Investment & Money

Gold has fascinated civilizations from the very beginning. The precious metal predates paper currency by millennia because it was always seen as not just beautiful but intrinsically valuable.

Today, in a world of cryptocurrencies, rising interest rates, surging housing costs, and unsteady economies, gold can still be appealing to people trying to hedge against a recession. Should you buy it?

There isn’t a universal, one-size-fits-all answer, as it depends on your finances, temperament, and portfolio. But here are a few considerations to mull over before deciding.

Why is Gold Thought to Be Recession-Proof?

Societies worldwide and across time have placed an innate value on gold because it’s beautiful and rare. Gold is expected to be valuable long into the future because it’s been valued so highly for millennia already. Plus, it’s one of the rarer metals found on Earth.

Governments can mint more currency and print dollar bills, but it’s impossible to simply produce gold. That’s why people think it’s resistant to economic trends and the market’s vicissitudes. Historically, when economies begin to go south, investment in gold rises.

Gold is a status symbol. These things factor into why it’s a timeless investment. Stocks go up and down, even banks can crash. If it’s hard to imagine gold not being highly sought after, it’s because it always has been.

Buying Gold to Wear

Gold comes in several different formats. People often buy elaborate gold jewellery with other precious stones set inside to wear both for aesthetics and as a status symbol.

Others prefer solid gold bracelets with less flare. There’s classic yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and more. These different colours are created by alloying different metals. Whatever colour the gold, it’s all real, but jewellery setters often alloy gold with other metals or it would be too soft for wearing, fabrication, and stone-setting.

Gold jewellery is typically not recommended for investors who are looking for a recession-proof asset. If you are thinking about resale value rather than style, look toward gold bullion instead.

Bullion and Coins

The industry leaders in selling gold bullion offer investment-grade gold, which is typically at least 99.9% pure. Bullion bars and coins are almost pure gold, where gold jewellery is alloyed with other metals to give durability so that it can be worn.

Investment-grade gold is usually stored somewhere very secure, like a home safe, and it’s commonly insured. It comes in a variety of weights.

Time may not be of the utmost importance when dealing with such a timeless investment as gold.

Other Ways to Buy Gold

Not every way to buy gold involves wearing or possessing it. Investors can purchase vaulted gold, which means they own an amount of gold on paper, but it’s stored elsewhere. This comes with storage and insurance fees.

Investors can also opt for Exchange-Traded Funds, wherein they purchase shares of a fund, and that fund owns the gold.

No two people have the same lifestyle or finances, so unsurprisingly our approach to investing should differ too. Only you can decide if gold is the right investment, but you should consider the above points and more before you do.

Shayna Waltower

is a seasoned business writer and expert, specializing in delivering concise and insightful articles. With over a decade of experience in the corporate world, She brings a unique perspective to work, offering practical advice and actionable strategies to help entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals navigate the complexities of the business landscape. Her writing combines a deep understanding of industry trends with a passion for empowering readers to achieve success in their ventures.

Hiring a good stockbroker can help you maintain and grow your wealth by diversifying your investment portfolio and managing risks effectively. Finding the right stockbroker for you can be challenging. In this article, we’re sharing the key questions to ask a stockbroker before you hire them.

Key Questions to Ask a Stockbroker Before Hiring Them

Whether you are opting for an independent stockbroker or a brokerage firm, there are a handful of factors to consider before you decide to hire a stockbroker. Before considering a stockbroker, you should first ensure they are properly licensed and registered with the correct regulatory authorities. Then, you should consider asking the following questions:

1. What is Your Experience in the Industry?

A stockbroker with multiple years in the industry will likely have a stronger track record than a stockbroker that is new to the business. Experienced stockbrokers will be able to use their skills and expertise to recommend smart investments that are handpicked and align with your financial goals. In addition, a seasoned stockbroker will be experienced in effectively managing risks.

2. Do You Have Client Testimonials?

Client testimonials will tell you more about a stockbroker than the stockbroker themselves. Reading honest reviews and customer accounts will give you an understanding of how this stockbroker or brokerage firm has helped clients similar to yourself.

When discussing testimonials, you should take the opportunity to ask the stockbroker what kind of clients they serve. Some stockbrokers specialize in specific clients, such as corporate clients or charities. Before hiring a stockbroker, you should ensure they are experienced in providing services to clients similar to you (and they should have testimonials to back it up). If a stockbroker is lacking positive testimonials, it may be smart to look elsewhere.

3. What are Your Fees?

There are various ways a stockbroker charges their clients. For example, they may charge an hourly wage meaning your invoice will differ depending on how many hours they have done for you each month. They may also charge a set fee for a specific service, or they may charge clients based on a percentage of the assets they are managing. Alternatively, the stockbroker may take a commission on sales of financial services/products.

Some stockbrokers offer flexibility around their fees and may charge based on the type of services you need. Before hiring a stockbroker, it is essential to know how they will charge and the cost of their fees.

4. How will you Choose Investments Specifically for me?

One of the main benefits of hiring a stockbroker is having an experienced financial expert that makes smart investments with your specific financial interests in mind. So, when hiring a stockbroker, you should ask about how they are going to tailor their services to you. Your stockbroker should be able to explain how they are going to choose investments specifically to help you meet your financial goals.

5. How Often do you Communicate with Your Clients

To stay on top of your investments, you should have regular contact with your stockbroker. Some stockbrokers and financial advisors are more hands-on than others. But when so much is at stake, it’s important that you have a stockbroker that is going to be reachable should you need to discuss something important. Before hiring a stockbroker, you should discuss their communication style, frequency, and preferred channel of communication as well as lay out your expectations for communication.

Shayna Waltower

is a seasoned business writer and expert, specializing in delivering concise and insightful articles. With over a decade of experience in the corporate world, She brings a unique perspective to work, offering practical advice and actionable strategies to help entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals navigate the complexities of the business landscape. Her writing combines a deep understanding of industry trends with a passion for empowering readers to achieve success in their ventures.

Everyone knows that when you are involved in a building and construction project, it’s easy to go over the budget. In fact, it’s almost expected to go beyond your budget, and that is why we often allocate funds expressly for emergencies, unexpected expenses, and the like. Construction projects are, more often than not, associated with high costs and budget overruns! However, with proper planning and strategic measures, it is possible to keep your expenses under control and ensure the success of your project without breaking the bank. But how do you ensure your project does not exceed the budget? What are some effective strategies to keep your construction project’s costs down? Let’s find out.

Efficient Planning and Budgeting

One of the key factors to controlling your construction costs is efficient planning and budgeting. Before you initiate any construction project, it is essential to conduct a thorough feasibility study and create a detailed project plan. You have to identify all the required materials, equipment, and labor and create a realistic budget that includes contingency funds for unexpected expenses.

Select the Right Team

Choosing the right team of professionals for your construction project is crucial – this includes experienced architects, engineers, and contractors, all of whom can provide valuable insights and suggestions to optimize the design and construction process, leading to cost savings. Collaborating with reputable and reliable contractors will help ensure that the work is carried out efficiently and within the defined budget.

Embrace Sustainable Practices

Sustainable construction practices benefit the environment and contribute to cost reduction in the long term. For example, you can incorporate energy-efficient materials, technologies, and construction methods to reduce energy consumption and lower operational costs over time. Implement eco-friendly solutions (such as solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems, and insulation) to significantly decrease utility expenses.

In addition, effective waste management can also help you save money. Waste management is an often-overlooked aspect of construction projects, but it plays a significant role in cost control! Hiring a skip can help streamline the waste removal process, as confirmed by skip hire Rotherham services like BetaSkips, and having a skip on-site allows for efficient segregation and disposal of construction debris, reducing the need for costly multiple trips to a landfill or recycling center. Moreover, it helps maintain a clean and organized work environment, which boosts productivity big-time.

Strategic Material Procurement

When you carefully manage your material procurement, this can significantly impact your construction project’s costs. First, develop a comprehensive list of required materials and seek multiple quotes from suppliers to ensure competitive pricing. Remember that bulk purchasing can often lead to significant discounts! In addition, consider alternative materials that are cost-effective without compromising quality and durability.

Prioritize Safety

Safety should always be a top priority on any construction site. Accidents and injuries can result in increased costs, project delays, and even legal complications. You should invest in proper safety training, equipment, and protocols to mitigate risks and avoid unnecessary expenses related to accidents.

By implementing effective strategies such as efficient planning, embracing sustainable practices, and strategic material procurement, you can control your construction project’s costs. Prioritizing safety and maintaining open lines of communication will contribute to a successful project within the defined budget. Remember, a well-executed construction project not only saves money but also lays the foundation for future success and growth.

Jason Obrien

Jason is the Marketing Manager at a local advertising company in Australia. He moved to Australia 10 years back for his passion for advertising. Jason recently joined BFA as a volunteer writer and contributes by sharing his valuable experience and knowledge.

With the advancement in technology and the development of the internet, there have been so many activities that you can do online. From watching movies, to playing games, to shopping online there is so much to do on the internet. People now earn money online. Isn’t that great? Although there are many ways to earn money online, have you ever heard of making money just by playing some games on your phone?

Mistplay is such an app that allows its users to make money online for free just by playing games on their phones. Isn’t that a dream job for a kid or even for an adult? But when it comes to such apps that give money to their users, one common question arises, how does such an app make money that provides money to its users for free? This article will help you get all the answers about this mysterious and useful app and how it makes money? Moreover, you will learn ways to make money from it and a lot more! So, without further ado, let us get started on the complete review of Mistplay.

What is Mistplay?

Mistplay is a mobile app that allows you to earn money by playing games on your phone. By playing these games, you will earn points that can be redeemed later for gift cards, cash rewards, steam credit, and other prizes. Gamers can choose any game from the collection of games available in Mistplay. In 2017, Henri-Charles Machalani launched Mistplay. The headquarters of Mistplay is in Montreal, Canada.

To earn points, it is important to remain active in the game, you cannot just leave the screen on. Mistplay became highly popular and by the end of 2021, it ranked among the top 3 fastest growing companies in Canada. There were over 10 million users who accessed the app every month. Over 150 people are employed at Mistplay and the app is downloaded more than 21 million times.

How Does it Work?

Mistplay works by simply installing the app into your phone from the Google Play Store. You will have to create an account on the app, for this choose the option of ‘’signup.’’ After signing up, you would need to make a few changes in your phone settings. These changes include disabling the power-saving mode of your phone and allowing Mistplay to run while other apps are on. This will calculate your time spent on each game and Mistplay can reward you accordingly. Mistplay has a collection of games for you to choose from, once you select a game it will be downloaded from the Google Play Store and you can start playing and earning.

How Does Mistplay Make Money?

The question that comes to mind is how can an app make money that pays its user without charging them any fees. Well, the answer is quite simple, Mistplay makes money from referral fees that they earn from game developers, publishers, and marketers.

Referral Fees from Publishers

Mistplay makes money every time a user installs any game from Mistplay. More than 65,000 games are installed every day for which Mistplay earns a referral fee. This fee is charged by the publishing partners. Each time a user purchases any item in the game, a referral fee will be collected by the app. They also earn money each time they complete a task in a game. So basically, they get paid for all your activities in the game.

Fees from Game Developers

Mistplay also builds a connection between the game developers and the gamers. It is used as a platform for testing games. Game developers make a game and pay Mistplay to include it in their collection. So, whenever the user plays that game, game developers can learn the glitches of the game or anything that can be improved. There is also the option to give feedback after some games, this can help the game developers to make their game even better.

Fees from Advertisers or Marketers

Mistplay is paid by advertisers to promote a certain game, you will see ads for that specific game on the app. These ads are shown only to the users that are most likely to play that certain game. This strategy allows more users to download that specific game and thus Mistplay can earn money from this.

How can you Make Money from Mistplay?

You can make money from Mistplay by playing games on your phone. You just have to install different games that are available in the Mistplay library and start playing. The points that you will earn while playing the games can be redeemed for different rewards. Different games have different time durations and their number of points depends on that as well. There are different tasks that you need to complete to earn more points. Points are also earned through in-app purchases. After you complete a goal or finish a game, the total points you earned will be displayed. After some games, there is an option of submitting a review or your opinion. By submitting an opinion, the user can earn more points.

What is Mistplay’s Points System?

There are different requirements for each different game that determines the number of points earned. These requirements can be such as how much time you spend on a game, and how many levels have you cleared of a specific game. To earn the highest rewards, you must go through these requirements and understand the points system of this app. There are three types of points GXP, PXP, and units. Let’s go through these:

GXP (Game Experience Points)

These types of points represent the time you spend on a game. You will earn more GXP points if you have spent more time playing a game. It does not depend on how good you are at the game; it only depends on the time you spend to earn the rewards in the form of GXP.

PXP (Player Experience Points)

These points represent the overall experience of the player. By leveling up in a game that you play through Mistplay, you will be able to earn more PXP. These PXPs help you earn units that can be redeemed later on. You can gain PXP through in-app purchases as well.

Units

Units are the combination of your PXP and GXP. You receive units whenever your profile levels up in the game. These units can help you redeem different prizes such as gift cards or even cash through your VISA or MasterCard.

How much Money can you Make from Mistplay?

The amount of money you can make from Mistplay depends mostly on two factors, the time you spend playing the game (GXP) and the levels you clear in the game (PXP).

Different games offer different points to their players depending on the time they spend playing it. The more you play or the more time you invest in a game, the more reward you will earn. Similarly, if you are at a higher place when it comes to the overall experience of the game, you will be rewarded with more points. So, how much you earn depends only on you.

Mistplay also has a referral program for the players. According to this, if you refer Mistplay to your other friends then both of you will earn reward points. This referral program also has different levels and once you reach level 4 of this, you will earn additional 100 points as a bonus. Isn’t that wonderful?

Does Mistplay Pay in Real Cash?

It depends on your definition of ”real cash.” Mistplay does not offer real hard cash but it does offer gift cards that can also be used for purchasing stuff. There is also an option for PayPal cash rewards, through this, you will get the money in your PayPal account after a specific criteria or threshold is achieved. Then you can get take out the cash from your account. But if you are only looking for getting cash in hand then Mistplay might not be the best place for you to make money.

Which Devices Support Mistplay?

This app is available only on the Google Play Store so only Android users can use it. The iOS version of the app has not been launched yet but the company plans to do it sooner or later.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Mistplay

Any app, game, service, or tool has its pros and cons. Similarly, Mistplay has many advantages but it also has some disadvantages. It is better to know all of them before deciding if you want to use the app or not.

Advantages of Mistplay

• The first and most important advantage is that this app is legit.
• You receive gift cards only by playing games on your phone. These gift cards are $0.50 to $50.00 in value.
• Most of you will be doing something that you enjoy. Playing games is an ideal time pass and if you are getting paid to do it then it just gets better.
• Mistplay is free of cost. You do not need to pay any fees and you do not even need to provide your credit card information. You can simply log in through Google or Facebook account.
• The best thing about Mistplay is there are no ads to bother you while you play.
• Youngsters can start earning with this app as there is no age limit of 18 years, you can start to make money at the age of 13.

Disadvantages of Mistplay

• Earnings are not that high; you cannot expect to become millionaires with this app.
• It is accessible to only Android users. iOS users cannot use the app.
• You cannot earn cash in hand instead you get points that you can redeem for prizes.
• Only some specific games are available in the Mistplay collection. You cannot get all the games from the Play Store here. 
• As you get to the higher levels your earning pace will slow down. The higher levels are challenging and it becomes difficult to earn more points that easily.

What Types of Games Mistplay Offers?

The games offered by Mistplay depend on your location or region from where you are playing. The options are limited and vary from region to region. However, there are a variety of games for you to choose from including war games, word games, strategy games, board games, arcade games, and much more. You will find something according to your choice on this platform.

What are Mistplay Units and How can you Exchange Them for Rewards?

Mistplay units are like the in-game currency. These are the points that you obtain after playing the games. These units can be exchanged for rewards. Different games offer different numbers of points so it is wiser to choose the games that offer higher points and in turn higher rewards. Once a specific number of units are earned, you will be able to exchange those points for prizes. The prizes include gift cards from Facebook, Amazon, PlayStation, Xbox, and Google Play. You will not get direct cash from the app but you can only get these gift cards that you can redeem to get whatever you want.

When do you Get a Gift Card from Mistplay?

You will get a gift card when you have earned the points specified for that specific gift card. Once you have earned a gift card you can redeem it for Amazon, Xbox, Visa, etc. Just click on the option ”buy” and you will receive the gift card in your email. Gift cards are expected to be received within 48 hours after placing the order. Keep yourself updated by checking emails.

Is Mistplay Legit?

An app that pays its users for playing games and that too for free, it all seems too good to be true. But it is true. Mistplay is a completely legit app. You can earn money in the form of these redeemable gift cards. You can use these redeemable gift cards at some of your favorite retailers to get what you want, without paying any fees.

In case of any queries, you can contact Mistplay through their customer service or you can fill in the ‘’contact us’’ form available on their website. You can send your questions here the Mistplay team will surely answer your queries and resolve your issues.

Final Thoughts

Mistplay offers a great opportunity to earn money by playing games. But don’t expect that you can leave your full-time job for this. You can use your spare time to earn a little money. The more you play the more you can earn. By playing these games you earn points that can be redeemed for gift cards that you can use to shop at your favorite retailers. Mistplay generates its revenue by using referral fees from game developers, publishers, and advertisers. The best thing about Mistplay is that it is free, you do not have to pay for downloading it and using it. Most of you already enjoy gaming and it comes with the perk of earning money, who would want to miss this opportunity? So, what are you waiting for? Download the app, start playing and enjoy your rewards!

Methew Harbor

Matthew is a Co-Founder at BusinessFinanceArticles.org. Matthew was a floor manager at a local restaurant in Wales. He lost his job after the pandemic and took initiative to make a team and start the project.

Fixed annuities offer many benefits, especially to those planning for retirement. Adding a fixed annuity to your portfolio can make it easier to plan for retirement because it offers guaranteed, reliable, and predictable income. Understanding what a fixed annuity is and its benefits can help you determine if this is the right financial planning tool for your goals.

What is a Fixed Annuity?

A fixed annuity is a financial and retirement planning tool that offers a guaranteed rate of return. Fixed annuities have the opportunity to generate guaranteed income, making them an excellent tool for supplementing retirement income. A fixed annuity differs from other annuity types, including a variable annuity.

Whereas a fixed annuity guarantees a set rate of return, a variable annuity pays based on how well the market performs. Other common annuity types include fixed period, single life, and joint and survivor annuities.

Benefits of a Fixed Annuity

You have a lot of retirement planning options available, and reviewing the benefits of a fixed annuity can help you decide if it’s right for your goals. Fixed annuities offer many benefits, including:

Growth Potential

Fixed annuities offer good growth potential with the opportunity to turn a large lump sum of money into consistent, regular payments in retirement. Competitive interest rates mean you can earn a good, guaranteed return on your initial investment, especially if you’re willing to choose a longer annuity period. Fixed annuities are usually between three to 10 years in length.

Simple Investment

A fixed annuity is often considered a simple investment because they’re easy to understand and guarantees a specific rate of return. This can make adding a fixed annuity to your investment portfolio an easy decision since it can offset the risk or complexity of other investment types.

Additionally, even as a simple investment, fixed annuities still offer their benefits. Many fixed-rate annuities come with death benefits, which allow your annuity payments to pass on to a beneficiary free of probate. It’s important to note that extra benefits may sometimes come at an added cost but may be worth it to protect your annuity payments.

Flexible Returns

The returns from a fixed annuity aren’t just guaranteed but also flexible. In addition to choosing a fixed annuity contract that works for your financial goals, you can also determine when you want to begin receiving income. You can time your fixed annuity payouts for when you plan to retire or even a few years into retirement when other funds may run low. The customizability of a fixed annuity makes it an excellent retirement planning tool.

Tax-Deferred Growth

Fixed annuities earnings are tax-deferred, which means you won’t owe taxes on them until you begin receiving payments. Because taxes aren’t taken out until later, you can also earn more on the money in your account through compounding interest.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) taxes fixed annuities as ordinary income, which means your tax rate depends on your income bracket. After retiring, you may pay less taxes if you’re in a lower tax bracket.

Predictable, Guaranteed Income

One of the biggest benefits of a fixed annuity is its ability to provide predictable, guaranteed income. The predictability of fixed annuities makes them an excellent option for retirement planning since you can calculate precisely how much you’ll earn before retiring. Ongoing monthly payments from a fixed annuity can also help supplement other sources of income during retirement. Some fixed annuities even offer lifetime payments, so you don’t have to worry about outliving your retirement funds.

Protected Principal

A fixed annuity also has minimal risk, especially compared to other investments, like stocks and bonds. With a fixed annuity, your initial principal is protected, even in a volatile market. Your rate of return on a fixed annuity is guaranteed, regardless of market performance. While fixed annuities may return slightly less than riskier investments, you don’t have to worry about the potential of losing the funds you need for retirement.

Emergency Options

Many investment products make your funds illiquid, making it difficult to deal with an emergency. Fixed annuities are semi-liquid and usually allow for withdrawing up to 10% of your funds without penalty. While you may be eligible to withdraw more than that, you’ll usually be subject to penalties and extra fees.

Fixed annuities come with many benefits when included in a retirement planning strategy. Minimal risk, guaranteed income, flexible payments, and tax advantages are all great reasons to consider a fixed annuity. A fixed annuity may also help you supplement your retirement income, ensuring you have the necessary funds.

Ismail Khalid

Ismail is a freelance tech writer with a passion for lifestyle, gadgets, apps, and cars. My writings carry a huge amount of different social aspects that may help to improve your lifestyle. Find him by email.

The circle of selling and buying products has been going on for decades, but this process is made much easier through online shopping. From purchasing clothes to doing groceries, everything is just a click away. Customers no longer have to travel to physical stores or wait long checkout lines; instead, they can easily browse what they want and compare prices online. However, keeping track of your purchases and loyalty programs is difficult with multiple online retailers available. It is where Fetch Rewards jumps in.

It is a successful mobile app that helps users spend and save money by earning points for their online and in-store purchases. Customers can happily redeem the points at any time and get merchandise, gift cards, or even cash. If you want to know everything about Fetch Rewards, how it works, and how to make money, this platform is of great help! So, without wasting another minute, let’s delve into the article below.

What is Fetch Rewards?

Fetch Rewards is a retail website allowing customers to win loyalty points on every online purchase that can be in the form of cashback. It has collaborated with hundreds of brands, including top niches like baby, baking, beauty, cleaning and home improvements, grocery, health and wellness, personal care, etc. A user must scan his receipt, either typed or handwritten, after making a purchase. The points will be added to your account that can later be redeemed. Just make sure that the scanned receipt is clearly readable, or else the system will not detect it.

Fetch Rewards is free to use and available on iOS and Android devices. This user-friendly app is also easy to navigate, so anyone wishing to save money through shopping finds it accessible.

How Does Fetch Work?

The working of this app is made pretty simple for everyone to use it and get benefits. Start with downloading the app on your mobile phone. You can find the app on both Google Play and Apple Store. Just create an account with the required credentials; once done, you can start earning rewards. Choose the desired brand you want to shop items from. There’s an option to discover the brands in the app if you are unsure of their availability.

After you’ve made your purchase, you’ll need to scan your receipt using the app. Make sure the receipt is clear and readable before you scan it. The app will automatically detect the brands and products you bought and award you points accordingly. Depending on the brand and product, you can earn anywhere from 5 to 10,000 points per item. A minimum of 3,000 points is necessary to claim your reward from the app. It has many prizes, including bonus cards from popular retailers like Amazon and Walmart. You can also contest to win rewards like groceries or vacations.

How Do Fetch Rewards Make Money?

They have made it very simple to make money that benefits both – the app and the partner retailers. Fetch Rewards makes most of its money by charging affiliate commissions to its associated brands, called the “referral fee.” The company also started making money through interchange fees in late 2020.

Let’s look into the business models through which Fetch Rewards makes money and understand them in detail.

Affiliate Commissions

Fetch Rewards successfully partners with over 350+ America’s most popular brands, including major names like Pepsi, Baby Dove, Mountain Dew, Fresh Step, etc. Whenever a customer comes to scan his receipt and earns rewards from the attached brands, Fetch Rewards earns a good commission. This process is called affiliate commission. It is a common way of generating revenue where platforms like Fetch Rewards act as middlemen between the customers and the brands.

Both get benefits, thus promoting the brand’s sales by offering its users a specific prize on each purchase. In most instances, or typically speaking, users get 1000 points on every $1 purchase. The more users buy a brand’s products, the more affiliate commissions Fetch Rewards earns. It’s a win-win situation: users earn rewards for their purchases, while Fetch Rewards earns money for promoting the brands.

Interchange Fees

Fetch launched its very own MasterCard in late 2020. Customers can use this MasterCard debit card wherever purchasing with MasterCard is allowed, and the process is called “Fetch Pay.” This program enables users to earn rewards for purchases outside the app simply by using their Fetch Rewards debit card. But how exactly does the app generate its revenue from this program? The answer lies in interchange fees.

The merchant pays a significant interchange fee to the partnered bank whenever a user makes a purchase with its Fetch Rewards debit card. The platform, in return, gets a portion of this fee for every transaction, which is still publically not disclosed. The leading app has collaborated with “One,” which handles compliance and customer service.

Through Referral Code

As one of the biggest cashback platforms, Fetch Rewards also grows by distributing referral codes. It allows first-time users to win rewards right after they sign in to the app and scan their first receipt. It is another way of affiliating with the customers. When someone signs up for the first time using a referral code, both parties get bonus points. It greatly helps Fetch Rewards to grow its user base and reach more potential customers.

How Much Money Does Fetch Rewards Make?

Fetch Rewards has not publicly disclosed its revenue yet. Still, some clues give us a rough idea that the online platform is significantly making millions of dollars. According to different resources, the company reached over 5 million users. If we roughly assume and calculate that one person is averagely scanning three receipts a week, the annual revenue from affiliate commissions alone reaches to million dollars. Isn’t it huge?

But, of course, it is just an estimate, and we cannot give a pet statement on how much money Fetch Rewards make. However, it’s worth noting that the company recently raised a venture capital funding of $240 million in equity and debt at a valuation of more than $2.5 billion.

Brief History of Fetch Rewards

Schroll and Tyler Kennedy were students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who devised a unique idea of designing an online cashback app in 2013. The thought appeared from Schroll’s frustration with the typical loyalty programs where customers have to jump to the stores to earn rewards. He thought of why not make something simple that also stays convenient for the locals.

This determination had him and his fellow worker arrange meetings with different organizations to secure funding. After presenting his business plan, many companies provided funds, making him decide to quit university to focus on his aim. At that time, Schroll was pursuing a degree in Entrepreneurial Studies. Finally, the efforts resulted in the Fetch Rewards mobile app in the summer of 2013.

Initially, Fetch Rewards was only available on iOS and in a few select markets. However, the app quickly gained popularity and expanded to new markets across the United States. After a couple of years, the app raised funding in a million dollars, promoting the company to further develop. Now, you can see that Fetch Rewards has partnered with hundreds of renowned brands, allowing users to choose the rewards that best suit their needs.

What Do Fetch Rewards Do with Your Receipts?

As we have already discussed, the business model of Fetch Rewards is meant to pay you. Yes, you heard it right. On every receipt scan with the online application, you will get points that can later be redeemed. You can collect the points to buy something big from the store, get gift cards, or even make purchases from your favorite online platforms like Target, Amazon, Instacart, Walmart, etc.

How to Get 10000 Points on Fetch Rewards?

You can earn from as low as 1,000 to even 10,000 points on Fetch Rewards, and the process is pretty straightforward. Simply upload the receipt with the participating item to get extra points. For every $1 purchase, a user receives 1,000 points. This way, you can make a collective purchase of $10 or buy different items worth $10 to get 10,000 points on the app.

Why Does Fetch Want Receipts?

The entire rewarding process depends on your scanned receipt, so uploading it is critical to getting points on Fetch Rewards. Right after you make a purchase from the partnered brands at Fetch Rewards, upload its receipt and earn points.

Fetch Rewards Competitors

Like any other successful business, Fetch Rewards has numerous competitors entertaining customers online. The top of them are:

Rakuten Rewards

It is a similar and popular cashback app like Fetch Rewards. Customers can earn a significant percentage of cashback through Rakuten Rewards on every purchase. The company is one of the largest free loyalty programs in the U.S.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks make sure to offer you free gift cards and a set cashback percentage for every purchase you make online. With over 20 million registered users, Swagbucks is one of the most popular rewards programs in the market.

Honey

This popular setup has partnered with more than 30,000 retailers and earns the same way Fetch Rewards do. This browser extension automatically finds and applies coupon codes at checkout. Honey also offers a rewards program helping users achieve Honey Gold for their purchases, which can be redeemed for gift cards at popular retailers.

Shopkick

This app came to the market in 2009 and now has almost 30 million users online. It is a rewarding retail app that lets the users enjoy prizes for walking into participating stores, scanning barcodes, making purchases, and watching videos. The collected points are called kicks that can later be redeemed for gift cards at the affiliated shops.

Is Fetch Rewards Worth it? – Final Takeaway

Now is the time to ask yourself if Fetch Rewards is worth downloading or not. In my opinion, this huge rewarding platform is worth downloading as you easily get points on everyday purchases. What do you want more?

You can redeem a collected amount of points when they reach a big number or get gift cards side by side. It’s completely up to the user if he’s a good online shopper. Just don’t miss snapping your receipt so that everything written is clear. Happy shopping!

Methew Harbor

Matthew is a Co-Founder at BusinessFinanceArticles.org. Matthew was a floor manager at a local restaurant in Wales. He lost his job after the pandemic and took initiative to make a team and start the project.

Investing can be intimidating for beginners, but building a strong investment portfolio doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are five simple tips for beginners to think about when starting to build their investment portfolio.

Identify your Investment Objectives

This is a crucial step that many first-time investors miss. You may want to simply get started as soon as you can, and buy some stocks or cryptocurrency, but with clear objectives for your investments, you will struggle to make consistent gains. What are you investing for? What do you hope to do with the returns on your investment? These are important questions to answer that will help you design an investment strategy and the types of investments you need to make. Fail to plan and you are planning to fail.

Make Sure your Portfolio Is Diverse

Have you ever heard the expression ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’? If something were to happen to the basket, you wouldn’t have any eggs. It is the same with your nest eggs, if you invest in a single product or stock, you will lose everything if something bad happens to the investment. You need to spread the money around and use a range of stocks and investment vehicles to reduce the risk of losing your money. This doesn’t just mean investing in different stocks, but also in different types of assets like houses, businesses, cryptocurrencies, or precious metals.

Knowledge is Power

Before you invest in anything, you need to understand it. Never buy a stock or invest in an asset if you have not researched it carefully to ensure it fits in with your objectives. You should compare stocks against one another and other investment opportunities before committing to buying. It is easy to compare by a wide range of variables using online tools that will help you to increase your understanding of the market and how you can expect a stock to perform. With physical assets like property or a business, you need to take a close look at the local housing market or the business plan to help you decide if it is worth investing your money into it.

Always Read the Small Print

Nearly every investment comes with fees, and you need to take a close look at how these are structured to ensure you are getting the best value. Some investment opportunities come with a set, one-time fee to cover the costs of buying and holding your shares. If this fee is a percentage of your investment it can add up to a lot if you are investing a large sum. You may have to pay a fee for each individual stock you purchase, rather than your portfolio as a whole. This means that even small fees can add up quickly if you are buying a wide range of stocks. Study fees and charges carefully, and factor them into your budget.

Be Disciplined and be Patient

There is no such thing as a get rich quick scheme. Investments take time to mature, and there are no guarantees. If you are going to be successful when investing, you will have to be self-disciplined and patient. When it comes to stocks and shares, and to property prices, the value goes up and down, so you have to take a long term perspective. Things can change quickly, and losses on one day can easily become profits in the next week. Don’t panic, keep a close eye on the level of risk you are exposed to, and try to prevent runaway losses by hedging your investments.

By following these tips, beginners can start building a diversified and balanced investment portfolio that suits their needs and goals. Remember to start with a clear investment objective, diversify your investments, invest in what you know, keep an eye on fees, and stay disciplined and patient for long-term success. Happy investing!

Jason Obrien

Jason is the Marketing Manager at a local advertising company in Australia. He moved to Australia 10 years back for his passion for advertising. Jason recently joined BFA as a volunteer writer and contributes by sharing his valuable experience and knowledge.

Preparing for the future is a big deal for anyone who wants to have a stress free retirement. There are many ways of preparing for the future and one of those ways is Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

IRA is a savings account that’s used by income earners to save for retirement. This long term savings help users to enjoy the tax advantages that come with it. It is specifically designed for self-employed folks who cannot access retirement accounts that employees have. One of these accounts is 401(k) and as we implied earlier, it can only be accessed through one’s employer.

An IRA can be opened either through an investment company, a bank, a personal broker or a bank. The account holder can invest in different financial products such as bonds, stocks, mutual funds and ETFs. There are many types of IRAs and each of them has their rules and regulations.

In this article, we will discuss one of the latest types of IRA which is precious metals IRA. More and more people are diversifying their portfolio by investing in precious metal. So we will share some tips on how to take advantage of this option.

What is Gold IRA?

Gold or Precious Metals IRA is a specialized account that enables the investor to hold gold and other precious metals as part of their retirement investment. People with this account can hold their assets in the physical forms such as coins or bullion. They can also hold securities that are related to precious metals in their portfolio.

This type of Individual Retirement Account has to be separate from the regular IRA. However, the rules concerning issues such as contribution limit and distribution are the same. We have already stated the many ways that one can open this account which includes through a bank or a broker or any other type of government-approved custodian.

A gold IRA is a good alternative for people who want to take advantage of the stability of precious metals. You can open a new account for this specialized IRA or you can rollover your IRA into precious metals especially if you don’t have extra cash for a new account.

How to Open a Gold Individual Retirement Account

Also known as a Precious Metals IRA, opening a Gold Individual Retirement Account is a little bit more complicated or harder than opening the regular types of IRAs that exist. Below are the steps to follow to open this account:-

Choose a Custodian

You cannot open a self-directed IRA (which is what this account is), without a custodian. These custodians are either trust companies, banks, or other organizations that the IRS approves. They are the ones that facilitate the consumers’ investments in alternative assets such as precious metals and others.

It goes without saying therefore that the first step to getting the best of this savings account is to get the best custodian that will work in your best interest.

Choose a Dealer

After choosing a custodian, the next choice to be made is that of a dealer. When you choose a dealer, you will then instruct the custodian to send money to them to purchase the precious metal of your choice.

You have to research carefully to find a reputable dealer and one who will always give you great deals. It is recommended that you work with only dealers who are members of trade group such as the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA), the American Numismatic Association (ANA), or the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG).

You can also decide to work with a dealer recommended by your custodian. Whatever you do, ensure that you do your due diligence and confirm the quality of service/products they offer.

Decide on the Product to Buy

The final decision on the product to buy rests solely on you but you are advised to work with the dealer in making this choice. The custodian can sometimes weigh in especially those that also serve as your financial advisors.

One of the most common gold products that investors like to buy is the American Eagle Bullion Coins. But there are also other products that you can choose from. Just ensure that you carry out your research on which product is most profitable for you before making a choice.

Choose an Approved Depository

One of the rules of precious metals IRA is that the physical commodities cannot be stored at home. You must store them at an approved depository. Therefore choosing a depository is one of the steps in the process of opening your precious metals individual retirement account.

Ensure that the company you choose meets all the requirements of the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). This therefore means that you should find out these requirements so that you will not run afoul of the law in your choice.

How to Rollover your IRA to Precious Metals

Rolling over your existing IRA to a gold IRA is a straightforward process. All you need to do is to collect the amount you want to invest in the gold IRA from the custodian of your existing account and deposit it into the precious metals account.

Bear in mind that with a rollover, you have 60 days to pay in the money you withdrew from the exiting account into the precious metals account. If you are under 59 and half years and you miss this deadline, you will pay a penalty of 10% of the amount withdrawn.

Most IRA custodians are usually willing to facilitate rollovers for their clients so always talk to your existing custodians first before exploring other options.

Conclusion

Investing in gold is a good way of diversifying your investment portfolio. In the same vein having gold or precious metals in your retirement savings portfolio is a smart financial move. But it is important that you do your due diligence before embarking on any of these ventures. This is so that you will not end up disappointed in your golden years.

We have shared some pertinent information in this article that will help you make informed decisions. Do bear them in mind as you seek to secure your golden years.

Jason Obrien

Jason is the Marketing Manager at a local advertising company in Australia. He moved to Australia 10 years back for his passion for advertising. Jason recently joined BFA as a volunteer writer and contributes by sharing his valuable experience and knowledge.