Managing a household can be extremely hectic for modern moms. This fact has only been supplemented by the current context of a global pandemic. With kids having online schooling and partners having work-from-home arrangements, often it can seem like there isn’t enough time to focus on oneself.
Balancing the demands of a professional work environment and responsibilities within the home can be exhausting especially for moms looking to jump-start their careers. Sacrificing one over the other might appear like the only way forward, leaving themselves confined to a single role.
This should not necessarily be the case for anybody. Fortunately, there are countless alternatives available for the modern woman who wants to have a fulfilling life both professionally and personally. Providing enough versatility to maintain a healthy work-life balance. One of these options is trading in financial markets.
Financial Markets
Financial markets, like any other existing market, provides an avenue for the buying and selling of goods. Unlike traditional markets that focus on tangible goods, however, this particular marketplace focuses on the trading of financial securities at the national and global levels.
There are various financial markets that are currently active. The nature of these markets can range from short-term to long-term orientations. Regardless, each financial market poses its own share of risks and rewards. Having an overview of these markets can prove to be vital for traders when choosing which one to invest in.
Foreign Exchange
The foreign exchange market, more commonly known as forex, is where currencies are traded. It is the largest investment market in the world. Commercial and investment banks often conduct forex trading on behalf of their clients. However, there are also opportunities for speculative trading between individual investors.
To get started in forex trading, an investor first needs to set up an account with a bank. There are different types depending on a number of things like the size of the initial investment and tolerance for risk.
A standard trading account is the most common where an investor simply puts in a specific amount of capital to trade from. A swap-free Islamic forex account, on the other hand, is for investors who cannot pay or earn interest by taking into consideration their religious beliefs.
Stock Market
The stock market is one of the more well-known financial markets to trade in. This is the marketplace where the buying and selling shares of publicly-held companies occur. The stock market primarily allows companies to raise money by offering their stocks to common investors. Common investors, on the other hand, can make profits through capital gains or earn money through dividends.
Trading in the stock market can often be done personally or through brokers. In terms of the stock market, investing and trading are two very different things. Investing often refers to gradually building stock shares long-term while trading maximizes daily returns through market fluctuations.
Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is one of the more recent financial markets that has been seeing constant ups and downs through recent years. A cryptocurrency primarily works using a technology called a blockchain. A blockchain is a decentralized technology that manages and records transactions.
The popularity of cryptocurrencies can be attributed to different features. Many deem it to be the currency of the future which is why investors are choosing to buy them now before they actually become valuable. Others find appeal in the security that the blockchain provides when conducting transactions.
To get involved in cryptocurrency trading, an investor must first have a digital wallet to store their cryptocurrency in. Identifying a cryptocurrency exchange, just like stock exchanges, to trade in would be the next step. Finally, purchase a particular cryptocurrency with real money then actively engage in trading.
Putting Things In Perspective
There was a significant increase in the number of people investing and trading in all kinds of various financial markets in 2020. This was largely driven by the pandemic since it triggered market corrections. A market correction is defined by price declines of at least 10% but not more than 20% of any market index.
Given the number of professionals who lost their jobs to the coronavirus, this particular occurrence served as the perfect opportunity for them to prompt their own investment journey. They sought to take advantage of the volatile state of markets.
Taking note of the important trends that might affect financial markets, this sudden surge will most likely continue into 2021. Multiple people are looking at different markets for alternative sources of income. Others are even trying to make a career out of trading.
None of these are new realities, per se. Investing and trading have been in practice for years. The technology that provides individuals, especially the modern woman, with the ability and accessibility to conduct these practices on their own is what sets this experience apart.
