The Intellivision Amico is a new family-focused gaming console launching this year, and now you have a chance to invest in it. Intellivision is positioning the device as something between a console and a smartphone. Its a way for families to get together to play games on a TV without having to worry about the complications of modern hardware. Or, at least, that is the pitch. And Intellivision will gladly accept your help funding that business model through the Fig crowd-investment platform.

You can also preorder the system through Fig, but this campaign is primarily about opening up Amico to investors. Intellvision boss Tommy Tallarico explained why the company turned to Fig.

Based on the overwhelming volume of investment requests for Intellivision Entertainment, we have decided to offer investors who share our vision to bring families and friends together an opportunity to join us on our exciting journey, said Tallarico. Figs community publishing platform for indie video game developers and Republics mission to feature a diverse portfolio of cutting-edge startups with a majority coming from underserved founders were important selling points for us.

Intellivision is planning to release Amico for $250, and then the company will sell downloadable games for $3-to-$10 after that. It also comes with two controllers that look almost like the touchwheel iPods.

If that all sounds different than the Nintendos and PlayStations, thats by design. Intellivision wants to have its own platform where games are simple enough for anyone to play. Of course, that may mean some games end up looking cheap.

But the Amico isnt for me. I have a PC and three consoles connected to my TV. So maybe the company is onto something I dont quite comprehend. And maybe some investors on Fig will jive with that vision.

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You can invest in the Intellivision Amico through Fig - VentureBeat

DANE COUNTY (WKOW) -- Dane County has invested more than $1.8 million in services supporting people experiencing homelessness since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin.

According to Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, efforts include reserving hotel rooms to help create proper social distancing, supportive services, and food services.

Limiting the spread of the coronavirus is our top priority, and these efforts have helped us flatten the curve in our community. A huge thank you goes out to our staff and community partners who have worked to carry out these efforts. Parisi said.

Dane County has partnered with the City of Madison and local service agencies on these efforts.

Back in March, Parisi said Dane County had partnered with several hotels in the Madison area to secure 72 hotel rooms.

Currently, over 300 people have been relocated to more than 180 hotel rooms. Roughly $395,000 has been spent on the hotel rooms.

The hotel rooms are being used for families and those considered at high-risk to contract the COVID-19.

To date, Dane County has also allocated $545,000 in supportive services and $262,000 in meals.

Most recently, Dane County finalized a $252,000 agreement to provide lodging for individuals experiencing homelessness who are symptomatic and in need of space to isolate while they recover. $250,000 will help fund on-site nurse support.

Dane County has also invested $16,860 since March 23 for handwashing stations and portable toilets throughout Madison.

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Dane Co. has invested more than $1.8 million in homeless services since start of COVID-19 - WKOW

The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa is seen, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, on Saturday, April 18, 2020.

Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

The federal government is following the lead of other countries and tightening scrutiny of foreign takeovers of Canadian firms whose values have plummeted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The goal, according to the Saturday policy statement is to "ensure that in-bound investment does not introduce new risks to Canadas economy or national security, including the health and safety of Canadians.

Rules already in place to vet foreign direct investment from state-owned enterprises, or state-connected entities, will now apply to all investments, no matter their value said the weekend policy statement. The government will also pay close attention to investments of any value, controlling or non-controlling in businesses involved in public health or the supply of critical goods and services.

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According to the statement, the broader lens Ottawa is applying to state-linked entities is because the pandemic amplifies the concern that they may be motivated by non-commercial imperatives that could harm Canadas economic or national security interests.

The new policy will stay in place until the economy recovers from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The change follows in the footsteps of countries like Australia, Germany, Spain and France that have taken steps to limit or further scrutinize takeovers from foreign investors. A month into the pandemic, innovation and legal experts say Canadas move comes late and that it shouldnt just be limited to the pandemics time-frame as COVID-19 has laid bare the countrys vulnerabilities when it is too reliant on international players for critical goods.

What will Canadas Pandexit strategy look like? How officials are deciding when to lift coronavirus lockdowns

Will it be a quick or lengthy economic rebound? Charting the possible shape of a challenging recovery

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains was not available for an interview Saturday.

In a statement, he said the enhanced scrutiny is needed to put a buffer between economically weakened companies and opportunistic investors."

Mr. Bains office did not say whether it has already identified foreign entities trying to take advantage of the lower valuations of many companies, but the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said it was not aware of any opportunistic buying so far. Still the chambers senior director of international policy, Mark Agnew, said the pandemic has shown the country needs to protect key sectors.

Naive thinking will leave us ill prepared for future pandemics, Mr. Agnew said in a statement

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He cautioned that the domestic economy still needs foreign capital and the move by Ottawa could have a chilling effect. The chamber also called on Ottawa to more widely publicize the changes, which were announced on a federal government website and flagged to some journalists.

Boarded up clothing stores are seen on Robson Street, in Vancouver, on Thursday, April 16, 2020.

DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press

The federal government should be clear about which sectors will be subject to the broader scrutiny, Mr. Agnew said.

Paul Boothe, a retired professor and former associate deputy minister at Industry Canada, said the policy statement puts companies "on notice that the government will be taking a closer look at some transactions.

Attracting foreign investment has been a big focus of the Liberal government since is was first elected in 2015. To push its agenda Ottawa established Invest Canada in 2018. Saturdays policy marks a departure from the federal governments previous stance.

The new policy was panned by Jim Balsillie, chairman of the Council of Canadian Innovators, who said its not adequately thought through and falls short on several measures.

Jim Balsillie speaks at The Globe and Mail's Canada Future Forward Summit, June 26, 2019, in Toronto.

Glenn Lowson/The Globe and Mail

It confuses foreign direct investment with foreign portfolio investment, its short term applicability ignores the sustained capacity a sovereign country requires, and its narrow scope ignores the breadth of strategic assets required to protect Canadians interests," Mr. Balsillie said.

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"Whoever developed this policy needs to talk to innovation policy experts who understand how strategic technologies are developed, commercialized and move across borders.

Natalie Raffoul, an Ottawa patent lawyer with Brion Raffoul LLP, said the pandemic has revealed the vulnerability in becoming too dependent on international sources for critical goods. To prevent a repeat, she said more focus needs to be put on developing and protecting Canadian-made patents and other intellectual property so there is more domestic control over supply chains not just for health and safety, but for the countrys overall prosperity and security.

Its great to see the government doing this, but I hope that its not just a COVID-19 specific measure and that theyre going to be now long-term looking at scrutinizing foreign direct investment, Ms. Raffoul said. She stressed the distinction between foreign direct investment, which leads to foreign control, and foreign portfolio investment, which gives Canadian companies access to cash without forfeiting control.

Saturdays statement comes a day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $1.2 billion in help for startups and small businesses. Given that companies, weakened by the pandemic-sparked economic crisis, are already desperate for cash, Ms. Raffoul said Ottawa is late implementing the new measures.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during his daily press conference on the COVID-19 pandemic, in front of his residence at Rideau Cottage on Saturday, April 18, 2020.

Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

We waited now a month, she said, so hopefully these programs can now move quickly to ensure that our innovative companies are going to be protected so we dont lose the ground that we already have.

The heightened scrutiny of foreign takeovers during the pandemic is also missing protections for patents, according to Jim Hinton, a Kitchener-Waterloo-based intellectual property lawyer with Own Innovation. Cash-strapped companies can boost their coffers by selling their patents or save money by letting patents lapse, which risks Canada losing even more of its domestically-made intellectual property and doing so at a discount, he said.

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The tide has gone out and we are now shown that we dont have the innovation capacity that you need to weather both economic and health storms," he said.

Know what is happening in the halls of power with the days top political headlines and commentary as selected by Globe editors (subscribers only). Sign up today.

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Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, speaking at the 2019 WEF in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 23rd, 2019.

Adam Galica | CNBC

Uber shares rose as much as 7% in extended trading on Thursday after the company said that it was withdrawing guidance given during its Q4 earnings call and warned that it expects an impairment charge because of declines in investments.

The company's ride-sharing and delivery businesses have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns, but Uber has given little guidance on the expected effects. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said on a call with analysts March 19 that booking declines in Seattle had reached 60% to 70% on an annualized basis.

Investors may be cheered by the relatively small effect of programs that Uber rolled out to help drivers during the pandemic. The company said it expects that program to reduce GAAP net income by an estimated $17 to $22 million in Q1 and an estimated $60 to $80 million in Q2.

Uber also said it would take a one-time charge between $1.9 billion and $2.2 billion on the value of equity investments, affecting GAAP net loss by that amount. As of the end of last year, Uber hadhad stakes in Didi, Grab, Zomato, and its Yandex.Taxi joint venture, according to its annual report.

Last year, Uber reported$8.51 billion net loss, primarily because of stock-based compensation.

WATCH: Uber, Lyft rideshare businesses drop by 50% due to coronavirus: Report

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Uber shares pop after the company scraps guidance and forecasts investment writedown - CNBC

COVID-19 is a fearsome and relentless enemy. The disease caused by the novel coronavirus has infected more than 2.2 million people worldwide, and nearly 150,000 have died.Efforts to combat the pandemic are having severe economic ramifications, including millions of job losses and devastating damage to countless businesses.

Yet hope remains.

An army of doctors, scientists, and researchers around the world are working tirelessly to find a cure. Optimism is growing that an effective treatment for COVID-19 will be found soon. And the financial markets have begun to recoup their losses as investors look ahead to an eventual economic recovery.

So now could be a good time to consider investing some money in the stock market. Even if the markets pull back again, investing in great businesses tends to be a very wise and profitable decision, particularly over the long term.

If you're fortunate enough to have $10,000 to invest, here are three stocks that can help you grow your money into a fortune.

Image source: Getty Images.

Perhaps no company is better positioned to capitalize on the current environment than Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN). With many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers forced to close their stores due to social distancing directives, the online retail giant has served as a lifeline for people in need of food and other vital supplies. Amazon, in turn, is enjoying booming sales during the COVID-19 crisis.

Moreover, many people are shopping on its website for the first time. Once they experience Amazon's incredible selection of goods, low prices, and convenient delivery options, these new online shoppers are likely to remain loyal customers.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is a valuable partner for the countless businesses now forced to manage their workforces remotely. Its Azure infrastructure platform powers many businesses' cloud-based operations. Additionally, Microsoft's Office 365 applications -- which include cloud-based versions of its popular Word and Office software -- make it easier for people to work from home.

Importantly, with more than $60 billion in net cash on its fortress-like balance sheet, Microsoft has the financial strength to weather even a severe coronavirus-driven recession. The technology titan also generates bountiful cash flow, including over $10 billion in cash from operations in the second quarter alone. Microsoft is committed to passing a sizable portion of this cash on to investors via a steadily rising dividend, which currently yields 1.1%.

Software giant Salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM) is enjoying higher demand for its digital transformation services, and that's likely to continue after the pandemic as well as more businesses seek to transition their operations to the cloud to better enable remote work and a more broadly distributed workforce.

In addition to being the global leader in customer relationship management software, Salesforce also provides best-in-class tools that allow businesses to aggregate and analyze data from a wide variety of sources. Global spending on services that enable the digitization of business products and practices will reach an astounding $2.3 trillion by 2023, according to market research firm IDC. This massive market offers plenty of room for expansion, even for a $140 billion enterprise like Salesforce. Investors who buy shares today should be well rewarded as this software star fulfills its tremendous long-term growth potential.

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Coronavirus Market Rally: Where to Invest $10,000 Right Now - Motley Fool

The escalating coronavirus pandemic has ushered in a new era of stock market volatility, as investors come to terms with consecutive history-making daily swings. But it has also shone a spotlight on a promising investment opportunity one that's been winning the hearts of millennials.

Sustainable investments those focused on companies with strong environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) principles outperformed their conventional counterparts in the first quarter of 2020, even as the outbreak sent markets crashing.

In the first three months of the year, 70% of sustainable equity funds recorded returns in the top halves of their broad-based peer group, according to investment research firm Morningstar. Of those, 44% scored within the top quartile. When the full extent of the pandemic became clear in early March,ESG-aware companies outperformed other stocks by up to 5.7%, HSBC found.

To be sure, sustainable funds still suffered heavy losses amid last month's downturn. However, the losses were notably lower than that among traditional funds. Morningstar's head of sustainability research, Jon Hale, said that has a lot to do with the underlying principles of ESG-focused companies, which place customers and employees at the fore.

"It's very simple, really companies truly focused on the well-being of their workers and customers are able to make the right decisions more quickly in a major crisis like this one," Hale toldCNBC Make It.

That focus on doing right has been gaining traction over recent years as traditional capitalism, which positions shareholder returns above all else, has fallen out of favor. In its place has emerged a new term: Stakeholder capitalism, which attributes equal value to all stakeholders, from customers to employees and suppliers.

Environmental, social and corporate governance principles are central to that. Yet, the ESG category has failed to take off broadly due to assumptions that sustainable values mean lower financial returns.

In a 2019 study, Morgan Stanley foundeight in 10 individual investors were interested in sustainable investing, though just over half (52%) were actually pursuing them over concerns of a financial trade-off. Among millennials, those figures were even higher, with 95% interested and two-thirds (67%) actively investing in sustainable products.

However, the tide could be turning.

Last year,shares of the 100 companieson Barron's "America's Most Sustainable Companies" list returned 34.3% on average, beating the S&P 500's 31.5%.

The latest Morningstar stats now provide investors a "more complete picture" of how ESG stocks perform in a downturn, Hale said.

Samantha Azzarello, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, said that uptick could be accelerated by the coronavirus as investors both institutional and millennial become more "accountable" for which companies they back.

"From a moral and societal perspective, the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted to many people how we are all in this together," said Azzarello. "How companies are built to respond to the crisis and support customers, employees and communities at large is very front and center right now."

Those shifts could drive up demand for the burgeoning investment category, particularly among millennials, Arturo Tabuenca, founder of ESG investment firm EarthFolio, told CNBC Make It.

"An overwhelming percentage of millennials are interested in ESG investing," he said. "That makes perfect sense when you consider these young investors have experienced two major economic downturns in the last 12 years: One governance-related and the other social/health-related."

Those interested in ESG investments should start by understanding the options available, said Tabuenca. Some ESG funds, for instance, proactively work toward certain ESG goals while others simply exclude negative ESG behaviors.

What is true for investing more broadly is also true for ESG.

Samantha Azzarello

global market strategist, J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Next, figure out your preferred fund type, noted Elson Goh, head of investment for Singapore at St James' Place Wealth Management.

"There are many funds which can offer investors opportunities, and some of these arise from a shift to a more sustainable world the transition to clean energy, advancement in health care technology and the mitigation of climate change, to name a few," said Goh.

Finally, be sure to diversify your portfolio, noted Azzarello. These days, you can access the vast majority of asset classes, from equities to bonds and alternatives, via ESG products. Alternatively, you can opt for a mix of ESG and non-ESG options.

"Regardless of the type of investment strategy chosen, what is true for investing more broadly is also true for ESG," she said. "We want to be diversified.".

Don't miss:'Once in a decade' opportunity: Financial experts' advice for investing in the market downturn

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Correction: This article has been updated to reflect Samantha Azzarello's correct title.

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The coronavirus downturn has highlighted a growing investment opportunity and millennials love it - CNBC

David Iben put it well when he said, Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital. When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. We note that Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. Ultimately, if the company cant fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Johnson & Johnson

As you can see below, Johnson & Johnson had US$27.7b of debt at December 2019, down from US$29.4b a year prior. However, it does have US$20.0b in cash offsetting this, leading to net debt of about US$7.72b.

The latest balance sheet data shows that Johnson & Johnson had liabilities of US$36.0b due within a year, and liabilities of US$62.3b falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$20.0b as well as receivables valued at US$14.5b due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling US$63.8b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

Since publicly traded Johnson & Johnson shares are worth a very impressive total of US$400.8b, it seems unlikely that this level of liabilities would be a major threat. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time.

We measure a companys debt load relative to its earnings power by looking at its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and by calculating how easily its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) cover its interest expense (interest cover). The advantage of this approach is that we take into account both the absolute quantum of debt (with net debt to EBITDA) and the actual interest expenses associated with that debt (with its interest cover ratio).

Johnson & Johnson has a low debt to EBITDA ratio of only 0.27. But the really cool thing is that it actually managed to receive more interest than it paid, over the last year. So theres no doubt this company can take on debt while staying cool as a cucumber. Fortunately, Johnson & Johnson grew its EBIT by 2.4% in the last year, making that debt load look even more manageable. Theres no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Johnson & Johnsons ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. So the logical step is to look at the proportion of that EBIT that is matched by actual free cash flow. Over the last three years, Johnson & Johnson recorded free cash flow worth a fulsome 91% of its EBIT, which is stronger than wed usually expect. That positions it well to pay down debt if desirable to do so.

Johnson & Johnsons interest cover suggests it can handle its debt as easily as Cristiano Ronaldo could score a goal against an under 14s goalkeeper. And thats just the beginning of the good news since its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow is also very heartening. Zooming out, Johnson & Johnson seems to use debt quite reasonably; and that gets the nod from us. While debt does bring risk, when used wisely it can also bring a higher return on equity. Theres no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet far from it. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. Weve identified 3 warning signs with Johnson & Johnson , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

At the end of the day, its often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). Its free.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

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Is Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) A Risky Investment? - Simply Wall St

Acorns is an app that helps users invest extra money by rounding up purchases to the nearest dollar and then automatically investing that spare change.

Investing money is far from people's top concern right now, as the coronavirus outbreak continues and as millions in the US havefiled for unemployment benefits.

But the pandemic will end someday, and that means people will need to plan financially for that future. For people who can afford to do even a little bit, investing and saving should still be top of mind, says Noah Kerner, CEO of Acorns. His company's micro-investing app -- which costs $1, $2 or $3 per month, depending on your financial goals -- helps users invest extra money in exchange-traded funds by rounding up purchases to the nearest dollar and then automatically investing that spare change. It's available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

"Invest regularly," Kerner says. "No matter what, even if it's a very small amount, try to keep going. That's why we focus on spare change. Just try to do a little bit so that you can keep the momentum going and you can keep benefiting from compounding."

Even if you're not investing, online management tools like Acorns can help you sort through and prioritize expenses. Other apps that can help you manage, save and invest your money include Mint, Toshl Finance and You Need a Budget. These tools can be especially helpful in a time when millions of people face financial insecurity -- and may even be without a paycheck. For others, they're an important way to start saving for the future.

Kerner says Acorns has seen an increase in users since the market plummeted. He suspects that in a time of crisis, people realize they haven't saved and invested enough. Events like this can serve as a wakeup call to change those habits.

To mitigate the economic damage of the coronavirus, the US government passed a $2 trillion economic stimulus package that includes payments of up to $1,200 to taxpayers, but that still might not be enough to help those who lost their jobs.

Kerner shared steps that people should take at a time like this. Here's an edited transcript of our conversation.

Q: What should people be prioritizing right now when it comes to spending and saving?Kerner: Focus on essentials. Focus on saving and investing as much as you can. Take advantage of opportunities to earn some extra money when you spend through different rewards programs.

If someone didn't have an emergency fund before all of this, what can they do now?Take advantage of all the government stimulus programs that are coming out and follow them closely. There's a break on taxes so that you can file and pay your taxes later.

Noah Kerner

We have 350 brand partners that invest in your Acorns account when you shop with them. So every time you get your tank filled up at Chevron, Chevron invests into your Acorns account as a reward for shopping. If you get your groceries delivered, our partners will invest in your Acorns account as a reward for shopping. So find all those ways to maximize expenses and save as much as possible while you spend.

What are the most important money saving practices or tips people should keep in mind?If you need cash, you should try to dip into your checking account or savings account first before you touch your investment account or your retirement account. If you absolutely need the cash and you don't have a choice, then you have to do what you have to do. But I would say, given that we know approximately every eight years there's a recession, this is why saving and investing small amounts of money regularly is so important. You have to be prepared for those times so that you don't have to touch your investment money, so that money can keep growing.

Don't give into panic, and remember that this too will pass. It's so important to stay as calm as you can.

Acorns CEO Noah Kerner says it's important to keep money invested and stay focused on the long term.

Why is it important to invest, especially now?You should start investing as early as possible in your life, because the earlier you start, the more you can benefit from compounding. Warren Buffett calls it "the eighth wonder of the world." It's this mechanism whereby your money grows on top of itself because of compound returns. The way to think about it is if you started investing $5 a day at 18 years old, by 65, that could be $1.5 million, because of compounding. Now, the actual amount that you would have invested would be an order of magnitude less than that.

Every downturn in history has ended in an upturn. For me, that's the most important message during this time to remember. The reason the economy has dropped so sharply is because we have a global pandemic happening. But that doesn't change the fact that the fundamentals of our economy are good and strong. Going all the way back to the beginning of the market, even though there have been periods where the market's dropped 50% or 60%, every downturn in history has ended in an upturn. You have to stay focused on the long term. You have to stay patient.

What would you say to younger people who might brush aside the importance of saving and investing?Take in what's happening right now, and don't forget it. When the dot-com bubble happened ... and when the Great Recession happened in 2008, everybody felt it. And everybody said the same things: "This is unprecedented. I'm never going to forget this moment." And then time passes and people forget.

When there's a sale in fashion, people go and buy things. When the market is on sale for 30% to 35%, that's when you get in.

What are some of the major mistakes people make about saving during a crisis?They pull their money out while the market's going down or after the market's gone down. They lock in losses.

Let's imagine you have $100 in the market, and the market goes down 30%. You have $70. You didn't lose that money. You only lose that money if you pull it out, and then you've lost $30. If you keep it in, and use history as a barometer, that $70 dollars will go back up over $100 and then way past that.

I always hear, "I lost so much money." No, you didn't. You only lose the money if you pull it out.

Now, sometimes people are in really tough circumstances and they have to pull it out. But if you prepare for these times, if you save and invest small amounts of money regularly, then there's a potential that you won't be in that position.

Noah Kerner

How has budgeting changed in recent years? Has there been a sizable shift in priorities or new obstacles?Budgeting has long been a laborious task. A lot of our products are trying to help automate that process as much as possible. The movement is to eliminate the need to think about budgeting because it's incredibly laborious and difficult.

We're about to roll out a feature as part of our product called Smart Deposit. If you use our debit card checking account products and you move your direct deposit paycheck over to Acorns, we will automatically allocate a percentage of that into retirement, investment and savings accounts for you.

What other lessons can new investors learn from this crisis?Don't watch the market obsessively. Try to shut it off and just repeat those words to yourself: Every downturn in history has ended in an upturn. If you have the extra cash to invest, keep it invested and stay focused on the long term.

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Investing in U.S. shale producer Occidental Petroleum could be one of Warren Buffetts worst decisions as Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. | Image: AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian

Warren Buffett has previously advised that when you find yourself in a hole the best action is to stop digging.

This advice apples to Berkshire Hathaways (NYSE:BRK.A) investment in Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY). Berkshire Hathaway has about a 2% stake in the shale-oil giant.

In 2019, Berkshire helped Occidental finance an acquisition deal for a rival. The equity financing deal has now taken a turn for the worse after the shale giant offered Berkshire discounted stock in place of $200 million in quarterly dividends.

Occidental obtained $10 billion in equity financing from the investing conglomerate. The terms included a dividend yield of 8% on the preferred stock. This amounts to $800 million a year for Buffetts firm.

Under Occidentals current proposal, Berkshire Hathaway stands to gain if OXY stock appreciates.

But what happens if the current trend continues? So far, the signs arent good.

Year-to-date, Occidental Petroleum has plunged from around $45 to $12, a depreciation of about 70%.

The chances of the stock rising with oil prices still depressed are slim, which means Berkshire Hathaway could end up hurting for the foreseeable future.

A fall in oil demand of 20 million barrels per day is expected in April. The depressed demand is expected to continue until normalcy returns to the global economy. Until then, downward pressure on oil prices is going to continue.

Currently, Brent crude futures are trading under $30 despite a historic deal to cut production announced over the weekend. The only hope for OXY to get out of this is more protectionism and government aid.

In the lead-up to the announcement of the oil deal, Brent crude futures reached nearly $35 per barrel. The global benchmark has since fallen to around $28 a barrel.

For prices to rise to a level that Occidental can extract crude profitably, deeper production cuts are required.

The damage record-low oil prices are having on U.S. shale is unsettling. According to Reuters, shale producers have abandoned drilling new wells as they put off maintenance.

Some producers have partially shut production as the measures put in place to fight COVID-19 drastically reduced travel and manufacturing. Storage for the crude is also running out and some producers may be forced to sell well below costs. Refiners are also asking producers to cut their deliveries.

U.S. jobs will also be lost, with Rystad Energy estimating 240,000 oil-related positions to be cut in 2020.

Occidental has already acknowledged that it might not survive without the governments assistance. Last week, CEO Vicki Hollub urged employees in an email to pressure U.S. lawmakers to offer liquidity to the energy industry.

The email also asked employees to seek congressional assistance in accessing the Asian markets. Additionally, they were asked to lobby the government to buy more oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Clearly, OXY has set aside all pretensions that this is a free market economy. Warren Buffett may be an avowed capitalist but his shale oil investment is looking more like a dud. Unless the government steps in to help.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.

This article was edited by Sam Bourgi.

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Only Protectionism & Government Aid Will Save Warren Buffetts Oil Stock Investment - CCN.com

TheIRS started depositing coronavirus stimulus checksinto some Americans' bank accounts this week.

Individuals will receive up to $1,200, married couples will get up to $2,400 and $500 will be added for every child.

There are income restrictions: If you earn more than $75,000 as an individual or $150,000 as a couple, the total amount you're eligible to receive starts to decrease. If you earn $99,000 or more as an individual or $198,000 as a couple, you aren't eligible to receive a stimulus check.

If you're struggling to make ends meet, this money should first and foremost be used to cover essential bills and any debt obligations you may have. Next, you should use it to build up an emergency fund big enough to cover three to six months' worth of expenses.

But if you're able to cover your necessities and your emergency fund is fully stocked, "save it or invest it for the longer term," says certified financial plannerKelly Crane. "Equities are a bargain now."

Andrew Westlin, acertified financial planner at Betterment,agrees. "This is a great time to be investing money into the stock market, especially if you're younger and have a long time horizon," he says. He advises starting with retirement accounts: Max out your 2019 individual retirement account or Roth IRA, if you haven't already, or get a head start on your 2020 contributions.

The deadline for making 2019 IRA contributions has been extended to July 15th (the date your 2019 income tax returns are now due).

This is a great time to be investing money into the stock market, especially if you're younger and have a long time horizon.

Andrew Westlin

certified financial planner

While periods ofvolatility can be a good time todipyourtoeintothemarket, it's important to remember that investing always comes with risk. Experts recommendcontributing consistently by investing a fixed sum regularly over a long period of time. It's a strategy calleddollar-cost averagingand ensures that you won't sell low and buy high when the market is volatile.

You'll also want abalanced, diversified portfolio, which means having your money invested in different types of assets, like stocks and bonds.

Look into low-costindex funds, whichWarren Buffett recommends. Index funds hold every stock in an index such as the S&P 500, including big-name companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Google. Because this type of fund is highly diversified, it stays relatively constant and avoids some of the risk that comes with picking individual stocks.

And remember, you're investing for the long term. Don't plan on touching any money you put into the stock market for many, many years.

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The coronavirus stimulus checks are arrivinghere's who should invest the money, according to experts - CNBC