Cryptocurrencies are digital coins that investors can use to either invest in the project they believe in or use as a form of payment to exchange goods and services. Although cryptocurrency is here to stay and can provide options to investors, there are many things that investors need to take into consideration.
The first issue with Cryptocurrency is what rules and regulations are there to protect the investor. There isn’t much government regulation to protect the investor when owning Cryptocurrency, which becomes a risky investment. Second, there are several security concerns when holding these digital coins because exchanges and wallets can be targets for hackers and scammers. Finally, Cryptocurrency payments are not reversible; once the payment is completed and sent, the funds are untraceable.
Despite the risks, Cryptocurrencies can potentially impact the financial services industry. Financial planners should not ignore these new emerging assets because clients will soon be curious about owning or already owning them. Therefore, it is important to understand better how these digital coins work and the tax implications involved when selling or exchanging them. Although Cryptocurrencies are relatively new, it is important to understand the risks and be up to date with any new regulations passed to inform clients about the risks better.
Financial planners need to stay up-to-date and learn more about these digital coins because clients are starting to grow interest, which means they want to diversify their money into as many different assets as possible. Therefore, financial planners must have conversations with their clients about the risks and whether these coins should be part of their financial plan. Having Cryptocurrency can create more diversification, but clients need to understand better the potential benefits and risks of allocating funds to these coins.
Although Cryptocurrency is not for everyone, learning about it is important to be aware of the risks associated with owning it. The market for these coins is highly volatile and complex and can raise possible scams. Therefore, it is important to read about these coins and the projects they aim to change to determine their legitimacy.