This text belongs to the Bolsillo newsletter, a summary of the week's most notable news that is sent every Sunday. If you want to receive it in your email, sign up here.
From orange juice to a celebrity's sneakers, investing is no longer just about the stock market or debt. Whiskey, wine, garages... The range is expanding more and more for those looking for a bit of profitability. Even in traditional markets, new options are emerging: starting this week it is easier to invest in bitcoin. New times, new bets.
You dare? Alternative investments are flourishing. The search for profitability leads to looking for how to make money with alcoholic beverages or juices. "They give you an extra, but they should never be the main activity of the investment," warns analyst Javier Molina, who explains which will be the star this year (Podcast). Others look to their feet to make money: after the boom of recent years, is it still profitable to invest in sneakers? Between limited editions and collaborations with celebrities, you may have a treasure in your closet without knowing it.
New era. More alternatives. The US regulator this week gave the green light to ETFs linked to spot bitcoin. These exchange-traded funds open the market to institutional investors and the crypto world celebrates. For retailers it will also be a safer way to expose themselves. With more demand and spotlights, some already see it at $100,000. What is certain is that it is another step in the era of digital investments, where the aim is to make money profitable between virtual assets and robots that make your money work.
Housing, always. For those who rule out adventures, brick is one of the safe bets. At the start of the year these are the most profitable places to buy a home and rent it. The top three may surprise... On the tax side there are new developments: the tax burden for owners in new rental contracts increases. On the tenant's side, if what you are looking for is social housing, be careful with the requirements that are asked today to qualify for an apartment.
Another job. If taking risks doesn't convince you, another way to add income is to get a new job. Things this year revolve around algorithms and tourism, because the pull of digitalization coexists with more traditional sectors and a large volume of offers such as hospitality or commerce. For some the way out is reinvention. Unemployed senior women start setting up their own projects, self-employment: "Who was going to hire me?" María Pérez de Arenaza asked herself before doing so.
End to the mystery. The interprofessional minimum wage will rise by 5% this year, to 1,134 euros. Another good news for workers: after years of losing value, salaries under collective agreements are advancing at the same pace as inflation.
Despite everything, there are pending duties. It turns out that we are leaders in labor overqualification, especially among immigrants, and the structural unemployment rate is the highest among our European neighbors.
