New U.S. Mint Coins a Golden Opportunity

In April, the U.S. Mint revealed plans to strike new .9999 gold coins to go after the growing global market for .9999 fine (24-karat) gold coins in early 2006. Studies show that pure gold coins claim 60% of the world's gold coin market, which is about $ 2.4 billion annually. The Royal Canadian Mint's Maple Leafs holds the number one place for pure gold coins. However, problems surfaced with maple leafs.

If the Mint avoids the problems that have developed with Gold Maple Leafs, it has a golden opportunity to grab. An even larger share of the gold coin market The U.S. Mint's American Gold Eagles are the best selling 22-carat gold coins in the world.

Despite the fact that the world's best-selling 24-carat gold coins, design and packaging 1-oz Maple Leafs' leave them susceptible to damage. As a result, Gold Maple Leafs have fallen into disfavor among American gold coin investors. There are indications that gold coin investors worldwide have the same frustrations with 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf coins.

It is almost impossible to remove, inspect, and put 1-oz Gold Maple Leafs back in their tubes without scratching them, no matter how carefully done. Gold Maple Leafs have smooth, clear areas around Queen Elizabeth's likeness and sharp serrated edge. When the coins are put back in their tubes the edges scratch the fields - and sometimes elevated image of the queen.

And, heaven forbid that a 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf is dropped on a hard floor or a tabletop. But the most damage is done when investors handle the coins. If Gold Maple Leafs roughly treated, as investors are used to treat Krugerrands and Gold Eagles, Gold Maple Leafs are easily damaged. Consequently, many badly damaged Gold Maple Leafs are reflected in the secondary market.

Until a few years ago, Gold Eagles and Maple Leafs sold in the same markings on spot. But, as Maple Leafs, investors who bought since 1979, began to arrive in the secondary market, problems surfaced. Now, to keep investors in the U.S. market to buy Maple Leafs, the Royal Canadian Mint for new (current year) Gold Maple Leafs offer at a half-a-percent under Gold Eagle awards.

Damaged 1-oz Gold Maple Leafs are such a problem that a major secondary market maker stopped dealing in coins for a while. The head trader said he was not the time to discuss with buyers and sellers the terms of the coins. He said his staff had no time to inspect each coin and classify it as the amount of the damage. It is commonplace for sellers to say that the coins are in "perfect condition." But when Gold Maple Leafs come, they often badly scratched or nicked rim.

Another major bullion dealer (perhaps the nation's largest) currently buys back "perfect" Gold Maple leaves from dealers located just over a spot, which means that investors receive less than their place as dealers resolve this firm. For scratched or damaged coins, these firms pay less than spot, which the company to send a refinery at a profit if the company does not have the coins buyers for Gold Maple Leafs.

The secondary dealer returned to trading Gold Maple Leafs, but alone buy them at prices that will enable him to profitably melt the coins as they really are beaten. As noted, because of the problem with the secondary market Gold Maple Leafs, the Royal Canadian Mint has to price Gold Maple Leafs below Gold Eagles to entice people to participate in the U.S. market. Gold Maple Leafs investors

Fortunately - the free market is what it is - there are dealers who evaluate the time to Gold Maple Leafs and pay more for those in better condition will take. Nevertheless, the spread (the difference between what an investor can buy and sell at any time) to "perfect" Gold Maple Leafs is about $ 4 wider than Gold Eagles. However, the U.S. Mint's new 24-karat gold coins have no problem coins.

For example, the 1-oz Austrian Philharmonics and The Perth Mint's 1-oz coins are .9999 fine. However, these coins are not easy to be damaged during normal handling due to their design and / or packaging.

Philharmonics ten to a tube and can be taken off and put back without scratches in their tubes. The Perth Mint coins come individually encased in hard plastic capsules. As long as Perth Mint coins remain in their capsules, they maintain their perfect conditions.

Hopefully, you know the U.S. Mint of the problems with the Gold Maple Leafs and designs her new .9999 fine coins and their packaging, so that the coins are not easily scratched or damaged. If the Mint chooses to deal with the packaging of the new coins in tubes, as the Gold Eagles and as Philharmonics are packaged, then avoid. Currency have milled edges

Although Gold Eagles edges, old U.S. gold coins ($ 20 Libs and St. Gaudens) are milled were beaten with lettering on the edges. So, lettering is not new to the U.S. Mint. With lettering, the edges are smooth, making the coins are less likely to scratch other coins in treatment. Philharmonics, which is not susceptible to damage, letters have their edges.

[Over the centuries, mints learned to design to guard against "shaving," a process in which a small amount of metal is "shaved" the edges gold coins. Milled edges are trimmed clearly audible. Light letters on the edges solves the problem. If no lettering can be seen on coins that are known to have been beaten with letters, then the coins shaven and no longer have their original gold content.]

If you Maple Leafs, Perth Mint .9999 fine gold coins have milled edges and carry an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse (front). However, to protect against damage, the Coin The Perth Mint encapsulates them in plastic capsules. When Perth Mint gold coins are removed from their capsules and tubes, the coins are easily scratched as his Maple Leafs.

To go after a piece of the $ 2400000000 .9999 fine gold coin market, the Mint needs to consider the mindset of bullion coin investors. Bullion coin investors look for alternatives to paper money, they are not coin collectors. Bullion coin investors prefer coins packaged so they can be stored and secured easily.

This means that the coin must package the coins twenty to form a tube, which has become - in particular as a result of the Gold Eagles - are preferred. Five tubes favorable total hundred coins. Furthermore, the tubes are made of the same durable plastic which Gold Eagle pipes are manufactured. Hard plastic pipes, such as Philharmonics, and can break when dropped. Gold Eagle pipes, however, are virtually indestructible.

"Shave" for protection against the Mint should design with letters edges. Their new coins Letters edges would make the coins less prone to scratches.

The Mint is like to feel and weight. Their currencies after the bullion coin market, and bullion investors Packing the coins in tubes allows investors to more easily inspect their coins. Collectors, on the other hand, want to make. Their coins in such pristine condition Although capsules are excellent for protecting collector coins, coins individually packaged in capsules require more space for storage. The other aspect that the Mint has to consider is the theme of the coin.

The coin should be the theme to make something uniquely American, as it did with his American Eagles coins. For the Gold Eagles, the Mint chose a slimmed-down rendition of Augustus Saint-Gaudens' famous Standing Liberty, which he founded in 1907 to create a new Double Eagle ($ 20 gold coin) worship. Almost a hundred years later, the Saint Gaudens, the currency is now called, is seen as the most beautiful coin by the U.S. Mint.

For the Silver Eagles, the Mint chose AA Weinman Walking Liberty design, which was used on half dollars from 1916 to 1947. Walking Liberty halves are among the most popular silver coins ever turned out by the U.S. Mint. Based on the success of the Silver Eagles program (more than 128 million sold since their inception), making the Walking Liberty on Silver Eagles was the right move.

Some may argue that the Standing Liberty and the Walking Liberty used in American Eagles program, design and therefore the currency to go to another design. However, the Standing Liberty and the Walking Liberty immediately identified as American by the world's bullion coin buyers. Besides, is not so much Miss Liberty icon of our nation as the eagle?

If the U.S. Mint avoids the problems that have surfaced with Gold Maple Leafs and offers gold coin investors a strong alternative, then it has a golden opportunity to gain a large share of the .9999 fine gold market. With proper planning, could Currency grip of the Maple Leaf on the .9999 bullion to shake. Currency market

Bill Haynes heads CMI Gold & Silver, one of the nation? Oldest precious metals dealers. For more information about investing in gold and silver, visit

Basic Options Terms

Options are good investing and speculative instruments. But options terminology can confuse even experienced investors. In this article we will take a few basic options terms.

Option - A contract giving the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a particular security at a predetermined price provides for a certain period. The seller of the option has the obligation to the terms of the agreement is fulfilled in case of exercise of the buyer's option.

Call Option - A contract that gives the buyer the right, but not change the obligation, to buy at an exercise price a certain amount of underlying any time before the contract expires (if the American style option) or any expiration (as the European-style option). The call option buyer hopes the price of the shares will rise by a specific date when the put option seller hopes that the price of the shares to decline or remain stable by the specified date.

For example: I'm writing a call option with 100 Microsoft shares, strike at $ 35 and maturity in July. Now I have an obligation to the terms of the agreement are fulfilled. I get some money for this contract and I hope that the price will be more than $ 35, no. But if you exercise the option buyer contract I have to sell you 100 Microsoft shares at $ 35 each.

Put Option - An option contract giving the owner the right, but not the obligation, to sell at an exercise price a specified amount of an underlying asset within a certain time. The put option buyer hopes the price of the shares will drop by a specific date when the put option seller hopes that the price of the shares rise or remain stable by the specified date.

For example, I write a putt option with 100 Microsoft shares, strike at $ 35 and maturity in July. I get some money for this contract and I hope that the price will not be less than $ 35. But if you exercise the option buyer contract I should buy from you 100 Microsoft shares at $ 35 each.

Underlying Security - The stocks, commodities, futures or other financial instruments to which an option contract is based.

For example: In previous examples underlying security is Microsoft stock.

Exercise Price or Strike Price - The price that the option contract, the holder may buy or sell the underlying asset.

Due Date - The date on which an option and all rights associated with it ceases to exist. Maturity is the last day on which an option can be exercised.

Expiration - The date and time after which an option can not be exercised.

Exercise - can holder to the right to appeal associated with a particular option. In the exercise of a call option, the holder acquires shares at an exercise price of the vendor option. In the case of a put, the holder of the option the seller sells the stock option at the strike price.

Automatic Exercise - The automatic exercise of in-the-money option at expiration of the clearing firm.

Premium - the total price of an option both intrinsic and extrinsic or time.

In-the-Money Option - A call option is in-the-money if the strike price is lower than the market price of the underlying asset. A put option is in-the-money if the strike price is higher than the market price of the underlying asset
At-the-money - An option is at-the-money if the strike price is equal to the current market price of the underlying asset.

Out-of-the-Money - An option with strike price is above (in the case of a call) or below (in the case of a put) the current market price of the underlying asset.

Intrinsic Value - The part of the price of an option that can account for the amount by which the option is in-the-money. Intrinsic Value = Oprion price - TimeValue (for options in-the-money)

Time Value of extrinsic value - The amount by which the current price of an option exceeds its intrinsic value. The price of the out-of-the-money and at-the-money options consists exclusively of extrinsic value

Options can be risky, but you can control and reduce risks. If you buy newbie in options, buy some books, visit some seminars or online training before your first option or sell.

If you want to invest or trading courses, trainings or seminars will visit FPLab - Educational Resource for traders and investors Links catalog

Invest or be Pink Slipped

Firing an employee seems easier for companies. Until now you allowed them to set your clocks. Now it's time to fight back! Beat them at their own game. They had linked your future. Now your security is in your own hands.

Companies are trying to make the best use of their resources so they claim. You should do the same! And when the corporation is no longer the best use of your resource give them their pink slip. You should start to look for ways to leverage your time and increase your profit potential. Think like a corporation on how you can increase your revenue per quarter.

This is exactly what I did and I'm so grateful for. I was six years old, started before diversify my income. I accomplished this by investing in commodities. I still remember the thrill of my first trading commodities. I managed to get $ 1500 to $ 18,000 in turns. Approximately 4 months That was almost identical to my $ 20,000 / year salary at that time. Until that moment, nothing I tried to do to earn a real income you know the kind of income that would allow them to spend and enjoy life, I actually worked.

I immediately stopped buying all the other so-called moneymaking material. I started focusing all my efforts on investing in commodities. A funny thing happened to me. I noticed I was doing my job better, because I was happier knowing my investments work for me. Had I was able to handle stress better. I started setting goals and taking vacations away from home instead of using my vacation time just as time off work.

I even started troubleshooting a challenge for others, but the solutions seemed to come to me with ease. I gradually moved into the business through promotions. I started watching the company as an investment for me. This vision I could start taking full advantage of their tuition reimbursement program and their interest-free loans for the purchase of computers.

My experience with investing in commodities I could change my perspective on life. When I got the news that I would have a job as a result of reorganization, from I felt no pressure. I had planned at this time, six years. Of course, everyone was quite shocked when I kept my composure and said the company was the best company I have ever worked.

I continued to work diligently and happy until the last day. You will see the company had paid for my college education, gave me two interest-free loans for my computer and gave me a lifetime of experience. Well, the truth is that I knew I had allowed me to earn to invest the money. My investments in commodities and the company

Diversifying your income now!

© Copyright David Wells. This newsletter and all its contents are proprietary products. All rights reserved. You are welcome to forward it to anyone interested. The entire newsletter

Often referred to as The Money Motivator, David Wells is passionate about helping people become crack the code to wealth money magnets. Let him teach you the techniques Hillary Clinton used $ 1,000 into $ 100,000 over the course of a year.

To The Money Motivator to work for you, visit his website at  and sign up for his free newsletter, Money Moments. In it you? Will receive creative ways for getting the money you need and how to invest like a millionaire.

Why Women Make Better Investors than Men

Being involved in a company that trains people how to actively trade in the stock market. I get the first hand the success or failure of our customers to see. Eighty percent of our customers are male. But I would bet that eighty percent of the successful stock traders are women.

Based on this experience, I began to wonder why it is that women tend to be better investors than men. I thought about it over and over, and I could not ignore the facts. Women make successful investors.

But why? I think it comes down to three simple words: EGO, EGO, EGO. The one thing that most people have in common is a big ego. Men tend to let their egos their decisions for them. They love when they have to sell. They buy in for fear of missing that one big chance. In other words, they do not invest to get out of the market, the best deal but to invest, so they look good (or bad).

Usually when people think of investing, they think of taking chances and risks. But the truth is that investing has much more to do with emotional intelligence than most people realize. Emotional intelligence is the ability to think about a situation and not to get emotionally involved with the lens. Women, in general, have a high emotional intelligence.

This quality makes women big investors. Instead of investing based on what will make them look good, women will invest according to a plan - not based on what mood they are in or that they are "good" or "error" will be.

Investing is not about being right or wrong. It's about making money. Women are able to get their ego aside in ways men have trouble doing up. This ability to put their ego aside makes women big investors.

Need proof? Ask yourself this: if a man and a woman are lost on a journey, which is more likely to stop and ask for directions? Women are more likely to investments ask questions until they fully understand the concepts. Men, on the other hand, may be afraid to ask the necessary questions because he can do poorly.
Women tend to invest learning provision. With a spirit And when they learn they implement solid plans. To say that they "know that a business is good", while men women you usually can tell why the company is good.

As more and more women turn to invest, I think we see this trend. Women better than men The ability of a woman to put her ego aside gives her all the upper hand in the investment strategy.

And because women are still paid less on average than men (a situation that needs to change - Pronto), women can use to invest more and work less their inherent advantages. So men can go, hard work, and earn a lot of money, while women can invest more, work less and earn more money.

Visit the Global Investment Institute and signup for our free Investing For Beginners E-Course at

Investment webmasters or publishers, please feel free to publish this article provided this reference is included and continue to actively use all the links.

Hedge Fund 101 - Make Money with Hedge Funds

Investors are always looking for the best investments that will yield the most profit. Any investor who can afford the extra cost should consider investing in Hedge Funds. Hedge Funds were launched in 1949 by Alfred Winslow Jones, who pioneered non-traditional investment strategies. Jones innovated this new investment by selling short stocks, while buying other stocks (long stocks). Hedge Funds are very similar to mutual funds except that fewer rules on Hedge Funds. As a result, hedge funds usually require a much larger investment.

What are Hedge Funds?

Hedge Funds can help investors make more money with a higher risk investments. Other techniques in Hedge Funds are "leverage" that money is borrowed to trade in addition to the information that one investor capital. Using Hedge Funds also requires an incentive fee. An incentive fee is a fee-based part the profits of the client, as opposed to a fixed percentage of the assets. This fee is then invested and ideally will get. investors more money

Generally, companies are the owners of Hedge Funds because most people do not have enough money to the minimum required to have a Hedge Fund investments meet. In 2004, investments Hedge Fund past the $ 1 trillion dollar mark. In mid-2004 about 39 companies shared the Hedge Fund total value of $ 1.1 trillion.

Common Techniques for investing

There are other techniques for investing in Hedge Funds. One way is to invest in a company just before a major merger. If one becomes aware of a merger, and purchasing large quantities of shares in a company that is about to merge, the shares rise sharply once the merger takes place. This is, unfortunately, a very high risk investment because some mergers may not occur.

Other techniques are short, that is where one invests in seemingly undervalued securities, trade commodities and FX contracts, and take advantage of the separation between the current market price and the highest purchase price in events such as mergers.

Why are Hedge Funds Beneficial?

Hedge Funds are also beneficial because of their high level of security. Hedge Funds are private, between individuals, and do not need to be made to the government or other companies. Known Currently, Hedge Funds are not registered with the SEC. Needed Hedge Funds are also based in places with less regulation (IE The Cayman Islands, The Virgin Islands, etc.). However, a disadvantage of Hedge Fund security is the fact that it looks suspiciously have mysterious investments. For this reason, many companies and investors criticized as being involved in Hedge Funds.

Conclusion

Hedge Funds are a very risky investment with a big payoff. To invest in Hedge Funds, one must be willing to do. A very large investment Hedge Funds are similar to mutual funds except that there is less regulation on Hedge Funds. Less regulation lead many people to be investors who invest in Hedge Funds suspicious. However, if one is willing to take the risk, Hedge Funds can definitely pay off!

Scott Hill Worth enjoys writing about financial topics. More information on Hedge Funds Blog, a blog with daily hedge fund research and news.

The Power of Small Numbers: Trading Success is Based on Consistency, Not Home Runs

Online trading is so seductive - just sit, click, and rake in the profits! But as anyone who has ever seriously attempted online trading will probably tell you, it's just not as easy as it sounds.

Many novice traders are seduced by the lure of the "home run", that big trade
that makes you an instant millionaire and pull at night your own
private island paradise.

But when she wakes up. 

To be on the trading of all kinds, really successful you need consistency, even if it
with small quantities. The ultimate goal is to keep the trade and then to
final wealth, but always go for the big wins they usually wind up with
large losses instead.

It is perfectly understandable that people are not interested in small profits.
After all, what would you have, big or small profits? Rather But the fact is
it's not a simple choice. Small gains are achieved more often, but
traders when they refuse to participate, they often lose much, much more.

Small but steady increase over time can add up to some truly huge numbers. For
For example, in option trading (my main area of ​​focus for the last few years) is
not at all uncommon to hear about the profits of 100%, 300%, even 1000% in a single
trade! And while these results absolutely possible, by expecting them to be
our daily results we train our minds to accept nothing less and eventually
doom ourselves to disappointment.

To 10% profit taking. Imagine yourself training And what if you train
never too much of your money instead into a trade, but
manage it carefully? Say you have only 10% or less of your total trading
in a particular trade? If you would only be entitled to only half a profit of 5%
your total bill each month, compounding monthly earnings, you would
a better than 31% return in one year and more than 115% in just 3 years! How
much investment are you currently involved in the return as to have!

The key is small amounts, no big. 

In the market there are usually only four possible outcomes:

1. A great asset 

2. A small profit 

3. A large loss 

4. A small loss 

Assume that over time, your small gains and small losses each average
out. That leaves you with only big profits and big losses. If you absolutely,
positively never allow yourself to believe that only leaves a great loss
the big profits. This large profits will ensure you a lot of money on
the long-term. You are not specifically for them, but we know
statistically, that as long as you can survive in the trading game long enough,
you are bound to occasionally some lucky "home runs" each.

You can not win if you're not in the game, and the way to stay in the game
by good money management, risk assessment, position sizing, etc. Without
these parts, most new traders blow up their accounts and never return to
the game.

Do not be one of those merchants.

There are to be made in online trading, fortunes but you should be able to stay in
the game. It is said that "the best offense is a good defense" and nowhere is
this more true than in the trade. Risk management and managing your money will
all but guarantee your success. The last major obstacle is your own emotions, but
that's a topic for my next article, "Emotions: A Trader Worst Enemy".

Jonathan van Clute is a full-time real estate investor, educator, speaker, and online options trader. In addition to his business activities, he is also a musician, video editor / animator, and one of the world's largest Segway Polo athletes. He can be reached via email at

What Is A Fair Market Value, Really? If You're Going To Trade, Be Sure It's Worth It!

I've been involved in online trading, especially with stock and index options, for several years. In this time I have to think about value and the fact that a large part of the time everything, whether it's a stock or currency or even a house spent is worth exactly what someone else will pay. Sure, there are a million and a price models (especially in financial markets) that will tell you what something worth should be precise. But in the final analysis, if no one will pay that much, then it is not really worth that price.

Let us illustrate this concept in a very simple way. I'm an American so I will
Use U.S. currency to make my point.

What is an account worth $ 20? Without thinking about it and talking about inflation,
exchange rates, etc. Let's just say that it is believed to be worth the effort generally
$ 20.

Would you pay me $ 20 for a $ 20 bill? I'm probably not advisable, since there
would be no real reason to do so. You should go to the trouble of
to me $ 20 and I would have to go to the trouble of giving you my $ 20
bill, and none of us would be in a better position than we were before.
Therefore, I would like to present a $ 20 bill is not really the idea
worth $ 20 because nobody would probably pay $ 20 for it!

So how much would you pay for a $ 20 bill? Would you pay $ 19.99? Is it worth
the effort for 1 cent? No? How about $ 19.50? $ 19? Shall I continue?

In a free and fair market is the market itself that determines value, and
given a sufficiently large market, that value should be fairly accurate. I read a
article online some time ago about someone who decided to carry out an experiment
just for fun. He put a new $ 5 bill for auction online and began the wait
at 1 cent. He crafted a creative description of the note, and waited for the show
results. When it was all said and done, the bill had to sell in fact - for
just over $ 3. He spoke with the winning bidder, who said he had made a
profit many times online by purchasing currency for less than face value
(Including a $ 20 bill for less than $ 10 if I remember correctly).

The conductor of the experiment left it at that - nothing more than a somewhat
humorous exploration into what people think something is worth. But for me, this
meant so much more.

A dollar is not worth a dollar ... So what is it worth? What
would you trade for $ 1? For $ 20? For $ 100? $ 1,000? And if a dollar is not
actually worth a dollar, is part of the stock worth $ 50, or in fact anything at
all?

The answer is yes. At one point it is worth exactly what someone is
willing to pay for it. No more, no less. Money and value are only ideas,
they are no absolutes.

Consider this carefully the next time you're convinced the stock, option,
mint, house, or anything else that you want to buy is worth what you are going
pay.

Jonathan van Clute is a full-time real estate investor, educator, speaker, and online options trader. In addition to his business activities, he is also a musician, video editor / animator, and one of the world's largest Segway Polo athletes. He can be reached via email at

Emotions: A Trader's Worst Enemy; Get Rid of Fear and Greed - You'll be Glad You Did

You hear it over and over and over in books, forums and chat rooms. Fear and greed, fear and greed, fear and greed. Emotions are a trader's worst enemy. What should we do? We are human after all. People have emotions. We can not just throw a switch and suddenly behave as "Data" on Star Trek the Next Generation.

So what is the answer for the aspiring entrepreneur?

It all comes down to two main components:

1. Having a plan

2. Having a suitable trading style 

You hear often the first point. Unpleasant little phrases like "Plan your
trade, trade your plan "are thrown around as if it was really just that simple.
But without the second part, the first part is useless. What good is a plan if
you do not know what kind of plan is suitable?

For example, you could plan your commute to work is expected to create 30
mile trip in 20 minutes, but if you walk that plan is not going to work
very good is it? The plan was simply not suitable for you in that situation.

There are any number of possible trading methods and styles, from
chart reading to fundamental analysis, cycles to Fibonacci retracements,
intraday, Dogs of the DOW, options, futures, forex, Pork Bellies, Arbitration -
it can make you feel like your head will explode! But what you trade not
out almost as much as how, or perhaps why you trade.

Why should you trade? 

Are you the type who likes to play video games, loves fast action, and has no
problem is glued to a screen all day? Then maybe intra-day trading 1 and 5
minute maps of high volatility stock options is for you.

Earlier check your trades maybe every few days, or maybe once a week? Than
perhaps swing trading currency pairs is more your style.

Rather sleep easy at all times, never worry in the least about your
trades because you knew in advance that they would benefit? When my friend,
arbitrage trading is calling your name.

Each style has its advantages and disadvantages, risks and rewards, but
the important thing is that the style of the trader must match. If you jump on the market
believe that just because someone else can do it this way then so can you -
you may be in for a very painful surprise.

Never trade someone else's plan. Never trade someone else's style. You
absolutely have your own temperament well enough to determine what you want
trade, and exactly how you will act. Your money management rules, your
tolerance for losses, ie costs, your willingness to change the trade if you
consultancy market is proven wrong - that are the real secrets of the trade
separate the novice from the veteran. With this in place, emotions can be
reduced if not eliminated.

After all, what would you most at ease? Driving through an unknown
city ​​alone, unaccompanied, driving with a map or driving with a full color
street-level detail GPS navigation system?

I will take the GPS thank you. 

So before you trade, consider the following your first, or next:

a. Do you understand what you trade and why? 

b. You know what you will do given one of the possible outcomes? 

c. Are you ready and willing to admit you were wrong about the trade, and if so, what will you do about it and when? 

d. Are you comfortable with the thought of losing the money that you are on the market, and will survive your trading trade another day when you do that? 

These are all part of what you need to have. In your plan I urge you to have at
if they thoroughly before risking the least amount of money in a
real trade.

Emotions - "You can not trade with 'em, and you must act without' em."

Jonathan van Clute is a full-time real estate investor, educator, speaker, and online options trader. In addition to his business activities, he is also a musician, video editor / animator, and one of the world's largest Segway Polo athletes. He can be reached via e-mail

Investing and the Fear of Regret and Greed

People tend to feel sorrow and grief after having made an error in judgment.

Investors decision to buy or sell a security are typically emotionally affected by whether the security is purchased or sold for more or less than the current price.

One theory is that investors avoid selling stocks that go down to the fear, to avoid pain and regret having made a bad investment. On the other hand, they also avoid selling when prices go up, because they are very greedy and are afraid that the price will continue to rise.

Many people wonder why they are not 100% or 200% profits have taken when they had the chance. Ie their Most investors will rationalize they ran these high profits down because they were afraid they would lose even higher profits. In my opinion, for many of these investors, it was just greed that prevented them from selling their stocks.

Any experienced trader knows that fear and greed are two emotions that can dramatically affect your success in the market.

You have to deal with controlling greed and fear every day. While there are no easy answers when it comes to the stock market, one thing I am sure:

If you're a greedy trader and always try to squeeze out every last point of each trade, it is only a matter of time before you end up with a lot less than you actually started!.

Oliver Velez of http://www.Pristine.com says greed "that small sample in each individual. "Part of our success in the market, he says, is learning when this little monster a little more room to work and when to curtail its actions give." Each event has two ultimate outcomes - either a win or loss ", Velez says. "Greed can gaze at the stars, without any consideration of the rocks below. It can prevent you from considering that there is a downside and establishing a stop loss, or develop a systematic way of exit or termination of a trade if in fact things do not work. "

The embarrassment of having to report the loss to others can also contribute to the tendency not to sell losing investments or obtain.

Some researchers speculate that investors follow the crowd and conventional wisdom to the possibility of feeling regret in the event that their decisions prove to prevent incorrect.

Many investors find it easier to buy a popular stock and rationalize it down because all the property and thought so highly of.

Copyright © 2005 I.E.C. Haramis haramis@greekshares.com

Ioannis - Evangelos (Akis) C. Haramis was born in Greece in 1951 and studied in Greece, the U.S. and Belgium. He has been active in the equity markets since 1972. Since 2002 he is New Business Development Managing Director at an Investment Bank and the publisher of

Seven Investment Terms Everyone Should Know

For those who have never given a second thought, their financial future, the term "Financial Planning" a scary. Investments can be a smart way to invest for your future money, but it can be confusing for people who have no experience in the financial business. Before you consult a financial planner is a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of the terms that you become likely to hear from him or her.

* Mutual Fund-An investment made with money that is collected by people with an investment objective in mind. The fund is handled primarily buys a person known as the fund manager. Mutual funds are easy and cost-effective, because you are responsible for making the decision about where to invest the money.

* Asset Allocation Fund-A mutual fund that contains different types of investments, such as stocks, bonds, real estate and foreign equities. These are typical of the small investors who want to invest in a variety of resources to maintain. Constant returns

* Risk-Return Trade-Off-This is the amount of money you can stand to lose relative to the amount of money you are willing to invest. Low risk investments often have low payouts, while the high-risk investments usually have higher payouts. When investing money you have the amount of money you can lose before determining how much money you are going to invest and where you decide to invest.

* Compounding-Money made an investment which are then reinvested in the same or another investment to generate. Their own income

* Bonds-Money that is lent to a company or government at a specified interest rate. The company will usually give a kind of document that explains the loan amount and the agreed interest rate and the total amount to be repaid at some time or "maturity".

* Stocks-Pieces of a company for sale. One could buy shares of a company at a certain price in the hope that the company would gain a significant amount of money and that they are able to sell at a higher price would be. Stocks

* Money Market Funds-money invested in debt by an investment fund. The aim is to obtain important money for the debt. The advantage of the Money Market Account is that they offer very low investment of less than $ 1.00.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of . He provides more debt relief, credit counseling, repair and free financial planning information  that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Preparing to Invest: How to get started

Investments can be a source of great potential income. The two most common reasons that a person invests his or they do not have the money or they do not know how to start. These are to prepare and invest some things to consider before investing. Several ways

Save money to invest

* Lower debt

Everyone has debt and most will always be some debts, but if your outstanding credit card debt, then this may not be a good time to be investing. Credit card debt can consume and the best way to be and to create and atmosphere where you are able to save money, you should pay off high interest credit cards financially stable. If you have the maximum reached more than two credit cards or your cards and you're making minimum payments then you need to invest in paying off these debts before investing in other ways. Everything extra money

* Make Emergency Funds

Everyone needs an emergency fund for unexpected liabilities or accidents. Financial advisors will recommend that you rely on in case you lose your job or reach back at least three months of funds or 15% of annual income unexpected costs.

* Maximize Employment Benefits

If your employer has a 401 K plan, offers make sure you take full advantage of this plan. Strive to the maximum amount allowed per month. You may not think of this as an "investment" However, 401 K and similar plans are some of the best investments a person can make for their future.

Before you invest

* Consider your options

There are many different ways to invest your money. Do not rush into a decision based on advice from friends or family. Research and consulting many sources before deciding on the investment that is exactly for you. You need a goal. Ask yourself how quickly you want the return on investment and how much money you want and how much money conceivable to see your release.

* Financial Advisors

Financial Consultants can be when choosing your investment strategies. An excellent source of information In fact, if you are not familiar with the processes involved, they are almost essential. Before choosing a financial advisor, you should interview several to find exactly what you are getting for your money and always ask for references when interviewing a consultant. Figure

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Debt-Relief-Solutions.com. He provides more debt relief, credit counseling, repair and free financial planning information  that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Have Analysts Gotten Honest?

It caught my attention when I heard an analyst on a popular financial news program tell investors to sell a stock because too many analysts liked the company, citing the fact that there is no sell ratings.

It seemed very logical to me that analysts should not tell investors 3M (MMM), which is one of the most consistent positive results records in the history of the exchanges has to sell. But the suspicion of conflicts of interest between brokers and analysts I decided to check it anyway. A bit of facts

While the stock is not at the time of writing had no sell ratings, there were quite a few hold ratings. Now I feel compelled to diverge here and say that the figure seems rather illogical than me. If a file is good enough to hold it's good enough to buy, and vice versa if you would not want to buy then you should not want to either stick to it.

As it turns out, the average analyst rating for 3M was only light and insignificant better than the average for all stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which the company is a part.

But what was most interesting about ratings on Dow components was that, despite the numerous and serious legal problems, AIG (AIG) was tied with General Electric (GE) and Du Pont (DD) for the third best rating, bested only by Citigroup (C) and Microsoft (MSFT). AIG was actually more highly recommended by analysts than JP Morgan Chase (JPM) and American Express (AXP).

This did not do much for my confidence in analyst ratings.

So I dug a little deeper look at the more statistically significant S & P 500. What I found was that companies in the index with the worst income has actually done more sell ratings than companies with the best performance.

At least analysts were with the sell rating, something they rarely did in the past.

However, there was a significant preference for the neutral "Hold" rating to commit to buying recommendations for all files indicates reluctance on the part of analysts and sell.

Mark Mahorney is a freelance financial writer for hire.

Mark Mahorney

Creating a Financial Future - Putting Your Plan Into Action Part 1

This column has previously discussed "picturing the future we want", and that a plan to achieve this. We said that the plan of goals, measurements, and implementation should include. The fact that the embodiment is directed towards this column.

Putting the plan into action is what implementation is all about. Its one thing to have goals, but without concrete steps to achieve them, they remain dreams. The last column discussed measure of money for each of these goals. Now is the time to find out how we're going to put that money. Together

Of course, the first step is for the obvious. We need a source of income. This would be a salary, a donation, or even a loan (although we would normally advise against the latter option). One could consider multiple sources of income. This protects against excessive reliance on one source.

Assuming some income exists, we can begin to make plans for savings. Based on our analysis, we can determine how much should be saved on a daily, weekly, monthly or annual basis to achieve our goals. We can then consider whether it is possible to get the money fast enough to achieve growth. Our target date

If, in the end, we do not find ourselves able to save for our goals, we must remember that adequately the problem is not in our plan, but in our income levels. Sometimes it's just a matter of recognizing that goals can be without adjusting income levels. Unreachable This might involve second job, or side businesses, or rather may require stepping back from the situation completely, and increasing employability through education and training. It may also suggest that new, creative ideas to be considered. Alternatively, simply on sale of non-productive assets. Whatever may be the case, the income level is a crucial part of a financial strategy, and often overlooked by investment professionals.

Finally, when the incomes and savings decisions are established, we turn to the last part: the investment strategy. The latter strategy may include many different types of investments, and use many different types of methods, but in the end, it should always focus on the objectives.

For example, if the goal is to buy in one year, investing in stocks is not a house, the optimal strategy unless you plan to have a great deal of risk taking. On the other hand, if you are planning to buy if you have earned enough money, a house, but plan to continue regarding the specific time, flexibly stocks are more viable.

This brings us to the treatment of type assets. This is one of the most important decisions to make. There are at least a dozen different types of assets to choose from. Some of the most popular are:

Stocks Mutual Funds Real Estate Limited Partnerships

Art & Collectibles Gold / Commodities Bonds Insurance

Companies Derivatives

Of course, this list can go on, but we will focus on some of these. Let's first get rid of the obvious. Investing in a business can be a good choice for someone with a solid business plan and sufficient time and capital to make it works. However, many companies have a full-time commitment, and unless one is able to do their regular income, it can be a problem. It is possible to start part-time, a company is dependent on the type, and this may be an option for some. You could also invest in other people's business, but should be concerned with issues of fairness, compatibility, and incentive here. Finally, investing in a company with liquidity problems themselves, because they do not always sell a business for what it's worth, without first locating an ideal buyer. So, if you have planned to sell at a certain date, pending the achievement of a goal, you have problems.

Limited partnerships with them unnecessary trouble, especially because there is not a large market for both. So, even if they value, one may not be able to easily sell them. In this way they appear on investing in small businesses, and carry the same risks.

Insurance really should not be regarded as an investment, but I include it here because it is so often sold as an investment. In many ways one can help you plan for tax considerations, but as a pure investment, it is a non-starter.

Art & Collectibles may sometimes increase in value over time, and for people with specialized knowledge in a particular area, it may be a wise speculation. However, just like running a business, it takes time and energy, and has liquidity problems. Yet this one small part of a portfolio for some investors.

Commodities are greatest asset of a uniform point for all uniform value. This would include oil, orange juice, coal, silver, or pork bellies. Gold is a commodity with unique properties because of its long history of use as money and reputation as a reliable store of value. All goods have fluctuating prices in common, and those who invest in commodities generally have a thorough knowledge of the market for that particular good. Over 90% of people who lose money investing in commodities, while generally make a comfortable living. Experts Investing in commodities can be very risky for those who do not have specialized knowledge.

Reach Scott Pearson for comment or to learn about its investment adviser services, visit

Scott Pearson is an investment advisor, writer, editor, instructor, and business leader. As President and Chief Investment Officer of Value View Financial Corp., he offers investment management services to a wide range of clients. His own newsletter, Investor's Value View, is distributed worldwide and provides general money tips and investment advice to readers both internationally and in the U.S.

Creating a Financial Future--Putting Your Plan Into Action Part 2

Real Estate can be a useful tool for investing are. The easiest real estate investment is not really an investment, but a cost reduction - that is owning your own home. Buy rather than rent allows housing costs put in someone else's bag in the direction of the assets rather than. However, if the interest is high, the amount you pay to borrow money would make the deal. Less attractive Today, with interest rates at an all-time low, it is difficult to imagine many cases where renting is more attractive than purchasing. Income Real Estate is also feasible for some. This would include the possession of small apartment buildings, storage facilities, or shopping malls. This is however to time commitments, just like running any other business, but the income can be very positive if you have selected your property. Carefully

Bonds represent money loaned to companies or governments at interest. This is a fairly safe way to make money as long as you secure loan to companies or governments. But a K-Mart bond, or a government of Zimbabwe union would obviously not a wise choice today. Like bond-rating agencies of severe recession or depression and falling interest rates. However, when interest rates rise, older bonds issued at a lower interest rate can actually lose value precipitiously. So, in this era of fast moving interest rates, bond prices tend to fluctuate much more widely than in the past, and their reputation as a perfect investment for widows and orphans is no longer viable. While they are useful compounds are themselves sterile, as part of a comprehensive plan. By this I mean that they do not grow. As a growing portfolio is important to you, bonds may not be useful. As with any other type of investment, one must consider the broad implications.

Stocks represent ownership interests in companies. As with investing in private companies, an owner of the actual company. However, stocks avoid some of the problems of investing in smaller companies. Liquidity is not a big problem, because they can sell when needed. Shares Moreover, one need not worry about making a part-time commitment to running the company, such as corporate management is already in place. However, one must always check the management to ensure they are working in the best interest of the shareholders. Normally one can depend on the media and assist in this monitoring process, but this method fails off. Yet, despite this problem, stocks are often the ideal investment for most people.

Mutual funds are simply baskets of stocks, bonds or other investments, together with other shareholders of the Fund. They help small investors diversify their business. (Diversification vs. Concentration - one can choose to distribute a wide range of investments or to concentrate in one or two general concentration their money is much more risky ..)

Derivatives are a broad category of vehicles that are 'derived' from other investments. This can include options, futures, swaps or. Options considered derivatives for example because they are based on the performance of a company stock. If the stock goes up or down, the option more or less worthwhile. Derivatives are sometimes useful for large account management, but generally provide a more intense result. So if a company's stock go up a small amount, may be an option to go up a lot, and vice versa. This use of leverage can riskier derivatives, and generally unsuitable for retail investors.

In much the same way, using the debt for investing, such as purchasing, margin also increases leverage, and thereby increases the intensity and risk. We recommend avoiding loans for investment, except in extreme cases, such as the risk makes this option stressful for many.

The choice of assets is only part of the battle. Most importantly, one must choose whether to invest for income, growth, or incrementalism.

Reach Scott Pearson for comment or to learn about its investment adviser services, visit

Scott Pearson is an investment advisor, writer, editor, instructor, and business leader. As President and Chief Investment Officer of Value View Financial Corp., he offers investment management services to a wide range of clients. His own newsletter, Investor's Value View, is distributed worldwide and provides general money tips and investment advice to readers both internationally and in the U.S.

Seecrets on Investment: Tired of Making Huge Losses in the Stock Market - Part 1

Over 80% of all individual investors lose money in a given time span of ten years. This figure is probably higher, since most people reluctance to reveal their losses. This article provides a broad overview of the financial landscape. Reflects the personal views of the author as an individual investor and author of a stock charting software with the experiences learned from the University of HK (hit hard). Use this article as the sole form of financial advice. Financial advice are available from authorized individuals and businesses, as required by law in your own country.

Investment is a statistical game. You win and sometimes you lose most of the time. To stay ahead, all you have to do is to make sure that your profits are more than you lose. More importantly, how to reduce losses and reduce the errors will be crucial in successful investing.

Take a typical fund manager. Of the ten positions, the fund manager can only win 40% of the time. Say, the manager makes an average return of 20% for each position. The rest are mistakes, but this manager capped the losses by 10% each. Do the simple math, and lo and behold, this manager is moving forward with profits. This is a simple example - professional fund managers use complex variations of this simple theme.

Another example is the venture capitalist. Say, of the ten companies, but succeeded. The company was successful return of 2000%, perhaps more productive. The remaining nine companies failed miserably and these investments are depreciated. Using this model, the venture capitalist is still ahead.

Headlines, media, advertising hype.
Most of us are familiar with this typical headline: "Whiz kid makes stock picks that most fund managers to outperform the market better." When such stories is front page news on the mainstream media, it is likely that they appear at the end of a great bull market. Stories like these characterize the misconception that anyone can pick stocks at random and win all the time.

Perhaps, a more enticing advertisement "How I 2600% (annualized) on a winning trade" may be interested to us. Any seasoned investor will be able to get a handful of transactions spectacular performance, such as 50% in a week has to offer. annualize this and it works to 2600% a year. But such transactions are few. There is no one in the world that such a method or strategy that is consistent and sustainable.

It is wise to deal with a critical mind and skepticism the media. Rationalisation of the possible reasons why the story appears a number of useful and not so clear understanding. For example, if you have a large position in a stock, then obviously you will only sing praises about why they will take to encourage buying. Momentum more her colleagues The author recalls a private analyst statement: "I can write great merits a reverse stock I can write some scathing things too."

Market gurus, financial astrology, divination.
Joseph Granville, a market technician, started his newsletter (Granville Market Letter) in 1963 and is still going strong at the age of 80 +. He was accurate to predict the market decline in 1976, but was wrong in 1982 and 1995. Given the statistical nature of investing, he had his successful talks and his fair share of blunders too. The good feature of this man must be willing to apologize to his. For his mistakes

Why do people continue to subscribe to his newsletter? This author suspects that his loyal customers are people who have their own opinions and views can form on the market, but they are susceptible to a different perspective or point of view they have missed in their own analyzes.

It's the same with other known market gurus. It seemed the media and the public are intolerant of their success rates as being not good enough. The estimates of this market gurus should be treated as a tsunami warning. Nine times out of ten, the warning appears to be false and people accept it and track with their normal lives. Each warning is taken seriously and the cost of taking precautions are minimal. When a warning proves to be accurate, it will save lives. It should be the same with predictions of market crashes this market gurus' are. Investors have to prepare just as they would with an impending tsunami warning. Itself

After seeing a BBC program on Membrane theory, May 11-dimensional worlds and parallel universes, financial astrology, feng shui and other methods of divination have some merit. This author recommends investors to have an open mind and, more importantly, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each method. By taking advantage of the strengths, one can indeed enjoy the benefits.

The concluding part 2 will outline fundamental analysis, technical analysis, plus some tips on successful investing.

You may freely reprint this article provided you publish it in its entirety, including the author's bio and activating the link to the URL below.

The author, Stan Seecrets, is a veteran software developer with 25 + years experience in  which specializes in protecting digital assets. He has real-time pricing systems developed and has witnessed the stock market collapse of 1987 and 2000/2001 in real-time. You can reach him via email (Stan Seecrets.biz).

© Copyright 2005, Stan Seecrets. All rights reserved.

Margin Benefits are Marginal at Best

Marge is one of those things that novices find puzzling about the stock market, but the concept is actually quite simple. However, by understanding the basics of using margin accounts, determining the wisdom of using the margin can be quite a mystery.

A margin account is a traditional investment account with margin privileges.

This means that your broker has set representing a line of credit secured by stocks and bonds in your account. Often this margin credit used to buy into the same account more shares. But the bill can be borrowed against to buy real estate, make other types of investments, or just to pay personal accounts. The simple requirement is that sufficient power must be taken to maintain. Some value as collateral for the loan on the account

This is where the problem comes in. It's easy enough to maintain if all is well, that collateral level, but as the economy gets tough and you are strapped for cash, this is often the time that the market may fall. If the market goes down temporarily, your ability value decline, but the value of your debt does not change, you can get a "margin call" encounter when you can least afford it.

A margin call is similar to any other loan is called in. You must pay immediately. If you do not have the money, your stocks and bonds automatically sold to pay your debts. These compounds the problem: you end up selling your shares when they are down, usually the worst possible time. Remember, the idea is to buy when prices are down and sell when they are up. So, in addition to all other problems, the force margin loans to make. Poor investment movements In times of market crashes, a heavily margined account completely lost when the market falls only a negligible amount.

This leads to the idea of ​​leverage, which is what represent margin accounts. Anytime you borrow to invest, you leverage your investment, or buying more than you can afford to have a fractional deposit. Because people buying stocks with borrowed money, or borrow against shares already held, this is the result. Buying a home with a mortgage is a very similar process, but since the bank does not usually call your loan if house prices dip temporarily, many of the problems mentioned above do not occur. Still, a 95% mortgage is a highly leveraged deal, and it's very easy to lose your entire investment with a small change in property prices. Even a typical 80% mortgage can wipe out the entire investment in a bad market.

Despite the many risks associated with margin or other forms of leverage, certainly there are benefits. Sure, we have the ability to lose emphasizes faster money, but you can also make money faster using these tools. If half of your power comes from the margin, you get money. Twice as fast The stock go up, your profit aggravated because you yourself twice as many shares as you would normally afford. Thusly, when the market goes down, you lose twice as fast.

Also, some people can benefit by simply having a margin line of credit is available, without making use of it at all, or by using only to be used for the short-term sales. If used judiciously by a disciplined investor, there is virtually no risk in having access to a margin account. It is the use of the bonds to bear the costs. Imagine a credit card that is never used, but the credit is available in the event of major emergencies.

In the end, Leverage simply means that your gains or losses will be multiplied. Each investor must consider him / herself the acceptable level of risk. But we are convinced that there are other risks that provide better payouts than simple use of leverage. While it is good for most investors have access to margin, it may not be wise to use often. Besides interest costs, the additional risks end up causing more harm than good.

To send comments or to learn more about Scott Pearson's Investment Advisor Services, visit

Scott Pearson is an investment advisor, writer, editor, instructor, and business leader. As President and Chief Investment Officer of Value View Financial Corp., he offers investment management services to a wide range of clients. His own newsletter, Investor's Value View, is distributed worldwide and provides general money tips and investment advice to readers both internationally and in the U.S.

Have You Ever Seen A Map of the World Turned Upside Down?

For those accustomed to viewing things in a certain way, it is quite disturbing. It is expected almost to collapse. Ocean from It just seems wrong. Yet the way we see the world is totally random, based largely on the way we have always seen.

When we consider things from a different perspective, it is not difficult to come to different conclusions. Normally, if we have a clear perspective of our traditional viewpoint, it seems pointless to look from a different perspective the world. However, when we see the picture is clouded and obscured, taking a different view is crucial. Otherwise, we guess.

Those who have been following this page in the past few months may have observed the beginning of a turnaround in focus. Events are leading us to a strategy that may seem surprising. A confluence of unexpected events sometimes leads the careful analyst to draw. Unexpected conclusions If you follow the logic of past issues but you can start to see. Germination of these ideas

In recent months we have realized the importance of not following the crowd like lemmings over a cliff covered. We have the rise of emerging markets like India and China discussed. We have the weakening of the dollar and the Washington spending spree with overtones of Keynes inspired false recovery.

As we dive headlong into election season, we all get a chance to hear the economic strategy of the two main candidates. If we put aside our preferences and partisanship for a moment, and just reasons to vote for any candidate, the economic policies of the two leading candidates leaves much to be desired. Neither has a particularly coherent economic policy, and while both pay lip service, nor fully understand the importance of free, unencumbered markets. The result is a leadership that gives no incentive to economic growth, regardless of the outcome of the elections. As long as either Bush or Kerry wins, we have nothing to look forward to.

It's not a great piece to imagine an America adoption of European-style protectionist legislation and increased regulation of business. This will slow down our economy. Semi-permanent Both camps seem to support this. Listening to our two main presidential candidates, and hearing no objection of both congressional delegation, one can only imagine the worst. The "Reagan Revolution" is finally over. The movement toward freedom and away from regulation has come to an end. Positive reforms that have not happened are likely to develop in the current environment.

This pessimistic outlook may be exaggerated, admitted. The U.S. economy has traditionally been able to grow through a rather restrictive regulation. However, a look back at the lackluster growth in the 1970s provides a vivid illustration of how bad a mismanaged economy can be. In any case, we must look to the U.S. in the same way we look at each country of the world. No longer can we invest here simply because it "home". Instead, we need to look globally, and evaluate which countries are most likely to grow.

If we approach this, without regard for the "home team advantage", investing in the U.S. is still worth considering, but it hardly looks like the best place in the world to get our money. In fact, the fastest growth probably true freedom increases, not decreases true freedom.

Where we consider the biggest increase in freedom worldwide. It is clearly not here. With the Patriot Act and similar laws, and not to mention a quiet increase in business regulations, we actually move in the opposite direction. (The Patriot Act, contrary to popular belief, is not just about wiretaps, but also adds tremendously unproductive paperwork and regulatory burdens for financial companies, among others. I encourage all readers to this huge legislative read before your tacit approval. )

Countries like China, where freedom is a relatively new concept, have the greatest chance of improvement, because they are so far behind. The news that China Minmetals plans to buy Noranda, Canada's largest mining company, is evidence of China's growing economic power. China is still problematic as an investment area, however, due to the willingness of the government to crack down on the population, and the lack of a tradition of "rule of law". To crack down on "abuse" of its mobile service by advertisers (under threat of government) the recent efforts of China Mobile is positive proof that free markets are not yet fully penetrated. Threats of invading Taiwan do not inspire confidence. Reducing the risk is high to invest in China, and by extension in Taiwan.

Yet the story is that investing is no longer focused on America, and there are other countries where opportunities are high and risks are not.

The recent elections in Indonesia seems to be a positive sign for the future. We anticipate a more positive environment in that huge country. It can be one of the best places to look in the near future. Also, in the same region, Australia and New Zealand seem to be making more incremental improvements. India has great promise, despite continuing problems with corruption. Turkey's recent provisional admission to
European Union gives them a strong possibility. The ability to jump headlong into a large market will provide a more powerful incentive than the brake on the growth of the restrictions on the free market, which is the cornerstone of EU membership. Thus, the growth in the short term high as Turkey rises to the level of the other members, but will ultimately slow the growth to the level of France and Germany, two of the world's slowest growing economies. Look back to the growth of Spain and Greece in the past when they joined the EU to see what you can expect. For the moment, at least, we see great potential for Turkey.

The main idea to take away is that the wise investor should start looking to find. Beyond the normal limits of the best opportunities This is not to suggest that we ignore. Traditions of free markets and free spirits A culture that supports it, is still crucial. But we see that culture begins to develop in unexpected places, and seeing some decline in house. So the time has come to add to our strategy. A new, more global dimension Opportunities may be better, and lower risks, in unexpected places.

To send comments or to learn more about Scott Pearson's Investment Management Services, visit

Scott Pearson is an investment advisor, writer, editor, instructor, and business leader. As President and Chief Investment Officer of Value View Financial Corp., he offers investment management services to a wide range of clients. His own newsletter, Investor's Value View, is distributed worldwide and provides general money tips and investment advice to readers both internationally and in the U.S.

Real Estate Clubs Hot Among Investors

Six or seven years ago, the stock market was booming, Internet companies that no one had ever heard of were valued at billions of dollars, and anyone and everyone was investing their money in tech stocks. Then, in 2000, the stock market crashed, the Internet companies closed their doors, investors lost billions of dollars, and life went back to normal, more or less. Five years later, tech stocks are nowhere near their 2000 peaks, but investors are salivating again. This time, they put their money in real estate, real estate and they are more successful clubs to help them.

There were investment clubs in the 1990s, where a group of people with common interests invest regularly meet, pooled their money and invested in stocks as a group. A few of them did well enough that they made national news. Now it is the equivalent property club, but in these clubs, it's every man for himself. Rather than bundling money for collective investment, its members to share. Advice, lessons learned and stories of their newest additions It is difficult to say how much real estate clubs exist in the United States, but estimates suggest that there may be thousands of them. Property prices are at record levels, particularly in the East and West coasts, homeowners have record amounts of equity in their homes, and with the stock market still crawling along, people stabbing money in real estate and help each other do.

The typical real estate club has anywhere from a handful to several hundred members, and they usually meet once a month or so to share their experiences. Those who invest all can share what they have learned with newcomers for years - how to invest, how to avoid risks and minimize losses, how the quality characteristics, and how to deal with the legal aspects of finding real estate investing. Many members are interested in learning how to prepare to buy a "fixer-upper" for the market. That specific area of ​​investing has many potential pitfalls, and can easily turn into a money drain for those who are not careful, and stories about what to do and what to avoid are common.

Property clubs are popular across the country, and not only in areas with rapidly rising real estate prices. Those who are interested in meeting with others to learn about real estate speculation may be a local broker to ask for information. Otherwise, type "real estate club" into your favorite internet search engine, and you will undoubtedly find a club in your area.

Copyright © 2005 Retro Marketing.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a website dedicated to debt consolidation  information and Home Equity Help. net, a site dedicated to information on mortgage loans

The American Age of Inflation is Over

"The American era of inflation is complete." That says economist Robert Samuelson in his December 2 Washington Post column.

This type is common refrain. We often hear that this or that is finished - that such things only happen in the past, and that our new, more advanced time is above such mundane things. It is reminiscent of the late investing 90 statements of the end value and the futility of p / e ratio, and (can you believe it?) End of falling markets. Such nonsense is what houses of cards are built on.

It is in fact just such declarations to warn of the impending disaster that awaits us. The easiest way to know when a trend or characteristic may be on the horizon is the cacophony of experts glorify his end. When the columnists and advisors in the late 90s told us that a "new era", and that we should not worry about costly inventories, that was just to make the time.

Today, when we hear economists such as Samuelson announcing the "end" of inflation, it's time to worry. We have already felt the alignment of a number of factors that can lead to the re-emergence of inflation, but the fact that the apologists of government (economists) see the need to talk away only serves as a confirmation that the time is near . Inflation is not only apparently on the road, it's probably the door. The massive spending spree and the resulting dollar devaluation would surely lead us to that conclusion. We were expecting a certain degree of inflation for some time. But, when we start hearing of such defensive attitudes of those who do not want to hear the truth, well, it's time to start planning for it seriously.

In Samuelson's defense, his article focuses on the idea that markets have risen rapidly (since Reagan reduced inflation in 1982) due to the advantage of a lower inflation. Over the past 20 years He states that we will no longer benefit from this improvement. But his mistake is to think that things will now be "flat", and that inflation was a one-time event that will not be reviewed.

He shows a lack of political insight. As long as politicians can take advantage of the printing and publishing other people's money, we will see more inflation.
Of course, the fact that we anticipate inflation in the financial system does not mean that this will have all goods the same consequences. Certainly, our improved trade relations caused prices of some imported goods significantly. However, if the dollar drops in value, our ability will also be reduced, the import buy cheap and now, the prices of imported goods rise from their lows. Since these cheap imports are masking inflation for some time, this possibility the rate of adverse effects. Oil prices are a good example of this phenomenon. This kind of price increase is obviously uncomfortable, but is a natural consequence of the free-floating currency regime that we follow, and it's actually part of a sound mechanism for refocusing our efforts. It is not the price increases that should surprise us, and they themselves are not the problem. This is simply the result of a dollar is plummeting in value. We must realize that it is not the producers of goods to our harm, but the governments that run our currency into the ground. Ultimately, we expect to see prices rise on most goods, including both local products, as well as imports.

The result is important for investors. Rising prices will mean that your savings are worth less, and your retirement accounts to grow just to keep their value. It is many years since this nation has dealt with high inflation, and most of us have forgotten how to deal with it. Since Reagan, Volcker and Greenspan worked for Ford, and Nixon years, beat the wild inflation of the Carter, we have not had to deal with this devastating bugaboo, but today we need to plan for.

Besides the damage to our savings, inflation can make. Our debts less bothersome High inflation will push interest rates higher, however, so only borrowers with fixed rates will benefit. Others will likely experience rising interest rates on their credit cards and struggle to pay them. Never before in American history as much worn as much credit card debt in a period of high inflation. One would expect higher standard levels. Inflation will also increase housing prices without increasing value, and raise profit levels without increasing real assets. The result will be higher taxes and tougher competition. In the end, it will be a worse time for bonds, and as long as the stock will be a better place to be, will be high flying growth companies often disappoint. It is a wonderful time to think as a value investor.

To send comments about this article to learn more about Scott Pearson's Investment Management Services, visit

Scott Pearson is an investment advisor, writer, editor, instructor, and business leader. As President and Chief Investment Officer of Value View Financial Corp., he offers investment management services to a wide range of clients. His own newsletter, Investor's Value View, is distributed worldwide and provides general money tips and investment advice to readers both internationally and in the U.S.

When NOT to Invest

Unfortunately, many investors who have been seduced by the lure of easy money trying to "active" investors before they have the skills, resources or the right frame of mind to do that.

This is not to say that investing in stocks is extremely difficult ... It is not!

However, beating the market on a regular basis is far from simple and requires to bring an investor in the investing process a particular discipline, knowledge, and passion that enabled him to rise above the herd.

Like in any other competition, can not win! Everyone In fact, for any amount of money that the market exceeds people's money is not doing quite as well!

How can you tell if you are ready for an "active" investor to be? Not an investor who buys and sells stocks on a regular basis, but operates in the way the academics say it - someone selects its own shares. It's not like there is a licensing process or whatever. In fact, there is not even a formal course of instruction. Just like parenting, you tend to find out if you really cut out to be after you have made for a fairly substantial bet an investor

In my opinion, you should not invest in stocks:

... If you need the money within two to three years at least.

... If you do not like math.

... If you "play" the word, "gamble," or to use when you describe your investments similar speculation oriented word

... If you think indexes are more important than what companies you own.

... If you are not prepared for the volatility. Many people look at the returns for the stock market just seemed to run at the first loss! If you can not stand to lose money, you do not have the resources ... Period!

... If you think that you only buy stocks that go up. You are not perfect! No system is perfect. No provider of advice is perfect. You can - and will - lose money at some point during your investment career! You can minimize if you do your homework and be careful about the valuation, but money lost is money lost this loss.

... If you believe that the share price movements alone or you only tell something about the underlying quality of the company or the business. Too often people buy low-priced stocks with the idea that they are cheap, only to discover that they are low priced because the underlying business sucks.

... If you are not a list of why you bought and what would you write could sell. If you do not know why you bought a stock in the first place, how can you know when to sell? Bad scene. Avoid.

... If you can not tell the difference between a balance sheet and a profit and loss account. Especially if you do not even know where to find. A copy of either

... If you can make. A rudimentary assessment of the underlying quality of a company

... If you can not define any of the following words: gross margin, operating margin, profit margin, earnings per share, the cost of goods sold, buybacks, sales, receivables, inventories, cash flow estimates, depreciation, investment, market equity capitalization or valuation, shareholder, assets, liabilities, return on equity.

... If you only have one source of information about the company. I do not care if it's your best friend, a message board, or a content provider. If you can not independently check the facts, you are bound to unintentionally get cheated. No one likes to admit that he is wrong. If you are dependent on a source of information, chances are if it finally cough up the conclusion that it will be too late for a bad call

... If you can not remember the name of the main products of a company makes or major competitors of the company.

... If you do not use the Internet. Seriously people, come on! Almost all of the disadvantage that it is an individual investor from the side data was erased by the Internet. If you do not, you are at a great disadvantage to all of the other players.

It's like trying to wrestle without limbs!

Ioannis - Evangelos C. Haramis was born in Greece in 1951 and studied in Greece, the U.S. and Belgium. He has been active in the equity markets since 1972. Since 2002 he is New Business Development Managing Director at an Investment Bank and the publisher of

Makin' The Sauce

Let's face it, you're on a roll. After getting down to the office of your lawyer to sign the new Living Trust and then diligently tracking down your ability to fund the trust should be congratulated. You're one of the responsible ones - 70% of people who die have not even bothered to get a will every year in the United States. Honestly, you're an inspiration to us all. But to the nomination for the Oscars financial close, could use a little work on your investment go a long way to go.

Asset Allocation someone? Does this term familiar? It belongs - financial planners, mutual funds, trust companies and stockbrokers have this drilled into our heads for the last decade or so. It is the latest and greatest. (Actually, Harry Markowitz played around with it back in the 1950s, but until the advent of powerful PCs, Modern Portfolio Theory was used only by the large institutional investors).

For the most part, asset allocation works too. As long as we keep it in perspective and understand that our principal investment objective is our "well-being" and not "optimal portfolio allocation" some asshole's, we'll be fine. Our money is meant to work for us, not vice versa.

Basically, Asset Allocation divides investments in three major asset classes: Growth, Income, and Cash. Such as making spaghetti sauce, combining the ingredients in different proportions will give us different results. Eventually we will continue with the relationship that suits us best. Do not worry about the taste of the neighbors'. They can peel their own garlic. Like any good recipe, though, it helps to have. Few guidelines

Here are three common growth allocations:

1. The Aggressive Growth Portfolio - Growth 100% / 0% Income and Cash.

In the short term, these wallets come with a warning. The volatility is all but the strongest constitutions upset. Historically, this is a long-term strategy. If you want to smooth out the ride, its time horizon of 10 years is often suggested.

Returns over the long term should be equal to the total stock market returns. The pattern of the return will also reflect the various up and down year in the market.

This should be obvious, but you should not look for much revenue from this division, because it is not going to be there. Sure, you can go to in principal for state income needs, but growth allocations generally do not like to be tampered with. If you need income, other allocations probably suit you better. This portfolio is best for people with high risk tolerance and time horizon of some duration.

2. The "Classic" Growth Portfolio - 80% growth / 20% Income and Cash.

Like the Aggressive Portfolio, this is a high priority in the long-term investment growth. It just does it, without all the extreme volatility, which of course is achieved by adding some bonds and cash to the mix. The time horizon to enjoy the results are also shortened. There may be some give in overall return, but many people will easily swap exchange for reduced volatility. Income yield usually can approach 1.5%.

This is still not for the meek, yet comes to define regular investing in the United States.

3. The Balanced Growth Portfolio - 60% growth / 40% Income and Cash.

This portfolio seeks both income and long term. Because the optimal time horizon is cut to 7 years or so, it does not demand a lifelong commitment before enjoying the rewards. Again, we continue to trade risk for return, but with an average income yield of just over 2%, we begin to shift from pure growth. The focus

For those following the "prudent person" rule, the division 60/40 is a favorite. Often seen in trusts, this model can serve both income and principal beneficiaries.

Although other models are allocated toward income, the above models can be seen the main assignments in most financial stocks. As guides to compiling your portfolio, you are familiar with how each of these models is active in determining become both risk and return.

Common Sense Investing

By Chip Dahlke, Living Trust Network

Glenn "Chip" Dahlke has 28 years of experience in investing and is one of the most important of Dahlke Financial Group. He maintains a private investment clientele and is also a Senior Fellow at The Living Trust Network and a principal with Dahlke Financial Group. He is licensed to securities transactions with persons who are residents of the following states: CA. CT, FL, GA, IL. MA, MD. ME, MI. NC, NH, NJ, NY.OR, PA, RI, VA, VT, WY.

Finding a Broker

"Hey Joe! I need help finding a broker. I find that discount commission rates are almost the same.
So how do I choose? "

Commission is certainly not the most important factor when choosing a broker. The most important thing when choosing a brokerage firm is the slippage per trade, the difference between the stop order price and execution price.

Based on a study I saw a few years back, ten orders with five commission houses. All orders were priced in the same market at the same price, before the market opened. The difference in deviations from best to worst was over $ 800. Skidding a year for Rosenthal Collins commercial one and two contracts of the S & P was more than $ 20,000 per account. The floor broker for the majority of those transactions was Mario De Bartolo. All fills were supposedly legal. An order for 15 contracts was to sell at 45. The market took more than two minutes to fall in steps of one tick to make money even at 00, before an up tick. All 15 contracts were incredibly filled to 00. Slip on the order was $ 3,375. A week later, another order was slipped over $ 2,000, then all accounts were closed. Coffee was once the daily high and low in the opening range. I was full stop on my buy and sell stop at the high and low of the day, 360 points three times. Legalized theft. The broker can both sides of the orders have been taken. New York markets are notorious for their slippage, so the Chicago pork belly market.

Each broker is to prevent on the orders of his client such slippage is not worth as a broker. There are brokers who closely the types of fill to get the floor to their customers. If the fillings are bad, they will dump the bad floor broker and another. Bad floor brokers can be punished that way. They lose the business. A good broker will fight for his / her clients. Therefore we use the broker that we are currently using. If you want a reference, let me know. I'll be glad to give it.

Joe Ross

Trading Educators Inc.

About Joe Ross:
Joe Ross has been trading for over 47 years, and is a well known Master Trader. He has survived the ups and downs of the markets because of his adaptable trading style, low-risk approach that produces consistent profits.

Joe is the creator of the Ross hook, and has set new standards for low-risk trading set with his concept of "The Law of Charts?." Joe was a private trader for most of his life. In the middle of the 80 to shift his focus and he decided to share his knowledge. After his recovery, he founded Trading Educators in 1988 to aspiring traders how to learn. profits using his trading approach he has 12 major books on trading written. All of them have become classics and have been translated into many different languages.

Joe holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of California at Los Angeles. He did his Masters work in Computer Sciences at the George Washington University extension in Norfolk, VA. Joe still tutors, teaches, writes, and trades regularly. Joe is still an active and integral part of Trading Educators.

The Three Legged Stool

My paternal grandparents were born near Lake Como, Italy. My grandfather learned how to farm, and he did so until his death chopping wood at the age of 88. As a boy, I would walk into the barn where I watched him milking cows. Never mastered, but I liked hearing the ping of fresh milk in the galvanized bucket. To get where he needed to reach Popper would sit on a three-legged stool. This wooden stool reminds me of three legs investment for any household or business endeavor. As you know, many things come in sequence or synergy of three, even. Sneezes

First stage: investment

Although debate continues about asset allocation, no one denies the impact and the importance of diversification. Also, all investors are aware of investment risks, although many will not talk about it. Assets distributed among a diverse group of assets contributes further safety when money is exposed to the unexpected. We allowed ourselves within the matrix of large or macro-economic changes. Observing the oil price, the weakened value of the dollar, and the rise of China recommends broad asset class participation. Robert Kreitler in his book, Getting Started in Global Investing writes: "Investors focused exclusively on Wall Street are ignoring the global turnaround in the global."

Noticed the manic behavior or the volatility of the markets? Volatility is equal to investor uncertainty. Since institutions account for the majority of the stock and bond trading, even the "big boys and girls find the markets" uncertain ". Implementation of hedging strategies seeks to reduce and take advantage of the volatility. Uncertainty Hedging your bets' recognizes that when one is running up, the other is down Special trusts are commodities, currencies and real estate investment choices possible Consider Roger Gibson's Asset Allocation:.. Balancing Financial Risk

Second stage: Real Estate

My maternal grandfather never trusted the stock market. Lumber, mortar, land, mortgages represented that mattered to him. Admittedly, it worked for him. My wife tells me of a local couple who have used their home equity to purchase a "fixer-upper" that they hope to "flip" for a profit. Real estate is a net value creator for some. All investments have "boom and bust" cycles. Landlords, tenants lost to low mortgage rates. Now, the cycle change, and multi-unit housing can have positive cash flow and capital gains to provide the long term. Though finding property where you lives makes logistical sense, finding a home in places like New Bern, North Carolina and a retirement income can provide. Scott Frank tells his strategy in Buy Low, Rent Smart, Sell High
Third leg: Cash Flow

One of our children job recently changed. It was all about the cash flow. In our community, on fixed income frustrated by increasing property taxes, it's all about the cash flow. Finding a constant stream of income, even in small steps, validates the effort. From hobby to websites, entrepreneurial instincts work for many. Ask Martha Stewart or Kevin Bidwell. Each succeeds with an idea that serves users while providing potential life-time streams of income. Not many of us, such as multi-level marketing, but multi-billion dollar companies exist because many believe it. A call from a successful colleague living in India yesterday confirms this interest internationally. E-commerce transactions over $ 3 trillion in North America in 2004, and all ideas are not discovered. Want some guidelines for testing your ideas? Read The Wall Street Journal, Monday, May 9, 2005, "you have a great idea. Now what?" by Wendy Bounds.

"... A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." - Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV (New International Version)

Going Offshore For Asset Protection

There are several important reasons why individuals and businesses consider going offshore for asset protection purposes.

Asset protection advantages the offshore world offers extend the protection of a business opening for wealth and asset enrichment switch doors through the use of offshore investment opportunities. Against excessive taxation

Until recently, creating and running a business offshore was something only done by the super rich or large companies, but today the establishment of an offshore company could not be easier and more and more people begin to see the personal benefits operating their business in this way.

Not only are there many cost-effective offshore business solutions available nowadays, but it is possible to have a fully functioning and of the shelf company to buy in countries with low or no taxes and unrestrictive legal reporting requirements and start your company trading on the same day!

The result of making the world more accessible offshore is that many more ordinary people find that they can run their businesses in an offshore location and protect that way and to benefit themselves and their assets legally.

Ideally, the primary asset protection benefits of running a business from an international position result in higher profits and security and the benefits are: -

Tax relief

Tax eats into tax assets and therefore the number of people trying to gain an advantage by going offshore.

An offshore company or trust scheme if properly structured can significantly reduce the level of an individual or business tax "and thus protect the underlying assets against eaten away by excessive and restrictive taxes.

Straight Asset Protection

Placing business or personal assets beyond the reach of an opponent or potential creditor protection straight asset. By making assets unattractive or legally unfeasible by third parties can reach straight asset protection.

Due to the nature of today's society where litigation is par for the course, many more business professionals are at greater risk of legal action against them, and many more individuals face losses in bitter divorce battles - so protect one's ability offshore -can be guarantee. a very effective way to long-term security asset

Offshore Investment Opportunities

There are many more potentially high returning investment opportunities for the coast than in their own country. Also, as many of the stocks traded outside your country of residence in the world would be a significant advantage to trade for the coast.

Greater Privacy

Developed countries are increasing the levels of supervision we are all placed under, as a result, many more people are concerned about their growing lack of privacy grow. By moving operations and assets offshore can directly help increase the privacy and confidentiality of business and financial transactions.

Of course, it goes without saying that privacy is not available people who are involved in serious criminal activities will protect.

Estate and Inheritance Tax Planning

We are all at risk of losing a significant amount of our income and estate taxes when we die. With carefully structured and well-managed offshore solutions such as trusts, it is possible for some people to reduce the obligations of their estate and thus pass to their heirs with minimal tax and liability issues. The assets of the estate

These are just the five main reasons why people want to exploit the world of offshore capabilities for asset protection purposes, there are many more potential benefits to go offshore, but they all depend on the personal situation and needs of an individual. It is essential to seek advice before considering going offshore and this article is not intended as advice to that effect professional advice.

Rhiannon Williamson is the publisher of  - the online source for offshore, expatriates and international investors.