A mainstream job isn’t the only way through which people can make money. In the modern financial framework, it is possible to earn a paycheck with the lowest possible involvement. People can earn a passive income in many ways such as by developing online assets, investments, and even through interest payments. While it may take some time to start making money this way, but it is possible to earn more while performing your duties at your regular job.
What is passive income?
Passive income or as the Internal Revenue Service calls it ‘unearned income’, comes from a revenue stream that requires minimal effort to set up and maintain. It is exactly the opposite of active income, which is received in exchange for active participation in a job or business venture.
Passive income mainly includes earnings derived from rental property, investments, limited partnerships, or other enterprises in which a person is not actively involved. However, these methods do require some effort and work to set up initially and they run on almost automatic mode after a while. Both active and passive income is usually taxed but the IRS treats the latter differently.
How to start earning a Passive Income?
Passive income usually comes from assets for which resources are needed to start. Therefore, saving money beforehand and doing proper research before starting is the key. Finding out the passive income streams that are desirable and appealing is the first step.
Step two would be cost and risk estimation to avoid a financial disaster. It is best to choose a revenue stream as per the time available for extra work and the initial investment.
Here are the top ways to earn low-involvement passive income
Low involvement options truly justify the ‘passive’ in passive income as they require less work to get going. The catch is that they also have less earning potential than high-involvement passive income streams and may have more risk involved as well.
Invest in Dividend Stocks
Companies with dividend-yielding stocks pay out a sum or a dividend to the shareholders at regular intervals. These payments are usually made quarterly, and the more shares a person owns, the more dividends they will receive. Apart from individual stocks, other options like dividend-yielding ETFs and mutual funds are also available.
However, even high-dividend-yielding stocks require a significant investment to produce enough income. Companies may pay out only $5 per share, every year to shareholders which means investors will need to buy a large chunk of shares worth thousands of dollars to make a sizable income. Thus, it is advisable to form a well-rounded investment strategy that meets your financial goals and risk in consultation with a financial advisor.
Purchase Series I Bonds
With rising interest rates Series I Bonds have become a viable passive income investment. These bonds can be purchased with a 4.3 percent APY through October 2023, and since the U.S. Treasury backs these bonds, the risk is almost zero.
Further, Series I Bonds earn interest for thirty years, which makes them a suitable long-term investment and they need to be held at least for a year before selling. Also, buyers of these bonds will lose the recent three months of interest if they sell the bonds before the holding term of five years.
Invest in a High-yield Savings Account or Certificate of Deposit (CD)
A certificate of deposit (CD) is a type of timed savings account in which money can be put in for as little as six months and as long as five years. Banks offer a certain interest rate which is credited to the depositors' CD account at regular intervals. CDs have become a popular option to generate passive income as the interest rates have gone up to 5 percent in recent months according to TIME.
Consult a Robo-Advisor
Robo-advisors use algorithms to help suggest and grow a diversified portfolio of assets for their clients. These are digital investment companies that offer low management costs and balance requirements, with no minimum balance requirement.
On the other hand, human advisors charge higher handling fees and require clients to maintain a high minimum balance. Further, Robo-advisors also rebalance the portfolio for clients periodically, allowing them to put in little to no effort.
