One of the greatest things about investing is the flexibility it affords you.

💥 Flexible schedule – you aren’t tied to requesting time off
💥 Flexible location – you can work from anywhere with an internet connection
💥 Flexible income – no hourly pay or salary caps in this world

All this flexibility is the perfect recipe for….travel!

Travel is one of the top reasons I hear my students say they first took interest in investing. So they could have the time and money to fund their wanderlust and earn money investing from anywhere.

I saw this thread on Quora the other day asking, “should I invest or should I travel?”

Most responses gave what I call bad advice. They enthusiastically responded that travel was the wise choice – because travel while you’re young and make money later! NO!

That’s a terrible mindset to have. Here’s a better one. One that I used to travel around the world while we were dating.

Invest first. Take the profits from your investments and travel with THAT money. It is possible (and recommended) to travel AND invest.

I promise you, it’s possible and preferred. It allows you to grow your net worth while also growing your worldly experience. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, but if you put travel first and investing second, your bank account and overall net worth will be kicking you down the road.

Keep reading for my top tips for being able to travel and invest!

1. Do your research and set financial goals
   Researching destinations ahead of time and mapping out all the costs give you a clear sense of exactly how much you need for your dream trips. From there you can back into how much you need and how long you are willing to take to accrue that amount and take off.

Without doing this research and setting goals, it will feel like you’ll never be able to afford to make your travel goals a reality.

2. Keep earning while you’re moving!
   Once you hit the road, the earning doesn’t need to stop, nor does it mean you need to work full-time. With just a few hours a day, you can keep your income flowing while you’re anywhere with an internet connection.

One of my student’s favorite things to learn about is the investing types that generate income on a regular basis through dividends and payouts. Check out my free masterclass if you want to learn more about how thousands of students are earning ongoing income daily through simple investing strategies.

3. Invest in Travel Companies
   When people ask me what companies I recommend they invest in, my answer is always the same, no matter what is happening in the market or if there’s a wild stock jump getting airplay, like GameStop did.

My answer is: invest in what you use! Look around your house, in your closet and driveway. Invest in the companies that you’ve trusted to be a customer enough that you trust that company will keep growing.

If you’re a traveller, living life out on the road, it might feel hard to look around at your closet or house. But you can still look at the products you use. From the sites where you book travel (like Booking.com and Expedia, both publicly traded companies) or places you stay (like Marriott or Choice Hotels) or airlines you fly (like Southwest or Delta).

By investing in companies where you are the customer, it is easier to understand and pay attention to the happenings that can lead to fluctuations in their stock price. You’re also more likely to be an excited proponent of that company, creating world-of-mouth business that helps their bottom line (AKA your stock value). Wouldn’t you rather follow news about an airline or hotel magnate than oil and gas or something you have no interest in or familiarity with?

Investing is a perfect way to fund your wanderlust and help you check off all the destinations that are patiently waiting to come off your Pinterest board and into reality. I’ve used funds from investing to take me around the world and support my family.

Check out more about investing and how you can get started from anywhere, with any amount of money by attending my free masterclass. Sign up today and stop dreaming, start traveling.

As a mom, I hear all the traditional questions new mothers get…

What car seat or stroller do you prefer? What foods does your baby refuse to eat?

You know, motherhood questions, centered around choices being made for the little ones our actions impact.

Why are mutuals the perfect investment type for new mothers? Lots of reasons!

But, I think it’s time we expand the motherhood conversation. There’s more to be discussed about becoming a mother than the products we choose. Like the decisions we make that affect our kids spending, earning, saving and investing habits for life.

Kids who see their parents improving their financial literacy and increasing their net worth are more likely to have a healthy relationship with money as they get older.

So, let’s all agree that motherhood is about sooooo much. And we should all do our part to help out and share anything we can with other new parents.

I’ll leave the stroller recommendations for the experts who vet those, what I can contribute to the conversation though is how new mothers can spend more time with their little ones without sacrificing the income of the household – mutuals.

Mutuals are a type of investing fund that is a collective pool of stocks, bonds, money market, and other assets that money collected from many investors support.

And let me tell you, my honest opinion is that mutuals and motherhood are a match made in heaven.

1. They don’t require a huge upfront investment.
   It’s a common misconception that only the rich can invest and it takes money to make money. Well, that’s simply untrue. Since mutuals involve pooling assets and money, it’s easy to get in affordably.

It doesn’t take much to get started and the sooner you do, the more earnings potential you’ll have. In fact, you can get started with MUCH less than most MLMs or other side hustles that require money.

2. It doesn’t take decades of patience to see a return, you CAN create a steady stream of income by trading mutual funds!
   Because mutuals are very liquid, and can be quickly traded and redeemed, trading them properly and with intention can provide ongoing income.

While a traditional investing strategy focuses on buying stocks you believe will increase in value over time and holding onto them as the companies grow – along with the value of your piece. Alternatively, trading mutuals generates capital gains and dividends, which means you may get regular payouts of some of the profit. Dividends are typically paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually.

3. The money you make isn’t tied to time you have to spend away from your family.
   Yeah, there’s other side hustles out there, but only investing enables your money to work for you, while you focus on the other demands of being a parent!

Whether you drive an Uber, or DoorDash or take a second job – all those ways of making money mean time spent away. With mutuals and investing, you can be earning while you breastfeed.

If you want to learn more about trading mutual funds, how you can get started and my other strategies for dominating the stock market, check out my free, on-demand investing masterclass!

As a mother and financial planner, I’m hyper-focused on ensuring that financial limitations don’t hinder my kids from reaching for their dreams, whatever those may be. To make sure my kids are millionaires by the time they are ready to buy a car, go to college, start working, maybe start a business, travel – whatever – I’ve put several actions in motion which I’m now sharing here so you can do the same for your little ones – no matter how old they are. 

The Single, Absolute MOST Important Thing!

If you take nothing but one thing away from this article, I hope it’s this – the most important thing when investing for kids is simply starting. 

Whether it’s $5/week or however much you can afford – just start! Like, today. 

If you contributed $30/month from the day your baby comes into the world (that’s only $1 day!), they could have $13,169 by the day they turn 18th. Starting just five years after that reduces the overall amount to $7,740 (almost half!). 

That proves that the sooner you start, even a tiny amount has massive impacts. 

The amount you can accumulate for your kids is less critical than the financial knowledge, skills, and habits that you’ll be teaching them by starting – no matter where that starting line is. 

Developing kids into young adults who have the financial backing to kickstart their independence on a high note is seriously important. Don’t believe me? 

In 2021, only 38.1% of Americans under 35 owned their homes, and more than 50% of millennials aged 18-24 still live with their parents.

WHY?! 

Because young people cannot save enough for a down payment, whether that’s from crippling student loan debt, the rising cost of housing, or lack of financial literacy, the point is it’s seriously tough for young people to get ahead without a healthy nest egg and financial education. 

My Top Account Picks 

Specific saving and investment accounts are well-suited to benefit your kid’s long-term financial success. These accounts are better than simply opening a standard savings account (which offers such low returns they often don’t even keep up with inflation)!

Custodial Brokerage Account 

A custodial brokerage account is similar to a standard investment account that you may have for yourself. The most significant difference is that it is in your child’s name and, ultimately, their ownership. 

From parents to their family and friends, anyone can add money into a custodial brokerage account, up to $15,000 per year before a gift tax incurs. 

529 Plan

Investing in a 529 plan is all about education! 

When you invest money into a 529 plan, there are considerable tax savings when the money goes towards education – private school, college, trade school – for tuition, housing, and supplies. The tax benefits can equate to thousands of extra dollars that go to your child’s future. 

Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) 

A Roth IRA is an account that parents or guardians can open on behalf of a minor earning money. My daughter, Dawsyn, has already started earning a little money through an Instagram account we set up for her, so anything she makes from that goes straight into her Roth IRA. 

These accounts allow a minor’s earnings (plus you can contribute up to a matching amount) to grow tax-free! 

It’s a great way to teach kids the importance and benefits of investing income vs. spending it. 

Education, Pass It Along! 

The cornerstone of setting your kids up for financial success is education, education, education! I’m a huge proponent of financial literacy – armed with proper knowledge and know-how, anyone can transform their financial situation. 

According to the National Center for Education Statistics report, you can’t depend on the school system to teach your kids financial literacy, with one in five American 15-year-olds not understanding basic economic concepts. 

Make sure you are educating yourself, investing for yourself, and striving to meet your financial goals so you can reap the same rewards you want your kids to experience in their lifetime. 

Want to advance your financial education? Check out my free masterclass on how to start investing without having a fortune already saved. 

There’s a lot of chatter in the world right now about wealth transfers – because we are in the midst of seeing the largest one the US has ever experienced! 

I’m breaking down everything you need or want to know about what the Great Wealth Transfer is, what you should do if you receive an inheritance and how you can start NOW to amass enough wealth to leave your own wealth transferring legacy. 

What Is The Great Wealth Transfer 

The Great Wealth Transfer is the biggest handing off of wealth the United States will have ever experienced. It’s the result of baby boomers building trillions in wealth that they will be passing on to younger generations. 

 According to a 2015 report by US News & World, baby boomers controlled an estimated 70% of all disposable income in the United States. That’s a lot! 

That means Millenials will go from controlling an estimated 3% of the disposable income to a much, much larger portion. 

It’s an interesting and unprecedented phenomenon that will happen in the economy as large amounts of money are put in the hands of a generation that spends differently, saves differently, values money differently, and invests differently. 

Because The Great Wealth Transfer will have such a massive impact on the economy, no matter what your specific situation is, it will affect you. 

Whether you will be receiving an inheritance and need to know what to do to utilize it wisely, you want to build your own wealth, you want to know what to invest in or you are a business owner that needs to prep for the changing economy, The Great Wealth Transfer will affect you in one way or another. 

How To Invest An Inheritance 

There’s a sad statistic about inheritances. Nearly ⅓ of the people who receive them see either zero change or an actual decline in their wealth after they accept a windfall of money and assets. 

 There’s no way that can be possible right? They got more money, so they should have more wealth. Unfortunately, though, that’s not always the case. 

 A variety of reasons contribute to why they are worse or no better off, but most often it’s because the money is spent too fast and too unwisely. After a couple of large purchases, new cars, or expensive vacations, many watch the money dwindle quicker than expected with little opportunity to recoup it. 

 Some of my top tips for what you should do if you receive an inheritance are:

There’s No Need to Rush

Don’t start spending it right away! After someone you love passes away, grief can fog your mind for a long time. Place it somewhere safe, like a money market account, until you’ve mapped out exactly what you want to do with the influx of funds.

Map Out Your Plan

You don’t have to spend, invest, or touch a dime of your inheritance until you’ve carefully planned exactly what you want to do with it.

My advice is to start first with where it NEEDS to go. Some places that it might need to go could include:

• Paying off credit card debt (and then planning to never acquire massive debt on credit cards again).
• Paying off your mortgage. By paying off your mortgage early, you’ll save thousands in interest and you won’t have the burden of a monthly payment so you can focus that income elsewhere (like building more wealth!)
• Stashing for an emergency fund. If your emergency fund doesn’t contain 3-6 months of living expenses and a few thousand extra for the hiccups and unexpected expenses that life often brings us, use some of your inheritance to build up that pad so you feel more confident and comfortable knowing you have financial support saved up.

Once you know what’s left after determining where the money needs to go, you can figure out what to do with the rest! 

Making Your Money Work For You

Yes, you could take the money left over after needs and buy the fanciest car in your neighborhood, which will quickly depreciate in value, or you could take a no expense spared trip around the world for six months, but those kinds of decisions will deplete the money faster than you can imagine.

While you CAN use it to enjoy yourself and get a new car if yours is a clunker or take some trips, just know what you can spend on the fun stuff without setting yourself up for a poor financial situation a few short years later.

If you want to take that money and make it work for you, instead of constantly working for money, consider investing it wisely.  

Building Your Wealthy Legacy

Whether you receive an inheritance that you want to make last for future generations, or you want to be the first generation to leave behind a financial legacy – you can!

Anyone, no matter what their income, can take steps towards financial independence and building a multi-generational legacy of wealth to be transferred on!

I love, love love helping people, from all financial backgrounds and situations, build their fortune! I left a high-paying job as a financial planner to the ultra-wealthy because I felt financial advice and guidance needed to be available to EVERYONE, not just those who already had millions in the bank.

Some of my top tips for how you can build your wealth legacy include:

Don’t wait to start!

The time to start saving and investing is NOW. It takes as little as $5 to start so whether you only have $5 or have thousands from an inheritance, it’s wise to start early.

Diversify

Your money shouldn’t all go in one basket. It should be planned to go in a variety of stocks, bonds, mutuals, and high-interest generating savings accounts. You want a complete and well-rounded portfolio. 

Use Technology

Thanks to technology, investing is more accessible and fun than ever before. A few of my favorite investing apps I encourage you to check out are Robinhood, Acorns and WeBull, both of which you can get started investing in just a few minutes and a couple of bucks!

Lifestyle Design

Your financial goals and lifestyle choices should be aligned. If your lifestyle design is that you want to travel more, great! Make a financial plan that supports that. If your lifestyle choice is to send all your kids to college, also great, just make a financial plan that supports that!

Anything you want is achievable, but it does require careful planning, conscious spending, and informed decision-making.

Don’t Do It Alone

No matter where your financial situation falls it’s ok and healthy to lean on someone to help you leave and receive a legacy of wealth.

You can work with a certified, professional financial planner, and you can also educate yourself. After all, you should always have an understanding of where your money is!

Between people working from home more and the world becoming more interconnected thanks to technology, the side hustle is more common than ever before. A simple Google search of “side hustle” results in lengthy lists filled with hundreds of ideas. 

You can stop looking at those lists now.

I promise you, if a lucrative, non-time sucking side hustle is what you are seeking, then you need to look no further than investing. 

Don’t believe me? Read on to discover exactly why it beats every other side hustle, hands down. 

There’s a reason no one buys a yacht from their Uber driving earnings, but the sky’s the limit with investing! 

Investing Is Not Connected to Time 

A lot of side hustles sound amazing, if you have all the time in the world, don’t work a full-time job, or value your free time. So many opportunities have high earning potential, but only if you are actively working. 

Driving an Uber or Lyft, delivering for Postmates or DoorDash, completing tasks on TaskRabbit or cleaning houses, dog walking, babysitting, detailing cars, pet grooming, personal training, teaching music lessons…every single one of those has earning potential, but they are directly connected to the amount of time you put in. 

With investing, you are earning money all the time. When I was sipping mimosas in Mexico, I was earning. Something that wouldn’t have been possible with any of the above opportunities. 

Investing Doesn’t Require Specialized Skills

A lot of people work side gigs utilizing skills sets they have such as social media, writing, graphic design, virtual assisting, bookkeeping, or programming. However, if you don’t have those skill sets, your earnings will be pretty minimal and your clients unsatisfied. 

You also have to spend time finding clients and balancing client happiness so it can be a challenging, exhausting way to make money. Plus, a lot of platforms where people find these opportunities such as Fivver, 99 Designs, and Upwork, you are also competing against professionals in markets with a significantly lower cost of living and earning requirements such as the Philippines. 

Even selling handmade products on Etsy or Amazon Handmade requires skill, time, investment in materials, and dealing with shipping. 

There are no special skills that it takes to invest, simply a desire and quality education (no Harvard MBA required though, check out our Wealth Demystified Community and Program to learn everything you need to know). 

Investing Doesn’t Take Years To See Revenue 

One side hustle opportunity that holds the dreamy promise of hands-off income is creating and capitalizing on digital content like a blog, online course, or writing an e-book. While there are situations where these do earn money, they often supplement already established businesses or part of someone’s full-time focus. 

Creating a profitable blog takes years to build passive income and only a small portion of them ever earn any income. Not to mention it requires skillful writing and a major time commitment to see one make any money. 

Most investors, even brand new ones, start to see their money work for them and passive income starts to build right away with minimal time spent creating, marketing, and monetizing content. 

Investing Doesn’t Require You To Annoy Your Family and Friends

Sorry MLM/Affiliate Marketers, but investing is in fact a much better side hustle than selling products, no matter how great those products may be. Selling for a multi-level marketing company requires purchasing inventory and in order to make money, you have to recruit people to join under you. 

There’s an entire podcast, The Dream, focused on the empty promise of a wealthy future that MLMs tout. There are a handful of successes at each MLM company, but those are few and far. 

Investing may require an investment, but not in inventory and you certainly don’t have to have your friends and family invest in the same things as you in order to see a profit. 

Investing Doesn’t Dry Up 

While we are on the subject of inventory, a popular side hustle is to sell stuff you or others already own. I’m a big fan of selling stuff I don’t need or love any longer. It clears out your space and provides an influx of cash, however, it’s limited. 

You can’t bank a long-term side hustle on selling your stuff or eventually, you’ll be sitting on the floor regretting the couple hundred bucks you made from selling your couch. 

There’s always unlimited opportunity when you invest, so consider selling some things to get started and clean house, but don’t make it your entire side hustle. 

Investing Doesn’t Ruin Your Stuff 

The normalization of a sharing economy has led to a lot of people using assets to generate money, like renting a spare room on Airbnb, renting your car on Turo, or your camper on RVShare. While these can create an ongoing income stream, they also involve inviting strangers into your personal space, potentially getting your stuff ruined or wrecked, and almost continuously dealing with guest issues, questions, and requests. 

When you invest, you don’t have to part with your guest room, car, or RV to see the money come in! 

Investing Isn’t Gross or Uncomfortable 

This is where I’m going to talk about all the strange ways people make side money. There’s cuddling (yes, I’m serious). Or donating eggs, sperm, hair, or plasma. I’ll let this category speak for itself, but it’s a no brainer that investing is much better than having your blood removed to harvest its plasma every couple of weeks. 

Investing Doesn’t Spam You 

There are some unique side hustle opportunities like mystery shopping and taking online surveys. These opportunities present themselves as easy and lucrative ways to get money, but unless you are a seasoned pro, most opportunities are just going to fill your email inbox with junk like $1 for a 20-minute survey or a $10 mystery shopping gig that takes hours to fully complete. 

The point of a side hustle is to earn money outside of your full-time job. Sometimes they involve things you are deeply passionate about, so if you are fueled by a passion to start an Etsy shop or write an e-book, then I still encourage you to do that (even better, do that AND invest the extra funds you make to further grow your wealth).

Investing gives you the ability to make your money work for you, something that no other side hustle provides. It also can provide major income, not just a few extra dollars a month. 

Still not certain investing is the side hustle for you? Check out my free masterclass on investing to help you decide!