Outsourcing It's about time someone spoke the truth concerning outsourcing. The politicians sure won't. They prefer to do finger-pointing saying it is "his fault". It is those greedy manufacturers who want to make bigger profits by having cheap labor in Asia perform your task for less money.
My Stock - Right or Wrong We all know the expression, "My country, right or wrong", but have you ever thought about the stocks or mutual fund you own and said to yourself, "My stock - right or wrong" and held on to your position even as you saw your hard-earned money disappearing?
Fools Gold The stock market has been in an up trend for more than a year. Almost everyone is feeling good and many believe we are back in the old bull market with the previous high of the Dow Jones Industrial Average just about to be broken.
Fake Money Reach in your pocket and take out that big roll of bills. Depending on how many of them you have you feel pretty good. BUT did you know they are not worth the paper they are printed on? Huh? Let me explain.
Stock Analysis I receive emails from Morningstar. This company provides statistics and analysis of just about every publicly traded stock company you can think of as well as voluminous information on mutual funds around the world.
NASDAQ 800? In November of 2000 when the NASDAQ was trading at 3000 I wrote in this column that the NASDAQ Index would fall to 1500 and I got lots of heat for saying it. Microsoft had fallen from $129 to $60 per share. You know where they are today.
Low Expense Ratio One of the big advertising kicks today from mutual funds is to tell how low their expense ratio is and that you will make a great deal more money if you buy and hold with them. Partly true, but that is not the whole story.
Valuation Every day I hear from the "experts" on CNBC-TV and the radio gurus that the way to buy stocks is find value. One man's Rembrandt is another man's connect-the-dots and fill in the spaces. Valuation is like beauty. It is in the mind of the beholder.
Inertia Syndrome When it comes to buying a stock or mutual fund most people act pretty quickly. There are some who will take the time to get a report from Morningstar (it is worthless) or get reports from their broker (also worthless) or even do a search on the Internet (if you know what you are doing). When your broker says "buy" you buy and when a friend gives you a "tip" you buy.
Perfect Storm Having lived aboard a sailboat for 2 years I was stricken when I saw the movie "PERFECT STORM". I know these are things you want to avoid at all costs. Even little storms can play havoc with your life style on a boat.
Complacency Indicator If you haven't heard of the technical indicator with the stock market symbol VIX it is now time to pay some attention to it. When the number is running low, as it is now, around 15 to 18 it means everyone is happy and thinks the stock market is going to continue up or at least continue on its current path and there is no need to sell anything. This is a measure of complacency. When the number goes above 35 it means everyone is very nervous and thinks the market is going to fall. It is considered a contrarian indicator.
Paddle Your Canoe At some time in your life you have been on a river in a canoe and hopefully you had a paddle. You know about being up the creek without one.
Expense Ratios Mutual funds and brokers are always preaching not to buy any fund with a high expense ratio. That is the annual costs of the fund to pay for trading of stocks within their portfolio, salaries, rent, telephone, analysts, etc. Most of them tell you not to buy one that exceeds 1.5%. There is also another expense added by some mutual funds called a 12b1 (usually from ¼% to 1%) that is supposed to be used for promotional purposes only. These numbers may appear small, but they are being applied to multi-millions, sometimes billions of dollars.
Protectionism First let's see what protectionism is. According to Mr. Webster it is the advocacy, system, or theory of protecting domestic producers by impeding or limiting, as by tariffs or quotas, the importation of foreign goods and services.
Stuff I continually hear from economists, talking heads, other market letter writers, analysts and assorted "experts" that I need to know all kinds of "stuff" about the stocks and mutual funds I am going to buy and I should keep up with them on a regular basis.
Discipline in Investing One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline and it doesn't make any difference whether it is manufacturing, processing, servicing or investing in the stock market.
What Are You Waiting For? Do you own any mutual funds? In an IRA or 401K or wherever. Privately or at work.
Performance Funds Mutual funds are doing more and more to discourage investors from leaving them and taking their money to a better performing fund. What does better performing mean? It has nothing to do with who the manager is, what the expense ratio is or how well they performed over the past 5 or 10 years.
The Big Bad Bear The big bad bear is stirring again. So far he has stretched, yawned and peaked out of his cave. After his almost year-long nap he is hungry. A nice big steak would hit the spot.
Which Way The Market I am hearing predictions by brokers, financial planners, talk show hosts and the talking heads on TV that the market is going back to its old highs - DOW 11,700 and NASDAQ 5000 here we come.
Enronization Even if you don't own any of their stock or any stock at all you will want to read this.
Refinance Mortgage Rate and Mortgage Rates Refinance mortgage rate is the best rate available to qualified homeowners for refinancing their current home mortgage. Refinance mortgage rates vary from produ...
Medicare Is Missing The Obesity Target Pick Up The Pace joins thousands of other fitness professionals in congratulating the Department of Health & Human Services in finally taking a much more pro-ac...
How to Create a Great Mentoring Relationship Want to gain from the experience and wisdom of people who are highly successful and can help you grow your business faster? Discover the secrets of creating a ...
Debt Reduction Solutions Finding solutions to reducing your debt takes some thinking and research on your part. You have some good choices available to you and we shall list these key d...
Network Marketing Decisions: Ask Mr. Kipling If you're thinking about starting your own network marketing business you need to do some research. What lessons can Rudyard Kipling provide us with?
Yoga Beginner - Getting It Right When it comes to promoting relaxation and reducing stress, nothing beats yoga. Unfortunately this isn't the case for everyone.
Unique Tin Can Candle Holders Ah yes the good old Tin Can. The tin can has been around for years, providing many different projects to be made from tin cans. They are one of the most versati...
The 12 Commandments of Goal Setting Many professionals have a basic idea of what they want to achieve in their careers. They may want to close more sales, earn a higher income, or move into a dif...
Watch Your Language! I have a big mouth. If you have read my testimony, you know that I have struggled with panic attacks and an anxiety disorder that most of the time left my tongu...
Positives And Negatives Are Contagious I'm a big believer that both positives and negativity can be contagious. Here's an example of what I mean. Say for instance that I'm feeling a bit stressed out ...
Mortgage Basics for First Time Home Buyers Anyone planning to take out a mortgage for the first time will most likely find the job a little daunting, not least because the financial jargon can often be v...
Successful Advertising The Internet, the largest market in human history, has
millions of folks in its audience. How do you reach those
folks? EZINE ADVERTIZING The best way of reach...
Make An Action Plan To Improve Customer Service Customer Service is a critical factor for keeping your clients coming back and ensuring they'll refer you to others. Growing your business will be a difficult t...
5 Ways to Break the Story Spell You know how it is: you're reading, thoroughly absorbed in a novel, and suddenly... something jars. Ouch! The author has done something to break the story spell...
