InvestHL Archives | Page 49 of 52

Jul

2022

Guide to Destroying a Metal Credit Card

By Dan Miller | Credit, Family Finances, money | Comments Off

Plastic credit cards are easily destroyed by simply cutting them up with a household pair of scissors. But in recent years, some credit card issuers have started issuing metal credit cards. While these have become somewhat of a status symbol, the problem comes in trying to figure out how to dispose of metal credit cards.

It’s good practice to destroy a metal credit card once you’re done using it so that nobody can access your personal information. However, disposing of a metal credit card is not as easy as using a pair of regular household scissors. Thankfully, there are a few options to consider if you want to know how to destroy a metal credit card.

Why Should You Destroy a Metal Credit Card?

The biggest reason to destroy a metal credit card is to make sure that nobody uses your credit card information.

Even though most credit card companies have a $0 fraud liability policy, you don’t want to deal with the hassle of unauthorized purchases. And even if you’ve canceled your credit card or it’s expired, you’ll still want to destroy it, since it has personal information that might be used in different types of identity theft.

Factors to Consider Before Destroying a Credit Card

Before destroying a metal credit card, you’ll want to make sure that it makes sense to cancel your account.

If you’re still using a credit card through automatic payments or recurring purchases, make sure to cancel those or move them to other cards. Once you close your account and dispose of your metal credit card, any such purchases will be declined.

Also take into account any potential impacts on your credit score that closing your account may have. Closing an account could increase your credit utilization ratio since you’ll have less available overall credit, and it could also lower the age of your accounts, depending on how long you’ve had your account. Both factors could lead to a dip in your credit score.

Before moving forward with closing your account, you’ll also want to take a look at your rewards to ensure you wouldn’t lose what you’ve already earned. Also remember that you’ll still need to pay off your card’s balance in full. Keep an eye out for any final payments that might roll in after your account is closed.

Recommended: When Are Credit Card Payments Due

Ways to Get Rid of a Metal Credit Card

If you’re confident you want to move forward, here are some options for how to dispose of a metal credit card.

Sending It Back to Your Credit Card Issuer

One of the best ways to dispose of a metal credit card is to return it directly to your credit card issuer. Most credit card issuers will provide you with a postage-paid envelope to return your metal credit card, if you ask. This can be a great (and relatively secure) way to dispose of your metal credit card.

Returning It to a Physical Bank Branch

Another option for returning your metal credit card to your credit card issuer is by bringing it to a physical bank branch. Of course, this is only a viable option if your issuer has physical branches near you. If your card has reached its credit card expiration date and you want to get rid of it, this can be a reasonable option.

Stowing It Away

Another option for disposing of a metal credit card is to simply stow it away somewhere safe in your house. This could be a filing cabinet, sock drawer, or anywhere else in your home. While this isn’t a great long-term solution, since there is some risk, it may work in the short-term.

Destroying It on Your Own

The final option for disposing of a metal credit card that you’re no longer using is destroying it on your own. After all, this is the preferred solution for most non-metal credit cards. And it is still possible with a metal credit card, though it is a bit trickier, as you’ll see in the next section.

Guide to Disposing a Metal Credit Card on Your Own

For those who want to DIY the destruction of their metal card, here’s how you destroy metal credit cards.

Using Tin Snips

If you have a pair of tin snips, that’s probably the easiest way to destroy a metal credit card on your own. Tin snips should make quick work of most metal credit cards. If you don’t have a pair of tin snips yourself, check with friends and family to see if you can borrow a pair.

Using Heavy-Duty Scissors

While most traditional or kitchen scissors will not do much to a metal credit card, if you have a heavy-duty pair of scissors, you may be in luck. Heavy-duty scissors made of stainless steel or titanium may be able to help you destroy and dispose of a metal credit card.

Mangling It With Pliers

If you don’t have heavy-duty scissors or tin snips, another option is to use a regular pair of pliers. While this may not be the most practical way to dispose of a metal credit card, it could be worth a try.

Drilling Holes Into It

If you have a power drill with metal-cutting bits, you might be able to dispose of your metal credit card by drilling holes into it. You’d just need to drill enough holes in your card to remove any of your personal information as well as the EMV chip. Keep in mind that you’ll need a powerful drill with special bits — it’s unlikely that a regular drill will do the job.

Using a Blow Torch

If you have access to a blow torch, and are knowledgeable enough about it to be able to use it safely, you may have luck using it to destroy your metal credit card. Of course, if you have a big enough shop to have a blow torch, you probably also have a pair of tin snips. That will be much easier, but maybe not as fun!

Throwing It in Your Fire Pit

While you may be able to destroy your metal credit card by simply throwing it in your fire pit, this may not be the most environmentally-conscious way to dispose of your metal credit card. Many metal credit cards have different kinds of metals in them that may not be safe to burn.

Avoid These Methods for Discarding a Metal Credit Card

Out of the many ways you can dispose of your metal credit card, here are the methods to steer clear of.

Giving It to Third-Party Services

One of the top credit card rules is that you should not give your personal information out to anyone. This still holds true, even if your credit card account is closed. Your personal information can still be used for identity theft or other nefarious purposes. Either destroy your metal credit card yourself, or deal directly with your credit card issuer.

Throwing It Away or Recycling It

You’ll also want to avoid simply throwing your metal credit card away or recycling it. You may be trying to take advantage of “security by obscurity,” hoping that nobody will find it. But because of how a credit card works, it’s easy for anybody that has your card to access your account and your personal information. Don’t take that risk — make sure to destroy your card responsibly.

Using a Paper Shredder

While most paper shredders do have the capacity to shred a non-metal credit card, it is unlikely that your typical paper shredder can handle a metal credit card. You are more likely to damage your paper shredder and still have an intact metal credit card.

Using Traditional Scissors

Traditional kitchen scissors will not be able to destroy most metal credit cards. While you’re unlikely to damage your scissors, you’re also quite unlikely to make any progress trying to destroy your metal card with a traditional pair of scissors.

Recommended: Can You Buy Crypto With a Credit Card

The Takeaway

While it may be trickier to destroy a metal credit card than it is to get rid of a plastic credit card, it’s still important to do. You don’t want your personal information floating around for anyone to possibly use. Even if your credit card account is closed, you still run the risk of someone using the card to steal your identity. The easiest way to destroy a metal credit card is securely sending it back to your credit card issuer.

FAQ

What is the safest way to destroy a credit card?

The safest way to destroy a metal credit card is to securely send it back to your credit card issuer. Most credit card issuers will send you a postage-paid envelope that will allow you to send the metal card back to them. Alternatively, you can return it directly back to a physical branch location.

How do I get rid of a metal credit card at home?

One of the easiest ways to get rid of a metal credit card at home is using tin snips. If you have a pair of tin snips, they will make quick work of a metal credit card. Just make sure to be careful with the rough metal edges once you cut it up.

Can you burn a metal credit card?

It is possible to burn a metal credit card, though it may not be the most environmentally-conscious thing to do. Burning a metal credit card may release toxic gasses into the air.

Can I destroy my metal credit card with tin snips?

Yes, destroying a metal credit card with tin snips is one of the easiest ways to dispose of a metal credit card. Of all the different options for destroying a metal credit card at home, tin snips are the tool that is most likely to be found in the homes of most credit card consumers.

Photo credit: iStock/Katya_Havok

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Jul

2022

10 Options Trading Strategies for Beginners

By Inyoung Hwang | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off

Editor's Note: Options are not suitable for all investors. 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. Please see the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options.

While the options market is risky and not suitable for everyone, these contracts can be a tool to make a speculative bet or offset risk in another position.

Many option strategies can involve one “leg,” meaning there’s only one contract that’s traded. More sophisticated strategies involve buying or selling multiple options contracts at the same time in order to minimize risk.

Here’s a guide that covers 10 important options trading strategies–from the most basic to the more complex and advanced.

10 Important Options Trading Strategies for Every Investor

When trading options, investors can either buy existing contracts, or they can “write” or sell contracts for securities they currently hold. The former is generally used as a means of speculation, while the latter is most often used as a way of generating income.

Here’s a closer look at important options strategies for beginner, intermediate and more advanced investors to know.

Long Calls
Long Puts
Covered Calls
Short Puts
Short Calls or Naked Calls
Straddles and Strangles
Cash-Secured Puts
Bull Put Spreads
Iron Condors
Butterfly Spreads

1. Long Calls

Level of Expertise: Beginner

Being long a call option means an investor has purchased a call option. “Going long” calls are a very traditional way of using options. This strategy is often used when an investor has expectations that the share price of a stock will rise but may not want to outright own the stock. It’s therefore a bullish trading strategy.

Let’s say an investor believes that Retail Stock will climb in one month. Retail Stock is currently trading at $10 a share and the investor believes it will rise above $12. The investor could buy an option with a $12 strike price and with an expiration date at least one month from now. If Retail Stock’s price rises to hit $12 within a month, the value or “premium” of the option would likely rise.

2. Long Puts

Level of Expertise: Beginner

Put options can be used to make a bearish speculative bet, similar to shorting a stock, or they can also function as a hedge. A hedge is something an investor uses to make up for potential losses somewhere else. Here are examples of both uses.

Let’s say Options Trader wants to wager shares of Finance Firm will fall. Options Trader doesn’t want to buy the shares outright so instead purchases puts tied to Finance Firm. If Finance Firm stock falls before the expiration date of the puts, the value of those options will likely rise. And Options Trader can sell them in the market for a profit.

An example of a hedge might be an investor who buys shares of Tech Stock C that are currently trading at $20. But the investor is also nervous about the stock falling, so they buy puts with a strike price of $18 and an expiration two months from now.

One month later, Tech Stock C stock tumbles to $15, and the investor needs to sell their shares for extra cash. But the investor capped their losses because they were able to sell the shares at $18 by exercising their puts.

3. Covered Calls

Level of Expertise: Beginner

The covered call strategy requires an investor to own shares of the underlying stock. They then write a call option on the stock and receive a premium payment.

The tradeoff is that if the stock rises above the strike price of the contract, the stock shares will be called away from them, and the shares (along with any future price rises) will be forfeit. So, this strategy works best when a stock is expected to stay flat or go down slightly.

If the stock price of Company Y stays below the strike price when the option expires, the call writer keeps the shares and the premium and can then write another covered call if desired. If Company Y rises above the strike price when the option expires, the call writer must sell the shares at that price.

4. Short Puts

Level of Expertise: Beginner

Being short a put is similar to being long a call in the sense that both strategies are bullish. However, when shorting a put, investors actually sell the put option, earning a premium through the trade. If the buyer of the put option exercises the contract however, the seller would be obligated to buy those shares.

Here’s an example of a short put: Shares of Transportation Stock are trading at $40 a share. An investor wants to buy the shares at $35. Instead of buying shares however, the investor sells put options with a strike price of $35. If the shares never hit $35, the investor gets to keep the premium they made from the sale of the puts.

Should the options buyer exercise those puts when it hits $35, the investor would have to buy those shares. But remember the investor wanted to buy at that level anyways. Plus by going short put options, they’ve also already collected a nice premium.

5. Short Calls or Naked Calls

Level of Expertise: Intermediate

When an investor is short call options, they are typically bearish or neutral on the underlying stock. The investor typically sells the call option to another person. Should the person who bought the call exercise the option, the original investor needs to deliver the stock.

Short calls are like covered calls, but the investor selling the options don’t already own the underlying shares, hence the phrase “naked calls”. Hence they’re riskier and not for beginner investors.

Here’s a hypothetical case: Investor A sells a call option with a strike price of $100 to Trader B, while the underlying stock of Energy Stock is trading at $90. This means that if Energy Stock never rises to $100 a share, Investor A pockets the premium they earned from selling the call option.

However, if shares of Energy Stock rise above $100 to $115, and Trader B exercises the call option, Investor A is obligated to sell the underlying shares to Trader B. That means Investor A has to buy the shares for $115 each and deliver them to Trader B, who only has to pay $100 per share.

6. Straddles and Strangles

Level of Expertise: Intermediate

With straddles in options trading, investors can profit regardless of the direction the underlying stock or asset makes. In a long straddle, an investor is anticipating higher volatility, so they buy both a call option and a put option at the same time. Short straddles are the opposite–investors sell a call and put at the same time.

Straddles and strangles are used when movement in the underlying asset is expected to be small or neutral.

Let’s look at a hypothetical long straddle. An investor pays $1 for a call contract and $1 for a put contract. Both have strikes of $10. In order for the investor to break even, the stock will have to rise above $12 or fall below $8. This is because we’re taking into account the $2 they spent on the premiums.

In a long strangle, the investor buys a call and put but with different strike prices. This is likely because they believe the stock is more likely to move up than down, or vice versa. In a short strangle, the investor sells a call and put with different strikes.

Here’s an example of a short strangle. An investor sells a call and put on an exchange-traded fund (ETF) for $3 each. The maximum profit the investor can make is $6 — the total from the sales of the call and the put options. The maximum loss the investor can incur is unlimited since the underlying ETF can potentially climb higher forever. Meanwhile, losses would stop when the price hit $0 but still be significant.

7. Cash-Secured Puts

Level of Expertise: Intermediate

The cash-secured put strategy is one that can both provide income and let investors purchase a stock at a lower price than they might have been able to if using a simple market buy order.

Here’s how it works: an investor writes a put option for Miner CC they do not own with a strike price lower than shares are currently trading at. The investor needs to have enough cash in their account to cover the cost of buying 100 shares per contract written, in case the stock trades below the strike price upon expiration (in which case they would be obligated to buy).

This strategy is typically used when the investor has a bullish to neutral outlook on the underlying asset. The option writer receives cheap shares while also holding onto the premium. Alternatively, if the stock trades sideways, the writer will still receive the premium, but no shares.

8. Bull Put Spreads

Level of Expertise: Advanced

A bull put spread involves one long put with a lower strike price and one short put with a higher strike price. Both contracts have the same expiration date and underlying security. This strategy is intended to benefit from a rising stock price. But unlike a regular call option, a bull put spread limits losses and can also profit from time decay.

Let’s say a stock is trading at $150. Trader B buys one put option with a strike of $140 for $3, while selling another put option with a strike of $160 for $4. The maximum profit is $1, or the net earnings from the two options premiums. So $4 minus $3 = $1. The maximum profit can be achieved when the stock price goes above the higher strike, so $160 in this case.

Meanwhile, the maximum loss equals the difference between the two strikes minus the difference of the premiums. So ($160 minus $140 = $20) minus ($4 minus $3 = $1) so $20 minus $1, which equals $19. The maximum loss is achieved if the share price falls below the strike of the put option the investor bought, so $140 in this example.

Recommended: A Guide to Options Spreads

9. Iron Condors

Level of Expertise: Advanced

The iron condor consists of four option legs (two calls and two puts) and is designed to earn a small profit in a low-risk fashion when a stock is thought to have little volatility. Here are the four legs. All four contracts have the same expiration:

1. Buy an out-of-the-money put with a lower strike price

2. Write a put with a strike price closer to the asset’s current price

3. Write an call with a higher strike

4. Buy a call with an even higher out-of-the-money strike.

If an individual makes an iron condor on shares of Widget Maker Inc., the best case scenario for them would be if all the options expire worthless. In that case, the individual would collect the net premium from creating the trade.

Meanwhile, the maximum loss is the difference between the long call and short call strikes, or the long put and short put strikes, after taking into account the premiums from creating the trade.

10. Butterfly Spreads

Level of Expertise: Advanced

A butterfly spread is a combination of a bull spread and a bear spread and can be constructed with either calls or puts. Like the iron condor, the butterfly spread involves four different options legs. This strategy is used when a stock is expected to stay relatively flat until the options expire.

In this example, we’ll look at a long-call butterfly spread. To create a butterfly spread, an investor buys or writes four contracts:

1. Buys one in-the-money call with a lower strike price

2. Writes two at-the-money calls

3. Buys another higher striking out-of-the-money call.

The Takeaway

Options trading strategies offer a way to potentially profit in almost any market situation—whether prices are going up, down, or sideways. The market is complex and highly risky, making it not suitable for everyone, but the guide above lays out different trading strategies based on the level of expertise of the investor.

Investors who are ready to dip their toe into options trading might consider SoFi’s options trading platform, where they’ll have access to a library of educational content about options. Plus, the platform has a user-friendly design.

Pay low fees when you start options trading with SoFi.

Photo credit: iStock/Rockaa
SoFi Invest®

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Jul

2022

Exercising in Options? What Does It Mean & When to Exercise

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

Investors in stock option contracts have the right to buy or sell underlying stocks (or other assets) at a predetermined price within a certain time period. When an investor decides they want to take action on their right to buy or sell, it’s called exercising. There are a number of ways investors can choose to exercise their options contract, depending on their individual goals and financial situation.

Option contracts are complex investment vehicles. They’re a multi-faceted tool that involves precise timing and are backed by lots of strategizing. While options are not for all investors, if handled by experienced traders, options could add diversity to a well-diversified portfolio.

In this article, we focus on the concept of exercising in options. What does it really mean to “exercise an option?” And how do you do it?

What Does Exercising Mean?

Exercising a stock option means that a trader purchases or sells the underlying stock associated with the options contract at the price set by the contract, which is called the strike price. This price may differ from the current market price of the stock.

Options contracts are valid for a certain amount of time. So if the owner doesn’t exercise their right to buy or sell within that period, the contract expires worthless, and the owner loses the right to buy or sell the underlying security at the strike price.

There is also an upfront fee, called a premium, that gets paid when a trader enters into an options contract. If the trader doesn’t exercise the contract, they forfeit that fee along with any other brokerage fees. Most options contracts never get exercised. Some contracts are sold instead of exercised, because the contract itself has value if it has the potential to be exercised later.

There are two main choices of types of options contracts, call options and put options. Purchasing a call option gives traders the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the underlying security at the strike price. Selling put options gives traders the right to sell the underlying security at the strike price.

Each contract is different, and there are also different types of options. American-style options let traders exercise them prior to the contract’s expiration date, while European-style options can only be exercised after the expiration date.

How Do You Exercise an Option?

Generally, traders have several choices when it comes to exercising their stock options. When a trader is ready to exercise an option, they can let their brokerage firm know. The broker will create an exercise notice to the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) to let the individual or entity buying or selling the underlying stock know that the trader wants to execute a trade on a particular date. The option seller is required to fulfill the obligations of the contract.

The OCC assigns the exercise notice to one of their clearing members, which tends to be the trader’s brokerage firm. The broker then assigns the option to one of their customers who has written an option contract that they have not yet covered. Depending on the broker, the customer they choose may either be chosen randomly or picked on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) principle .

Holding

If a trader thinks a stock will go up in value, they can purchase options at a lower market price, then wait until the market price goes up to exercise the option. Then they purchase at their original lower price and can decide to sell at the new, higher market price. This is one of the benefits of trading stock options. However, traders can’t wait forever, because options contracts do have expiration dates.

Exercise-and-Hold

It is common for company employees to receive stock options, which give them the right to purchase company stock. They can purchase the stock and then hold onto it if they think it will rise in value. However, it’s important for employees to understand the rights they have with their options. Often, stock shares are vested for a certain amount of time, so an employee has to wait for that time to end before they are allowed to exercise the option.

Exercise-and-Sell-to-Cover

Sometimes there are fees, commissions, and taxes involved in exercising company stock options. To cover those fees, traders can exercise options, purchase shares of company stock and simultaneously sell some of those shares to cover the expenses.

Exercise-and-Sell

If a company employee wants to immediately sell their stock options after exercising their right to buy the stock, they can choose to exercise and sell. They will receive the cash amount of the current market value of the stock minus any fees and taxes.

Early Exercise

In addition to profiting off of a stock’s price increase, options traders may want to exercise early so that they can earn dividends off of the underlying security. Traders who write call options should be prepared to close out a trade at any time prior to the contract’s expiration date, especially if the contract is in-the-money. If a put option is in the money, most likely the owner will exercise it before it expires.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Exercising an Option

Exercising options presents opportunities to earn a profit, but there also are potential downsides to exercising options.

Exercising Options

Advantages	Disadvantages
Earn dividends from owning the underlying stock.	Fees, taxes, transaction costs potentially could cancel out any profit.
Sell the underlying stock for a profit.	Increases chance of risk: margin call, stock’s value could decrease.
In general, traders can make a greater profit via closing positions — by buying or selling options rather than exercising them. One of the few instances where it could be advantageous to exercise a contract is if you’d like to own the stock outright instead of basing a contract on it.	The one way that exercising a contract could actually make you lose out on money has to do with the complicated price structure of options, which consists of two components: extrinsic (time value) and intrinsic value. If you own options contracts that are in the money, then the price of those contacts will comprise both extrinsic and intrinsic value. If you sell these options, you’d benefit from both the intrinsic and the extrinsic price components. But if you exercised them instead, you would only benefit from the intrinsic value. Why? Extrinsic value serves to compensate the writer (seller) of options contracts for the risk they are taking. Once you exercise an options contract, the contract itself effectively ceases to exist, so that all extrinsic value is lost.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Earn dividends from owning the underlying stock.

Fees, taxes, transaction costs potentially could cancel out any profit.

Sell the underlying stock for a profit.

Increases chance of risk: margin call, stock’s value could decrease.

In general, traders can make a greater profit via closing positions — by buying or selling options rather than exercising them.

One of the few instances where it could be advantageous to exercise a contract is if you’d like to own the stock outright instead of basing a contract on it.

The one way that exercising a contract could actually make you lose out on money has to do with the complicated price structure of options, which consists of two components: extrinsic (time value) and intrinsic value.

If you own options contracts that are in the money, then the price of those contacts will comprise both extrinsic and intrinsic value. If you sell these options, you’d benefit from both the intrinsic and the extrinsic price components.

But if you exercised them instead, you would only benefit from the intrinsic value. Why?

Extrinsic value serves to compensate the writer (seller) of options contracts for the risk they are taking. Once you exercise an options contract, the contract itself effectively ceases to exist, so that all extrinsic value is lost.

How Do You Know Whether to Hold or Exercise an Option?

It can be difficult to know when and whether to exercise an option. There are different options trading strategies that can prove beneficial to exercising early, or to waiting or even selling the option contract itself. Many factors come into play when making the decision to exercise an option, such as

• the amount of time left in the contract,

• whether it is in-the-money and if so by how much, and

• whether the trader wants to buy, sell, or hold shares of the underlying security.

Time Value

One key thing to know about options trading is how options pricing works. Options lose value over time until they are finally worth nothing at their expiration date. If a trader owns an option that still has time left on it, they may consider selling the option or waiting to exercise it. Often it is more profitable to sell the option than to exercise it if it still has time value. If an option is in the money and close to expiring, it may be a good idea to exercise it. Options that are out-of-the-money don’t have any intrinsic value, they only have time value.

Transaction Costs

In addition to the premium a trader pays when buying an option, they must also pay transaction and commission fees to their broker. There can be fees both when exercising an option and when buying or selling the underlying shares.

Increased Chance of Risk

Buying a call option is fairly low risk because the most a trader can lose is the premium amount they paid when they bought into the contract. Exercising an option increases risk, because even if the trader profits in the short term by exercising and buying the stock at a good price, the stock could decrease in value any time. Because the trader already lost the premium amount, they would need to earn at least that amount back to break even on the trade.

Exposure to Margin Risk

To purchase the shares of the underlying security, a trader needs to use cash from their account or take out a margin loan from their broker. If they take out a loan, they increase their chances for risk and greater expenses.

Options Obligations

The owner of a long option contract has the right to buy shares of the underlying stock if they choose to exercise it. The selling trader on the other side of the contract is obligated to fulfill the contract if the owner decides to buy. If the buyer exercises their right, the seller must deliver the number of shares — generally 100 shares per contract — for the strike price set by the contract. If the buyer does exercise the contract, they are then obligated to pay the seller for those shares.

The brokerage firm gives notice to a random seller when a buyer exercises an option that fits the transaction parameters. This could happen at any time prior to the expiration date. A seller can close out their option contract early if it hasn’t been exercised yet. The process of assigning and exercising options is all automated. So if a trader sells an option, when it gets exercised the stock will automatically be removed from their account, and they receive cash in their account in return. The buyer will receive the shares in exchange for cash from their brokerage account.

The Takeaway

Stock options are a popular investing tool to gain exposure to securities with a smaller upfront cost and level of risk. If you’re interested in starting to build a portfolio, a great tool to use is SoFi Invest. The online trading platform lets you research, track, buy and sell stocks, ETFs, and other assets right from your phone — all with 24/7 convenience.

More ways to invest — all in one place. You can connect your banking and any other investment accounts to the SoFi Invest app to see all your financial information easily in one simple dashboard.

Get started trading on SoFi Invest today.

FAQ

How can you tell when to exercise an option?

It could be beneficial to exercise an option if the underlying security’s price is more than the strike price of a call option; or the underlying security’s price is less than the strike price of a put option.

How are early-exercise options different from exercise options?

Early-exercise options differ from exercise options in one way: Early exercise is possible with American-style option contracts only. You cannot do this with European-style option contracts, as they rule that you may exercise on the expiration date only.

What is a cashless exercise in options?

Also called the “same-day sale,” a cashless exercise is when an employee exercises their stock options via a short-term loan provided by a brokerage firm.

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

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.
*Borrow at 12%. Utilizing a margin loan is generally considered more appropriate for experienced investors as there are additional costs and risks associated. It is possible to lose more than your initial investment when using margin. Please see SoFi.com/wealth/assets/documents/brokerage-margin-disclosure-statement.pdf for detailed disclosure information.
SoFi Invest®

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

Photo credit: iStock/whyframestudio
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Jul

2022

Credit Card Miles vs. Cash Back: Guide to Choosing Between Cash Back and Travel Rewards

By Austin Kilham | Credit, Family Finances, money | Comments Off

Credit cards often offer rewards to incentivize you to apply for a credit card and use it. Cash back cards and miles cards are two common types of rewards cards. The former gives you cash rewards, while the latter offers miles or points that you can use toward a purchase.

Both types of rewards can end up being quite valuable for cardholders. But how do you decide whether you want to earn miles vs. cash back? Here’s a look at cash back vs. travel rewards cards to help you decide which is right for you.

What Are Points and Miles Credit Cards?

Points and miles credit cards are technically two types of rewards cards, a broader category within what a credit card is. Points cards give you points that you can redeem for things like travel, merchandise, or cash back to reward you for your spending. Generally, a point is worth about $0.01, though that varies by card and, in some cases, what you choose to use your points for. For example, you might earn more points for travel than you do when you redeem your points for gift cards.

Miles cards usually offer airline miles associated with an airline’s frequent flyer program. You can earn them by using a credit card that’s co-branded with a specific airline, or a card that’s a more general travel card. With co-branded cards, you can redeem miles with that airline or their partner airlines. Cards that aren’t co-branded may allow you to use your miles with various airlines.

As with points, airline miles are typically worth about $0.01, though the value of each mile might differ depending on when you book your travel and what type of seat you purchase.

Pros and Cons of Points and Miles Credit Cards

Before signing up for a miles or points card, it’s important to consider the advantages and disadvantages.

On the one hand, points and miles cards both offer travel-related perks, though miles cards may only offer travel through specific airlines. Cards may also come with bonuses to help incentivize you to apply for a credit card.

However, miles and points cards may charge a hefty annual fee that helps the credit card company offset the cost of providing the rewards program. With co-branded cards, you typically cannot transfer miles to other airlines. Additionally, the value of your miles may vary according to a variety of factors, such as the date you choose to travel or the seat you want to sit in.

Recommended: What is a Charge Card

Pros of Points and Miles Credit Cards	Cons of Points and Miles Credit Cards
Reduce the cost of travel.	Can’t transfer miles to another airline loyalty program.
Provide travel-related perks.	Value of points and miles may vary.
May come with a sign-up bonus.	Points and miles cards may charge large annual fees.

What Are Cash Back Credit Cards?

Cash back credit cards offer you cash as a reward for making purchases with the card. For example, your card might offer you up to 3% cash back on all purchases, which means that for every $100 you spend, you’ll receive $2. Cash back cards usually let you redeem your rewards for cash via statement credit, bank transfer, or check.

Cash back cards can be flat-rate cards, meaning you’ll earn a fixed percentage on every purchase. Or, they worked based on a tiered system. For example, some cards will offer you higher rewards for certain purchases, like travel, groceries, or gas. In some cases, cards may have rotating rewards categories that change every few months.

Related: Enjoying Credit Card Bonuses

Pros and Cons of Cash Back Credit Cards

When you consider a cash back card, again consider potential disadvantages in addition to benefits.
On the plus side, cash back cards typically don’t come with steep annual fees. You can redeem your rewards for cash that you can use for any purpose, and the amount you earn is fixed — the value or your reward doesn’t vary by date or other factors as it might with a miles card.

On the other hand, the amount of cash you can earn may be limited, and these cards may not offer many other perks. Cash back cards also typically don’t come with credit card sign-up bonuses that are as big as those offered by miles and points cards, marking another difference between cash back vs. miles cards.

Pros of Cash Back Credit Cards	Cons of Cash Back Credit Cards
Usually have no annual fees.	May offer lower sign-up bonuses.
Rewards can be redeemed for cash.	Cash back cards may offer fewer perks.
The value of your reward is fixed.	The amount you can earn may be limited.

Similarities Between Cash Back and Points and Miles Credit Cards

Both cash back and points or miles cards offer you rewards based on your spending, and they may offer higher rewards for spending in certain categories. Be aware that some rewards have expiration dates, as well.

Rewards cards often carry higher-than-average interest rates. As a result, you’ll want to make sure that you will be able to pay off your credit card bill on-time and in full when you use your card, given how credit cards work when it comes to interest.

Recommended: What is the Average Credit Card Limit

Differences Between Cash Back and Points and Miles Credit Cards

The main difference between a cash back credit card vs. miles and points card is how you redeem your rewards. With cash back cards, you received a percentage of your spending, sometimes limited to a maximum amount. You earn points and miles in a similar way. However, their value may change and you may be limited in where you can redeem them.

If you have a co-branded miles card for example, you may only be able to use your miles with that airline. Cards that aren’t co-branded may offer you the chance to redeem points and miles with a variety of companies, such as airlines and hotel brands.

Similarities Between Cash Back and Points and Miles Credit Cards	Differences Between Cash Back and Points and Miles Credit Cards
Offer rewards based on spending.	Cash back card rewards are redeemed for cash.
May offer greater rewards for spending in certain categories.	Points and miles allow you to redeem rewards toward purchases.
Typically has a higher interest rate.	Points and miles cards may limit where you can redeem your rewards.

Recommended: How to Avoid Interest On a Credit Card

Is It Better to Get Cash Back or Miles?

Whether or not you choose a cash back card vs. a miles or points card will depend on how much you travel. Travel cards tend to offer better value when you redeem points and miles for travel-related rewards. So if you’re a big traveler, one of these cards may be right for you. However, if you’re more of a homebody, a cash back rewards program may be a better fit.

Other Credit Card Rewards

Cash back or travel rewards isn’t your only choice. There are a variety of other credit card rewards programs you may encounter.

Gas Rewards

Gas cards are typically co-branded with certain gas vendors. Users usually earn points and discounts only on gas purchases. In general, gas cards have relatively high rates of return and don’t charge an annual fee.

Retail Credit Cards

Credit cards that are co-branded with major retail outlets will often offer discounts at that outlet. Rewards might be applied at the point of sale or as regular statement credits.

The Takeaway

Understanding how credit cards allow you to redeem rewards — and how useful those rewards are — is key to deciding which card is right for you. If you’re a world traveler, a miles card might fit the bill. And if you don’t fly frequently, you may be better served by earning cash back on purchases you make in your day-to-day life.

Shop around for the credit card that best suits your needs. A credit card from SoFi offers 2% unlimited cash back rewards and charges no foreign transaction fee. Cardholders earn 1% cash back rewards when redeemed for a statement credit.1

FAQ

What is the difference between cash back and miles?

Cash back cards allow you to earn back a percentage of the purchases you make. Miles cards allow you to earn miles based on the purchases you make, which you often must use toward airline travel.

Is cash back really worth it?

Cash back rewards can allow you to earn some money back from your everyday spending. However, you’ll want to make sure you can pay off your balance in full each month, as rewards cards that offer cash back tend to have higher interest rates than non-rewards credit cards.

Can you convert miles to cash?

Some cards allow you to convert miles to cash, but users will get the most value from redeeming miles for travel. You can find out whether your card allows you to convert miles to cash by calling your credit card issuer. Find their number on the back of your credit card.

Do cash back or credit card miles have higher interest rates?

Both cash back and travel rewards credit cards tend to have higher interest rates as they’re types of rewards credit cards. In general, rewards credit cards usually have higher interest rates than no-frills cards that don’t offer rewards.

Photo credit: iStock/franckreporter

Mar

2022

What Does Bullish and Bearish Mean in Investing and Crypto?

By Paulina Likos | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing, Terminology | Comments Off

Markets are often described as being either bullish vs. bearish. These are common terms used to refer to how a market is performing over a short or longer period of time. Investors can also be bullish or bearish on a specific stock, a sector, an asset class such as cryptocurrency, or on the economy in general.

Read on to learn more about the definitions of bearish vs. bullish, where the terms bullish and bearish come from, and the bullish and bearish meaning for investors in stocks, cryptocurrency, or other markets.

What Does Bullish Mean?

Bullish refers to stock market sentiment that the direction of the overall market will go up. A market that is increasing in value over a long period of time is said to be in a bull market. A bullish trend means that there may be an upward trend in prices for an asset.

For investors, being bullish means they feel positive about a stock, index, or the overall stock market. For example, if an investor says she is bullish on Apple (AAPL) stock, the investor expects the market value of AAPL stock to increase in the long-term. That bullishness may even compel the investor to buy more shares of the company.

A bullish market is one where prices go up by 20% after a sustained 20% decline.

What Does Bearish Mean?

Bearish refers to a sentiment that the direction of securities or the overall market will move down in price. An investor characterized as a bear believes the stock market will decrease in value, even if current prices are going up. An investor investing in a bearish market may even sell shares of their portfolio if they believe the market will turn negative.

A bear market is one that has fallen 20% from recent highs and remains below that threshold for at least two months. Since investors are bearish during this period, there may be lower trading activity.

Where Do the Terms Bullish and Bearish Come From?

While there are several theories as to the origins of bullish vs. bearish. The consensus believes the difference between bullish and bearish reflects the way each animal responds when they attack. When a bull goes into attack mode, it races at its target with confidence. In a bull market, investors are confident that stock prices will rise and correspondingly, the value of the market will trend upward.

When bears attack, they swipe their paws in a downward motion and often in fear. That is why in a bear market, prices drop. When investors are bearish, they do not have confidence in stocks and usually end up selling off some of their investments.

Bullish vs Bearish in Cryptocurrency

The terms bullish and bearish have historically been used in the context of the stock market. But these terms can apply to any market, including the cryptocurrency market. The definitions of bullish and bearish are largely similar in the context of trading crypto.

When cryptocurrencies are rallying, this means crypto is in a bull market. During this period, there is strong demand and, in some cases, limited supply. Bullish crypto traders may talk about prices going “to the moon,” which refers to periods when prices might surge or suddenly spike (these price moves can also happen in times of extreme volatility).

A bearish trend in the crypto market reflects falling prices accompanied by selling. But sometimes, crypto traders may consider a bear market a great time to add to their crypto portfolio. These traders may be hoping to “HODL,” which stands for “hold on for dear life,” and refers to the goal of investors riding out volatility.

Pump-and-Dump in Crypto

Sometimes bullish or bearish movements in cryptocurrency reflect more than market sentiment. A “pump and dump” scheme in the crypto market refers to a group of market participants buying up large amounts of a cheap cryptocurrency to artificially increase its price.

They then relay positive messages about the asset to get other investors to buy in. Once prices soar, they sell off their assets and pocket the profits while others lose value.

How Bullish Markets Can Impact Investors

In a bull market, demand is greater than supply. There are many investors who want to buy stocks while only a few are willing to sell. Bullish traders tend to have long positions in stocks or other assets.

How Bearish Markets Can Impact Investors

In a bear market, supply is greater than demand — and investors look to offload their shares when there is not a lot of demand for market participants to buy. As a result, share prices decrease. A bear market is challenging for investors because stock prices keep falling, and that means more losses in an investment portfolio.

Your first instinct may be to sell in a bear market, but to increase chances of securing a profit in the long-term, it may make more sense to remain invested. Bear markets do not last forever.

Still, some investors prefer to adjust their investments in a bear market, turning to defensive stocks like consumer staples, healthcare, or utilities. They also may consider going into safer investments like bonds that offer stable fixed-income.

Bear markets can also present a good buying opportunity for investors who use dollar-cost averaging. This involves investing a fixed amount of money consistently. This way, investors can purchase stocks at a more affordable price. Learn more about

Tips on Withstanding Bullish vs Bearish Markets

One of the best investing strategies during a bull or bear market is diversification. Diversifying your investment portfolio with different securities in a variety of different industries — along with various asset classes — will protect a portfolio by minimizing losses and maximizing gains over the long-term. Diversification means buying shares of companies in different sectors and companies of different sizes, rather than just investing in a select few of stocks.

Stock Market

Investors who are not sure how to pick individual stocks can purchase an exchange-traded fund (ETF) or index fund, which are pre-selected baskets of securities all in one investment vehicle. For example, investors who own a fund that follows the S&P 500 will see their investments perform in line with that index.

In an ETF, investors own hundreds of companies, which means they don’t need to painstakingly choose one or two companies, rather, they own the entire index. This is a great strategy to ensure portfolio growth in the long-term.

Cryptocurrency

Because cryptocurrency is a relatively new asset class that has only been around for about 12 years, it can be difficult to know when a bull or bear period is approaching and how long it may last. One of the main characteristics of cryptocurrencies is their volatility. Assets with more volatility are riskier for investors. A crypto bear market or bull market can last for a period of hours, days, weeks, or months.

Crypto investors can also diversify by purchasing different types of cryptocurrencies, and keeping their overall crypto assets to a certain percentage of their wider portfolio.

The Takeaway

A market doesn’t necessarily have to be either bearish or bullish. It can actually be neither. The stock market can be in a state that is flat. This may mean there are normal market fluctuations leading to either small gains or small losses. Even if markets experience a sharp decline or rise in the short-term, this still cannot be defined as bearish or bullish because bull and bear markets are maintained over a period of time.

Whether you believe we’re in a bullish or a bearish market, a good way to get started investing is by opening an online brokerage account on the SoFi Invest® investment platform. With SoFi Invest, users can easily buy and sell stocks and exchange-traded funds directly from their phone.

FAQ

Does being bearish mean that you want to sell your crypto or other assets?

A bearish market period means investors think an asset’s price is headed downward. In some cases, people are not even aware of a bear market until it’s over because it’s difficult to predict the direction of the markets. Investors who are invested for the long run do not pay attention to the peaks and troughs of the market and take a dollar-cost averaging approach by investing consistently over time in both bear and bull markets.

What do bullish and bearish mean in crypto?

A bullish market in crypto means the value of the cryptocurrency will increase, while a bearish market means the asset will go in the opposite direction. Bearish investors are pessimistic that the market will decline — but there is so much momentum in the crypto market that when there is a bearish period, it is often seen as a buying opportunity to get more crypto.

How can you tell if a market is bearish or bullish?

Predicting and timing the markets is a challenging task. However, if stock prices have fallen by more than 20% from their recent peaks, and remained there for more than two months, that’s typically considered a bear market. A sustained increase in prices is a bull market.

Photo credit: iStock/NoSystem images

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.

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 https://sofi.app.link/investchat. 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.

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

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