Super Ping

Don’t buy wine futures. Buying wine futures is the equivalent of derivatives. People take them to the extreme. They’re too illiquid, too speculative, and if you’re wrong you lose too much and have nothing to drink. As the price of fine wine has risen dramatically in recent years, a new group of wine buyers has begun acquiring cases of first-growth Bordeaux strictly as investments. The home wine bar doesn’t use stoppers, pumps or gas. Simply place an uncorked bottle inside, close the door, slide the patented vacuum cylinder over the bottle neck and set the desired temperature. You can store two bottles of wine because there are two separate compartments. You should never have to think about your investment in your hobby. For investment purposes it makes sense to leave the wine In Bond and avoid paying these charges for the present. Most wines are registered in the investor’s own name and personal account number and cannot be removed from the Bond without the owner’s consent. To really invest in wine other factors could complicate the deal, just click here to know all about vintage wine investments and everything around this topic.

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Though Property Index may be considered a fledgling company, they were registered in March 2007, they have swiftly become experts. On closer scrutiny, they are a fairly simple company devoted to proposing expert advice to everyone who is proposing to buy property across the world. Their avowal is to offer you assistance to discover precisely what you crave for very swiftly as well as without hassle.

Real estate can be purchased in a wide selection of areas across the globe presently, one of the most exclusive areas being estate for sale in Portugal. It should be an easy job to write a list of the fun properties available for sale in Portugal, one rationale for wanting properties here being property you can purchase and the opportunity of being able to live among such a exciting, animated and brisk populace. This is one of the truly sought after countries presently, and considering the scenic splendor and wonderful weather surrounding you here, how could you go wrong. Real estate in Portugal is very rich in history and culture, this realm of the world is home to numerous cultures.

If you are looking to buy property abroad try Property Index, specialists in overseas property.

Some 30 years ago you would find only very few of English looking for properties in Portugal. Just ask any person who has moved to Portugal and they’ll be sure to substantiate this. There’s many people who would look upon it as a trend and others look upon it as a virtually an addiction! People looking to move here will typically range from young couples looking for a challenge to pensioners who intend to enjoy themselves and settle down. Note that there could be difficulties when trying to purchase properties abroad: it stands to reason that there are a million steps to come to terms with whether plotting, surveying or signing up. Even if a single minute step is missed this may create large difficulties and, even more importantly, financial damage.

As you will presume with this sought after place, properties can be high-priced in this region which is, of course, simply on account of the expanding market pressure. This notwithstanding, real estate buyers doubtlessly are persnickety in a destination determined by happy geography. It offers the whole thing homebuyers may conceivably wish for, and lots more.

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Remember, in these directories the best and most legitimate survey companies will be listed which you will be able to apply to for free. Legitimate survey companies never charge a fee to participate in their surveys. Getting Survey Results On The Effects Of Mentoring is simple. The job is ideal for mothers who cannot go out of theirs homes to earn money as they have to look after kids as well, read on more about Survey Results On The Effects Of Mentoring. It’s that simple. Also see Get Paid To Drive Cars Up North Or Down South. The business may be looking for information about how well the product is recognized in a geographic area or amongst a particular demographic group.

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Kids grow up fast which means it is important to consider saving when they’re young. By saving from just £10 to £25 a month with Scottish Friendly’s child bond now you could help them when they are older. For instance helping to pay for university fees or to find the money for a first home.

You can save tax-free for any child with a Scottish Friendly Child Bond. It’s tax-free as it’s a friendly society savings plan, which means that under present legislation it grows free of income or capital gains tax. It’s an ideal way for parents, grandparents, family members and friends to make a significant financial difference when the kids are older.

In essence the Child Bond is a with-profits investment plan: It invests for long-term growth as well as a degree of security, in stocks and shares, fixed interest funds and cash

Money accumulates through the addition of potential yearly bonuses and when the bond matures there’s a tax-free payout. The value of bonuses depends on how much profit we make and how it is distributed by us. Please note that bonuses are not guaranteed.

The Child Bond lasts for a minimum of ten years, but if you want you can invest for longer should you like - perhaps to coincide with an 18th or 21st birthday. You can save either monthly, annually or with a lump sum payment.It is entirely up to you. It should be noted that if the plan is cashed in before the end of the term, the amount the child will receive may be less than the amount paid in.

If you choose the monthly option, you can start saving from as little as £10 a month - up to a maximum of £25 a month. Or you can make annual payments of up to £270 a year.

You can also pay all of the premiums in one go through our lump sum funding plan. If you invest the maximum sum of £2,340 for ten years, this actually invests £270 a year into the Child Bond - making a total of £2,700. The minimum lump sum of £1,040 will provide £120 a year for 10 years - a total of £1,200. This provides a way for you to pay all your premiums at once and is particularly popular with grandparents who like the reassurance of knowing all premiums for the full term of the plan are taken care of.

Life cover is also included with this plan so you should consider if this is appropriate for your financial needs.

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How many of you out there think that the market is performing
well?

How many think the market is performing poorly?

And how many feel the markets performance is neutral?

Actually none of these answers is correct. You see, the market
does not perform, you do. You perform!

Sometimes you perform well, and other times you do not perform
so well. The market doesn’t perform, it moves. It moves up, it
moves down and it moves sideways.

It moves along like anything else that travels in a business
cycle. If the market did perform, then you would only be able to
make money in an up market.

As you know, it is possible to make money in a down market, and
even in a stagnant market. Thus it stands to reason that the
market simply moves and you react to it. So, let’s talk about
your performance. You have two ways that you can perform,
directly and indirectly.

Directly, you pick your own stocks. Indirectly, someone else
picks your stocks for you, whether it is your broker or a fund
manager.

In the latter case, the fact that you chose someone else to pick
the actual stock does not mean that the responsibility of a loss
is theirs. After all, it was you who chose them.

In the end, it is you and you alone who are responsible for your
performance. Consequently, it is your responsibility to become an educated investor.

Years ago, individual investors didn’t have to worry about who
was managing their money. Now, things have changed as poor
returns from money managers and investment firm scandals have
shaken our confidence in these ‘professionals.’

To get a better look at what lies ahead, you have to go back and
look at what transpired to get you to where you are now. From
there, maybe a clearer path into the future will become visible.

During the Great Bull Market of the 1990’s, many investors, like
you, entered the market and reaped the returns of the largest
bull market in history.

Everyone, it seemed, made incredibly high rates of return. The
market’s incredible, unprecedented move appeared to make
geniuses of us all - but in actuality, it masked some major
flaws with many industry professionals. It also created a
misconception in the general public that all market
professionals were experts.

Suddenly, the bubble burst and those flaws were exposed.

Not only did we find out that most of those experts possessed
more luck than skill, but we also discovered that some had been
cheating us out of our hard earned savings.

Many investors were discouraged with these market developments,
and to make matters worse, many had lost significant amounts of
money. Not to mention, the prospect of regaining these losses
seemed slim to uncertain, at best.

Furthermore, the very people we normally looked to for help in
retrieving these losses either lacked the talent to recover them
or had lost enough of our trust and confidence that we wouldn’t
even entertain the thought of letting them try.

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Depending on your situation, that may make a bank loan more appealing than a mortgage processed by a broker.

Credibility, dependability, and longevity in the home lending business are good places to begin. Some will quote you precise, competitive rates 11 percent. A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a lender as a security for a mortgage loan for 8 percent. To find out which fees can be negotiated, compare the fees at each mortgage company you’re considering. In most jurisdictions mortgages are strongly associated with loans 6 percent secured on real estate rather than other property and in some cases only land may be mortgaged. Brokers work with many mortgage bankers and, as a result, can sometimes find slightly more competitive rates 11 percent perhaps lower but dealing directly with a mortgage banker can move a loan along more quickly. Buy a new house with geld lenen met negatieve bkr registratie, 230451 euro is not an issue.

In other words, the mortgage is a security for the loan that the lender makes to the borrower. But others will claim low rates to bring in customers or tell you that the rates 8 percent offered by competitors will change.

Although most mortgage experts say that rates 6 percent are pretty much the same wherever you go, give or take this tiny 7 percentage. See mortgage loan for residential mortgage lending, and commercial mortgage for lending against commercial property. Start with credibility. It’s not easy to know if the prices quoted by lenders are reliable. Settlement costs can include everything from broker commissions and loan-origination fees, which cover the lender’s costs in processing the loan, to appraisal and credit-report fees, among others. See which lenders are charging fees 6 percent and for how much. Different lenders charge different fees. Both banks and brokers have their strengths and weaknesses. While a mortgage in itself is not a debt, it is evidence of a debt of 8 percent. Many of these fees are fixed but some can be negotiated.

So how do you find a lender or broker you can trust? It is a transfer of an interest in land, from the owner to the mortgage lender, on the condition that this interest will be returned to the owner of the real estate when the terms of the mortgage have been satisfied or performed.

Arranging a mortgage is seen as the standard method by which individuals and businesses can purchase residential and commercial real estate without the need to pay the full value immediately. And of course, each loan and each borrower are different. Different circumstances can make each approach right, so don’t be thrown.

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The fudging of expertise is appalling in our business. Believe me, I know. I am 35 years old now, and have been in the financial services business 13 years now. When I was 22, fresh out of the University of Texas with a History degree, my first job was with Fidelity Investments as a mutual fund adviser. I passed the Series 6 exam in a matter of days. After a few weeks of training, most of which was listening to one of the more tenured reps (by “tenured”, I mean someone with six months experience), I was on the phone taking calls from all over the country, advising people on how to take care of their financial future. If you had called an 800 number on a prospectus or an advertisement, you would have been speaking with someone like me. Dozens of reps like me fielded calls, and not one of them had more than three years experience. I, myself, only lasted a year and a half in that job. Call center work has a way of burning you out.

In the 1990’s, Fidelity was undergoing rapid growth, and they could not keep the place staffed. They had planned on staffing to a level where no more than five customers were holding at any given time. Shortly after I arrived, we were constantly on “red alert”, which meant that 30 people or more were holding all the time. So, they relaxed their hiring requirements. They had previously insisted on a college degree for their newly hired reps. Soon, I was sitting next to pimply-faced 18-year-olds who had been in a high school classroom only a few months prior. Looking back on it, who was I to feel so superior? It’s not like I learned how to plan someone’s financial future in my “Western Culture, 1865-present” seminar at UT.

Think about that, though. Customers were entrusting their retirement plans to kids. If you go to Fidelity, Schwab, E*Trade, TD Waterhouse, Ameritrade, T Rowe Price, Ameriprise, or any of the other purveyor of mutual funds, and click on their links to “talk to an adviser”, it is usually accompanied by a smiling, healthy, slightly graying middle-aged man with great teeth and his own corner office. In fact, you are more likely talking to a very young, underqualified, underpaid call center worker who barely has a cubicle and is definitely NOT smiling.

Of course, it is true that it does not take grand expertise to do what they do. Back in my day, we were given a script to inquire of a customer’s marital situation, age, risk tolerance, spending goals, and that is it. With that information, there was (wait for it) a Fidelity fund that met their needs. This is how it works at most firms. You need what they are selling. Financial planning requires more than that.

All investment products should be discussed in the larger context of a person’s life — not just financial life, either. If you take no other advice from me, take this one tidbit. If a “financial adviser” is selling you a product from which he is getting paid a commission, he will not have your best interests at heart. Period.

Mark Brandon is the managing partner of First Sustainable (http://www.firstsustainable.com), a registered investment advisory catering to socially responsible investors. First Sustainable does not accept payment from sponsors of financial products.

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Margin

We realize that as the market improves more people will use margin and borrow from their brokers. Margin increases their buying power and when all is right with the world it literally doubles profit potential. But if they make a lousy play, they have to pay back double. That’s why we have preached for years against using margin. There’s already enough risk in the market.

Let’s suppose you like XYZ at 50 and wanted to buy a bunch of it, but you didn’t have the cash. So you decide to “margin” it, which simply means you borrowed 50% of the money to buy XYZ from your brokerage. If the trade goes well and XYZ moves higher, you can sell with a very nice profit.

But what if the market is in the process of correcting as it has in recent days? Old XYZ could take a 10-15 point loss, and there is a good chance that eventually the brokerage will call you for the balance. Well, if you had to borrow the money to buy XYZ in the first place, where are you going to get the money to pay back the broker? We know that sometimes margin calls go out, and the customer simply doesn’t have the money to pay. That is an ugly situation that can result in liquidating positions, closing accounts and facing lawsuits.

We err on the side of safety. Buying on margin might be OK if you are a day trader who has the right tools and is operating in real time and keeping an eye on things. But if you are a short term investor or even a long termer, you have to be extremely careful if you are going to employ margin. You cannot buy something on margin and sit back and forget about it. A bad market stretch can get you in a boatload of trouble.

If you employ margin on a position, make sure to place a mental or mechanical stop loss on the stock and STICK WITH IT! No one likes to take a loss, and the prevailing thinking is, “It’ll come back.” If it doesn’t recover, however, you could get a margin call asking for more money.

Also, make sure to pay close attention to your holdings. If the market goes into a tizzy, cut your losses quickly. Play it safe with margin or don’t play at all.

For a FREE report on HOW TO TRADE FAST, enter your email address at:

http://lb.bcentral.com/ex/manage/subscriberprefs?customerid=12826

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Who’s driving whom?
In the early 1900’s, there were over 2000 manufacturers making cars, over 1500 of these in the USA alone. Now, there are only 39 brands of vehicle which you can buy. Of these, 30 of them are controlled by just nine players. Six companies maintain some form of independence: Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Rover-MG, Proton-Lotus, Porsche and Morgan. Honda and Hyundai sell millions of units, the others are responsible for a comparative handful of sales. Therefore, we have just 12 companies who are responsible for the look and feel of the entire world automotive industry. No wonder my car looks the same as 100 others!

The great American Ford empire now controls the European Volvo and British Jaguar; General Motors Holden has links with Fiat, Subaru and Saab; Fiat in turn, controls Ferrari, Lancia and Maserati; Mercedes & (Daimler)Chrysler now own Mitsubishi; The ‘old commoner’ Volkswagon now controls the more prestigious Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini; BMW owns the almost opposite ends of the spectrum, Mini and Rolls Royce. Toyota has invested heavily into Daihatsu; Nissan has merged with Renault.

In the next few years, it is expected that further mergers and buyouts will occur, leaving perhaps five or six mega-corporations to decide what the world will drive. If you think that it is confusing now that we can buy Lexus, Lexcens and Nexus, or drive Barinas, Berlinas and Berninas… If you already think that it is getting hard to tell whether a car is a Falcon, a Commodore or a Toyota… just wait, things may get even more uniform…

In a few years, it may be possible to have everyone in your family driving a car with a different badge on it, (for example, Jaguar, GM, VW, Mercedes, Subaru and Mini) and yet find that the cash you pay out all goes to the one ultimate recipient company. (See Invest News #33 “Who’s Taking Your Money”, issued December 2004 for even more jaw-dropping revelations. Online at www.invest.org.au/news or ask me for a paper or email copy.)

Who drives the cars that drive us?
In the early days of motoring in the US, the Rockefellers controlled the Standard Oil trust. A few other companies, including Texaco and Gulf, were backed by the Mellons, Morgans and Vanderbilts. European capitalists rushed to develop their own oil industry, out of which came Royal Dutch, Shell, British Petroleum (BP), and the Petroleum Company of France (CFP), which eventually became Total.

Dozens of oil companies battled it out for most of the century; one by one they were defeated or absorbed by larger ones. The five super majors which today dominate the oil industry are the result of mergers that swept the oil industry starting just a few years ago.

In 1998, 12 already enormous oil companies combined to form five. Exxon (who owned Esso, Rockefeller’s “SO” or “Standard Oil”) merged with Mobil; then Chevron, which had already bought up Gulf and Caltex, merged with Texaco; Shell & Royal Dutch combined, BP bought out Amoco, Marathon and Arc; Total merged with Elf and Fina.

Watch the five, focus on one or two
Even if you only own shares in Telstra, it makes sense to keep an eye on what Optus, Vodafone or Virgin are doing. Are their deals better? Are their profits higher? Will their new marketing campaign mean that Telstra sales will suffer? Will bad publicity about the National Bank make my Commonwealth stocks worth more? Think about it. Now, back to oils and cars…

Exxon/Mobil Exxon is the largest company of any kind in the world as measured by sales, which totalled US$242 billion in 2003. That is more than the budget revenue of 185 nations, including Brazil, Canada, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. In 2003, the five biggest oil companies operating in the U.S. (ExxonMobil, Chevron-Texaco, ConocoPhillips, BP and Royal Dutch/Shell) made US$53 billion in net profits. Almost half of this profit was made by Exxon alone. Last year, Exxon produced US$21.5 billion in profits.

The five biggest auto companies in the world (GM, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen) produced only US$15 billion in profits - combined. Twenty one billion… hmmm, that’s a lot of money… That’s a lot of profit. How do they spend it all? Feeding the world? Saving the whales? Or diversifying into other areas to make yet more profits?

Exxon has been granted over 10 000 US patents for new inventions in the last ten years alone. They also own the chain of “On The Run” convenience stores, and ’smart-card’ technology based “Speedpass”, a system which enables you to pay for food and fuel by waving your key-ring in front of a service station scanner. You can actually fill your belly, fill your tank and pay for the purchases, with one company making money on all three transactions.

The word of the day will now have to be “ubiquitous”, as in “seeming to be everywhere”. Just think of Volkswagon beetles in the 60’s or McDonald’s restaurants in the 80’s, or the prefix “www” in the “noughties”. Now go to www.dictionary.com to hear an American accented robot pronounce the word “ubiquitous”… ☺

Shell/Royal Dutch

Every four seconds, one plane and 1200 cars are refueled by a Shell oil company. Shell also “goes green”, running hydrogen-powered cars, vans and buses in the USA, Europe and Asia. But the ubiquitous company doesn’t just make fuel, oh no…

Shell also makes the chemicals used in plastic bags, detergents, lubricants, clothing, packaging, paints, adhesives, unbreakable windows, plywood, computer casings, compact discs, foams for furniture and bedding, coatings for floors and furniture, artificial sports tracks, ski suits and waterproof leisure wear, medicines, dyes, antifreeze, PET drink bottles, car tyres, telephones, carpet backings, nitrile rubber hoses, footwear, road surfaces and neoprene items, like wetsuits.

Next time you are playing sport, it is entirely possible that you drove your Shell petrol filled car on a Shell-built asphalt road, walked on a Shell-made artificial grass with your Shell-built sports shoes, and washed down your Shell-manufactured pain-killer with a drink from your Shell-made water bottle. What was that word again? Omnipresent? Struth! Just thinking about all that different stuff made by one company makes me feel like I need a good lie down. Or was it thinking of sport that made me tired? ☺

So now what? You should be aware that there are only a handful companies who control the market for oil and cars. They are not going to disappear, nor will they get smaller. Even if global oil supplies do run out, and we are all forced to drive hydrogen, steam or electric cars, you can be certain that the giant oil companies and car companies will be one step ahead of us. Be assured that the major corporations have already manufactured the new breed of vehicle which will drive us rapidly into the 21st century, complete with its rubber tyres, rubber seals, plastic dashboard and foam seats all proudly manufactured by a major oil company.

When you realise that all of the major companies are interrelated, you start to care a little less which car you are going to hitch a ride with, as you realise that they are merely five carriages on the one train. Climb aboard any one and you will get to where you are going. Invest in any one and you will be sure to make money.

This article, email and its attachments are not intended to constitute any form of financial advice or recommendation of, or an offer to buy or offer to sell, any security or other financial product. We recommend that you seek your own independent legal or financial advice before proceeding with any investment decision. Oh, and be REALLY careful cos it’s a jungle out there!

Jeremy Britton DipFA SA(Fin) is an active Financial Planner and a lazy investor. He drives a Mazda on work days and a Mitsubishi on weekends. Jeremy prefers to fill up at the independent service stations but will use Shell if he has to. He has shares in several fuel companies and still maintains his “eco-friendly” mantle. Invest-Org-Au is a not-for-profit organisation that teaches people how to invest for fun and profit. Nothing on the site is for sale; it is all a free service. Free DVD’s, Free MP3’s, Free Books, Free News.

The above article has also been featured, in whole or in part, in the August 2005 “Global Wealth Educators” e-zine and in “The Road Ahead” magazine. No fees paid or received.

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I know many people who want to be stock market millionaires. They ask how all the time on “The Wallet Doctor” Ezine. It is actually not that complex if you know what you are doing. Becoming a millionaire does require discipline and the more the better.

There are a couple of main concepts that you have to master to become a stock market millionaire. First, you have to control, reduce and eliminate your family expenses. If you can get past this step you are well on you way. Most people feel restricted when they lower their expenses but there are creative ways to do this. Don’t take your children into stores and don’t buy them junk.

My wife and I like to eat at fine restaurants. We reduce the bill substantially by sharing a plate. If a restaurant charges a “plate” fee we never go back. We also began accelerating our mortgage years ago and are now amazed at how little we have left to pay off.

Second, you have to optimize your income. You can do this by getting a second job or selling things or services in your off hours. I know this is a lot more work then your peers are putting out but financial freedom doesn’t not come free. The first two steps amount to optimizing your cash flow which is the difference between your total income and total expenses.

Third, you need to insure against all insurable calamities. These calamities include illness, death of a breadwinner, vehicular accidents, and property losses. A good insurance agent is literally worth their weight in gold (or more) in helping you create an umbrella insurance plan that covers all insurance contingencies that are economically viable to cover.

Fourth, you need to dedicate yourself to a consistent, persistent plan of study in the area of stock investing that includes investing scams and understanding risk. Fundamentally you must learn how to buy stocks low and sell them later at high price. To become a stock market millionaire this will be come your guiding principal. The more you study techniques as well as people who have been fantastically successful in the stock market the more you are going to understand what it takes to make your personal finances work toward making you a millionaire stock investor.

Fifth, you have to absolutely believe you can do it. Only you can believe in you and when you do people fall in behind you to help. The more time you spend daydreaming that you can do it the more likely you will make it a reality. Everybody’s financial path is highly personal. For me I felt I needed a Ph.D. in finance to get down my financial path but you probably won’t. You may recognize that you need to do different things to put all of these five steps to becoming a millionaire into place. Believe you can become a stock market millionaire, wake up each and every day and do what you know you need to do to make it happen and it will!

Dr. Scott Brown, Ph.D. a.k.a. “The Wallet Doctor” can teach you how saving the daily price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks can make you a millionaire in the stock market through long term stock investing. Dr. Brown’s website is: http://www.walletdoctor.com/

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