Surprise Your Significant Other This Valentine’s Day

En Español

Nobody ever said that Valentine’s Day gifts have to be limited to the typical box of chocolates or flowers. While there is nothing wrong with those presents, have you considered giving a gift that carries a powerful message on personal finances?

Valentine’s Day could be the perfect occasion to give your significant other the gift of savings and investing to help improve their personal finances.

So how do you turn the unsexy idea of saving and investments into a Valentine’s Day gift?

• Give Savings Bonds.  Savings bonds can be purchased as gifts for your Valentine and many purchasers save for their children’s education.  Just in time for Valentine’s Day, you can turn tax time into savings and giving time by using a portion of your tax refund to buy U.S. Savings bonds.

Sold in denominations of as little as $50, Series I bonds, the type available for purchase through TurboTax, are available to every taxpayer who receives at least $50 in tax refunds. You can use a portion of your tax refund to buy bonds for your loved one and have the remainder deposited into a bank account or pre-paid debit card.

• Gift shares. Websites like www.oneshare.com allow you to acquire shares from a company that reflects the style and interests of the person that will receive the gift. Giving shares as a gift is meaningful: your significant other will become a shareholder and will be inspired to learn more about the company, its rate of return, and even its upcoming new product launches.

• Open a mutual fund. You can open a mutual fund account on behalf of your significant other. Secure all the information needed and give them a letter with next steps, so they will only need to fill out the personal information section and sign to complete the process. Keep in mind that in order to open a mutual fund account, most investment companies require a minimum deposit of between $1,000 and $3,000. However, if you go the extra mile and provide your loved one with the money to open the fund, you will change their financial life by helping them become a real investor and encouraging them to keep contributing to that account.

•  Buy an ETF. You could open an account for your loved one by buying shares of an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). ETFs are like mutual funds that are divided into shares; those shares are traded in the stock exchange like other company’s shares would be.  ETFs are attractive because shares can be acquired with a relatively small investment (between $100 and $200). Fidelity Investment, an investment company, offers you the opportunity to open an account when you buy an ETF share. Fidelity offers 30 different ETFs that can be bought without having to pay a commission.

•  Give A Book. A book on finances could also be a great gift to your significant other, inspiring them to improve their personal finances. There are a lot of finance books, so look for one that contains real and simple solutions to common problems on personal finances.