All posts tagged: investment

Real Estate Investment Strategy #4: Let’s Go Bigger

We already discussed buying single private properties, now let’s talk about buying more than one, and of course, renting them out (Sweden). Today our guest is Thomas Brandt, who 17 years ago used his profits derived from his IT consulting firm to purchase four apartments house in Örebro. Today Brandt owns about 250 apartments and runs his own business known as Explicar Affärsutveklirebrong AB. We met Thomas at his office in Stockholm and talked about how to invest, start and run a property management company. How did you start? 17 years ago I realized that the economic climate within the IT industry was becoming stagnant. And because I made some money in the past with my IT firm, I decided to invest in stable, profit-generating long-term assets. So, since I had relatives who owned and operated properties, I decided myself to buy some as well—in Örebro. I knew nothing about property management at the time. Where do you buy? Because I don’t have hundreds of millions in my accounts, I buy houses in relatively smaller cities, …

Maltese Start-Ups Do Exist

Life as an Investment has asked again our dear friend – Anastasiia Linnas  – a finance and marketing consultant, start-up lover and blogger, to be our guest author and  introduce our dear readers this time to Maltese start -ups.  If you haven’t heard of Maltese start-ups, you soon will because right now they are major players in Europe’s hub of start-ups. In Malta, there is an impressive range of start-ups emerging, and in this article you will learn about the more significant ones which contribute to the islands start-up DNA. Similar to Estonian’s start-up scene with Skype at its centre, the Maltese start-up concept is quickly catching on with the help of GFI Software. GFI Software is now a global IT company valued at approximately $500million (2013), with one of its divisions planted in Malta and responsible for key developments and progressions. GFI is probably best known for its TeamViewer product (acquired by Permira in 2014), as well as security, anti-malware and cloud services. One very successfull start-up in Malta, Altaro, was founded in 2009 by two …

My favourite 10 investment quotes

For daily motivation and developing the investment thinking I gathered here my  favourite 10 investment quotes. Gladly share them with you! “Know what you own, and know why you own it.” – Peter Lynch “If you aren’t thinking about owning a stock for ten years, don’t even think about owning it for ten minutes.”  – Warren Buffett “October: This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August and February.” – Mark Twain. Wide diversification is only required when investors do not understand what they are doing.” – Warren Buffet. “Investing should be more like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. If you want excitement, take $800 and go to Las Vegas.” – Paul Samuelson “I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.” – Warren Buffet “In investing, what is comfortable is rarely profitable.” – Robert Arnott “How many millionaires do you know who have …

The Future of Finance: More Women = More Money.

“What does the financially confident woman look like? Well, I’d say she is much more economically literate than ever before, and not just a “caretaker” of somebody else’s money<….> she is fiscally confident and it shows in her investment knowledge, salary, performance bonus and stock options.” The Future of Women in Finance, 2015.   Right before International Women’s Day Nordnet gladly presented the business-minded women of Stockholm some valuable insight. Nordnet, which provides brokerage and banking services in Scandinavia, invited Barbara Stewart, Partner and Portfolio Manager at Cumberland Private Wealth Management and a researcher, to present her latest white paper The Future of Women in Finance. Barbara started her research five years ago. (Last year Life as an Investment published an article about Barbara’s research How does smart women invest in 2013?) Ultimately, she was not satisfied with how the media portrayed women in finance. Everything she read was negative, and in contradiction with her experience as a portfolio manager. Then Barbara decided to nix negativity and focus on the positive. The Future of Women in …

How to Begin Saving Money

I love investments and I consider myself lucky to find pleasure in it. It’s funny when my boyfriend Robin tries to make heads or tails of all the “financial stuff” I talk about. But at least I know he’s a good listener. The other day he asked me about investment opportunities and how to save to invest. Unfortunately, the  Millennial or Generation Y (Robin and I are contemporaries) framework of spending behaviour  leads us down a path of over consuming and spending money that didn’t exist. So, to spend less we need to change our life-style from consumers to…. something else. We need to change our routines and habits, and that’s the difficult part. The most over-consumed products for young professionals living in cities are clothing and restaurant food (Read more about other most popular spending accounts here). So, changing our life-style and spending habits means buying less of both. But, be prepared to feel a strong sense of emptiness. The power of spending is strong and when it disappears, desolation takes over. Get creative …

Women’s Personal High Heaven

Women are usually considered risk averse in the investment world. In business too, women are stereotyped as being cautious of risk and responsibility—and prefer mostly support roles. Recently we talked with Nina Nordling—entrepreneur, motocross enthusiast, and a woman thriving despite these stereotypes. We are grateful that Nina has agreed to share with Life as an Investment of how she followed her passion of sports and how she changed her world among many doubters.                                                           Facts box: Name: Nina Nordling Age: 31 Family:  Nina is in a relationship with  the love of her life, who also happens to be her ex-husband. She is a legal guardian of three kids. Bio Startup entrepreneur and CEO of the social venture High Heaven, a worldwide digital meet-up for women looking fortheir next adrenaline adventure.                                           …

Investing in Jewelry — is it a Myth or a Dream Come True?

While travelling in Russia, I noticed how consumers influence different industries.  Take for example the jewelry industry. It amazed me to see how many jewelry stores were in business, and the variety of international brands that were available. The ‘girly girl’ side of me was charmed, but at the same time, my rational side, influenced by a financial background, held its ground firmly. I thought to myself that there must be a way that would allow women not just to buy jewelry, but also to INVEST in jewelry. This way she can enjoy it and not feel guilty about the purchase because it’s an investment, or is it? Margo Raffaelli To work out if this idea is a possibility I met with independent jewelry consultant at one of the most glamorous galleries in Moscow situated in Red Square – GUM. We took a short tour of the Square, taking notice to the different varieties and brands. Eventually, we landed at Bosco Café.  Margo, a young and attractive businesswoman, has over 10 years’ experience in the jewelry industry. …