One of the asset classes that I’m very bullish about is the video gaming industry, and I plan to increase my investments in this area over the coming years.

Even before the pandemic, the video game industry was lucrative, growing 7.2% YoY (year-over-year) in 2019. Video games are gradually becoming the preferred form of entertainment. Data from Newzoo and Comscore shows that global video game revenue of $148.8 billion surpassed worldwide movie box office collection of $42.5 billion in 2019.

The significant change in the technology and business models of the gaming industry is driving growth. Video games have expanded beyond consoles to PCs and mobile. Thanks to high-speed internet, game developers have gone digital. Instead of buying video game packages, gamers can download games, subscribe to cloud gaming services, and make in-gaming purchases like new missions and player skins to enhance their gaming experience.

Similar to other physical sports, video games have sporting events called esports, where professional gamers compete in front of millions of viewers. According to Newzoo, 443 million people watched esports in 2019, and this number is expected to reach 495 million in 2020. The secret to succeeding in gaming is developing games that generate a loyal fan base for sequels, prequels, and merchandise goods.

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I’ve been reading about investing in the stock market for some years now, although with the market rising and rising, there seemed to be better investment opportunities to attend to, such as crypto and P2P lending. This doesn’t mean that I have totally abandoned the idea of investing in stocks, however.

On the contrary, I had actually invested in some hand-picked stocks that I had a good gut feeling about, and sold them all off at 100% profits in recent months. Of course, investing based on gut feelings is not something that anyone recommends, but sometimes an educated guess does the trick. Or maybe it was just the fact that so many stocks have performed well over the past 4-5 years due to the bull run that we’ve been experiencing.

That’s one thing that makes this perilous territory in my view. You never know if you really have an edge on the market and can thus book some nice profits, or if you are just gambling and happened to get lucky.

I also have a few friends from the IT space who bet much bigger stakes than me on tech companies and have turned millions in profits, and while I find this inspirational, I’m again unsure if they had an edge or whether they gambled big time and luckily got the desired outcome.

When seeking success, I usually like to pick a topic, find the best performers and learn how they do things, and then try to figure out a winning blueprint. It’s worked for me in several endeavors through the course of my life, but I have yet to find that blueprint in the world of stock investing that I can really trust.

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Over the past few years I’ve been doing a ton of research on investment opportunities and asset classes.

An opportunity that I came across is investing in startups.

However, I haven’t really taken a big dip into this asset class. I’ve conducted some small investments to test the waters, as I always do with any investment I’m considering. I’ve learned quite a bit but I am not convinced that I should be investing a significant portion of my net worth into this.

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Online stock trading platforms offer a wealth of convenience for investing at any point in time and also provide lots of information about the market minute by minute, helping you make the best decisions.

For active trading as well as long-term investing these are the best platforms I’ve found:

DEGIRO

There are not a lot of online brokers that offer an asset library as extensive as DEGIRO. Whether it’s shares, bonds, ETFs, or funds – you’ll have access to thousands of instruments across 50 markets and 30 exchanges. This ensures that you can build a highly diversified portfolio and thus – mitigate your exposure to a single asset or marketplace.

In terms of the main attraction – fees, this is largely very competitive. In fact, if investing in major marketplaces found in the UK, US, and parts of Europe, the fees are much lower than most brokers out there. However, it is important to remember that the likes of eToro allow you to buy shares in a 100% commission-free environment, although spreads apply.

As such, if you really want to focus on keeping your costs to an absolute minimum, eToro might be better. On the other hand, although you might pay a slightly higher fee at DEGIRO, the platform does offer much more in the way of asset diversity.

Finally, I do like the fact that DEGIRO does not have a minimum deposit in place and charges no transaction fees, albeit, it’s a bit frustrating that you can only fund your account via bank wire.

You can take a look at my review of DEGIRO for more information.

Open a DEGIRO account

eToro

If you’re actively involved in the online trading space, there is every chance that you have heard of eToro. After all, the provider now has 13 million users under its belt – making it one of, if not the largest trading platform around.

eToro offers a wide selection of markets – all of which can be accessed online or via the app. When it comes to traditional ownership, you can buy and sell shares from 17 marketplaces. This includes stocks listed in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, and more.

You can also invest in ETFs – such as those backed by Vanguard and iShares. This is good for diversification purposes or gaining exposure to difficult-to-reach markets. You can also buy and sell cryptocurrencies. This covers 16 digital coins – including the big two: Bitcoin, Ethereum.

With eToro you will not pay any commissions on stocks and ETFs, however, spreads do apply. There is no sign-up fee or monthly/annual subscription, either. You will also avoid stamp duty when buying UK stocks, which saves you an extra 0.5%.

You’ll need to first open an account – which you can online or via the app. Then, you’ll need to meet a minimum deposit, which you can instantly fund with a debit/credit card or e-wallet. Bank transfers are also an option, but this can take up to 7 working days.

You can read my full eToro review here, where I delve deeper into why I like this platform, and what you need to be aware of when trading on it.

Trade on eToro

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply. For more information, visit etoro.com/trading/fees.

Saxo Trader

Saxo Trader is a trading platform owned and operated by the Danish bank Saxo Bank. The firm was founded in 1992 in Denmark. It initially began as a brokerage firm but received its European banking license in 2001, enabling it to broaden its financial services. The headquarters of Saxo Bank is located in Copenhagen.

Saxo Trader has carved out a reputation for itself as a reliable and secure trading platform, assuring its users a high level of trustworthiness. As a fully regulated and licensed platform, it operates under strict regulatory oversight, providing users with a strong sense of security.

The platform has in place robust security measures to protect users’ data and financial transactions. With two-factor authentication and encryption, Saxo Trader goes the extra mile to ensure users’ accounts and personal information are secure.

An additional feather in its cap is Saxo Trader’s Stock Lending Program, which I’ve been using successfully ever since it launched. This program allows users to lend out their shareholdings in return for a payment, creating an opportunity for additional income. Importantly, while their shares are on loan, Saxo Bank acts as the borrower, thereby ensuring the shares’ safe return. This aligns with Saxo’s philosophy of risk management and demonstrates their commitment to user protection.

Saxo Trader’s customer support is another aspect that bolsters its reliability. With a dedicated and knowledgeable team on standby, users are provided with prompt and helpful responses to their queries or issues. They offer chat support (the one I use most), and also telephone and email.

Open a Saxo Trader account

I always recommend looking at all the fees and factors, because what works best for me will not necessarily work best for you, depending on your location and investing strategies.

Have you found any other great online trading platforms? Let me know in the comments section.

Investing in stocks, bonds, and ETFs involves risks including complete loss. Please do your research before making any investment.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Trading history presented is less than 5 complete years and may not suffice as basis for investment decision.

Copy trading is a portfolio management service, provided by eToro (Europe) Ltd., which is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission.

Cryptoasset investing is highly volatile and unregulated in some EU countries. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.

eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro.