Deutschland: Die dümmste Energiepolitik der Welt

Deutlich spiegelt sich diese überhastete und ideologisch aufgeladene Energiepolitik vor allem in den rasant steigenden Strompreisen wider. Parallel hat sich der Gaspreis vervierfacht und die deutschen Gasspeicher sind so leer wie nie.

Von Marc Friedrich veröffentlicht am 17.01.2022

Das sage nicht nur ich, sondern auch das Wall Street Journal. Deutlich spiegelt sich diese überhastete und ideologisch aufgeladene Energiepolitik vor allem in den rasant steigenden Strompreisen wider. Aktuell zahlen wir Verbraucher 0,346 Euro pro kWh, damit zahlen wir den höchsten Strompreis der Welt. Tendenz weiter steigend, denn mit dem Ende des Jahres 2021 wurden in Deutschland weitere drei der letzten sechs Atomkraftwerke sowie einige Kohlekraftwerke im Zuge der übereilten Energiewende abgeschaltet, was die Gesamtsituation weiter verschärft. Parallel hat sich der Gaspreis vervierfacht und die deutschen Gasspeicher sind so leer wie nie. Zusätzlich wurde die Gaspipeline Nordstream 2 vorläufig auf Eis gelegt und man liefert sich gefährliche Wortgefechte mit Russland, von deren Gaslieferungen wir weitgehend abhängig ist. Also alles in allem suboptimal.

Der Chef des Instituts für Weltwirtschaft in Kiel, Prof. Dr. Stefan Kooths, attestiert der Politik ebenfalls ein Komplettversagen und dass sie sich in die eigene Tasche lügt – all das auf unsere Kosten. Nicht nur gefährden wir die Versorgungssicherheit des Landes sondern auch unsere Wettbewerbsfähigkeit.

Die Energiewende – eine kostspielige Fehlentscheidung

„Die Dummheit von Regierungen sollte niemals unterschätzt werden.“
Helmut Schmidt, ehemaliger Bundeskanzler

Die rot-grüne Regierung unter Gerhard Schröder beschloss im Jahr 2000 den Atomausstieg. Die nachfolgende Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel revidierte dies 2010 und verlängerte die Laufzeiten der Kernkraftwerke und besiegelte damit zunächst den Ausstieg aus dem Ausstieg. Nachdem am 11. März 2011 das Kernkraftwerk Fukushima in Japan durch ein Erdbeben und einen Tsunami teilweise zerstört wurde und es zu einer Nuklearkatastrophe kam, stellte die gesamte Welt die Atomenergie in Frage. Viele Reaktoren wurden vorübergehend stillgelegt. Auch in Deutschland stellte man sich die Frage nach einem Atomausstieg nun wieder vermehrt.

Zwei Wochen nach dem Unglück waren in meinem Heimat-Bundesland Baden-Württemberg Landtagswahlen und das Thema Atomausstieg war, neben Stuttgart 21, das bestimmende Thema schlechthin. Als es dann auch noch zu einem historischen Regierungswechsel in Baden-Württemberg zu Rot-Grün kam, die grüne Partei den Ministerpräsidenten stellte und entgegen allen Erwartungen die CDU nicht stärkste Kraft im Ländle blieb, herrschte in der Bundesregierung pure Panik. In einer Hauruckaktion verkündete Merkel am 30. Juni 2011 völlig überstürzt den Ausstieg aus dem Ausstieg aus dem Ausstieg. Ja, mir geht es wie Ihnen: Ich bin ausgestiegen …

Schon jetzt ist es Fakt, dass dies eine weitere historische Fehlentscheidung unserer Berufspolitiker war. Die Kritik wird von allen Seiten immer lauter – Bürger, Unternehmen und Verbände, aber auch der Bundesrechnungshof hält mit deutlichen Worten nicht hinter dem Berg: Die Energiewende werde schlecht koordiniert und gesteuert, entscheidende Verbesserungen seien „unumgänglich“, heißt es in einem Prüfbericht der Finanzkontrolle. In den letzten fünf Jahren seien dafür mindestens 160 Milliarden Euro aufgewendet worden. „Steigen die Kosten der Energiewende weiter und werden ihre Ziele weiterhin verfehlt, besteht das Risiko des Vertrauensverlustes in die Fähigkeit von Regierungshandeln.“

Die chaotische Energiewende kostet uns Bürger bis zum Jahr 2025 laut Institut für Wettbewerbsökonomiean der Universität Düsseldorf 520 Milliarden Euro – erst einmal! Wirtschaftsminister Peter Altmaier geht vonGesamtkosten bis Ende 2030 von einer Billion Euro aus! Das sind pro Bundesbürgerca. 10.000 Euro. Das Energiewendechaos zahlen wir, die Stromverbraucher.

Hinzu kommen noch die stetig steigenden Energiekosten – schon jetzt sind es die höchsten weltweit! Die Strompreise bei unserem atomaren Nachbarn in Frankreich sind 50 Prozent günstiger. Dafür sind wir abhängiger von russischem Gas geworden – und jetzt halten Sie sich fest: von französischem Strom (lol).

Die Energiewende ist purer Aktionismus, sie verläuft völlig chaotisch, ist teuer für alle und es kristallisiert sich immer mehr heraus, dass sie nicht nachhaltig ist sowie sogar unsere Energieversorgung gefährdet: Immer öfter kommt es zu Netzausfällen und die Gefahr für einen Blackout nimmt zu. In anderen Ländern ist das Gleich zu beobachten, und erste Maßnahmen, um gegenzusteuern, finden schon statt. Das die Ampel-Regierung nun eine Kehrtwende macht, darf bezweifelt werden. Zu sehr hat man sich auf das neue Narrativ eingeschossen. Wie konnte es soweit kommen?

Die energetische Zeitenwende

Weltweit haben sich die Staaten und selbst die Notenbanken einer Abkehr von fossilen Energieträgern und der massiven Reduzierung der Treibhausgase verpflichtet, um die Klimaerwärmung zu stoppen. Hierzu haben sich insgesamt 195 Staaten beim Pariser Klimaabkommen von 2015 darauf geeinigt, dass die Erderwärmung bis 2050 bei unter 2 Grad gestoppt werden soll, möglichst sogar bei 1,5 Grad, gemessen jeweils an den Zuständen in vorindustrieller Zeit. Dieser Vertrag soll alle fünf Jahre nachjustiert werden. Die EU hat sich besonders ambitionierte Ziele gesteckt. Obwohl sie bis dato bei fast jeder Krise versagt hat, schwingt sie sich nun auf, das Klima zu retten. Unter der zwar nicht zur Wahl aufgestellten und auch nicht gewählten, aber trotzdem ernannten EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen will das Staatenbündnis mit dem Green Deal die Netto-Emissionen von Treibhausgasen auf null reduzieren und damit der erste klimaneutrale Kontinent werden. Zuletzt hat die EU ihre Klimaziele gar weiter verschärft. Sie möchte die Treibhausgase bis 2030 um 55 Prozent senken statt bisher um 40 Prozent (im Vergleich zu 1990). Hierzu werden auch Gelder aus dem 750 Milliarden Euro schweren Corona-Aufbaufonds verwendet. 30 Prozent des Topfs sollen aufgewendet werden, um die Klimaziele zu erreichen.

Damit wir den CO2-Ausstoß reduzieren und die Pariser Klimaziele bis 2050 erreichen, benötigt die Welt saubere Energie. Bei sauberer Energie denkt man zuerst an klimaneutrale, erneuerbare Energien (Wasser, Wind, Sonne und Geothermie). Doch auch hierfür werden zunächst fossile Energien und klimaschädliche Ressourcen benötigt und verwendet. Dies muss in der Klimabilanz berücksichtigt werden. So haben Photovoltaik-Anlagen nach circa drei Jahren eine ausgeglichene Energiebilanz und Windkraftanlagen mit einer Energierücklaufzeit (so der technische Terminus) nach bis zu maximal ??? wie viele? Bitte nachfragen Monaten.

Der Anteil an regenerativen Energien am Strommix in Deutschland steigt immer weiter. Im ersten Halbjahr 2020 lag der Anteil in Deutschland bei einem Rekordwert von 55,8 Prozent. Im windreichen Februar 2020 waren es sogar 61,8 Prozent! Allerdings auf das Gesamtjahr 2020 gesehen, waren es dann nur 47 Prozent. 2021 war äußerst windarm und die Quote fiel auf 43 Prozent zurück.

Der Nachteil der alternativen Energielieferanten ist allerdings offenkundig: Die damit gewonnenen Energiemengen hängen von den Sonnenschein- und Windverhältnissen ab und lassen sich kaum bedarfsgerecht speichern. Das Aufkommen ist zwar kurzfristig einigermaßen vorhersehbar, aber es ist nicht nach Belieben steuerbar.

Das Speicherproblem

Was tun also bei Nacht und bei einer Flaute – also dann, wenn keine Sonne scheint und kein Wind weht? Deutschland verfügt momentan über circa 30.000 Windräder. Aber sie liefern bei Windstille keinen Strom! Auch wenn sich die Anzahl an Windrädern verdoppeln oder verdreifachen würde, würde sich daran nichts ändern. 90.000 Windräder mit null Wind ergeben null Stromausbeute. Dasselbe gilt für Solarstrom. Ohne Sonne kein Strom!

Leider sind Pufferkapazitäten nicht möglich. Nochmals: Erneuerbare Energien können nicht beliebig nach Bedarf zu jeder Tages- und Nachtzeit gewonnen werden. Solarstrom fällt an, wenn die Sonne scheint, Windenergie gibt es bei einer Flaute nicht. Wie kann an sonnenreichen Tagen oder wenn der Wind kräftig bläst, die überschüssige Energie zwischen gespeichert werden? Hier fehlt noch eine nachhaltige Lösung. Deutschland muss an windreichen Tagen Überkapazitäten ans Ausland verschenken oder sogar den Abnehmer dafür bezahlen, dass der Strom abgenommen wird, ansonsten würde das Netz zusammenbrechen. Dies ist natürlich komplett irrational. Denn wenn dann eine Flaute da ist, muss Deutschland teilweise, um die Grundlastfähigkeit zu erhalten, teuren Strom oftmals aus fossilen oder nuklearen Energiequellen aus dem Ausland (Polen, Tschechien, Frankreich) wieder einkaufen. Dies wird in der Ökobilanz nicht berücksichtigt.

Infokasten:

Die Grundlastfähigkeit ist das Minimum an Elektrizität, die benötigt wird, um die Stromversorgung kontinuierlich und zuverlässig zu sichern. Dabei wird die niedrigsteTagesbelastung eines Stromnetzes herangezogen. Zur Deckung der Grundlast werden jene Technologien verwendet, die die betreffende Leistung konstant liefern können. Es handelt sich dabei vor allem um Atom-, Kohle-, Gas- und Ölkraftwerke. Nicht grundlastfähig sind wegen der schwankenden Produktionsmengen Photovoltaik- und Windkraftanlagen. Die einzige grundlastfähige Stromerzeugung aus erneuerbaren Energien ist ein Wasserkraftwerk – aber Wasserkraft steht nicht überall zur Verfügung, und der Bau eines solchen Kraftwerkes ist mit einem groben Eingriff in die Natur verbunden.

Aktuell gibt es nur eine wirtschaftliche Lösung, um Strom aus Sonne und Wind zu speichern: Pumpspeicher. Allerdings besteht hier nur ein begrenztes Ausbaupotenzial. Aus diesem Grund wird an alternativen Speichertechnologien geforscht, zum Beispiel an Druckluftspeichern, Power-to-Gas-Technologie, bei der Wasser mittels Elektrolyse in Wasserstoff umgewandelt wird, und an Batterien als Speichermedien. Bei all diesen Ansätzen besteht aber noch ein erheblicher Forschungs- und Entwicklungsbedarf, bevor sie in der Praxis in größerem Umfang einsatzfähig sind. Dies kann noch Jahre oder gar Jahrzehnte dauern.

Die Elektrowelle

Durch die Elektrifizierung des Autos steigt der Strombedarf zusätzlich, und immer mehr Staaten verbannen den Verbrennermotor. Der Verkauf soll verboten werden, um die strikten Klimaziele zu erreichen:

Auch das Autoland Japan will bis 2035 alle „Stinker“ von der Straße verbannen und den Ottomotor verbieten.[1]

Das Elektroauto scheint momentan die Antwort zu sein, wenn es um die Mobilität der Zukunft geht. Meiner Meinung nach ist das Ende aber noch offen. Weder ist die Infrastruktur noch genügend Strom (vor allem nachhaltiger Strom) vorhanden, um die Welt elektrisch zu bewegen. Für den Bau und Betrieb eines ökologisch korrekten Autos sind viele seltene Erden notwendig, die nicht nur die Ökobilanz verhageln sondern auch endlich und damit mehr oder weniger schnell erschöpft sind. Das E-Auto muss mindestens acht Jahre gefahren werden, bis es klimaneutral ist. Marktführer und Vorreiter ist Elon Musks Firma „Tesla“ welche aktuell an der Börse mehr wert ist, als alle anderen Autofirmen zusammen!

All diese Entwicklungen haben auch zu einem Umdenken bei den alteingesessenen Autoherstellern geführt und zeigen die gewaltige Transformation, in der sich eine der wichtigsten deutschen Schlüsselindustrien und damit auch Deutschland als Wirtschaftsstandort befindet. Daimler, Porsche, Opel, Audi und Volkswagen sind dabei, ihr Angebot in einer milliardenschweren Kraftanstrengung komplett umzukrempeln. So will VW bis 2025 komplett auf Elektromotoren umstellen.[2] Ob diese Mühen mit Erfolg belohnt werden, wird sich zeigen.

Deutschland schaltet ab – alle andere schalten an

Um die Energieversorgung sicherzustellen und emissionsfrei und sauber Strom zu produzieren, werden anderswo immer mehr Kernkraftwerke gebaut und reaktiviert. Weltweit befinden sich momentan 54 Kernkraftwerke im Bau. Über 200 weitere sind geplant. Zusätzlich reaktivieren immer mehr Länder ihre abgestellten Kernkraftwerke und/oder bauen sogar neue:

  • Schweden musste in der Not ein bereits abgestelltes Atomkraftwerk wieder ans Netz nehmen, um die Stromversorgung zu sichern.[3] Etwas Ähnliches könnte Deutschland drohen.
  • Die Niederlande mussten ebenso ein Atomkraftwerk reaktivieren. Sie planen nun sogar den Bau von zehn neuen Kraftwerken und bringen den Nachbarn Deutschland damit unter Druck.[4],[5]
  • Auch in Großbritannien wird ein neues Kernkraftwerk gebaut – im Übrigen mit deutscher Hilfe.[6]
  • Das Kohle gespeiste Land Polen plant erstmalig den Bau mehrerer AKWs.[7]
  • Ungarn, Rumänien, Tschechien, Bulgarien und die Slowakei wollen der Kohle den Rücken kehren und setzen u.a. auf Atomenergie.[8]
  • Selbst die ölreichen Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate erkennen, dass die Ölreserven sich dem Ende neigen werden und haben im August 2020 ihr erstes AKW eingeweiht – auch eine Premiere für die gesamte arabische Welt.[9] Drei weitere werden in den nächsten Jahren folgen.
  • Ägypten will sein erstes AKW 2026 anschalten.
  • US-Präsident Joe Biden setzt auf die kleinen und sicheren Mini-Akws der vierten Generation (SmallModular Reactors SMR.)[10]

Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass kein Land der Welt Deutschland auf seinem Weg folgen wird, radikal seine sichere Energieversorgung zu zerstören.

Die Welt braucht saubere Energie – die Welt braucht Kernkraft

Der Energiekonsum hat sich in den letzten Dekaden immer weiter verdoppelt. Ein Großteil kommt immer noch von fossilen Brennträgern wie Gas, Kohle und Öl. Ca. 11 Prozent stammen aktuell aus der Atomkraft. Durch die Forderung, klimaneutral zu werden und saubere Elektrizität zu erzeugen, wird der Bedarf nach emissionsfreien Alternativen, die auch zuverlässig sind, immer größer. Parallel dazu wird der Bedarf weiter steigen durch die Digitalisierung und die Elektrorevolution.

Zudem hat die Forschung keine Pause eingelegt, und so ist die nächste Generation der Kernkraftwerke noch effizienter und sicherer. Selbst das erdbebengeplagte Japan hat abgeschaltete Reaktoren wiederbelebt und plant neue Atomkraftwerke.[11]

Durch den Trend, die fossilen Energieträger zu verbannen und schadstofffreie Lösungen zu fördern, wird die Kernenergie weiter befördert. Immerhin ist die Kernenergie momentan der einzige grundlastfähige Energieträger, der den Spagat zwischen steigendem Stromverbrauch und emissionsfreier Energieerzeugung meistern kann, und Uran ist hierfür unersetzlich.

All das führt zu einer Schlussfolgerung: Momentan führt am Uran kein Weg vorbei.

Selbst wenn „verstrahlte“ und weltfremde Experten und Politiker das Ende der Atomkraft ausgerufen haben – damit lagen sie wieder einmal völlig daneben. Das Gegenteil ist richtig: Das Atomkraft-Zeitalter scheint gerade erst richtig zu beginnen.

Global gibt es 442 Reaktoren in 31 Ländern (Stand Februar 2021).

17 weitere Länder werden in den nächsten Jahren dazu stoßen (Ägypten, Jordanien, Türkei, Indonesien).

Die USA betreiben mit 95 Anlagen die meisten Atomkraftwerke. China hat 49, baut gerade aber 54 weitere Reaktoren, um seinen immensen Energiehunger als Werkbank der Welt zu stillen. Bis 2050 will die Regierung im Reich der Mitte sage und schreibe 230 weitere AKWs bauen.

Weltweit sind aktuell 112 Atomkraftwerke im Bau und 330 in Planung (Stand Dezember 2021).[12]

Fakt ist:

Ohne Atomkraft ist es unmöglich, die Pariser Klimaziele zu erreichen! Man darf gespannt sein, wann die deutsche Politik von ihrem teuren Sonderweg abkommt. Bis dahin müssen wir, die Bürger, die Zeche bezahlen durch steigende Strompreise und sinkende Wettbewerbsfähigkeit.

Quelle: https://www.friedrich-partner.de/blog-post/deutschland-die-dummste-energiepolitik-der-welt geladen am 11.02.2022

What Is Cryptocurrency?

A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that is secured by cryptography, which makes it nearly impossible to counterfeit or double-spend. Many cryptocurrencies are decentralized networks based on blockchain technology—a distributed ledger enforced by a disparate network of computers. A defining feature of cryptocurrencies is that they are generally not issued by any central authority, rendering them theoretically immune to government interference or manipulation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • A cryptocurrency is a form of digital asset based on a network that is distributed across a large number of computers. This decentralized structure allows them to exist outside the control of governments and central authorities.
  • Experts believe that blockchain and related technology will disrupt many industries, including finance and law.
  • The advantages of cryptocurrencies include cheaper and faster money transfers and decentralized systems that do not collapse at a single point of failure.
  • The disadvantages of cryptocurrencies include their price volatility, high energy consumption for mining activities, and use in criminal activities.

Watch Now: What Is Cryptocurrency?

Understanding Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies underpinned by cryptographic systems. They enable secure online payments without the use of third-party intermediaries. “Crypto” refers to the various encryption algorithms and cryptographic techniques that safeguard these entries, such as elliptical curve encryption, public-private key pairs, and hashing functions.

Cryptocurrencies can be mined or purchased from cryptocurrency exchanges. Not all e-commerce sites allow purchases using cryptocurrencies. In fact, cryptocurrencies, even popular ones like Bitcoin, are hardly used for retail transactions. However, the skyrocketing value of cryptocurrencies has made them popular as trading instruments. To a limited extent, they are also used for cross-border transfers.

Blockchain

Central to the appeal and functionality of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is blockchain technology. As its name indicates, blockchain is essentially a set of connected blocks or an online ledger. Each block contains a set of transactions that have been independently verified by each member of the network. Every new block generated must be verified by each node before being confirmed, making it almost impossible to forge transaction histories.1The contents of the online ledger must be agreed upon by the entire network of an individual node, or computer maintaining a copy of the ledger.

Experts say that blockchain technology can be used in multiple industries, such as supply chain, and processes like online voting and crowdfunding. Financial institutions such as JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) are testing the use of blockchain technology to lower transaction costs by streamlining payment processing.2

Types of Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin is the most popular and valuable cryptocurrency. It was invented by an anonymous person called Satoshi Nakamoto and was introduced to the world via a white paper in 2008. There are thousands of cryptocurrencies present in the market today.

Each cryptocurrency claims to have a different function and specification. For example, Ethereum’s ether markets itself as gas for the underlying smart contract platform. Ripple’s XRP is used by banks to facilitate transfers between different geographies.

Bitcoin, which was made available to the public in 2009, remains the most widely-traded and covered cryptocurrency. As of November 2021, there were over 18.8 million bitcoins in circulation with a total market cap of around $1.2 trillion. Only 21 million bitcoins will ever exist.3

In the wake of Bitcoin’s success, many other cryptocurrencies, known as “altcoins,” have been launched. Some of these are clones or forks of Bitcoin, while others are new currencies that were built from scratch. They include Solana, Litecoin, Ethereum, Cardano, and EOS. By November 2021, the aggregate value of all the cryptocurrencies in existence had reached over $2.1 trillion—Bitcoin represented approximately 41% of the total value.4

Are Cryptocurrencies Legal?

Fiat currencies derive their authority as a medium of transaction from the government or monetary authorities. For example, each dollar bill is backstopped by the Federal Reserve.

But cryptocurrencies are not backed by any public or private entities. Therefore, it has been difficult to make a case for their legal status in different financial jurisdictions of the world. It doesn’t help matters that cryptocurrencies have largely functioned outside most existing financial infrastructure. The legal status of cryptocurrencies has implications for their use in daily transactions and trading. In June 2019, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommended that wire transfers of cryptocurrencies should be subject to the requirements of Travel Rule, which requires AML compliance.5

As of December 2021, El Salvador was the only country in the world to allow Bitcoin as legal tender for monetary transactions. In the rest of the world, cryptocurrency regulation varies by jurisdiction.

Japan’s Payment Services Act defines Bitcoin as legal property.6 Cryptocurrency exchanges operating in the country are subject to collect information about the customer and details relating to the wire transfer. China has banned cryptocurrency exchanges and mining within its borders. India was reported to be formulating a framework for cryptocurrencies in December.7

Cryptocurrencies are legal in the European Union. Derivatives and other products that use cryptocurrencies will need to qualify as “financial instruments.” In June 2021, the Commission released the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation that sets safeguards for regulation and establishes rules for companies or vendors providing financial services using cryptocurrencies.8 Within the United States, the biggest and most sophisticated financial market in the world, crypto derivatives like Bitcoin Futures are available at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has said that Bitcoin and Ethereum are not securities.

Although cryptocurrencies are considered a form of money, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) treats them as a financial asset or property. And, as with most other investments, if you reap capital gains in selling or trading cryptocurrencies, the government wants a piece of the profits. On May 20, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced a proposal that would require taxpayers to report any cryptocurrency transaction of and above $10,000 to the IRS.9 How exactly proceeds would be taxed—as capital gains or ordinary income—depends on how long the taxpayer held the cryptocurrency.10

Advantages and Disadvantages of Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrencies were introduced with the intent to revolutionize financial infrastructure. As with every revolution, however, there are tradeoffs involved. At the current stage of development for cryptocurrencies, there are many differences between the theoretical ideal of a decentralized system with cryptocurrencies and its practical implementation.

Here are some advantages and disadvantages of cryptocurrencies are as follows.

Advantages

  • Cryptocurrencies represent a new, decentralized paradigm for money. In this system, centralized intermediaries, such as banks and monetary institutions, are not necessary to enforce trust and police transactions between two parties. Thus, a system with cryptocurrencies eliminates the possibility of a single point of failure, such as a large bank, setting off a cascade of crises around the world, such as the one that was triggered in 2008 by the failure of institutions in the United States.
  • Cryptocurrencies promise to make it easier to transfer transfer funds directly between two parties, without the need for a trusted third party like a bank or a credit card company. Such decentralized transfers are secured by the use of public keys and private keys and different forms of incentive systems, like Proof of Work or Proof of Stake.11
  • Because they do not use third-party intermediaries, cryptocurrency transfers between two transacting parties are faster as compared to standard money transfers. An example of such decentralized transfers are flash loans in decentralized finance. These loans, which are processed without backing collateral, can be executed within seconds and are used in trading.12
  • Cryptocurrency investments can be used to generate profits. Cryptocurrency markets have skyrocketed in value, reaching almost $2 trillion at one point of time, in the past decade. As of Dec. 20, 2021, Bitcoin was valued at more than $862 billion in crypto markets.13
  • One of the most prominent use cases of cryptocurrencies is being tested in the remittance economy. Currently, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are used as intermediate currencies to streamline money transfers across borders. Thus, a fiat currency is converted to bitcoin (or other cryptocurrency) and transferred across borders and, subsequently, converted to the destination fiat currency. This method streamlines the money transfer process and makes it cheaper.

Disadvantages

  • While they claim to be an anonymous form of transaction, cryptocurrencies are actually pseudonymous. They leave a digital trail that can be deciphered by agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This opens up possibilities of governments or federal authorities tracking the financial transactions of ordinary citizens. 14
  • Cryptocurrencies have become a popular tool with criminals for nefarious activities such as money laundering and illicit purchases. The case of Dread Pirate Roberts, who ran a marketplace to sell drugs on the Dark Web, is already well known. Cryptocurrencies have also become a favorite with hackers who use them for ransomware activities.15
  • In theory, cryptocurrencies are meant to be decentralized, their wealth distributed between many parties on a blockchain. In reality, ownership is highly concentrated. For example, an MIT study found that roughly 45% of Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency whose value has surged in recent times, is held by just 11,000 investors.16
  • One of the conceits of cryptocurrencies is that they can be mined by anyone using a computer with an internet connection. However, mining popular cryptocurrencies requires considerable energy, sometimes as much as that consumed by entire countries. The expensive energy costs, coupled with the unpredictability of mining, has concentrated mining among large firms whose revenues running into billions of dollars. According to an MIT study, 10% of miners account for 90% of its mining capacity.16
  • While cryptocurrency blockchains are highly secure, other crypto repositories, such as exchanges and wallets, can be hacked. Many cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets have been hacked over the years, sometimes with millions of dollars worth of “coins” stolen.17
  • Cryptocurrencies traded in public markets suffer from price volatility. Bitcoin has experienced rapid surges and crashes in its value, climbing to as high as $17,738 in December 2017 before dropping to $7,575 in the following months.3 Cryptocurrencies are thus considered by some economists to be a short-lived fad or speculative bubble.

$862.1 billion

Total market cap of Bitcoin, as of Dec. 20, 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Cryptocurrency in Simple Words?

Cryptocurrencies are digitals assets and decentralized systems that allow for secure online payments.

How Do You Get Cryptocurrency?

Any investor can purchase cryptocurrency from popular crypto exchanges like Coinbase, apps like Cash app, or through brokers. Another popular way to invest in cryptocurrencies is through financial derivatives, such as CME’s Bitcoin futures, or through other instruments, such as Bitcoin Trusts and Bitcoin ETFs.

What Is the Point of Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrencies are a new paradigm for money. Their promise is to streamline existing financial architecture to make it faster and cheaper. Their technology and architecture decentralize existing monetary systems and makes it possible for transacting parties to exchange value and money without the use of intermediary institutions like banks.

Can You Generate Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrencies are generated by mining. For example, Bitcoin is generated using Bitcoin mining. The process involves downloading software that contains a partial or full history of transactions that have occurred in its network. While anyone with a computer and an internet connection can mine cryptocurrency, the energy- and resource-intensive nature of mining means that the industry is dominated by large firms.

Bitcoin is by far the most popular cryptocurrency, followed by other cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum, Binance Coin, Solana, and Cardano.

Are Cryptocurrencies Securities?

The SEC has saikd that Bitcoin and Ethereum, the top two cryptocurrencies by market cap, are not securities. It has not commented on the status of other cryptocurrencies.

Investing in cryptocurrencies and other Initial Coin Offerings (“ICOs”) is highly risky and speculative, and this article is not a recommendation by Investopedia or the writer to invest in cryptocurrencies or other ICOs. Since each individual’s situation is unique, a qualified professional should always be consulted before making any financial decisions. Investopedia makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or timeliness of the information contained herein.

Source: https://pmarketweb.wordpress.com/2021/12/23/all-about-cryptomarket loaded 06.02.2022

Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) Explained

This article was originally published by Saveonenergy.com on 01/25/2022

What is the Solar Investment Tax Credit?

In 2022, the solar investment tax credit, or ITC, offers a federal tax credit of 26% when you install solar panels on your property. The ITC has many names. When doing your research, you may see mentions of the federal solar tax credit, IRS solar tax credit, solar tax credit, solar ITC, or the investment tax credit. These terms are all referring to the same thing.

Keep reading to find out how the solar tax credit can help you save on your 2022 taxes, what you need to qualify, and how to apply.

Solar Investment Tax Credit Extension in 2022

The ITC was created in 2005 and originally offered a hefty 30% tax credit benefit. In the almost two decade history of the solar tax credit, the credit ratio has been lowered by just 4%.

In relation, the price of installing residential solar panels has steadily declined since the launch of the tax credit, with some reports estimating a reduction in costs by up to 90% in the past decade. So, the value of the solar tax credit in 2022 is arguably even greater than in past years. But the federal tax credit for solar likely won’t be around forever.

Qualifying for the Solar Tax Credit

Many types of homes and apartments qualify for the solar tax credit, including single-family homes, mobile and manufactured homes, apartments and condominiums. Other less-traditional structures, such as houseboats, and cooperative apartments can qualify for the IRS solar tax credit as well. 

You can even claim the solar ITC for rental properties you own, as long as you live there for a portion of the year. In this case, the percentage you can claim will depend on the amount of time you reside in your rental property each year. For example, if you live at your rental property for half of the year, and rent it out the other half of the year, you will be allowed to claim 50% of the IRS tax credit. 

However, solar consumers who lease their system or enter into a solar power purchase agreement (PPA), are not eligible for the ITC. The federal tax credit for solar is only available if you purchase your solar energy system. If you do not own your solar setup, then the company that does own it is able to claim the solar ITC. 

Solar Tax Credit Requirements

  • You installed, or will install, a solar panel system between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2023.
  • The solar system is installed on your primary or secondary place of residence.
  • You own the solar system and did not lease it or sign a power purchase agreement.
  • You invested in a portion of a community solar project and the energy it generates is credited against and does not exceed your home’s electricity usage.
  • The solar system is new or is installed for the first time. You do not qualify for the ITC if you bought a home that already has a solar system installed, for example.

Although solar panels are top of mind for most people when it comes to solar energy, the solar ITC covers several types of energy-saving hardware, as well as some labor costs. So, supplementary solar equipment, such as tangential solar roof products, and solar power storage, such as batteries, can also help you reach the maximum 26% federal solar deduction in 2022.

Applying for the Solar Tax Credit

Filing for the solar tax credit in 2022 isn’t too difficult. You will have to fill out and return IRS form 5695. The IRS also provides a printable worksheet with instructions to calculate your expenses and limitations to aid in filling out form 5695. Here’s everything you need:

If you’re out of practice or new to filling out tax forms, worry not. Just remember to keep all receipts. There are also YouTube videos that offer instructions on filling out form 5695. And online tax software, such as Turbotax, will have this form available as well. 

There is no extra cost to apply for the solar tax credit (other than the ordinary costs you might incur from getting your taxes done and mailing in forms). Once you’ve sent in your taxes, you should hear back about the result of your IRS solar tax credit in the standard time it takes to receive your federal tax return.

Let’s zoom out for a moment and look at the big picture to get a better idea of how the solar tax credit can help you. Even after receiving your federal tax credit for your new solar panel system, savings will continue to roll in over the long term. Residual savings should add up pretty quickly thanks to the low electricity rates solar owners enjoy. By going green and using the renewable energy of the sun, green electricity rates will keep your monthly electricity bill lower for years to come.

How to claim your IRS Solar Tax Credit

Now that you know how you can benefit from the federal solar tax credit, it is important to understand how you will be receiving your rebate from the IRS. 

The IRS offers this refund as a tax credit, which means you will not receive a check for the money you spent. You will, however, receive your savings in the form of a credit on your taxes. So, hypothetically, if you were to file your taxes and ended up owing $4,000 in federal taxes, but you qualified for $3,900 in tax credits due to the solar tax credit, then you would only have to pay the difference of $100 in federal taxes. 

Some solar businesses, such as Tesla, are making it even easier to claim your IRS solar tax credit by bundling solar purchases — such as solar panels and batteries. Check to see if your local solar provider offers bundling as an option to make it easier to keep track of your expenses and file for your ITC. 

However, remember you will not receive any credits or refunds if you do not owe federal taxes. 

You also cannot apply the federal tax credit to state taxes. If you owe federal taxes, but in a lesser amount than your credit, you will only receive a credit up to the amount you owe. Fortunately, the solar ITC can carry over to the next tax year. And, if you previously met the criteria for the solar ITC but forgot to claim it, you can file an amended tax return for last year to get your solar tax credit.

Solar Tax Credit carryover in 2022

If you are interested in claiming the solar ITC, you will need to do so for the same tax year that your home solar system is installed. This means that if you purchased solar panels at the end of 2021 and the installation isn’t complete until January 2022, you will claim the solar tax credit on your 2022 tax return.

So, what if the value of the solar tax credit is more than you owe in income taxes? While you can’t use the tax credit to receive money back from the IRS, the solar tax credit rollover lets you roll the tax credit back one year and carry the solar ITC forward for up to 20 years. So, if you didn’t owe federal taxes last year, you can still claim the solar tax credit on this year’s tax return. And if the solar ITC credits you more than you owe in federal taxes, you will receive the difference in the next tax year until the credit is fully claimed.

For example, if the solar ITC credits you $3,000 when you owe $2,500 in taxes, that extra $500 from the solar tax credit would roll over into the next tax year. That means you wouldn’t have to pay anything in the current tax year, and you will receive a $500 credit on next year’s taxes as well.

Solar Tax Credit Cost Savings

The solar tax credit has not only helped consumers to save on the cost of solar panels, it has also fueled the growth of the renewable energy market. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), “since the ITC was enacted in 2006, the U.S. solar industry has grown by more than 10,000%.” By taking advantage of the 2022 solar tax credit this year, you can join the over half a million homes and businesses that have taken the step towards energy independence, encouraged job creation in the solar market, and saved on their energy bills. 

The solar ITC can make installing solar panels a strategic investment, but it won’t mean getting your solar energy system entirely free. You will still have either upfront or monthly payments, depending on if you finance your system, purchase your system upfront, or lease your solar panels. 

If you’ve been thinking about joining the thousands of people that already benefit from solar energy, using the solar tax credit in 2022 is a great way to lower the cost of a solar system. The average solar panel system costs between $15,000—$25,000, which would make the 26% tax credit worth anywhere from $3,900—$6,500.

The ITC is expected to lower to 22% in 2023 and expire in 2024. The good news is that if you start now, you still have ample time to do your solar research without feeling like you have to make an impulse buy. Make this year the one where you benefit from this exclusive IRS tax credit by getting solar for your home.

Remember, this is a federal incentive for solar energy systems, which means you can claim it no matter which state you live in. Check to determine whether your state offers additional deductions for solar builds to compound your savings even more.

Select your state below to learn more about solar panel pricing and incentives in your area.

Solar energy by state

Source: https://www.saveonenergy.com/solar-energy/solar-tax-credit loaded 03.02.2022

Digital Rupee to be issued by Indian RBI

India: Digital Rupee to be issued by RBI; Gains from digital assets to be taxed at 30%

Lavina DaryananiFebruary 1, 2022

Think of this situation – It is eight in the evening and there is an announcement made that from here on, all rupee notes are being withdrawn and replaced with a digital currency called CBDR or a Central Bank Digital Rupee. People needn’t fret out and have a week’s time to visit any branch of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) or any public sector bank and exchange all their currency for digital rupees. They wouldn’t be interrogated.

An account would be opened with the RBI, and based on one’s official Aadhaar card and PAN card details, the amount would be automatically transferred to it for access through a registered mobile phone. The transaction would take just a few minutes and one can step out of the branch with money loaded on one’s handset. Does this sound whimsical? It might sound so, but at the same time, might turn into reality too.

Presenting the Union Budget 2022-23 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that India’s RBI would be launching a digital currency, which will be a digital rupee in 2022-23. She said,

“RBI to issue digital rupee using blockchain technology in FY22-23.”

She also emphasized the fact that this would give a big boost to the economy.

Further elaborating on the purpose of introduction, the minister of state from the finance ministry said,

“Introduction of CBDC has the potential to provide significant benefits, such as reduced dependency on cash, higher seigniorage due to lower transactions costs, reduced settlement risk. Introduction of CBDC would also possibly lead to a more robust, efficient, trusted, regulated and legal tender-based payments option. There are also associated risks which need to be carefully evaluated against the potential benefits.”

India isn’t the only country attempting to implement a digital legal tender system. Central banks all across the world are testing out these waters, with China’s digital yuan leading the race for now.

However, the highly anticipate Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill did not find a place yet again in the tentative list of 15 proposed legislations. Opining on the same, Ritesh Kumar, Partner, IndusLaw said,

“Non introduction of crypto-currency bill in the current session is on expected lines given that the Government has not taken a final call on the legal sanity of crypto-currency.”

Nonetheless, Nirmala Sitharaman announced a 30% tax on any income from the transfer of virtual digital assets, specifying that no deductions and exemptions would be allowed.

The gifts are to be taxed on the hands of the recipient, she said, adding that there’d also be a 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) on the payments made for the transfer of digital assets. It was also announced that any loss made on the transaction of such digital assets cannot be set off against any other gain.

“Any income from virtual digital assets is taxable at 30%… There will be no deduction with exception of the cost of acquisition. The TDS is applicable beyond a specified monetary threshold, and the gift of virtual currencies is taxable in the hands of the recipient.”

While the Indian community rejoiced with the current development, some of the key crypto proponents in the subcontinent raised their doubts and hinted that it may not pan out over time. Naimish Sanghvi, founder of CoinCrunch India, stated.

However, it should be noted that the Indian government has been keen about the CBDC prospects for quite some time now. For instance, earlier in August this year, RBI governor Shaktikanta Das had asserted that the trials for the introduction of the official digital currency would likely begin in December. Back then he had stated,

“I think by the end of the year, we should be able to – we would be in a position, perhaps – to start our first trials.”

Source: https://watcher.guru/news/indias-rbi-to-launch-digital-rupee-in-2022-23 loaded 02.02.2022

How To Manage your Email Subscriptions with HubSpot

Following this tutorial on Email Marketing, we decided to administer our email subscriptions with an external email service provider.

We found a match in two advertising articles, Constant Contact, but did not pick it because of missing support.

Instead, we registered with HubSpot on 28.01.2022:

We installed the HubSpot All-in-One Marketing – Forms, Pop-ups, Live Chat WordPress plugin on our website https://schmitt-trading.com.

The out-of-the-box installation of the plugin automatically installed the HubSpot tracking code on our WordPress website.

As the website with the pages and blog posts was already finished, the tracking code was injected by the plugin.

From now on, the email subscription on our website https://schmitt-trading.com goes into HubSpot.

The very easy email subscription workflow goes like this:

Visit https://schmitt-trading.com:

Enter your email address in the subscription field and confirm with Subscribe:

Check your email inbox and confirm the subscription:

The confirmation is sent to your email box:

Install and use the HubSpot WordPress plugin

Last updated: August 3, 2021

The HubSpot All-In-One Marketing – Forms, Popups, Live Chat WordPress plugin allows you to easily connect your WordPress site and HubSpot account. With the plugin, the HubSpot tracking code is automatically added to your WordPress pages, and you can access many of HubSpot’s tools directly from your WordPress account.

To install and use the plugin, your account must meet the following requirements:

Please note: to install the plugin you must enable third party cookies in your browser and disable any add-ins or extensions that block third party cookies in your browser.

Here’s documentation from all the major browsers on how to enable third party cookies:

Install the plugin

You can add the plugin directly from your WordPress account following the instructions below, or download the plugin as a .zip file and upload it to your account.

Please note: if you would prefer to install the plugin from a zip file, download the plugin here, then upload the plugin in your WordPress account.

  • Click Activate Plugin.
  • In the left sidebar menu, navigate to HubSpot. wordpress-plugin-update-hubspot-sidebar
  • Click Log in to your account to finish the installation process. If you haven’t set up a HubSpot account yet, you’ll be prompted to create one.

If you need to change the HubSpot account connected to the plugin:

  • In the left sidebar menu, navigate to HubSpot > Settings.
  • Below the Connected to HubSpot Hub ID field, click Disconnect this account. wordpress-plugin-hubspot-account-information-in-plugin
  • In the dialog box, click Yes, Disconnect, then click Ok.

Once you’ve successfully installed the HubSpot All-In-One Marketing – Forms, Popups, Live Chat, you can create HubSpot forms from WordPress, and, if you created a new account, log in to HubSpot to access the rest of your free tools in HubSpot’s CRM platform.

Use the plugin

Once you’ve successfully installed the plugin, you can create forms, monitor new contacts and create lists from within your WordPress account.

On the left panel in your WordPress account, you have access to the following:

Please note: in some cases, the live chat widget may impact page load times on your WordPress site. Learn more about the factors that impact page load times

Source: https://knowledge.hubspot.com/integrations/install-the-hubspot-wordpress-plugin loaded 28.01.2022

7 Best Email Marketing Services for Small Business (2022)

Last updated on January 1st, 2022 by Editorial Staff | Reader Disclosure

Is email marketing a priority for your business in 2022? Are you looking for the best email marketing software?

Choosing the right email marketing service can have a significant impact on the success of your marketing campaign.

In this article, we will review and compare the 7 best email marketing services for small businesses.

Best email marketing services compared

Why Choosing The Best Email Marketing Service is Important?

Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategy for small businesses. According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing on average sees a 4300 percent return on investment (ROI) for businesses in the United States.

This is because email marketing is easy to manage, gives you full control, and allows you to establish a direct contact with your customers.

Not convinced on email marketing? See these 6 reasons why building an email list is so important today.

It’s important to understand that a lot of your success with email marketing depends entirely on the email marketing software you choose because they are responsible for making sure that your emails actually get delivered.

If you aren’t careful, then you will end up paying a lot more money for fewer marketing features and terrible email deliverability rates (which causes you to lose even more money).

What to Look for in a Good Email Marketing Tool?

A good email marketing service should enable you to create highly engaging email newsletters with an easy user interface (ideally drag-and-drop editor).

You should be able to easily send bulk emails that are actually personalized and targeted without a lot of work. This is also known as marketing automation.

Aside from that, your email marketing service must make it easy to manage your contact list, segment users into groups, and track the performance of your email marketing campaigns.

Most importantly, a good email service provider ensures that your email campaigns do not end up in the spam folder.

Having said that, let’s take a look at some of the most popular email marketing service providers and how they stack up against each other.

1. Constant Contact

Constant Contact Email Marketing Service

Constant Contact is one of the largest and fastest growing email marketing service in the world. It is also the most easy to use and beginner friendly email marketing service.

You can easily manage your email lists, contacts, email templates, marketing calendar, and more.

Each account gives you access to unlimited emails, easy tracking and reporting, built-in social media sharing tools, free image library, list segmentation, Facebook ads integration, and a powerful eCommerce integration for Shopify stores.

Their Email Plus accounts also come with powerful features like email automation, drip campaigns, surveys & polls, coupons, online donations, and subject line A/B testing which helps you send targeted emails to maximize your open rate.

Constant Contact offers unmatched customer support with live chat, phone calls, email, community support, and a vast library of helpful resources.

Aside from online training, they also offer in-person live seminars across the United States. This allow small business owners to quickly learn the basics of email marketing and start using it to grow their business like a pro.

For all the reasons above, we rate Constant Contact the best email marketing service for small businesses and startups.

Constant Contact has a 60-day free trial (no credit-card required). After that their pricing starts as low as $20/month.

WPBeginner users can use our Constant Contact coupon code to get an additional 20% off.

2. SendinBlue

Sendinblue Email Marketing Software

SendinBlue is a complete SMS and email marketing software for businesses. They are one of the fastest growing email marketing platforms in Europe.

It is an extremely easy to use platform with excellent tools to create beautiful and highly engaging emails. Their simple drag and drop email editor is perfect for beginners with no experience in email marketing.

SendinBlue includes beginner-friendly marketing automation tools that allow you to send transactional emails, create workflows for automatic follow-up emails, and segment users. It can also select the best time to send bulk emails using their AI algorithms to ensure the best email deliverability.

SendinBlue offer a completely free email marketing plan unlimited contacts. Their free plan lets you send up to 300 emails per day, but all your emails will have their branding.

Their paid plans start from $25 per month for Lite. You can also include SMS to your account, but the pricing will vary based on your sending requirements.

They have improved their premium plan recently to include more advanced features like landing page builder, live chat, sales CRM, and Facebook ads integration. This means users now get more value for the same price.

SendinBlue also offers a separate SMTP bulk email marketing service which you can use to power automated or transactional emails from your WordPress site. You do not need this for email marketing campaigns, but it’s a nice functionality to have if you have a large website, and you want automatic real-time content based emails.

3. Drip

Drip email marketing automation software

Drip is a powerful enterprise email marketing platform for eCommerce, bloggers, and digital marketers. They offer a wide range of tools to make marketing automation, sales funnels, and personalization easy.

Their email software offer seamless integration for all popular website builders including WordPress and WooCommerce. This allows you to easily add pop-ups / opt-in sign up forms to your website and capture more leads.

What sets Drip apart from the competition like Campaign Monitor is their intelligent marketing automation tools, smarter email segmenting, split testing features, list groups, and a visual automation workflow builder. These features allow you to reach targeted customers in your email list to get more sales.

Support options at Drip include live chat support, webinars, automation training, detailed courses, free guides and excellent documentation.

We use Drip for several of our businesses because it allows us to send bulk emails while connecting and engaging with every customer on a personal level using their smart eCommerce marketing automation.

Their eCommerce revenue attribution feature shows us exactly how much revenue we generate from each email marketing campaign.

Even though it’s a bit pricey, we believe Drip is the best email marketing software for eCommerce websites and business owners who want more advanced features to maximize their marketing efforts.

Drip offers a free trial, and their plans starts from $49 / month which includes all their features.

Recently, they’ve added SMS notification as a feature to all plans which allows you to connect with your users on both email and SMS marketing channel. This makes them a true all-in-one email marketing platform for store owners.

4. HubSpot

HubSpot email marketing CRM

HubSpot is one of the most well-known softwares in the CRM and email marketing space.

Their email marketing service is free to start, and it comes with a lot of powerful automation features designed to grow your business.

You can use their easy drag-and-drop email builder and a selection of templates to create a completely custom newsletter that matches your brand’s personality and colors.

Because of the native integration with the HubSpot CRM, you can personalize your emails for each subscriber based on things like device type, country, list membership, or any other custom information you might have on the individual subscriber.

HubSpot comes with all the powerful feature you’d expect from an enterprise level email marketing software such as send time optimization, high email deliverability, A/B testing, detailed performance analytics, marketing automation, drip campaigns, and more.

One of the main reasons why small, medium, and enterprise customers choose HubSpot is because they offer an all-in-one marketing platform that includes email marketing, CRM, automation workflows, sales tools, website builder, operation hub, and more.

Hubspot Email Marketing has a free plan, which includes the CRM and all of HubSpot’s free marketing, sales, service, and operations tools.

The free version allows you to send 2,000 emails and store an unlimited number of subscribers. You can create custom signup and popup forms, build landing pages, manage and track your online ads, and more. It has all the tools you need to get started.

If you need more advanced capabilities, then their paid plans starts at $45/month.

5. ConvertKit

ConvertKit email marketing service

ConvertKit is a robust email marketing platform for professional bloggers, authors, and marketers. It is extremely easy to use and incredibly powerful.

ConvertKit’s unique feature is that allows you to easily offer content upgrades and incentives with email signup forms. It also comes with easy to manage auto-responders allowing you to send drip emails from their emailing service.

With ConvertKit, you can easily segment subscribers into those who are interested and those who have already purchased. This helps you increase conversions with automated emails that feel more personal. In marketing terms, this is called targeted email marketing.

They have all the powerful features you’d expect from a top-notch email marketing service such as a/b testing, beautiful email templates, landing page builder, smart workflows, and more.

ConvertKit offers email based support and have extensive knowledge base with great learning material.

A lot of ConvertKit features such as paid newsletters are specifically designed for creators and professional bloggers that’s why we rate them the best email marketing service for professional bloggers.

They even added the ability for you to sell digital products & subscriptions from the same platform.

ConvertKit offers a 14-day free trial, and their pricing starts from $29/month. They also offer a 30-day refund policy.

Their Creator Pro plan also includes advanced functionality like newsletter referral system, subscriber scoring, advanced reporting, and Facebook custom audiences.

6. Moosend

Moosend email marketing software for small business

Moosend is an affordable email marketing service for small businesses. It comes with a suite of powerful marketing automation features, email list building tools, landing pages, and more.

You can quickly create an email newsletter and customize the email design to match your brand within minutes by either choosing from their dozens of pre-made email templates or by creating a completely custom template.

The nice part about Moosend is that they offer marketing automation features to all plans including the free plan. You can use their automation workflow designer to offer a personalized subscriber journey for your newsletter subscribers.

Moosend offer detailed email analytics that shows you important metrics such as email opens, clicks, bounces, product views, purchases, custom event tracking, and even predicted demographics data.

All plans come with powerful conversion optimization features such as A/B testing, email heatmap analytics, countdown timers, conditional content, AI-engine for product recommendations, popup forms, floating bars, newsletter signup subscription forms, and more.

Moosend offers a forever free plan for up to 1,000 email subscribers and unlimited number of emails (no credit card required). After that their pricing starts at $8 per month for their Pro plan which includes landing page builder, transactional emails for eCommerce websites, team management, and more.

7. AWeber

AWeber bulk email marketing software

AWeber is one of oldest and most popular email marketing service providers in the world. They offer a wide-range of tools for small and medium sized businesses to manage their email marketing.

Getting started with AWeber is easy. It connects seamlessly to most platforms including WordPress. For detailed instructions, see our ultimate guide on how to connect AWeber to WordPress.

You get access to ready to use html email templates, list management, autoresponders, a/b testing, and email tracking with detailed insights.

AWeber also has other powerful email marketing features such as AMP emails, automatic RSS-to-email for bloggers, and tag based subscriber segmentation.

Support options include live chat, phone support, email support, live webinars, and a vast library of how-tos and tutorials.

AWeber offers a limited free plan for up to 500 subscribers. After that, their pricing starts from $19/month. You can also signup for quarterly or annual plans to save even more.

Bonus: Mailchimp

Mailchimp free email marketing service

Mailchimp is one of the most popular email marketing service providers in the world primarily because they offer a forever free email marketing service plan.

Although we don’t recommend it anymore since there are better solutions available in the market, the sad reality is that we cannot create a best email marketing software list without including Mailchimp due to their shear popularity.

Mailchimp comes with an easy drag-and-drop email builder, autoresponders, segmenting contacts into groups, and simple tracking for analytics. It also allows you to setup delivery times based on user’s timezones, and you can setup segmenting based on geolocation.

You can easily integrate MailChimp with WordPress, Magento, Shopify, and many other platforms. If you are using WordPress, then see our ultimate guide to using Mailchimp and WordPress for detailed instructions.

When it comes to marketing automation features, Mailchimp platform is quite limited when compared to other providers in our list such as HubSpot, Drip or ConvertKit.

In the recent years, Mailchimp has attempted to add many of the “advanced” features, but having tested many of these, they’re not truly advanced.

Mailchimp support is offered by email, live chat, and a large tutorials knowledge-base. However their support is often slow and no match to the quality of service that you get from Constant Contact.

Mailchimp offers a forever free plan which allows you to send 12,000 emails for up to 2,000 subscribers. This plan is fairly limited because you don’t get features like send-time optimization, advanced segmentation, multi-variate testing, etc. You are also required to display their branding in your email. Last but not least, support is restricted to email only which is fine if you’re a hobbyist but as a serious business, you need reliable support that you can count on.

Their paid plans start from $10/month for up to 500 subscribers, and the pricing increases in the increment of 500 subscribers.

However if you want unlimited audiences, advanced audience segmentation, multivariate testing, and comparative reporting, then you’d have to move to their $299 per month plan.

Final Thoughts: The Best Email Marketing Service

There are dozens of email marketing services out there, and we want to make sure you choose the right one for your business needs. Below is our expert pick:

If you’re a small business, non-profit, or a new blogger, then we recommend using Constant Contact. Their pricing is great, and the support team is absolutely top-notch. Their onboarding team will help you find success with email marketing right away.

If you run an online store / ecommerce website, then we recommend using Drip because its the best eCommerce email marketing software. Their personalization and automation features are extremely powerful. A lot of our own business websites use Drip.

If you’re a professional blogger or content creator, then we recommend using ConvertKit. They offer an easy to use platform with advanced segmentation and funnels that will help you take your blogging business to the next level.

If you’re a business owner who wants a powerful marketing automation tool that combines email marketing, SMTP bulk emails, and SMS messages, then we recommend using SendinBlue. Their platform is easy to use, and they allow you to manage both email and SMS from a single interface. They also offer a fairly generous forever free plan which makes them the best free email marketing software.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one email marketing solution, then we recommend using HubSpot. They offer a power suite of marketing tools including email marketing, CRM, sales tools, live chat, website builder, and more. There free plan is great for lead generation because it lets you store unlimited subscribers.

Pro Tip: Get More Email Subscribers, Faster!

Once you have picked an email marketing service for your business, you’ll likely want to start getting more email subscribers.

We use and recommend OptinMonster. It is a powerful conversion optimization toolkit that helps you turn abandoning website visitors into email subscribers and customers.

OptinMonster Email marketing growth toolkit

OptinMonster seamlessly integrates with all the best email marketing service that we mentioned above and dozens more.

WPBeginner founder, Syed Balkhi, is also the co-founder of OptinMonster. He initially built OptinMonster to help grow our own email list. After the launch in 2013, it has grown tremendously with over 1 million active installs of the WordPress plugin.

Today OptinMonster is being used by some of the largest brands in the world including McAfee, Experian, TripAdvisor, Pinterest, Harvard University, Pateron, and more.

Aside from OptinMonster, you can also use the following tools to grow your email marketing list:

  • WPForms – #1 WordPress form builder that you can use to create contact forms, surveys, polls, and other type of forms. It comes with built-in integration with all popular email marketing services. Trusted by over 5 million website owners.
  • SeedProd – Want to create custom landing pages to boost conversions? SeedProd offers a far superior landing page builder experience. This is why smart website owners use SeedProd along with their preferred email marketing service since it integrates with all the popular email platforms.
  • LiveChat.com – One of the easiest ways to grow your email list is to connect your live chat software with your email marketing service. We use LiveChat on several of our sites.
  • ChatBot.com – Another smart way to grow your email list is to use chatbot software and connect it with your email marketing service.
  • RafflePress – this is the leading WordPress giveaway and contest platform. It lets you use viral marketing to grow your email list.

Bonus Tip: Improve Your Email Deliverability

All the email newsletter tools that we have shared in this article have great email deliverability rates.

However there are few things you can do to make sure that your marketing emails always get delivered.

1. Use a Professional Email Address

Email platforms like Gmail, Outlook, and others have algorithms that look for spammy behavior. One of them is the sender email address.

As a business, it’s important that you use a professional business email address (like yourname@yourcompany.com) and not a generic hotmail or gmail address.

This will help make sure that your email deliverability rate is higher than industry average.

2. Send Targeted Emails based on Interests

It’s very important that you personalize your emails based on user segments. Email marketing software like Constant Contact and HubSpot allows you to easily group your subscribers into segments such as most active, not-active, interested in specific topics, custom segments, etc.

This will help your email marketing campaigns have the highest open rate and click through rate which is a big factor in future email deliverability.

We always recommend sending a personalize welcome email to all new subscribers and then segment users accordingly based on their interests.

It’s also important to have a clear unsubscribe link for users, so they can unsubscribe rather than marking your emails as spam.

For more tips, see this ultimate step-by-step email marketing guide with examples to help you create a successful email marketing campaign.

Email Marketing Software FAQs

Having helped thousands of users pick the best email marketing software, we have answered quite a lot of questions. Below are some of the answers to the most frequently asked questions about email marketing platforms.

Can I do bulk email marketing from my Gmail or Outlook?

In theory, yes. But this will quickly get your email accounts suspended. G Suite and Outlook are not made for bulk email sending. They are great solution professional business emails.

Which is the best free email marketing service?

A lot of email marketing services will offer free tiers for limited use. The best free email marketing service is SendinBlue because their free plan doesn’t have a limit on the number of subscribers. HubSpot, Moosend, MailerLite and MailChimp also offer free email marketing service plans.

How much does email marketing cost?

Your email marketing cost will entirely depend on the number of subscribers you have, the number of total emails you send per month, and the email platform you use. On average, a small business email marketing costs is around $20 – $300 per month on email marketing given that they manage their own campaign. If you use an email marketing agency, then your cost might be closer to $500 per month or higher.

Can email marketing help with SEO?

Email marketing has no direct impact on SEO. However it can help you get more traffic to your website which can lead to more shares and sometimes backlinks / mentions.

Google and other search engines use shares and mentions as social signals to rank websites. So indirectly, email marketing can help your website’s SEO rankings.

You may also want to use these best WordPress SEO plugins and tools to improve your rankings.

Which is the best email marketing app for Shopify?

Many of the above email marketing services offer an intuitive Shopify app that’s easy to use. We recommend using Drip since it offers robust eCommerce marketing automation tools that seamlessly integrates with both Shopify and WooCommerce.

Some eCommerce power users prefer Klaviyo for Shopify email marketing, but their platform is quite expensive for small businesses.

Are there other email marketing platforms that are not listed here?

Yes, there are literally hundreds of email marketing services out there, but we have not listed them all here. We believe that making a full email platforms list would create more confusion and cause choice paralysis for non-techy readers.

We have tried all the top major email marketing service including many that are not in our email platform lists above such as: MailerLite, ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, Ontraport, Mailjet, Campaign Monitor, InfusionSoft (now Keap), Klaviyo, Marketo, Eloqua, Pardot by Salesforce, Sendloop, iContact, Emma, TotalSend, SharpSpring, MailPoet, and more.

The top email marketing services that we have chose to include in our list provide the best features for the best price.

Which are the best email marketing services in your opinion?

Our top 3 choices for the best email marketing services are:

  1. Constant Contact – Best email marketing services for small business.
  2. SendinBlue – Best Email and SMS marketing platform.
  3. Drip – Best email marketing platform for eCommerce.

Along with an email marketing strategy, we also recommend adding web push notification on your website. This is another powerful way to connect with your visitors after they leave your website. We use PushEngage on WPBeginner, and it has become a top 5 traffic source on our site.

We hope this article gave you a good overview of the best email marketing services for your business. You may also want to see our list of 24 must have WordPress plugins for business websites, and our comparison of the best business phone services for small businesses.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

Source: https://www.wpbeginner.com/showcase/best-email-marketing-services loaded 28.01.2022

EngageBay Free CRM Software for Small Businesses

EngageBay’s free CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system offers powerful CRM tools like targeted marketing, workflow automation, deals pipeline visualization, automatic data entry, & more.

One tool for marketing and sales

Eliminate miscommunication and misalignment between your Sales & Marketing teams when you use the integrated EngageBay CRM platform. Pass on the leads from Marketing to Sales seamlessly. Don’t be overwhelmed by confusing metrics and complex handover processes hereafter. When aligned, Sales and Marketing teams can work effortlessly as a single team and win customers like never before. EngageBay’s free Small Business CRM with marketing automation facilitates better alignment between the Marketing and Sales teams, streamlines processes and enhances revenue growth. Work in sync for best results!

  • Marketing Automation
  • Sales Workflows
  • Landing Page Builder
  • Deal Management

Source: https://www.engagebay.com loaded 03.02.2022

Email Marketing: The Why, the What, and the How

Jan 27, 2022 by Cristian Mihai— 12 min read

Launching an email newsletter as a new distribution and marketing channel seems like a simple and straightforward process.

However, properly launching an email newsletter takes time and strategic thought about:

  • The type of emails you want to send out
  • The audience you’re trying to reach
  • How you’ll manage your workflow
  • The resources you are willing to allocate

Leveraging a distribution channel, be it a blog, a social media account, or an email newsletter, has to offer a clear value to a specific audience. If you already have an email newsletter, answering and revisiting these questions is still a helpful exercise.

The Why

I know what you’re thinking… but isn’t email dead?

Far from it.

Actually, email is not even slowing down, let alone going away. The average person checks their email about 15 times per day. They also spend around 352 minutes (about five hours and 52 minutes) each day going through emails.

Compare that to the 153 minutes they spend on social media, and you get the sense that email is probably one of the distribution channels you’ve got to take advantage of.

Still not convinced that email marketing is worth it?

Let me share with you a scenario I wish would never happen to you. Let’s imagine you never use email marketing. At all. And you rely on all the other platforms. Social media. Blogging platforms. The platforms of other bloggers and content creators, whenever you publish guest posts, get featured or interviewed by them.

But what if there’s an algorithm change to a social media platform? What if search engines decide to penalize your website? What if other platforms ban you?

And there’s this other thing… email provides you the most direct line of communication with your audience. That makes it crucial for converting first-time visitors into subscribers, and then turning them into paying customers, which is why email is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Email marketing is a distribution channel you own. Not happy with your email service provider? Easy. Export your list and switch platforms.

And, then, five minutes later, you’re using a different platform.

What else?

Audience segmentation.

The vast majority of email marketing providers allow you to segment your list, based on any number of characteristics. You can break down your audience based on a number of characteristics, so you make sure that you send them articles that they’re far more likely to engage with, or present them special offers that truly makes them think, “it feels like they’re reading my mind.”

It’s almost like magic.

And if you use some basic automations with that, you basically turbocharge your blog. You are able to create fantastic welcome series for your readers, or offer an email course, or provide assistance to a certain segment of your audience. This is phenomenal.

The What

Before you begin work on creating a new newsletter or refining an existing one, it is critical to define three things:

  1. Value proposition
  2. Goals and measures of success
  3. Resources

As you sit down to define your email marketing strategy, you must answer the following questions:

  • What is the value proposition of your email newsletter to your reader? In other words, what problem are you trying to solve? By flipping the question into one that is reader-centered, you’re forced to align your incentives (i.e., solving a problem readers actually have) with delivering value to your reader. You know you’ve delivered sufficient value when you can successfully “pitch” your newsletter to potential readers and attract them with no other incentives required.
  • What is your primary goal? What are you trying to achieve? Examples of goals could include driving more readers to new content, increasing page views, or learning more about your audience. These goals should align with the value proposition outlined above.
  • What are your resource limitations? Determine which email product(s) best serve your readers, and what is feasible from a production workflow perspective (more on this in later sections of this guide).

When doing research for your email marketing channel, you also need to take into consideration the following:

  • Which “features” are both urgent and important (i.e., launching an event-based newsletter is urgent and important because there’s a timing issue; launching with an ambassador/referral program is likely important, but not urgent).
  • Desirable: does the reader need this problem solved?
  • Feasible: is the newsletter project technically possible?

Opt-In, a helpful diagnostic survey tool developed by the Seattle public media outlet Crosscut, will guide you toward deciding which type of newsletter strategy is sensible for your blog.

The quiz starts by asking whether you are launching a new newsletter or optimizing a current one, and in total takes about an hour to complete.


Email is not only the best way to consistently bring visitors and readers back to your blog, but it also allows you to reach out and communicate with your audience in a more personal way.

Even something as simple as a newsletter that provides updates on your latest content and what you’re working on will go a long way towards building trust with your readers.

The How

If you’ve never built your own email newsletter before, here’s how you actually start.

1. Pick your ESP

The first step in building an email list is picking your email service provider, ESP for short. ESPs are a dime a dozen, and while they all generally provide the same basic fundamental features they can vary wildly in how sophisticated those features are.

So what does an email service provider provide?

  • The ability to grow your own database of subscribers
  • The ability to send emails to multiple addresses simultaneously
  • The ability to create and share signup forms through your website or on landing pages/embeddings

But those are just the basics of what an email provider does.

What you need to be looking for while choosing the right one are some key features and abilities that will dictate exactly which ways you can use the marketing platform you’re building.

The 3 key features to look for when it comes to an email service provider are:

1. The ability to create automatic email-flows

Most ESP’s will provide this in some shape or form. Some will only be able to let you send simple flows like an automatic welcome email series, while others can let you perform much more sophisticated structures based on hundreds of possible criteria and subscriber properties.

2. The degree to which you can segment your users based on custom criteria

The extent to which your ESP allows the categorization of your subscribers is a key component for the longevity and success of your email list. The email service provider that allows you to create these lists/segments in the most possible ways will end up paying off best.

For instance, some ESPs will only let you segment by tags, while others will allow you to segment users with hundreds of possible criteria.

3. The analytical features they provide

Analytics allow you to make informed decisions on how to improve your methods, strategies, and email practices. The more analytical features you have, the more informed you’ll be.

Email service providers we recommend for beginners:

MailerLite

This is the ESP we’ve used the most, and it’s both the most affordable, and one of the most beginner-friendly and intuitive platforms out there.

Try MailerLite

Sendinblue

Trusted by over 175,000 users, Sendinblue is a complete platform, offering email marketing, SMS, chat, automations, transactional emails, landing pages, and more.

It does offer an interesting free plan, which you can use if you’re just starting out until you grow your list.

Try Sendinblue

Constant Contact

While not as feature rich as the other platforms so far, Constant Contact does offer all the necessary basics of setting up a proper newsletter for your blog.

To name just a few: list segmentation, landing pages, signup forms, and automation workflows.

Try Constant Contact

Drip

Another interesting email service provider, especially if you also run a Shopify store for your blog, Drip offers a plethora of integrations, while being priced competitively among other similar tools.

Try Drip

2. Pick a lead generation strategy

You’ll have to give people an incentive to join your list, at least in some shape or form. What are subscribers getting? Why would they agree for you, a total stranger, to send them e-mails? You’ll have to be able to answer these questions.

Content incentives

Offer exclusive content or a free digital download for subscribing. This could draw in members who are actually interested in what you have to say and share. Incentive examples: free weekly recipes, learn investing fundamentals in ten days, stock market news every morning, etc.

Monetary incentives

Offering a discount or gift for subscribing can be a highly effective strategy for rapidly growing your audience. However, this method does have its own drawbacks like the potential to draw in subscribers that are there only for the freebie. Incentive examples: book a free ten-minute consultation, ask a question, sign up to get 10% off your first order, etc.

3. Create your signup process

Design the form that people will use to sign up for your mailing list. Here you can choose what kind of data and information you would like to collect from potential subscribers. This could be things like their names, birthdays, phone numbers, and more.

Depending on the purpose of your email list, you may want to start with collecting just the necessary information at first. This could just be a subscriber’s first name, and of course, their e-mail address.

A lengthy signup process asking for too much personal information could hinder the number of signups your list gets. Of course, your potential subscribers’ threshold for information sharing will vary from niche to niche.

Information about your subscribers is great, it allows you to easily personalize e-mails, deliver even more relevant content, and work toward building a real personal connection with each of them as time goes on. Just be wary of reaching their information-sharing threshold before they even get a chance to know you.

Building a personal connection with your subscribers will be key to maintaining high open-rates, generating engagement, and keeping a low churn rate.

Your churn rate is the average number of subscribers you lose in a specific time period.

Always include an “Opt-In” box on your signup forms. This is so you have written consent to contact subscribers as long as they are subscribed. It might also be required by law.

Your signup form can be presented to potential subscribers in several ways: embedded in content, pop-ups, landing pages, or even through the use of interactive elements like quizzes and web tools.



4. Build a welcome e-mail flow

Greet your new subscribers right away, and start delivering them content with an automated e-mail sequence. You probably won’t have time to send out a newsletter every time you get a new subscriber, so it’s best to just set it all up in advance.

An e-mail flow is a pre-constructed sequence of e-mails that can be automatically sent once certain conditions/triggers have been met. For example, an email flow delivering regular recipes to members could start automatically sending a recipe every week to each new subscriber.

Your welcome e-mail flow doesn’t have to be anything too fancy, it’s typically where you can confirm and thank your members for signing up, as well as share other places they can connect with you.

You can even include some incentives and offers in this flow. But in most cases, it’s best not to directly sell something in the very first email your new subscribers get from you.

Subscribing to a newsletter and starting a new relationship online is like wandering into a shop for the first time. For a digital business, your email confirmation saying ‘Welcome to my list!’ is the welcome mat into your showroom.

People agree to enter your corner of the internet and are willing to browse your offers. This is your best opportunity to show your new customers around your little shop.

Imagine if that shopkeeper had welcomed us with a smile and said, “We just got some new books in, over on that wall. What kinds of books do you like?” I would have happily told her all about my interests, and she could have learned about the sorts of things she could sell to me easily.

Your new subscribers can be treated the same way. Right after they confirm their subscription, fresh email subscribers are the most open to learning about your brand, your offers, and your story.

Make your new email subscribers feel welcome.

Your automated welcome email series sets the tone for your relationship

Some best practices when it comes to designing a welcome email series include:

1. Set expectations with your automated welcome email

After someone subscribes to your list, you can say, ‘I’m going to email you again in three days with a message about x.’ And then, your email onboarding system automatically sends that message. The fulfillment of expectations builds trust. Be clear about the kind of content they can expect to receive and what you will be asking them to do.

2. End every automated welcome email with a single CTA

Every email in your onboarding series should have a call-to-action at the end. It’s best to have just one because if you provide too many choices your user will take none of them.

3. Invite connections across platforms

Email is only one of the channels we use to communicate online. If you are active on Twitter, or Instagram, or Medium, invite your new subscribers to follow those accounts, too.

5. Make it public

Once you’ve decided on the data you want to collect from your subscribers, you’ll have to choose where and how you want to present your signup form to the public.

Have a website? Create a pop-up or embed a simple form with your content.

Operating solely through social media? Create a landing page for your form. Basically, a one-page website specifically designed to sign up new subscribers.

6. Test, rebuild, and test again

From here, you’ll probably need to repeat steps two and three, or at least optimize your execution on them. Chances are, you didn’t pick the best possible way to lead in new subscribers and that’s okay, it’s why we have analytics.

Analytics at this stage will be your best friend. The stuff above is just setting up your foundation, but the analytics will give you all the clues you need to find the direction you need to go.

Getting a lot of signup form views but little signups? Maybe change your incentive or ask for less of their information.

Do certain types of emails consistently cause people to unsubscribe? Then cut back on those types of emails.

Do certain types of email campaigns or certain offers result in more sales? Do more of those.

Remember to always segment your subscribers as well. This allows you to target people on your list who are, assumingly, the most interested in what you have to offer at any given point in time.

Another important aspect of refining your email marketing strategy is to understand how your actions as the sender and the subscriber’s actions influence your deliverability.

This will help you better optimize your sending strategy, your list hygiene, and how you choose to interact with different segments of your list.

And that’s it! With consistent attention to your analytics and quality content, as well as sufficient traffic to your signup forms, you can start building your very own email list.

For a more in-depth view of email marketing (and its various aspects and elements), check out our course, Email Marketing Masterclass.

Source: https://www.irevuo.net/email-marketing-crash-course loaded 28.01.2022

Der Super-GAU im S&P500

Das neue Jahr 2022 begann mit einem frischen Allzeithoch im amerikanischen S&P500:

S&P500 Index
Jan 04, 20224,804.514,818.624,774.274,793.544,793.543,641,050,000
S&P500 Index on 04.01.2022

Quelle: https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5EGSPC/history?p=%5EGSPC geladen am 22.01.2022

Einige Autoren warnen seit Längerem vor einem finalen Börsenrun 2021/2022, bevor es zu einem großen Crash an den Aktienmärkten kommen werde:

Harry S. Dent warnt vor 90 % Crash am Aktienmarkt 2022

Harry Dent: Stock Market Crash Coming in Early 2022

David Hunter predicts stock market crash by 80 %

Was ist ein Melt-Up?

Von Ralph Pöhner am 02.05.2019

Der heißeste Wirtschafts-Begriff dieser Tage lässt sich schwer auf Deutsch übersetzen: «Melt-up». Man könnte ja vielleicht von einem Börsen-Run reden. Oder von Panikkäufen. Aber das unterschlägt, dass ein «Melt-up» irgendwie das Gegenteil eines Börsen-Crashs darstellt.

Und dass dieses Gegenteil auch gefährlich ist.

Vor solch einem «Melt-up» warnte nun Larry Fink, der Gründer und Chef von Blackrock, also einer der wichtigsten Geldmanager der Welt. Den Börsen drohte derzeit weniger ein Einbruch, sagte Fink in einem TV-Auftritt, der auch bei uns intensiv beachtet wurde. Vielmehr könnten sie sogar nach oben durchdrehen.

Quelle: https://www.handelszeitung.ch/invest/die-melt-these-wenn-die-borsen-nach-oben-durchdrehen geladen am 22.01.2022

Are We Heading Towards A Meltup Or Meltdown? Here Is How To Prepare

Mar. 20, 2021 9:30 AM

Summary

  • Let’s say you are fully invested in the stock market, be they individual stocks or indexes.
  • The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial have been up nearly 80% since bottoming in March 2020, exactly a year ago.
  • Are we heading into a new and prolonged bull-market, or are we heading blind-folded towards a cliff?
  • We provide a strategy to prepare now to capture most of the future gains while preserving the capital in the event of a correction.
  • Looking for a portfolio of ideas like this one? Members of High Income DIY Portfolios get exclusive access to our model portfolio.

Quelle: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4414856-meltup-meltdown-how-to-prepare geladen am 22.01.2022

Der Super-GAU in Zahlen

Wenn das 4 800 Allzeithoch vom 04.01.2022 das letzte Hoch vor dem großen Chrash war, sieht die Rechnung so aus:

80 % Crash: neues Tief 960

90 % Crash: neues Tief 480

Mein Szenario war immer, dass das langfristige Bild immer steigender Aktienkurse intakt ist wenn der S&P500 nicht unter sein Tief aus dem Jahr 2009 bei 675 Punkten fällt.

Auch bei einem großen Crash oder einer jahrelangen Seitwärtsbewegung der Aktienmärkte kann Schmitt Trading Ltd Lösungen für private Investoren anbieten.

Meltdown Scenario for the S&P500

The new year 2022 started with a fresh All-Time High (ATH) in the S&P500:

S&P500 Index
Jan 04, 20224,804.514,818.624,774.274,793.544,793.543,641,050,000
S&P500 Index on 04.01.2022

Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5EGSPC/history?p=%5EGSPC loaded 22.01.2022

Some authors keep warning of a final Melt Up in 2021/2022 before a severe turnaround:

Harry Dent: Stock Market Crash Coming in Early 2022

David Hunter predicts stock market crash by 80 %

What Is a Melt-Up?

A melt-up is a sustained and often unexpected improvement in the investment performance of an asset or asset class, driven partly by a stampede of investors who don’t want to miss out on its rise, rather than by fundamental improvements in the economy.

Gains that a melt-up creates are considered to be unreliable indications of the direction the market is ultimately headed. Melt ups often precede meltdowns.

Source: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/melt-up.asp loaded 22.01.2022

Are We Heading Towards A Meltup Or Meltdown? Here Is How To Prepare

Mar. 20, 2021 9:30 AM

Summary

  • Let’s say you are fully invested in the stock market, be they individual stocks or indexes.
  • The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial have been up nearly 80% since bottoming in March 2020, exactly a year ago.
  • Are we heading into a new and prolonged bull-market, or are we heading blind-folded towards a cliff?
  • We provide a strategy to prepare now to capture most of the future gains while preserving the capital in the event of a correction.
  • Looking for a portfolio of ideas like this one? Members of High Income DIY Portfolios get exclusive access to our model portfolio.

Source: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4414856-meltup-meltdown-how-to-prepare loaded 22.01.2022

Meltdown in Numbers

If the 4 800 ATH of 04.01.2022 was the last high before the big crash, the calculation goes like this:

80 % drop: new low 960

90 % drop: new low 480

My scenario has always been that if the S&P500 does not drop below the 2009 low at 675 points, the long-term story of always rising stock markets remains intact.

Schmitt Trading Ltd invented several trading robots that can also make profit in a huge stockmarket crash or long-term side movement.

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