{"version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1","title":"Stephen Ajulu","home_page_url":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/","feed_url":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/tags/featured/feed.json","description":"Hello, I'm Stephen Ajulu, a seasoned multidisciplinary tech professional with over a decade of experience. I build impactful solutions using design, tech, and engineering in the pursuit of impact.","icon":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/me.jpg","authors":[{"name":"Stephen Ajulu","url":"https://stephenajulu.com","avatar":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/me.jpg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/how-to-get-started-investing/","url":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/how-to-get-started-investing/","title":"How To Invest","summary":"Hey there? Today I\u0026rsquo;ll show you how to get started investing.\nDisclaimer: I am not a financial expert, down below is purely my opinion.\n1. Money Market Funds Low Risk A money market fund mainly invests in short-term debt securities with high credit quality such as treasury bills and commercial paper. This fund is ideal for the conservative low-risk investor who leans towards stability and security for capital invested. Interest is calculated on a daily basis, and credited to the client\u0026rsquo;s account net of costs.\n","content_html":"\u003cp\u003eHey there? Today I\u0026rsquo;ll show you how to get started investing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDisclaimer: I am not a financial expert, down below is purely my opinion.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"1-money-market-funds-low-risk\"\u003e1. Money Market Funds \u003csup\u003eLow Risk\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA money market fund mainly invests in short-term debt securities with high credit quality such as treasury bills and commercial paper. This fund is ideal for the conservative low-risk investor who leans towards stability and security for capital invested. Interest is calculated on a daily basis, and credited to the client\u0026rsquo;s account net of costs.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor example Cytonn\u0026rsquo;s money market fund can go up to 11% depending with the market.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCurrently there are more than 8 Money Market Funds in Kenya.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere are the ones I know about.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://cytonn.com/asset-managers/money-market-fund\"\u003eCytonn Money Market Fund\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://invest.icealion.com/learnMore\"\u003eIcea Lion DigiTrust\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://ke.britam.com/invest/personal/grow-your-wealth/money-market-fund\"\u003eBritam Money Market Fund\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://cic.co.ke/product/cic-money-market-fund/\"\u003eCIC Group Money Market Fund\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.genghis-capital.com/services/unit-trust-funds/\"\u003eGenCapHela Imara Money Market Fund\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.uapoldmutual.com/h/investment-solutions/solution/money-market-fund\"\u003eUAPOld Mutual Money Market Fund\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"2-real-estate--land-moderate-risk\"\u003e2. Real Estate \u0026amp; Land \u003csup\u003eModerate Risk\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReal Estate \u0026amp; Land is mainly the buying, selling or renting of real estate or land. Land and Real Estate are assets known to appreciate in value and one of the contributing factors to this, is that the world is running out of land and land prices keep increasing because of it\u0026rsquo;s demand. Real Estate on the other hand is important as well. Investing in this usually means you are buying a piece of land or housing then wait for it to appreciate in value and then sell or rent it. Many have devised a ploy where they rent land then rent it to other people and they deduct their profits while paying the rest to the official landlord.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReal Estate is a moderate risk high return investment, which means before attempting to invest in this. Lay aside an emergency fund as prices depreciate too. Take a look at this season we are in, it\u0026rsquo;s prime season for those looking for housing or land but not so good to the sellers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI know of only 3 way of investing in land and that is through\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://sic.co.ke/\"\u003eSafaricom Investment Cooperative\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.cytonn.com/real-estate\"\u003eCytonn Real Estate\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStanlib Fahari - Stanlib Fahari I-REIT is Kenya’s first Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) providing investors with a steady income stream and capital growth. The fund invests at least 75% of its Total Asset Value (TAV) in real estate in strategic locations in Kenya. A maximum of 25% of its TAV is invested in cash investments and cash-like instruments.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c!--adsense--\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"3-shares-moderate-risk\"\u003e3. Shares \u003csup\u003eModerate Risk\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI talk about this here: \u003ca href=\"https://ajulusthoughts.stephenajulu.com/post/how-to-buy-your-first-share/\"\u003eHow To Buy Your First Share\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"4-etfsexchange-traded-fund-moderate-risk\"\u003e4. ETFs(Exchange Traded Fund) \u003csup\u003eModerate Risk\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn exchange traded fund (ETF) is a type of security that involves a collection of securities—such as stocks—that often tracks an underlying index, although they can invest in any number of industry sectors or use various strategies. ETFs are in many ways similar to mutual funds; however, they are listed on exchanges and ETF shares trade throughout the day just like ordinary stock.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe only ETF I know is\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbsa NewGold ETF - The Barclays/Absa NewGold ETF is an instrument that tracks the price of gold in line with the international markets. It is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and trades under the symbol GLD. Any local investor can purchase it through placing an order through their stockbroker.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf an investor buys the security/share of the NewGold ETF he is effectively buying approximately 1/100th of an ounce of Gold which is held in a secure depository on behalf of investors and is backed by physical gold.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"5-cryptocurrencies-high-risk\"\u003e5. Cryptocurrencies \u003csup\u003eHigh Risk\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cryptocurrency (or “crypto”) is a digital currency that can be used to buy goods and services, but uses an online ledger with strong cryptography to secure online transactions. Much of the interest in these unregulated currencies is to trade for profit, with speculators at times driving prices skyward.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust recently they crypto market(all cryptocurrencies) surpassed 1.2 Trillion US Dollars, that\u0026rsquo;s 131,340,000,000,000.00 Kenyan Shillings. One Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency is at 5,103,850.51 Kenyan Shilling. So you can see the potential cryptocurrencies have. They are a great investment. But you have to be careful as this is a high risk investment, i mean very high risk. Bitcoin and the likes aren\u0026rsquo;t regulated, if for example hypothetically bitcoin was to disappear from the internet, so would you money. It\u0026rsquo;s a high risk high return investment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere is a list of some cryptocurrencies\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBitcoin at 5,103,850.51 Kenyan Shillings\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEthereum at 196,334.71 Kenyan Shillings\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLitecoin at 20,720.36 Kenyan Shillings\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBitcoin Cash at 56,694.36 Kenyan Shillings\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMonero at 16,504.40 Kenyan Shillings\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"6-forex-high-risk\"\u003e6. Forex \u003csup\u003eHigh Risk\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBasically investing/trading in other currencies eg USD.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne way to do this is to register with \u003ca href=\"https://lp.fxpesa.com/landing-pages/refer-a-friend/?affid=C00958714\u0026amp;clickid=C00958714\"\u003eFXPesa\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat\u0026rsquo;s it for today I know I haven\u0026rsquo;t covered all of them so I\u0026rsquo;ll save the rest for another day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://ajulusthoughts.stephenajulu.com/post/how-i-started-investing/\"\u003eGo check out my other post on how I started investing\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHave a great day everyone.\u003c/p\u003e\n","date_published":"2021-02-10T09:00:00Z","image":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/feature-758x426.jpg","tags":["investment","investing","finance","investing kenya","getting stated","featured"]},{"id":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/cybersecurity-practices-to-live-by/","url":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/cybersecurity-practices-to-live-by/","title":"Cybersecurity Practices to Live By","summary":" Keep Personal Information Professional and Limited Keep Your Privacy Settings On Practice Safe Browsing Use a Secure VPN Connection, try ProtonVPN from the same people who brought you ProtonMail a secure mail service provider Be Careful What You Download and Where You Download It From Choose Strong Passwords(12 characters and more) and use a password manager e.g.Bitwarden(our personal favorite) or 1Password Enable 2 Factor Authentication and use a service like Authy by Twilio Make Online Purchases From Trusted Sites Always check that the website you are using uses HTTPS eg https://google.com.Tip: check for a padlock at the end of the search bar/URL Be Careful What You Post as it can be used against you Be Careful Who You Meet Online as there are some with malicious intent Keep Your Operating System and Software Up To Date, you can use a website like Ninite Learn how to spot scams and frauds Always check the link of anything you have been sent be it through email or by a friend. If the domain name is suspicious don’t click it e.g. http://safaricomfreeairtime.net or http://saffreeoffer.com or http://freegiftcards.winurl.site/?c=carrefour and others. Don’t share your password and other sensitive information even if it’s Google asking for it. Make sure your computer has a firewall and that it’s on. Make sure you have a reputable antivirus. Window’s Antivirus has become really good. Try adding Malwarebytes. Encrypt your Hard Drive, Mobile Phone and any other data storage. All modern OS have an encryption feature. Back up your data. They say no matter what you do, you can never have bullet proof security. Backing up your data will prevent misfortunes such as ransomware and others. Avoid oversharing! Avoid using free Wi-Fi because attackers can easily make those to steal your data or even tap into them. If you have to, use a VPN or tunneling. Bookmark this article for future reference. Press CTRL + D simultaneously. ","content_html":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep Personal Information Professional and Limited\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep Your Privacy Settings On\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePractice Safe Browsing\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse a Secure VPN Connection, try \u003ca href=\"https://protonvpn.com/utm_source=techwitke.netlify.app\"\u003eProtonVPN\u003c/a\u003e from the same people who brought you \u003ca href=\"https://protonmail.com/utm_source=techwitke.netlify.app\"\u003eProtonMail\u003c/a\u003e a secure mail service provider\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBe Careful What You Download and Where You Download It From\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChoose Strong Passwords(12 characters and more) and use a password manager e.g.\u003ca href=\"https://bitwarden.com/utm_source=techwitke.netlify.app\"\u003eBitwarden\u003c/a\u003e(our personal favorite) or\u003ca href=\"https://1password.com/utm_source=techwitke.netlify.app\"\u003e 1Password\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEnable 2 Factor Authentication and use a service like \u003ca href=\"https://authy.com/utm_source=techwitke.netlify.app\"\u003eAuthy by Twilio\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMake Online Purchases From Trusted Sites\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlways check that the website you are using uses HTTPS eg \u003ca href=\"https://google.com/\"\u003ehttps://google.com\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cem\u003eTip: check for a padlock at the end of the search bar/URL\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBe Careful What You Post as it can be used against you\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBe Careful Who You Meet Online as there are some with malicious intent\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep Your Operating System and Software Up To Date, you can use a website like \u003ca href=\"https://ninite.com/utm_source=techwitke.netlify.app\"\u003eNinite\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn how to spot scams and frauds\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlways check the link of anything you have been sent be it through email or by a friend. If the domain name is suspicious don’t click it e.g. \u003ca href=\"http://safaricomfreeairtime.net/\"\u003ehttp://safaricomfreeairtime.net\u003c/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"http://saffreeoffer.com/\"\u003ehttp://saffreeoffer.com\u003c/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"http://giftcards.winurl.site/?c=carrefour\"\u003ehttp://freegiftcards.winurl.site/?c=carrefour\u003c/a\u003e and others.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDon’t share your password and other sensitive information even if it’s Google asking for it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMake sure your computer has a firewall and that it’s on.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMake sure you have a reputable antivirus. Window’s Antivirus has become really good. Try adding \u003ca href=\"https://www.malwarebytes.com/utm_source=techwitke.netlify.app\"\u003eMalwarebytes\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEncrypt your Hard Drive, Mobile Phone and any other data storage. All modern OS have an encryption feature.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBack up your data. They say no matter what you do, you can never have bullet proof security. Backing up your data will prevent misfortunes such as ransomware and others.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvoid oversharing!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvoid using free Wi-Fi because attackers can easily make those to steal your data or even tap into them. If you have to, use a VPN or tunneling.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBookmark this article for future reference. Press CTRL + D simultaneously.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n","date_published":"2021-01-30T00:00:00Z","image":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/safety-online-training.png","tags":["cybersecurity","data-security","featured"]}]}