While it may come naturally to some, finding the perfect holiday gifts can be daunting…
Add in inflation and supply chain issues, and the task becomes even more stressful and uncertain.
So if you are behind the eight-ball right now… Or you’re looking for an extra gift idea to get someone…
I’d like to share some investment and online business related ideas that provide far more value than a necktie for dad, kitchen apron for mom, or action figure for the kids that’ll be broken in a week….
Gift Idea No.1: An I-Bond
I-Bonds are officially known as Series I Savings Bonds. And like their better-known counterparts – Series EE Savings Bonds – their value doesn’t fluctuate.
So, unless the U.S. government defaults, you cannot lose any of your principal by owning I-Bonds.
Of course, these bonds do pay interest, which is comprised of two components: a baseline interest rate and an inflation adjustment.
And while the baseline rate is 0.0%, the latest inflation adjustment brought the bond’s composite rate to 6.89%.
That’s the second-highest rate ever after topping 9% earlier this year. That’s still much better than alternatives like money markets or CDs.
On top of that, I-Bonds are exempt from state and local taxes… And if the proceeds are used for qualified education expenses, profits can be exempt from federal taxation as well.
That makes I-bonds great gifts – especially for kids.
You can purchase up to $10,000 of electronic I-Bonds per social security number every calendar year in whatever denomination you prefer – right down to the cent (with a $25 minimum). Just visit www.treasurydirect.gov.
Of course, you can also give what I consider an even better investment…
Gift Idea No.2: A Share (or More) of a Solid Dividend-Paying Stock
Although stock trading these days is all done electronically, you can still gift stock shares for someone – and without having to set up a separate brokerage account.
It’s not as hard as it might seem… Websites like GiveAshare can allow you to choose from hundreds of publicly-traded companies. They’ll set up an account, and even mail out a physical certificate.
For my first wedding anniversary – the paper anniversary – I gifted my wife a share of her favorite company, Starbucks. Besides having a certificate, she gets to vote during shareholder meetings. Plus, thanks to the reinvested dividends, her share has become about 1.05 shares, in the early signs of the compounding process. And she’s up about 20%.
The only downside with gifting a physical share is having to pay some sizeable fees compared to buying stock in a brokerage account.
You can also gift someone shares of stock you already own.
Under current IRS rules, you can gift up to $15,000 per person annually – and without having to declare the gift or pay any gift tax.
What’s more, gifting shares lets you avoid paying any capital gains tax that might otherwise be owed.
Instead, the future liability is passed onto the recipient… And if they’re in a lower tax bracket, that could end up being a win-win situation.
The same tax rules can apply to other gifted investments as well, which brings me to…
Gift Idea No.3:
Crypto
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of crypto here at Palm Beach Research Group. And many of our readers have seen firsthand how life-changing a small initial investment in crypto can be.
This year, cryptos are having a 75% off sale…
And while that’s rough for existing owners, it looks like a great long-term entry point. That’s especially true for kids who don’t need to cash out right away.
I’ve gifted small amounts of bitcoin over the years to friends and family who have been interested, but generally on the fence when it comes to crypto. That small gift could become the key part of paying for college or making a down payment on a home in the years to come.
If you want to get someone else started on their digital asset journey, it’s relatively easy to give them a small of amount of bitcoin, Ethereum, or some other altcoin.
And what if you want to physically wrap something up instead of just emailing the details?
Well, there’s good news… You can give crypto through a gift card or a physical coin that contains a set amount of crypto.
Alternatively, you could buy someone a hardware wallet like a Ledger. You could even load some crypto on it ahead of time or show the recipient how to buy crypto on their own after they unwrap the present.
These are great learning opportunities for your kids!
Gift Idea No.4: Invest in On-line Learning Subscription
So now let’s shift slightly from the investment side of things to on-line business. For anyone with an on-line business, learning is vital. It is critically important to stay on top of what is going on, what is new and what the experts are doing.
And yet, you are so busy with your own business that you do not have time to read all the news and go down those bunny trails. You got work to do right?! And sometimes it is hard to find the right subscriptions, newsletters or blogs that provide up-to-date news, information or the content that you need.
This is a special offer that I recommend for the quality and content. They are offering a great holiday price and also providing a 2 for 1 subscription. So when you subscribe for yourself, you also get a 2nd subscription that you can provide to a friend or family member as a gift. The content is internet marketing news, interviews, commentary, tips and tricks, etc. And they do interview an industry expert each month which is extremely insightful and those 1-hour long podcast interviews are included. You can check out the subscription details here on teachable.
Gift Idea No.5: Invest in On-line Learning Courses
In staying with the learning theme, on-line courses offer a great opportunity and resource. There is so much to know when it comes to on-line businesses. We all have to where many hats, and it is hard to know everything. We all need resources that can get us directly to the specific information we need to get the job done and ultimately grow our business.
Here are a couple of courses I recommend that cover a lot of information, and are offered at a deep discount right now so are a great value.
First is a course for Advanced Affiliate Marketing SEO and Social Media. You can learn effect SEO and Social Media internet marketing strategies to help get the growth and traffic you need for your business. This is a very extensive course with 16.5 hours of lecture time and ranked 4.6 stars with 1,618 reviews. There is a discount code for 75% off which provides great value at only $17.25. Use discount code ’75POFF_2AP’ at checkout to get your 75% discount on teachable.
A second course to consider is for Personal Branding. This is another good course that you can learn how to grow your personal brand and become and influencer in your niche. This course also is ranked as 4.6 stars and is very extensive. You can get it for 80% discount with this holiday special discount code ’80OFFHOLIDAY’. Use the code at checkout on teachable.
Both courses are good learning opportunities at deep discounts. And they do have a good 30-day money back guarantee. We all must push ourselves to keep learning and growing if we are to not only survive, but thrive. Pick these course up now while they have these special holiday offers!
Gift Idea No.6: Invest in Valuable Business Opportunities
So if you have a family member who has an online business or is an aspiring online entrepreneur, providing them a “no cost” business opportunity may be an exciting gift for them, which provides new “no cost” opportunities. This final gift recommendation may sound a bit strange, however hear me out.
I purchased and thoroughly utilized this course for my own business. I found if very insightful, useful and worthwhile – certainly worth the money. Richard Legg has done some incredible things in marketing, and his course has a ton of information that any business can utilize. I have implemented many of the strategies provided in this course, and have found success in multiple ways. And yes, they are all “no cost” strategies, whereas you are not required to any additional products or platforms.
What brought me to put this on a gift list was the fact that it too has a great holiday special savings making even more attractive. You can get it here for only $19, which makes it a very affordable gift. And don’t let the price fool you. It is every bit worth it. I highly recommend this course at it’s previously discounted price of $97, but at $19 it is a no brainer! Again, a low cost gift, for a fraction of it’s regular price. And I personally guarantee that any business owner will find value in this course.
Closing Thoughts
I hope that some of these quick, last minute ideas may help fill those final gifts that you’re looking for. Above all, don’t stress. I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday season. Enjoy your time together and reflect on the things we have to be thankful for. You will be hearing from me again before the new year!
Best wishes to all!
Dave
Blog, Resources, Recommendations, Memberships