Archive for April, 2007

by Theres nothing quite as safe as houses or so they say, but in this climate of the various stock exchanges going up and down is this totally true? Sure, the news about surging housing prices and rising interest rates is never out of the news.Loads of Home and Property programmes swamp our daytime (and our night time) viewing on the TV schedules and where does this all lead us?
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Property-Investment—Does-it-still-Work-/203160 Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Property-Investment—Does-it-still-Work-/203160
When it comes to senior financial planning there are a lot of things involved. Of the many topics covered by this type of financial planning life insurance settlements are sometimes dealt with and for good reason. That’s because many seniors find themselves in their golden years with a great life insurance policy that they will leave behind but a current need for money. This could be due to a low retirement income, illness, poor investments, and many other reasons. Nevertheless, life settlements are very popular because it allows seniors to sell their life insurance policy to another beneficiary and get cash up front from which to live their final days. Of course, there are plenty of seniors who have children and that is the reason they made a life insurance investment to begin with and unless there is no other option these people are not that interested. On the other hand, there are individuals who don’t have children, have serious illnesses, and other needs and the only way for them to continue living is to simply access the cash in their life insurance.

Seniors should understand early in life that a life settlement investment is an option down the road and that is something that is worth considering. You may have this plan so you buy a larger policy than you would necessarily want with the plan of selling it for a percentage of face value later on so you can get more out of the policy. When you know about life settlement investment early on you can easily make a plan to take advantage of this method of cashing out your life insurance policy when you are older. If you make it to old age and find yourself struggling financially but you have a great life insurance plan then consider making a life insurance settlement. You will end up with enough money, in many cases, to allow you to live happily and comfortably to the end of your days and the person who buys your policy will get to cash it out when you pass away. Since death is going to happen to all of us investors in these life settlement policies know they will get paid one day but they always wonder how long it will take. That’s what makes senior financial planning and life settlement investments so interesting.

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer. Life settlements are very popular because it allows seniors to sell their life insurance policy to another beneficiary and get cash up front from which to live their final days. Of course, there are plenty of seniors who have children and that is the reason they made a investment in life insurance settlements to begin with.

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by Chad Surges
So quite a few years have gone by now since I started investing, and I often wonder what I would do differently if given the chance.

The first thing, would have been to avoid investing in individual stocks right off the bat. Trying to grasp the movements of individual stocks is something that takes practice and knowledge. Even with that knowledge it is still quite difficult to master the game of trading individual stocks. I would definitely have started out with a simple index fund or exchange traded fund if I was starting over again.

Secondly, I would have learned how to use stop-orders and trailing stops immediately to keep my losses to a minimum. For all the new investors reading this I can not stress the importance of learning how to use stop-orders and trailing stops to your advantage. When you start to take your own emotions out of your selling tactics you will find you make more successful trades. Investors who simply rely on themselves to sell stocks that are going down tend to freeze. They hold onto stocks way longer than they should have because of the belief that the stock has to eventually come back up in price. The problem is the stock may never come back up and now you have your money tied up in a losing stock. However, if you have a set automatic selling trigger to cut your losses quickly; then you can reinvest that money in a stock that may be a potential winner instead of a loser.

Lastly, I would have controlled my own personal greed much better then I did originally. When I first entered the stock market I wanted that big quick payoff, and then I quickly discovered those big quick payoffs are far and few between. Smaller stable trades pay off in the long run much better than swinging for the fences with every trade. Investors who invest too much money in any one stock will eventually suffer a huge loss that may potentially wipe out months of profits.

For more information please visit: www.lucky-dog-investing.com
Author: Chad Surges
Degree: Bachelor of Science (Business)
Career: Logistics Executive

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by Theres nothing quite as safe as houses or so they say, but in this climate of the various stock exchanges going up and down is this totally true? Sure, the news about surging housing prices and rising interest rates is never out of the news.Loads of Home and Property programmes swamp our daytime (and our night time) viewing on the TV schedules and where does this all lead us?
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Property-Investment—Does-it-still-Work-/203160 Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Property-Investment—Does-it-still-Work-/203160
When I started investing I had no idea even where to begin. I read books and searched the internet, and found there simply was way too much information for a beginner to even get a grasp on. As you begin your investing journey, you will hear many conflicting opinions on what you should or should not do in regards to investing in stocks. After a few months of trying different investing methods and strategies; I discovered the best thing to do was keep it simple and follow the basic steps outlined below:

(1.) Never use money to buy stocks that you can NOT afford to lose. In other words, do not play a game of black-jack with your mortgage payment.

(2.) Never purchase a stock you receive through an online email or regular mail. It more than likely is a Pump-And-Dump Scam.

(3.) When you buy a stock always immediately put in a stop-loss order. This single step could protect you from complete financial ruin if you can not monitor your stocks daily.

(4.) Learn how to use trailing stops.

(5.) Avoid buying into a stock when the market first opens. This is because stock prices tend to be wild in the first hour and you may pay too much for a stock. Stocks tend to stabilize a bit after the first hour of trading. Trying to chase a stock going up during the first hour will frustrate you greatly.

(6.) If you are new to investing do NOT buy stocks on margin. You can use a margin account, but only use the actual cash you put into the account NOT what the broker is willing to lend you.

(7.) Control your own greed. If you start turning the stock market into a casino, it will take you for all your worth.

(8.) When you first start investing stay away from buying individual stocks until you learn how the stock market really works. Instead start with simple index funds or exchange traded funds. Investing in individual stocks takes a lot of knowledge and practice.

In my opinion, if a new investors sticks to these basic guidelines they will save themselves a lot of headaches. I think many new investors become so overwhelmed with all the investment information available to them that they lose sight of the basics. If you keep your expectations and emotions in check then investing in the markets can be a fun and pleasant experience. However, if you let your greed and emotions take over your common sense; the stock market will become one of the most nerve racking experiences of your life.

For more information please visit: www.lucky-dog-investing.com
Author: Chad Surges
Degree: Bachelor of Science (Business)
Career: Logistics Executive

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by Theres nothing quite as safe as houses or so they say, but in this climate of the various stock exchanges going up and down is this totally true? Sure, the news about surging housing prices and rising interest rates is never out of the news.Loads of Home and Property programmes swamp our daytime (and our night time) viewing on the TV schedules and where does this all lead us?
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Property-Investment—Does-it-still-Work-/203160 Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Property-Investment—Does-it-still-Work-/203160
My feelings are definitely mixed when it comes to the world of investing. On one hand, I truly believe if the average person was taught properly how to begin investing when they are young, people would have a much better quality of life. If I have one regret about my own investing experience it is that I did not take investing seriously at a young age. I do feel that if a person takes their time to learn the proper techniques, and can control their emotions and greed they can be very successful investing their money.

On the other hand, I feel that investing brings out the worst in some people causing them to take risk, and hurt not only themselves but their families as well. Too many people, in my opinion, simply do not understand the risk involved when they invest in the stock market. I think in this day and age easy access to online trading accounts has turned the stock market into more of a gambling environment, where get rich quick fantasies run wild.

I also believe that there are many unethical Wall Street investors who prey on the get rich quick dreams of small investors. There is simply too much behind the scenes action going on with large investors and corporations that make it hard for the individual investors to compete fairly day-to-day.

With all that being said, in the long run investing is better for everyone that goes about it wisely. If you put in the time to learn the ins and outs of the markets you can be successful. I just feel the playing field could be better controlled so that the large Wall Street investors cannot have the upper hand on the small individual investors. Will this ever happen? I highly doubt it because we live in a power driven society, where the top 1% of wage earners are in control.

For more information please visit: www.lucky-dog-investing.com
Author: Chad Surges
Degree: Bachelor of Science (Business)
Career: Logistics Executive

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by Theres nothing quite as safe as houses or so they say, but in this climate of the various stock exchanges going up and down is this totally true? Sure, the news about surging housing prices and rising interest rates is never out of the news.Loads of Home and Property programmes swamp our daytime (and our night time) viewing on the TV schedules and where does this all lead us?
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Property-Investment—Does-it-still-Work-/203160 Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Property-Investment—Does-it-still-Work-/203160
When it comes to investing, I can promise you one thing: you will make mistakes. Ask any experienced investor, and he’ll admit some major failures as well. You’d better get mentally prepared for it. Having said that, there are a few mistakes any new investor seems to make. I’m happy to show you the four most common mistakes made by newbie’s and how to avoid them. Buckle up - here we go.

Mistake #1 - Start too late
You are never too young to start investing in the stock exchange. Get started as soon as humanly possible.

The perception of investing is that it’s limited to grey haired, financially established men (not women!) who can invest great amounts of money. This is a major misconception. And even worse: it’s limiting people (you?) from exploiting the power of making your money grow and grow and grow. Start today. Now.

Why such a hurry? Waiting to start investing will make an immense difference in your financial destiny. Want proof? Investing $2000 a year (that’s barely $170 a month) starting at the age of 36 and an ARR (Annual Return Rate) of 10% can yield $802,895 at the age of 75. Nice amount of money right? Well, it could have been better. Much better. If you had started at the age of 26, that same investment would have resulted in a return of $2,114,379.

Let me do the math for you: the same investment, with the same ARR but with a 1.3 MILLION dollar difference…

Not able to invest as much as $160 a month? Set aside $100. Or even $25. Believe me: even this small amount can have a large impact in the long run.

Ready for Mistake #2? Here we go. It’s a fundamental mistake made by the overwhelming majority of new investors. Promise me one thing. After you’ve read this article, ask yourself this question: would I have made this mistake? Be honest. I’ll give you my answer before you even know the question: yes, I made that mistake as well. Ready?

Mistake #2 - Not Understanding The Company
It’s shocking! Most people will put more time, energy and research into buying a blender than they will in buying stocks. Of course, they take a quick look at what the stock price is doing, but there it stops. It is however imperative that you take the time to interpret the financial history of the companies you wish to participate in by buying shares. It’s important that you can explain what you are buying, why you are buying and how it will benefit you in the long run.

Having said that, it’s also crucial to stay objective while selecting stocks. Forget the story about the monkeys who are outperforming investment pro’s. In the long run (and that’s what you are after) the pro’s will always come out on top. It’s almost a law of nature: stocks that you’ve researched well and carefully selected are more likely to do better than stocks you choose based on a feeling. So put your emotions aside and consider your options carefully. Like Nike? By their shoes, but not necessarily Nike shares.

Another poor judgment issue - let’s say it’s Major Mistake #2a.
When choosing a financial coach or advisor, also take time to research and investigate. Consider meeting with a couple of candidates. Talk to them about their approach to investing. See if they understand what you’re looking for. And one last tip: if you are meeting with someone on a recommendation, make sure that the person who recommended the advisor is someone who’s qualified to do so. How? Just ask how his shares are doing…

Ok, Mistake #3. You’ve probably heard this a gazillion times before. And for a very good reason. It’s a recipe for disaster. And it is also one of the most neglected and violated rules of investing. Why? Not because investors are stupid, but because they are either lazy or greedy. Or both…

Mistake #3 - Putting All Your Eggs In One Basket
Don’t underestimate this old adage. In any portfolio, you will want to diversify your holdings. Spread your money not only over several different companies but also over different industries.

Why people ignore this rule? Most common reason is laziness. Let’s face it, its harder to find four promising companies than one. It’s harder to find three industries with an upbeat future than one. It takes work to built a diversified portfolio. Most people hate work. They’re after the lazy dollars.

Another reason why most investors have a very thin focus is good old fashioned greed. Suppose you have a portfolio with say five different stocks. One is slow. Three are doing ok. One is making you a small fortune. What do you do next? Sell the slow and average performing shares and invest your dollars in number five? Or do you believe in your initial game plan and stick to it? The fact is that most investors fall for the low hanging fruit — not seldom to find it was already harvested and the rally didn’t last. What they end up with, is a few eggs in a very expensive basket…

Saved the best for last. Major Mistake #4. But… you will probably not like this closing part. It undermines the reason most people (you?) start to invest in the first place. But please, please, please take my advice. It will save you from big disappointments and maybe even from going bankrupt.

Wow.. THAT serious? Yes, THAT serious! Get ready for a reality check.

Mistake #4 - Confusing Wall Street for Las Vegas
I guess I do not have to explain the fundamental differences between Wall Street and Las Vegas. But since you are fully aware of that difference, then why the [censored] do you (Oh no, not you of course, just those other guys) keep confusing gambling and speculating with investing?

Investing in stocks is part of a long-term financial game plan (game — bad choice of words by the way!) and not a get-rich-quick scheme. Day trading for example, has nothing (nothing!) to do with investing. Sure, you can make good money from it — when you know what you are doing and threat it like a J*O*B.

Sure, living the fast lane can be fun. And extremely profitable. But don’t ever say your are ‘investing’ your money. Your speculating. Gambling. If you feel attracted to it, set apart some ‘gambling money’ and make sure you can afford to lose it up to the last penny. Or don’t even bother and go to Las Vegas straight away to have some fun.

Jason Dutch writes about money, stocks and investing for beginners. You can find his articles both offline and online in the US and Europe. Her runs a website called www.growmoneygrow.info

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by Joe Lloyd
Getting into the stock market can be a fun and rewarding venture. For those who are unfamiliar with its ups and downs, the prospect can be a bit daunting though. Dealing with brokers can be a little frustrating. Some brokers are very easy to reach and will do a buyer’s bidding no matter what.

Others, armed with more knowledge than the investors, will sometimes be a little less responsive. Thanks to online stock investing, brokers can be virtually taken out of the mix for those who aren’t keen on dealing with a middleman directly.

Online stock investing is a fairly new concept that has opened a lot of doors for investors of all financial means. Everyone from retirees to schoolchildren have managed to get involved in online stock investing for a whole host of reasons.

There are some negatives to going this route to make investments, but there are a whole lot of perks that go with it, too. The cons for online investing involve the loss of a personal broker that can offer sound advice. When it comes to getting the best advice on what to buy, when to buy and when to sell, it’s hard to replace the expert.

Beyond that, however, online stock investing does have a lot of perks that make it accessible to virtually anyone. Plus, many reputable online trading sites provide access to trained brokers and investment counselors when their help is needed.

The overall perks of online stock investing include:

Ease: Most online trading sites offer very simple interfaces that enable users to quickly and easily buy and sell stocks. All that’s generally necessary is setting up a free account, sharing some information and inputting what’s required to pay for stock purchases. Most sites offer a lot of help for decision making and even navigating through purchases and sales, too.

Cost: The costs associated with trading stocks online will vary from site to site, but in general they are much more affordable than using direct brokerage services. Rather than charge huge per trade fees, these sites enable very small purchases and sales for pennies. This is what makes online trading so attractive to small investors looking to turn their milk money into extra cash.

Control: Online stock investing tends to put a lot more control into the hands of the investor. With direct access to buy and sell commands, these services help ensure that what investors want done is truly carried out. This can present both pros and cons, however. With the ease for selling and buying, overzealous traders can sell prematurely or buy at bad times.

Freedom: Online stock investors tend to have a lot of freedom to make their own decisions. This falls under control, somewhat, but the fact is this is one of the best options for someone who wants the freedom to make all of their own decisions regarding their money and investments.

Online stock investing can be a great way for anyone to get involved in the market. Coming with fees that are more affordable to the masses, this trend is one that’s more than likely to continue.

For more online stocks information please visit http://www.aboutonlinestocks.com - a popular online stocks website that provides tips and online stock resources. Don’t forget to check out our page on online stock investing.

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by Theres nothing quite as safe as houses or so they say, but in this climate of the various stock exchanges going up and down is this totally true? Sure, the news about surging housing prices and rising interest rates is never out of the news.Loads of Home and Property programmes swamp our daytime (and our night time) viewing on the TV schedules and where does this all lead us?
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Property-Investment—Does-it-still-Work-/203160 Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Property-Investment—Does-it-still-Work-/203160
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by James Delrojo
Most people are attracted to an investment after it makes a big jump in price and they keep away from an investment after it falls in price. Successful professional investors tend to do the opposite.

Professional investors understand the most important investment principle “you don’t make money from what an investment did before you owned it, you make money from what it does after you own it.”

An investment you don’t own that just went up sharply made someone else a profit or if it dropped rapidly it made someone else a loss. The question the professional is interested in answering is what is it likely to do from now on.

What the professional is looking to buy is an investment that is currently undervalued. For this reason they may be attracted far more to an investment that has dropped in price rather than one that has just made a substantial rise in price.

The undervalued investment that they are seeking could be an investment whose fundamental value today is more than its current market price or it could be an investment whose potential for capital growth is being underestimated by the market place.

Markets are largely driven by psychology in the short term and sometimes also in medium term. But in the long term price tends to be determined by practical realities. The psychology caused the fluctuations in the market but if you iron out those short term ups and downs you will generally see steady consistent trends.

For this reason periods of rapid growth above the trend will be followed by periods of downward market correction where the market catches its breath and lets reality catch up. The stronger and longer the rapid growth the more severe that correction will be. A mild recovery may result in slow growth or no growth whereas a severe recovery period may involve a substantial drop in market price.

Often during those correction phases psychology will kick in again and the market players will over react resulting in prices dropping substantially below fundamental values. This is when the amateurs are running scared but the professionals are bargain hunting. The professionals know that substantial drops below the trend will be followed sooner or later by an upward correction toward the long term trend.

These patterns of fluctuations and corrections occur in all traded markets such as stocks, currency, property and even small businesses, but in order to take advantage of them you need to understand the principles for calculating fundamental valuation for the particular investment you are interested in.

This would mean knowing how to calculate the real value of a company in the case of stock market or the real value of real estate in the case of property investing. If you learn how to do this and if you learn what drives long term capital growth in that market then you too will be able to see when the price is being driven mostly by emotion and when it is being driven mostly by practical considerations.

This style of investing requires considerable knowledge and considerable work because you will spend a lot more time analyzing potential investments than you will spend buying or selling. You have to be a person who enjoys analyzing and gets pleasure out of finding the opportunities that others are missing.

Having said that it can also be very profitable.

Warren Buffett has made billions from this form of investing in the stock market and Donald Trump has made billions from finding substantially undervalued property and recognizing the potential. If you are willing to learn the skills and do the work then perhaps you could join them.

Learn how to get rich in just 5 minutes a day with James Delrojo’s “The Busy Person’s Guide to Riches”. Go to http://www.riches.in5minutesperday.com

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by Theres nothing quite as safe as houses or so they say, but in this climate of the various stock exchanges going up and down is this totally true? Sure, the news about surging housing prices and rising interest rates is never out of the news.Loads of Home and Property programmes swamp our daytime (and our night time) viewing on the TV schedules and where does this all lead us?
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Property-Investment—Does-it-still-Work-/203160 Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Property-Investment—Does-it-still-Work-/203160
How would you like to find an investment that will consistently outperform every other investment you make? There is such an investment, but it’s not anything you’d expect.

In fact, it’s not real estate. It’s not the stock market. It’s not options. It’s not treasuries. And it’s not commodities.

The investment is giving to your church and other charities. If you don’t believe this investment will always outperform every other investment you make, let me share a story from Dr. Joe Morecraft, a pastor friend of mine.

Joe was on the board of directors for a fairly large company. At the annual board meeting, one of the board members, an elderly man who had amassed a sizable fortune, made a stunning announcement. He told the board that he had far more money than he could ever use and no heirs to give it to, so he was going to give away his entire fortune over the next year.

The rest of the board was stunned!

Well, one year later, the board came together again. But this time, there was a noticeable buzz in the air. Everyone wanted to know if the man was able to give away all those millions of dollars.

When the man entered, the room fell silent. Then came the announcement. A very red-faced board member had to tell all those influential people that he had failed in his task. But what he said was even more stunning than his original announcement.

He told the board that through the course of the last year, he gave away millions upon millions of dollars. He established a pace that, he thought, would enable him to quickly get rid of everything he owned.

Then something happened that he didn’t expect. He started making more money than he had ever made previously in his life. All of his investments were moving up faster than they ever had. The man had to tell the board that he was, in fact, far wealthier after that one year than he was when he made the original announcement. But what he said next was one of those lessons we all need to learn.

The last thing he said was, “What I learned this year is that I can’t out-give God.” As hard as he tried, he couldn’t get rid of his money faster than God was blessing him.

So if you’re looking for a way to get the best return on your money, give it away. The return won’t always be monetary. And there are times when you won’t see the rewards this side of heaven. But the reward will always be far greater than the investment.

This article provided by ChristianBusinessDaily.com — The Online Network for Christians in Business. Your source for news, articles, and commentary from a biblical perspective.

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by Christian Kameir -
Choosing the right investment program for you can be hard work, there are hundreds of different options to choose from encompassing all levels of risk, and offering varying returns to you.

For some people, the most attractive schemes available include investment in companies through the stock market, and while this is perhaps the highest risk option available, skilled investors are able to enjoy good returns by buying and selling stock at precisely the right time.

A popular investment program that includes stock as part of its portfolio is a mutual fund. A fund manager will handle the investments of a group of people, who then take a stake in the fund, and spread the risk between them. Good returns are still possible through a mutual fund investment program, but the service does not come for free, and your fund manager will get recompense for his work in managing the investments of the group.

A fast growing market that typically offers smaller gains than general stock market investment is an ethical investment program. Investing ethically works in much the same way as any ordinary fund, except that the investment vehicle, will avoid putting any money into companies that do not meet with the aims of the group.

Some ethical investment programs will not invest their money into the arms industry, or companies with a bad pollution record. Instead, funds will tie their investments into companies that embrace renewable energy sources, take their environmental impact seriously, or work with local communities to empower otherwise victimized peoples.

There are also many ways in which you can pay into an investment program. Some options will involve you paying a lump sum to a manager who will then handle all purchases made using that money throughout the term of the program. Other programs will involve you paying a pre agreed sum into a scheme for a set period of time before you get back money at the end. These savings schemes include personal pension programs, and may even be available through your employer.

It is important for any would be investor to fully examine the contract that they sign with their broker or fund manager to discover their full liabilities for the lifetime of the investment program, and understand how their money will be invested.

While growth is never guaranteed in any investment program, in the hands of an astute fund manager or with the advice of an experienced broker, there is no reason why you cannot enjoy substantial gains from any investment program that you choose to participate in.

Mark Estates is a freelance writer who frequently writes for such sites as the real estate investment site sharkbaitsoftware.com and the California Online Housing Market.

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