial goals, like buying a home, starting a business, or retiring someday, investing may get you there far more quickly than saving alone.

Here the most common reasons people drag their feet when it comes to investing—and why they might be holding you back.

Common Reasons People Avoid Investing

1. Saving Money in a Savings Account

Savings accounts pay you interest—but not a lot. The average savings account interest rate is only .01%, and the best rates out there hover around 1.7%. But, with the current inflation rate at 0.6%, all that money you’ve socked away in savings is actually losing money.

Yes, having money in savings is recommended for any cash you need to access immediately or don’t want to risk losing in the short-term. But for the rest of it? If you want it to grow, it may be a good idea to put it somewhere else.

2. Investing Later When They Have a Higher Salary

Let’s say you’re 25 years old and you hope to retire when you’re 65. (That may seem like forever, but ask any 65-year-old—it goes by in a flash.) If you save $5,500 a year and average 7% return per year (the average return on the S&P 500 from 1950-2009), you’d have a little over a million dollars.

If you wait until age 30 and do the same thing, you’d only have about $760,000. Start at age 40, and you’d only have about $348,000! If you’re reaching retirement age and want to have a million dollars before you retire, you’ll need to save much more each year to catch up to that goal. Want to see if you are on track? Consult SoFi’s article: Am I On Track For Retirement?

Many people think that it’ll be easier to save more when they’re older and making more money. And even if that is true, know that the earlier you start investing, the more time you have to weather the ups and downs of the market. Which brings us to:

3. Trying to Time the Market

It’s tempting to delay getting started because you think the market is too high, or you want to wait for stock prices to go down. The issue with that is, when the market does take a dip, most people fear it will go down more, so they continue to wait.

Few professional investors even try to time the market, and even fewer succeed. In reality, people who do try to time the market tend to buy at or near market tops and sell at or near market lows.

Interested in other investing misconceptions? Check out: 5 Investing Myths vs Realities

4. Investing is Too Risky

You might hear about the stock market going up or down by a number of points each day, and therefore assume it fluctuates too much for your taste. Market volatility is a reality, but there are ways to invest for every level of risk tolerance. Diversified retirement accounts, mutual funds, and ETFs, for example, all allow you to invest in a variety of assets in one fund.

Yes, financial crises have happened and chances are, they’ll happen again. But when you take a long-term view of our history, those crises are blips on the timeline.

Consider this: In the time period between 1929 and 2015 (when a whole lot of upswings and downturns happened), a diversified portfolio of 70% stocks and 30% bonds averaged 9.1% per year .

5. Investing is Intimidating

If you’re new to investing, it can be difficult to wrap your head around the concept. But the good news is, you don’t have to go at it alone.

A great place to start is investing for retirement in an employer-sponsored 401(k), an IRA, or (ideally) both.

Once you’re contributing the maximum possible to both of those accounts ($19,500 per year and $6,000 per year in 2020, respectively), you can consider opening a brokerage account, which lets you invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).

But you don’t even have to pick those investments yourself. A SoFi Invest® account makes it easy to get started. Our technology helps you set your financial goals and recommends the right investment strategy and level of risk to help you reach them within your desired time frame.

And our SoFi Invest Financial Planners help you plan for your future and answer any questions you have—absolutely free.

The bottom line: Investing is not just for the wealthy; it’s for anyone who wants to work toward achieving financial goals. Sounds like you? Well, it’s time to get started.

Not sure what the right investing account or investment strategy is for you? SoFi Invest financial planners are available to offer you complimentary, personalized advice. Consider working with a SoFi Invest advisor today.

Open an Invest Account today.

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.

Fund Fees
If you invest in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) through SoFi Invest (either by buying them yourself or via investing in SoFi Invest’s automated investments, formerly SoFi Wealth), these funds will have their own management fees. These fees are not paid directly by you, but rather by the fund itself. these fees do reduce the fund’s returns. Check out each fund’s prospectus for details. SoFi Invest does not receive sales commissions, 12b-1 fees, or other fees from ETFs for investing such funds on behalf of advisory clients, though if SoFi Invest creates its own funds, it could earn management fees there.
SoFi Invest may waive all, or part of any of these fees, permanently or for a period of time, at its sole discretion for any reason. Fees are subject to change at any time. The current fee schedule will always be available in your Account Documents section of SoFi Invest.

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.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

WM17136

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