7 ways to make passive income - make money work for you even while you sleep

With the cost of living rising, you may wonder how you can increase your monthly income to cope with that. One way you can do it is to create a source of passive income - i.e. making money while you sleep with just a brokerage account. Too good to be true? Read on to find out more.
masthead-media

What is passive income?

Passive income is money you earn even while you sleep. This can be achieved when you create something like a blog, an online course, videos, etc. that generate money even when you’re not at work or through investments account on property, stocks, funds, etc.

Why should I create a passive income?

Most of us trade time for money by working our day job. But it is not always efficient and it will take up a lot of our time. We could have done something else as Warren Buffet is known to say, “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.” Also, we will all get retired at some point and stop receiving active income. Therefore, it’s important to make your money work for you.

Passive income ideas: How to make passive income in Hong Kong?

1. Investing in Stocks

Investing in stocks that pay dividends are good passive income ideas. Good shares will appreciate in value and offer dividend payments - for example, HSBC Holdings plc (00005), Link Real Estate Investment Trust (00823), CLP Power (00002), or Town Gas (00003).

2. Bonds and GICs

Reputable bonds and GICs do not only protect your initial investment, but also offer 2-3% interest rates in exchange for you lending them money, making them another great passive income idea.The return is not massive but the risk is minimal.

3. Funds

Instead of investing in a superstar company, you can invest in an entire sector or asset class, or on an economy by buying funds. You can do so by investing in index fund ETFs e.g. S&P 500 which tracks the 500 biggest companies in the US stock exchange instead of an individual US stock.

4. Cryptocurrency

Investing in crypto is also a great passive income idea. Some service providers offer an interest if you deposit your crypto. But usually, it comes with a “lockup period”, during which you can’t access your funds for a fixed amount of time.

5. Invest in Property

If you have more money, you can consider investing in properties. For one thing, it may appreciate over time and you will then be able to earn the difference and you can earn rental income each month.

6. Saving Insurance Plan

You can also purchase a savings insurance plan that offers a potential attractive return to achieve long-term wealth accumulation.

7. Affiliate Marketing

To earn passive income, you can also become a blogger and earn a commission for selling another’s product or service. Most of the work will be done upfront and you will enjoy the income if someone buys the product.
Background image

Best brokerage accounts in Hong Kong

MoneySmart Exclusive
🔥Highest offer in town
MoneySmart Exclusive
🔥Highest offer in town

Huatai Zhangle Global

Min. Commission - US Stocks (V2)
US$0
Min. Commission - HK Stocks (V1)
HK$0
HK IPO subscription fee
HK$0

July Welcome Offer – Up to HK$8,600】1 – 31 July. Open an account via MoneySmart's designated link and complete deposit and holding conditions
1️⃣ Deposit HK$10,000+, accumulate net deposit ≥ HK$80,000 and maintain monthly average daily net assets ≥HK$80,000 before 1 Sep 2026.
Choose from: HK$2,000 cash*/ SONY WF-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds (value: HK$2,599)
OR
2️⃣ Deposit HK$10,000+ and maintain monthly average daily net assets ≥ HK$10,000 before 1 Sep 2026.
Choose from: HK$500 cash* /HK$600 PARKnSHOP or HKTVmall e-voucher/ SONY WF-C710N Earphones (HK$799)

 

‼️ Rewards 1️⃣ and 2️⃣ cannot be combined.
‼️ See【More Details】below for full details.

Valid until 31 Jul 2026
MoneySmart Exclusive
🔥Highest offer in town
MoneySmart Exclusive
🔥Highest offer in town

Webull Securities Account

Commission Fee US Stocks
US$0
Commission Fee HK Stocks
HK$0
US stocks minimum trade
US$1

【Webull welcome offer up from HK$1,900 to HK$2,200 cash 🤑】
1️⃣ From July 8–16, open an account via the designated MoneySmart link, deposit HK$80,000–HK$499,999 within 30 days (inclusive), then maintain the assets for 30 more days from day 31. Choose one of the following
🔥HK$2,200 cash* / Apple Store e-gift card/ De'Longhi Dedica Duo Pump-driven Espresso Coffee Machine (EC890) (Value HK$3,588)

 

2️⃣ From July 8–16, open an account via the designated MoneySmart link, deposit HK$10,000–HK$79,999 within 30 days (inclusive), then maintain the assets for 30 more days from day 31. Choose one of the following
HK$700 cash* / Apple Store e-gift card / HK$900 PARKnSHOP e-voucher

 

⭐️ Webull Official Reward : Deposit HK$500,000+ and receive a Webull cash coupon worth 1% of your deposit (reward max: HK$100,000)

 

‼️ 1️⃣ and 2️⃣ rewards cannot be combined.
‼️ Deposits of HK$200,000 or above will automatically receive Webull's cash coupon, and will not be eligible for MoneySmart's HK$10,000 or HK$80,000 deposit rewards.
‼️ See【Reward Details】below for full promotion details and gift list.

Valid until 16 Jul 2026
Min. Commission Fee US Stocks
US$0.0035
Min. Commission Fee HK Stocks
0.015%
Account Opening Min. Funding
HK$10,000
MoneySmart Exclusive
MoneySmart Exclusive

Syfe

Minimum investment amount
HK$0
Annual Management Fee
0-0.65%
Subscription fee of Equity fund
0%

From 1 – 15 July, open an account via MoneySmart's link with code【MS26】, deposit & pick your portfolio within 14 days, and hold for 60 days* to claim your reward!

 

HK$1,000,000 deposit (maintain 365 days): HK$4,000 cash* 💰/ DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Creator Combo (Value: HK$4,200)
HK$200,000 deposit: HK$2,000 cash*/ Apple Store e-gift card
HK$10,000 deposit: HK$400 cash*/ Plaza Premium Lounge APAC 3 hrs Access Pass x 2 (value: HK$1,300)

 

* 60-day retention for 'Income Plus' customers;
120-day retention for "Cash+Fixed” and “Cash Flexi” customers.
HK$1,000,000 deposits require 365-day retention regardless of fund selection.

 

‼️ For full details including HK$500,000 and HK$200,000 deposit rewards, click【More Details】.

Valid until 15 Jul 2026

Stocks Trading Platform in Hong Kong :

Stock Trading Platform Commission Fees (US Stock)Commission Fees (HK Stock)Features
Stock Trading Platform Valuable Capital Brokerage AccountCommission Fees (US Stock)US$0.99Commission Fees (HK Stock)HK$0Features
  • Create account: online registration and activate account with e-signature
  • Support US and HK stock trading, A Shares, ETFs, futures, funds, warrants, callable bull/bear contracts, inline warrants, IPO
  • IPO subscription margin interest rate at 1.6%, up to 95% margin
Stock Trading Platform SoFi Hong Kong Brokerage AccountCommission Fees (US Stock)US$0Commission Fees (HK Stock)HK$0Features
  • No commissions fees on trades
  • Fractional share trading
  • Start investing with as little as US$10 to own fractions of stocks, including Amazon, Tesla and Apple
Stock Trading Platform Webull Securities AccountCommission Fees (US Stock)US$0Commission Fees (HK Stock)HK$0Features
  • Provide access to Hong Kong Stocks, A shares, ETF, derivatives listed on the SEHK, Hong Kong IPO and Odd Lot. US stocks will be coming soon.
  • Offer 8 types of charts, 50 technical indicators, 12 types of line drawing and adding CYQ function.
Stock Trading Platform Saxo MarketsCommission Fees (US Stock)US$3Commission Fees (HK Stock)HK$18Features
  • Offer access to over 40,000 markets at industry-leading prices across stocks, ETFs, bonds, commodities, options, futures, funds, managed portfolios, FX and CFDs
  • Access 19,000+ stocks across core and emerging markets on 37 exchanges worldwide - HK, US, CN, UK, EU and JP

Compare More Trading Accounts in HK!

Compare more brokerage account in HK through MoneySmart including Futu /Webull/Valuable Capital and more!

FAQ

Why should I create a passive income?

It frees up your time to actually do the active work and protects the value of your money.

Can I create passive income through investments?

Yes, you can. Getting your money to work for you through investing in appreciable assets is a smart way to add money to your income stream.