Valentine’s Day is looming and like many of us, you are probably panicking about what to get your better half.
But you are tired of the usual, boring flowers and chocolate gifts, and would like to do something special this year (for a change).
If you too are a fintech aficionado, why not open a goal-based savings account to start saving for that fancy jewelry she’s been eyeing all year? Or what about a honeymoon crowdfunding campaign to finally take her to that paradise island she’s been talking so much about?
Here are some smart fintech tools and solutions that’ll help you stand out from the crowd on this year’s Valentine’s Day:
Honeymoon crowdfunding campaign
Honeymoons are awesome but also awesomely expensive, and that’s why a growing number of couples are choosing to pass on the repeated wedding gifts and instead ask for some cash to make their honeymoon a trip they only dreamed about.
Crowdfunding websites such as Honeyfund, GoFundMe, Wanderable, Traveler’s Joy, and Honeymoon Wishes make it easy to raise cash from family and friends for a post-wedding getaway.
These platforms charge fees for their services – as much as 10% of the total amount collected – but people are warning up to the idea.
Goal-based investing
Goal-based investing aims to get around the drawback of the traditional investment approach, which generally focuses on outperforming the market while staying within the investor’s threshold for risk.
Instead, the investment strategy is tailored to the client’s specific goals whether that’s saving for children’s education, building a retirement nest-egg, or buying a house.
Companies providing goal-based investing solutions include Chloe by 8 Securities from Hong Kong, which recently launched in Japan, StashAway, an intelligent, automated digital wealth manager from Singapore that personalizes, rebalances, and optimizes your portfolio for you, and Betterment, a leading online investment company based in New York City which also offers goal-based wealth management.
Goal-based savings accounts
Goal-based savings is one of the simplest ways to control your spending and maintain some financial security. It’s all about determining your goal, opening a savings account specifically for that goal, and saving up the money before you buy. This can be for that world tour you’ve been talking about for the past years, that sports car you’ve been dreaming of, or the honeymoon you’ve been planning for months.
Most online banks such as ING Direct and Simple let you easily open savings accounts. Ally Bank and Capital One 360 Savings are other solutions that allows you open several savings accounts.
Dedicated solutions have also emerged in recent years including SmartyPig, an online piggybank for people saving for specific goals, and Qapital, an everyday banking app that helps you save money.
For Bitcoin lovers
If your loved one is a cryptocurrency enthusiast, you can opt for a stylish t-shirt or other merchandises from Redbubble, Funky Crypto, or Bitcoin T-Shirt Store. You can also buy Bitcoin socks on Kimchi Socks, a Bitcoin flask or Bitcoin soaps on BTC Trinkets, or Bitcoin cookie cutters and Bitcoin baby clothes from Etsy.com.
One thing all people involved in cryptocurrency are worried about is keeping their coins safe and since hardware wallets are amongst the safety ways to secure cryptocurrencies, this could be a great gift idea.
A hardware wallet is a special type of wallet which stores a user’s private keys in a secure hardware device, isolating these from a computer, smartphone or other devices connected to the Internet that are easily hackable.
The most popular cryptocurrency hardware wallets include the Ledger Nano S, Trezor, and Keepkey.
Featured image via PX Here.
