Summer is finally here. Chirping birds are waking sleeping heads in the morning, the sun shines its rays through the window and rings in the day. I love this time of the year. It's the beginning of long, warm, sunny days, spending time outside, playing sports, barbecuing, and enjoying the sunset with a cold drink and in good company.
There's a saying in the investing world: Sell in May and go away. Trading volumes decrease over the summer months as many investors seek the beauty of this time of the year over sitting behind a screen and looking at numbers. This year, however, things have been a bit different and the stock market has again risen – though not breathtakingly, yet stock prices have climbed upwards. June has also been the month for a change of direction in the price of ethereum, crazy news on the value of education, some new payment systems such as Lydia, Venmo, Plynk, and the superiority of female investors. Millennials prefer ethical investments, the opportunites, dangers, and future of bitcoins, and some ideas for entrepreneurs. In the meantime, Nestle has bought a food startup called Freshly.
Enjoy some of the most interesting stories in June 2017 while, hopefully sitting on some beach:
1. This being Captain Finance, a blog about saving and investing, an article such as this is flabbergasting: Half a million dollar of student debt, foregoing getting married or having kids, because of an education simply seems wrong unless there really is a good return on your investment.
2. Related to student loans, a survey found that one sixth of adults feel unprepared to teach their children about finances, saving, and investing. It shows the importance of financial literacy. If you fancy testing your knowledge, here's a little quiz.
3. Maybe apps such as Plynk, Venmo, and Lydia help making money and finances more fun.
4. Americans and Scots have something else in common apart from their language, savings. 75% of Americans and Scots have savings for retirement and to cover emergency spendings. Now that I call good news.
5. We've seen so many successful female entrepreneurs since we started Captain Finance's monthly summaries. Now, a study shows that women aren't just great entrepreneurs, they are also fantastic investors.
6. Millennials, the new species. No matter what they do, they are apparently always so very different from their parents and grandparents. I don't know if that's really true, but if this article is correct, then it's great news. Millennials preferring impactful investments that can actually make a change in society and for the environment is certainly a very noble approach.
7. Cryptocurrencies. I remember writing the first article about bitcoins almost two years ago and seeing how far we have come fills me with joy. This is a good analysis of the dangers of cryptocurrencies and their massive potential once they are fully accepted by the mainstream.
8. For the time being, the major drop in Ethereum is a stark reminder of the journey that still lies ahead until cryptocurrencies are a fully fledged investment. Exciting they are nonetheless.
9. If you're a software engineer or security expert, or simply fancy getting into the security of homes, smart homes are apparently the new big opportunity for entrepreneurs.
10. If you fancy something more tasty, food startups keep raising massive amounts of money, time and time again. Just check out Nestle's new investment in Freshly.
