Why Relative Strength Investing Produces Winners

Why Relative Strength Investing Produces Winners

The differences between relative strength and momentum investing are substantial yet many investors confuse them or even think they are identical. The same can be said for making investment decisions based solely on charts instead of comprehensive technical analysis.

Michael Carr defines his book, “Smarter Investing in Any Economy”, as the definitive guide to relative strength investing. Anyone wishing to learn about relative strength investing in depth and how it can be applied in various ways should read Carr’s book. However, the basic concept of is not simply to buy a stock (or ETF or Mutual Fund) that is moving up in the markets but to buy one whose strength is greater than the others.

Momentum investing is simply buying what is going up and selling when it goes down. This is the basis for most charting software and investment decisions based on looking at charts.

Relative Strength investing involves calculating the difference of the momentum of an ETF versus other ETFs and an index or benchmark like the S&P 500. While a chart can be created for any particular ticker symbol versus the benchmark, the important factor is how does each ETF relate to other ETFs? The answer shows the relative strength of each symbol to others within any particular group or universe of symbols.

In other words it’s like comparing horses at the Kentucky Derby. We know that every horse on the track can probably run faster than any other horse in the world; so each horse’s momentum is greater that my neighbors quarter horse out on the range. But picking the winner is just like buying based on Momentum alone. Yes, they are all winners, but only one is going to be The Winner, and only a few are going to bring home any prize money.

On the other hand, RS investing says that a particular horse’s speed is greater than the average horse and also is greater by a specific amount than every other horse on the track. And if you know the running speeds and durability factors of each horse (or each ticker symbol) you can bet on or buy the most likely winner.

This sounds complicated, but it doesn’t have to be mind boggling. There are formulas for calculating relative strength. In fact there are a variety of relative strength formulas and while you can tediously do this in a spreadsheet the easiest way is to use a software program that performs technical analysis that includes Alpha or simple Relative Strength Momentum.

A great way to use RS analysis is to combine it with momentum and selling rules so that you get the best of these worlds. A software program that offers all three aspects will include:

• Alpha or relative strength analysis

• A variety of charts

• Selling rules

• Ability to adjust the analysis to fit your buying goals and time frame

• A melding capability of the analysis, charts and selling rules

By blending momentum with RS investing you will be more likely to buy the winners and also more likely to sell and preserve profits while minimizing losses.…

Simple Tips For Property Investments

Simple Tips For Property Investments

Property Investment is probably the fastest way to increase your money these days. Instead of keeping your money safely locked up in a bank account, invest it in the real estate and you will be amazed at the returns it reaps for you. Like any other forms of investment, there are risks involved here as well, and you may have to endure a few losses in the beginning to learn the ropes of right investing. All you have to do is to keep certain basic points in your mind, and you will a big time investor soon enough.

Start Small: Until and unless you are absolutely confident regarding the decisions you are taking regarding your investment, it is advisable to start small. Invest in smaller amounts first, and make sure you are bringing in the profits. With the right moves, you may soon get to know the trade, but you should also remember that one wrong move and you may have to endure losses which are enough to set you back for a few years at a time, and it may take a long time to recover.

Market Conditions: Although the market conditions may not play a direct role in property investment, it is still necessary to keep a lookout. An upheaval in the financial world will not be as devastating to property investments as to the stock exchange, but it can cut off people’s income, their spending power decreases and prices start going down. A general overview is a must, whatever may be the amount of your investment.

Location: This is the keyword in property investment. You may have built an accommodation which may seem right out of the dreams, but it will indeed remain only a dream if your intended customers find that it is situated miles away from places like their workplace, their children’s school and the doctor. If that indeed is your intention, then along with the property itself, you will also have to built all the auxiliary units like a general or departmental store, a drugstore, school etc. Again, the requirements for locations of a residential and a commercial property will be complete different from one another.

Tax and Legal Advice: These are to be taken care of right at the initial stages. You have to be fully aware of the tax laws and the property laws of the state in which you are planning to make your investments. Meet with a professional tax consultant and a real estate lawyer for full details, because once you get involved in the red tapes and legal formalities if there is anything amiss about your project, chances are that it may be stalled for an indefinite period of time, and you will have to bar all the extra costs for the delay.…

Basics To Financial Managment – Return On Investment

Basics To Financial Managment – Return On Investment

Due to poor financial management, many people find it hard to improve their chances of getting richer. This brings about the need to change many people’s mindset about finance, like how defects have to be fixed in leaking ships. Because of this,, the article was written to provide more knowledge on the field of managing finances well.

In the area of finance, people ought to know 1 single term very well and that is return on investment (ROI). This is because ROI is income that can be taxed the least but is most beneficial to you. For example, in earned income, you are always taxed at the higher tax brackets in income tax whenever you earn more.

However, if you invest in real estate, there is tax incentive called depreciation which looks like loss on financial statements but actually creates phantom deduction to shelter rental income. Also, investors can offset other income with passive loss from property up to $25,000 if you or your spouse qualifies as a real estate professional.

In addition, property may even be appreciating in value even though the tax man allows investor to claim that it is shrinking in value through depreciation deduction. Thus, for people who do not invest, you are actually getting punished by more taxes than those who invest and if you want to invest, you must know ROI at your fingertips.

To me, there are 2 types of ROI and they are internal rate of return and external rate of return. Basically, internal rate of return (IRR) means ROI without considering macroeconomic factors like taxes and inflation. In financial terms, it would mean a ROI that assumes all the income (passive/cash flow) you receive is immediately reinvested so that you would be getting a return on that money as well.

For example, rental income you receive from a property is immediately used to buy a stock that pays you dividend of 5% per year. Here, as macroeconomic factors like inflation and taxes are not considered, your internal rate of return will be 5% if you perform the above action.

However, while internal rate of return is important, external rate of return is actually a more reliable tool to gauge your total returns from an investment. Simply put, external rate of return (ERR) is ROI gained or lost because of indirect effect product has on taxes, insurance costs, inflation and opportunity costs.

Here, its importance lies in the very fact that it takes into consideration factors that are not immediately quantifiable or cannot be quantified. Thus, it is vital that we include both internal and external rate of return in any financial decision we make as it provides a more holistic approach to managing our finances by considering quantifiable and non-quantifiable factors. Here, always remember that IRR+ERR=ROI.

To make things clearer, here’s an example to illustrate how you can apply IRR and ERR even to your daily life. In many people, hand phones are a high expense and so to increase IRR, you sell it. However, remember that the hand phone also gives you convenience (not quantifiable) and because of your sale of it, ERR becomes negative and as a result, you gain a negative ROI instead of a positive one. Given this example, I hope readers will be able to practice financial prudence using ERR and IRR in your daily lives.

In conclusion, after covering the aspect of return on investment in financial management, I believe readers have gained a very clear understanding of how important it is to invest and also the right approaches to do so. Now, use what you learnt well and take action!…

Fee For Service Advisors – What You Should Pay?

Fee For Service Advisors – What You Should Pay?

How much it is going to cost you? How you will be getting paid? These are some of the best question that you should be asking any planner or adviser that you are interviewing for the job. That is very much right. You should always be interviewing the potential advisor so that you can get to know more about their personality, before you actually make an investment decision or while you are considering taking any investment planner recommendation. You need to make sure if the advisor or planner is fully open and up-front regarding their compensation arrangement. You should be making such question which will be providing you with a rough idea about how much they will be shelling out for the services they are rendering for you.

How to Find Required Fee For Service Advisors?

The question here is that how you are going find Fee for Service Advisors when it comes to financial profession. One of the best means to look out for fee-for-service advisors or planners is via the word of mouth. While you are getting a reference from your colleges or a close friend and this is going to be one of the best means to make sure that you are going to find a credible and highly regarded advisor or planner.

You need to keep this point in your mind that the ‘right’ planner is not something being mentioned. Each and every individuals financial status is different from another person and it certainly requires a different and varying level of financial planning. Such families that are young and when they are not dealing with any sort of estate planning or elder care perhaps would not need all-inclusive kind of financial plans whereas it could have been the choice of their parents as per their requirements. On the other hand, the cost associated with different plans is tough to be justified when it comes particularly to a complete financial plan.

One other helpful yet considerable means of looking for a fee-for-service advisor is via the World Wide Web. It is one of such means that can provide you with a large number of choices along with the convenience of looking out from the comfort of being at home. You will be provided with a long list of web portals while you have input the keyword as ‘Fee For Service Advisors’ with your preferred search engines.

Once you have come across numerous applications people around the globe, you can narrow down your search by opting for the ones that fully meet your needs and requirements along with being without your preferred compensation package.…

NRAS Property in Victoria

NRAS Property in Victoria

The National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) is a long term commitment by the Australian Government to invest in affordable rental housing. The NRAS Victoria seeks to address the shortage of affordable rental housing by offering financial incentives to the business sector and community organizations to build and rent dwellings to low and moderate income households at 20 per cent below-market rates for 10 years. NRAS Victoria aims to increase the supply of new affordable rental housing; reduce rental costs for low and moderate income households; and encourage large scale investment and innovative delivery of affordable housing. The Australian Government has committed $1 billion to the Scheme over four years to stimulate construction of up to 50,000 high quality homes and apartments, providing affordable private rental properties for Australians and their families.

NRAS Victoria is a great opportunity for property investors to have a property investment in Victoria in a high capital growth area but still receive the positive cash flow provided by the generous government grants. I believe this is a small window of opportunity where a property investor can build their asset base with no need to take a hit on their cash flow, in actual fact you will increase your cash flow position. NRAS Victoria offers a substantial annual tax-free incentive, the NRAS Incentive, for every dwelling built under its auspices. Investors making property investment in Victoria need to apply for NRAS Incentives, and if offered, must agree to rent approved dwellings at 20 per cent or more below current market rates, to low and moderate income households.

The NRAS Incentive is a funding stream not available to standard residential property investors. Each approved dwelling attracts the NRAS Incentive for 10 years, so long as investors continue to comply with conditions around tenant eligibility and rent discounts. NRAS investors can expect to benefit from the annual NRAS Incentive, rental yields and capital gain. NRAS is intended to be a commercial, profitable property investment in Victoria for participants, while also assisting Australia to increase the supply of affordable housing. It is important to understand that an NRAS approved property is physically no different to any other property in a new development – it simply has been granted the NRAS status. Taxation or any government incentive should never entirely drive a property investment Victoria decision – sure – take them into consideration, but the underlying qualities of the investment are always the most important drivers.

The same applies for NRAS property investments in Victoria – if the NRAS scheme was not there tomorrow, would the investment still make sense? The real benefit of investing in an NRAS Victoria property compared to a normal property investment in Victoria comes down to maths. The $9,524 government incentives are a flat annual amount – regardless of the property type, value and rental income. This means the incentives have a larger positive cash flow impact on properties with a lower market rent. NRAS property investments in Victoria can boost the amount of cash flow generated from a property – which is fantastic.…

Reporting Stock Shares on Schedule D

Reporting Stock Shares on Schedule D

Schedule is a tax form that you attach to your 1040 income tax return; it is used to report capital gains. The form itself is easy to understand, but the filing can become complicated when multiple transactions occur with a single equity.

Stock sales can be reported based on the actual value of specific shares or on a first in, first out (FIFO) basis. Investors can report capital gains in such a manner as to offset other gains or losses. Schedule D reports on stock sales, not current holdings.

The description of stock shares is entered on Line 1 (a) of Schedule D. List the number of shares and then, the name of the company.

The purchase and sale dates of the shares are entered on Line 1 (b) and 1 (c). If you do not have this information on hand, it can be obtained from the 1099 provided from your broker or by your broker upon request.

Enter the sale price of the stock shares on Line 1 (d). This amount is either the cost per share or the gross proceeds from the sale.

The cost basis of the stock is entered on Line 1 (e). This is the most complicated calculation of the process. You can get detailed information on calculating cost basis from the IRS at their website.

Subtract the figure on Line 1 (e) from the figure on Line 1 (d) to determine your capital gain. If you end up with a negative number, it is a loss as opposed to a gain. Losses are reported in (parenthesis). This amount, gain or loss, is to be entered on Line 1 (f).

Repeat the process for each stock sold. While sales in a single company can be aggregated onto a single entry, you must list every company in which you have sold stock during the year on Schedule D.

The example given above is for reporting on short-term assets. To report on long-term assets, follow the same process, but enter the numbers in the fields on Line 8 rather than Line 1.

If you sold shares in a single company, some of which were short-term assets and some of which were long-term, it will be necessary to separate and report these assets based upon duration.…

Integrating Financial Education Into The Education System – Part 2

Integrating Financial Education Into The Education System – Part 2

Given the various flaws in the education system, many people become more vulnerable to bad financial advice. As a result, financial problems occur and this causes them to gain financial wisdom the hard way. Since prevention is better than cure, it is definitely better if we wire in sound financial concepts into students before they step into the outside world. The following single lesson below is one I deem extremely important for students to know, adding on to the 3 addressed in Part 1.

One vital lesson the education system ought to have is the difference between capital gains and cash flow. Capital gains allow you to make money from a difference in buying and selling price. Basically, you must liquidate a certain asset in order to gain money. For cash flow, investors basically receive money every month from an investment without working for it. One example would be cash flow.

As capital gains investments are affected by wild market swings, they are more of a gamble despite the fact that they can rake in more money in the short term. In contrast, cash flow investments provide steady and stable passive income over a long period of time and you can easily reinvest the money elsewhere to gain more cash flow.

Given the rapid pace of change today, investors must invest for both cash flow and capital gains, with greater emphasis however placed on cash flow investments. This is because money today is a currency and must move to an asset that increases cash flow to prevent losing value to inflation.

Also, investing for cash flow takes most risk out of investments because even if asset prices fall, the investor still receives his passive income monthly. However, if the price of asset increases, you get a bonus! This is much safer than capital gains investments.

In stocks, the cash flow investments available would be dividend stocks. A rule of thumb to remember is that a dividend yield exceeding 5% would be a good stock while that below 3% would mean that the stock is over-priced, suggesting an eventual dip in prices.

If many people knew this general rule, they would not have fallen prey to traps in the market during October 2007 and March 2009. In October 2007, the stock market hit a high of 14,564 with only 1.8% dividend yield. Using the rule, it would have meant that stocks are too expensive and investors shouldn’t enter. Nonetheless, many did not know this and entered the market during this time, causing heavy losses.

To make things worse, history simply repeated in March 2009 when the stock market hit a low of 6,547 with 1.9% dividend yield. This also meant that prices were too high but nevertheless, many people thought prices were low and entered the market. Here, they lost money once again.

In conclusion, given the repetition of such gaffes, it is definitely vital that schools guide their students well on knowing cash flow and capital gains investing well. This would definitely groom them into more financially literate individuals with more means of contributing back to society.…

Some Thoughts on Commercial Financing

Shopping Centre – Strategic Factors

Shopping Centre – Strategic Factors

The success of retail investment property and particularly the Retail Shopping Centre depends on the key factors such as:

the size of local customer markets

the type of local customer and their spending habits

the level and nature of the average family income in that market area

the growth of the local community

the size and location of nearby competition properties, and

the exposure and access the subject property gets to roads and transport systems

The property investors owning retail property should keep a close eye on future of other Shopping Centres locally and any expansion or change they are to experience. The local planning approvals office should be monitored for any pending approvals which change the zoning of the properties in the region, and any approvals of new developments that could impact the way the community use other property locally.

So why do this? You are trying to protect your cash flow and the future of your property. Without customers, the rent and leases for your property will deteriorate. The levels of market rents in your property are underpinned by customers. You can sue a tenant that is not paying rent required under a lease, however the matter is much larger, and a poorly performing tenant can be the first sign of something much larger impacting the greater property.

Being sensitive to customers and tenants in a retail property is a major part of market awareness. When financial difficulties arise with one tenant it pays to check its origins and review the impact on the greater tenant mix in the property.

Property rental is precious and must be protected. The rental income generated on a retail property depends mainly on these internal and external factors.

the demographics and sentiment from the local and more distant community

the performance of local and national economies

customer ease of access and use of the property

customer acceptance of the property to satisfy shopping needs

the rental cash flow

the net income resulting after property operational costs

lease documentation type, terms, and stability

the mix and placement of tenants relevant to the traffic areas and entry points across the property

the clustering of tenants near each other to extend the spending of the customer

Any new investor to a retail property would assess all these issues with great scrutiny and diligence. They will impact the sales turnover figures for the property. If the shopping centre keeps turnover statistics for the tenants and customer counts from the entry points to the property, the figures will also be invaluable to landlord property analysis.

Here are some other things to consider in your property plans and strategy.

Anchor Tenants in the property should be well known in the community and support growth of ongoing trade for both themselves and the specialty tenants

Look for tenants that can achieve high sale volumes and support percentage rentals above the base rentals

Look for lease documents that support reasonable achievable rent levels and see if they have attractive escalation clauses that can be reached by the tenant without threat to occupancy and stability of trade

Some net rent lease documents will pass through a large percentage of operating costs of the property to the individual tenants thus removing the pressures from the Investor. This will provide protection to the Investor of any inflationary pressures which can occur in the future.

Retail investment property brings good returns to the investor providing they take an interest in the property future and base today’s decisions on tomorrow’s property performance. This property performance should give due regard to the relationships between tenants, landlord, customer, and community. That equation will optimise the property opportunity.…

Best Penny Stock to Buy – Turn $1,000 to $1,000,000 Through 3 Easy Steps Strategy!

Best Penny Stock to Buy – Turn $1,000 to $1,000,000 Through 3 Easy Steps Strategy!

One of the key advantage of penny stocks are that they require minimum capital to invest with. As most of us have limited funds for investment, it is critical that we are able to find a good stock that is low in price to start our initial investment.

Step 1: Look for Good performing Company

It’s vital that for every investment, we need to do our due diligence in understanding the business and performance of the company stock that we’re going to invest in. This is in line with Warren Buffet, the most successful stock investment guru, strategy in investment. The three key areas of study are:

a. Business model – Does the product or service has durability? Does it have competitive advantage?

b. Top management – Do they focus on integrity? Do they believe in the business or only for their own pocket?

c. Company financial performance – what’s the return on shareholder’s equity? Is it consistent? What is their long term debt against earnings?

Step 2: Time Your Investment

As the saying goes, ‘buy when the stock is low and sell when it is high’. You’ll need to keep track of the history of the stock price. With the correct technical analysis, you’ll realize when the stock is at its lowest. This could be due to a one-off negative market sentiment which is temporary or a structural change due to industry recession. These are the best time to enter the market as there will be a turnaround when these temporary negative sentiments are over.

Step 3: Time Your Exit

When the market is over-hyped, it’s a good chance that the next doom will be coming soon. Smart investors like yourself will need to exit the market and consolidate your funds so that when the next down time come, you’re all ready to repeat your money making stock investment again. A simple rule of thumb is to compare the company price to earnings ratio over the past years and if it hits a record high (way over the norm), it’s a signal that the market has overpriced the stock value of the company and its time to exit!

Thank you for reading this article. I hope that it has helped you in finding the best penny stock to invest and see exponential grow in your funds!…

Gold Investment, a Profitable Idea

Gold Investment, a Profitable Idea

The general state of the global economy pushes more and more businessmen and ordinary citizens to the land investment in gold objects. They give up risky investments and buy coins and jewelry made of the precious metal.

U.S. Mint sold 92,000 ounces of American Eagle coins last month, four times more than in 2007, according to Financial Times. Also in other countries a strong increase in sales of gold objects has been reported.

The main reasons for people to invest their money in gold during crisis would be keeping their value over a longer period of time, devaluation of the national currency, but also of other currencies, inflation, and low supply and demand. These reasons should be enough to consider investing or at least trying to find out more information about gold and related markets.

The current economic crisis has made gold price increase by up to 25% in the recent months. Thus, economy experts believe that it would be a perfect time to invest in gold. Compared to money or other valuables that pass through the process of devaluation over time, gold retains its value and also has a great importance in the global economic circuits.

Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar, the most important currency on the stock market, influences the gold quotation. Economists have observed that every time the dollar reaches minimum values, gold is more expensive.

According to analysts, in 2009, the dollar should have depreciated because of Barack Obama’s financial sector support plan. A lot of money added to the market lead to a devaluation of the dollar and thus increased the value of gold.

Another reason to invest in gold can be found in history. Gold has an inverse correlation with other financial instruments and this can be observed since the ’70s. At that time, there weren’t so many good investment opportunities, and following a wrong investment could have been devastating and cost you a lot of money. However, the ’80s and ’90s have brought great benefits for various portfolios, but have been weak for gold.

Since 2000 we are going through a favorable period for gold investment, and fairly weak for investing in other financial instruments.

According to a study by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, almost 75% of mining companies exploiting the gold deposits expect gold prices to go up until the last quarter of 2011, and mining company representatives estimate that gold prices will range between $1400 and $300 an ounce. The others think that the increase of gold prices will stop at $1500.

Although nobody can say for sure what will happen in the market, analysts believe that gold price will continue to rise and there are no signs that it might cheapen.…

Spending Less and Gaining More

Spending Less and Gaining More

My sister is consistently buying department brand makeup and dropping ridiculous loads of unnecessary cash. I brought her attention to the fact that she could be buying her $50 facial concealer off of eBay for $10 plus 2 dollar shipping and handling. Lets say she buys that $50 concealer facial concealer every month. If my sister is making this $50 monthly purchase she is spending around $600 a year on facial makeup alone. Yikes! Lets bring the reduced cost to $12 with this glorious invention called eBay. She is now spending $144 a year on her makeup. It’s still extravagant, but it’s a lot better! I have successfully saved my sister $456 a year with a small step. In this article I hope to shed some light on tiny little saving tips that could add up to big amounts in your bank account.

eBay

Instead of going out and purchasing that $3000 laptop, see if you can find it on eBay first. There is an option to select only new and unopened items when you are searching for your products. If you are looking for a warranty on your product, skip this option and go to the store. I have saved HUGE amounts eying something in the store and running home to check the price on eBay.

COUPON SHOPPING

I know this is redundant to say, but coupons save a lot of money if you know how to use them. Every time I go shopping; I make absolute sure to Google coupons for that specific store in case there are any quick print outs. A lot of stores are providing printable discount cards on their websites. For example, if you decide to go to Macy’s, be sure to do a quick Google search for “Macy’s coupon” before you head out the door!

FREEBIE SITES

I love free samples. Who doesn’t love free stuff? A lot of sites are aimed at taking your e-mail and contact information for spam, but I have found a few good ones that provide true daily deals. I like and .

SKIP THE FAST FOOD

I know it hurts. Letting go of those daily iced coffees broke my heart as well. Two small caramel macchiatos from Starbucks were coming out to $8 daily. That is $56 dollars a week which comes out to around $240 a month. Is it really worth it? How much do YOU spend on fast food? Do the calculations for weekly spending and it may shock you.

BE THRIFTY

Let go of your pride and check out some consignment shops or flea markets for your shopping sprees. I have found some seriously nice stuff for very low low amounts. Unless you have very materialistic friends, I doubt anyone is going to be secretly judging or questioning the authenticity of your purse.

SELL UNUSED JUNK OR HAVE A YARD SALE

As the saying goes, one mans trash is another mans treasure. If you have any unused electronics laying around that you don’t see yourself using, sell them. I have taken old parts out of unused or broken computers and sold them for decent amounts. Someone also bought a junky old exercise bike off of me for $60. is a great place to get rid of unwanted stuff.

START YOUR OWN BUSINESS

My friend got the clever idea to buy old broken Xbox 360s off of eBay and repair them for money. He has made a livable income off of this idea. If you have marketable skills, use them! In closing, there are lots of great ways to make money. It’s all about using logical thinking and making wise decisions. In this economy, one cannot afford to pass up good opportunities and savings. I hope I have helped implant some useful ideas.…

Property Asset Management: Property Investment Strategy – Part One of Four

Property Asset Management: Property Investment Strategy – Part One of Four

Every real estate investment’s performance is composed of a mix of equity-like and debt-like behaviors. From a Property Asset Management standpoint, investment funding is composed of both private and public equity. It is the correlation of the debt and equity components to the funding source that enables us to define the four primary real estate investment structures.

Consider the case of a private real estate equity asset leased to a single credit tenant with a long-term triple-net lease. The payments on the lease resemble the fixed payments associated with a bond, not with equity. In-fact the value of the triple-net leased asset fluctuates in step with the same factors that influence the value of a bond or a mortgage, such as interest rate movements, inflation, and the credit worthiness of the tenant.

At the other extreme, an equity position in an empty, speculative multi-tenant property with short-term leases is driven almost entirely by equity forces. The building’s value from an equity tranche perspective is a function of supply and demand for space in a given market, at a given time. In-fact, the debt-to-equity composition for a property investment can change with time.

By way of illustration, take the triple-net lease in the first example. As the lease ages and approaches its expiration date, the property takes on a greater component of equity-like behavior and less of a component of debt-like behavior; and at the end of the triple-net lease, the property value is only affected by equity forces.

Commercial mortgages are utilized in Property Asset Management to carve out the debt-like behavior from the property investment. For example, the commercial mortgage-backed securities market carves up the cash flows from pools of mortgages to produce bond-like characteristics in the top-level tranches and more equity like cash-flow characteristics in subordinate layers. As property investment funding is composed of both private and public equity, investors typically define these debt and equity tranches with four primary real estate investment structures:

Equity:

* Private Commercial Real Estate Equity – held as individual assets

* Public Real Estate Equity – structured as Property Funds or Real Estate Investment Trust

Debt:

* Private Commercial Real Estate Debt – held as loans or commercial mortgages held in funds

* Public Commercial Real Estate Debt – structured as Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

These investment structures react to a common set of influences as well as to unique influences specific to each individual structure. It is the analysis of debt and equity components of each structure that enables property asset managers and their agents to effectively structure the portfolio to meet specific investment goals. In the next two articles, we discuss the debt and equity components for several different property investment objectives.…

Investment Portfolio Strategies – What You Need to Know! – 2011 and Beyond

Investment Portfolio Strategies – What You Need to Know! – 2011 and Beyond

The world of investment and finance is dynamic. After the recent credit crunch, portfolio managers have become increasingly aware of the need to review and change strategies to match the demands of today and the future. A portfolio consisting of stocks, mutual funds and bonds for example may not be the best mix today. Knowing the right strategies to employ in this highly unpredictable global financial environment is key not only to the portfolio manager but also their clients not forgetting other individuals and interested parties.

Over the years, investors have concentrated on having a portfolio diversified with stocks and bonds with a little percentage higher in favour of bonds. This is because investors saw stocks to fluctuate more than bonds; hence there was wisdom in holding such a balance in a portfolio. If the prices of commodities such as gold, oil, diamond, Ivory, etc continue to rise as being observed now, then inflation together with interest rates will also rise forcing bond prices to fall. The trend of commodity price increases shows no signs of coming down anytime soon.

For these reasons, it is relevant for investors in stocks to also hold a diversified stock that include stocks from other countries (international stocks). For the years ahead, the best portfolio will also include stocks from the oil and gas sectors including real estate not to mention gold- with little reservation. It is also important for investors to reduce their investments in bonds or invest in only short-term and medium term bonds whilst avoiding the investment of long-term bond funds. It will also be beneficial for investors to also hold portfolio that includes some carefully selected fixed and floating money make instruments.

It is also important also to note that investors with reasonably small amount of money to invest should avoid stocks since the dividends that may be realize from this kind of decision may not be enough to support an already bad financial circumstances. Also investors who will expect a return or profit every year should also avoid stocks since dividend payments and capital gains may not be guaranteed. This is because dividend payment is largely at the discretion of the board of directors who may decide to announce the use of the profits generated for more income generation activities supposedly in favour of the company.

If you really want value for money concerning your investments, then a portfolio strategy that employs the commodities above is the way forward for 2011 and the future. These will provide you with the balance to withstand all the economic turbulence.…

Palm Beach Florida Real Estate and Palm Beach Investment Properties

Palm Beach Florida Real Estate and Palm Beach Investment Properties

Palm Beach is a fully developed community, world-renowned for its extraordinary beauty, quality of life and small-town character. It is one of the most prestigious towns in South Florida. Henry Flagler founded the town in 1911. He was one of the founder of Standard Oil.

At only 14 miles long, The island of Palm beach offers amazing spaces and places. The Town offers fantastic sport fishing, exceptional golfing, the most exclusive country clubs and some of the world’s best boating. Nearby finds a private airfield for your plane and elegant horse farms… Polo anyone?

Even with such world class amenities Palm Beach never loses its intimate, community feel. The glorious weather alone is reason to live here! Wouldn’t you rather be soaking up the sun than shivering in the snow!

Palm Beach is considered an island. Beautiful beaches and the historic Par 3 give the island the feel that you are taking a vacation. The Town also has some famous residents. One of these famous residents include Donald Trump.

The Town’s Real Estate is some of the most sought after property in the world. The luxurious properties of this amazing island are owned by some of the most prestigious people in the world. These properties can be an investment as they tend to keep their value when the economy takes a down turn.

The Island Town has some of the most beautiful homes in the world. The island is not over-crowded so there is plenty of room for new residents.

If you want to know more about the luxurious properties in the Town Of Palm Beach Florida, consider talking to an expert like Susan Polan. She’s an expert in Palm Beach properties. If you are looking to buy a house in this prestigious town please go to her site and contact her.…

Three Proven Land Investment Strategies

Three Proven Land Investment Strategies

Investing in land is one of the oldest forms of investment. It has a history that literally goes back thousands of it’s still relevant today. With an investment in land you can make a down payment on a piece of property and watch it increase in value as the years pass. It’s not a get-rich-quick type of plan by any means, but it will allow you to safely park your money for long-term growth. Investing in land is not complicated; anyone can do it. You just need to plan a conservative strategy and then follow through with it. There are many such strategies you could use but we’ll take a look at three possibilities.

One simple land investment strategy involves purchasing a piece of real estate and making improvements to it. There are many different variations on this theme. In one example, a person could purchase a piece of land and clear the brush and rocks and use it for farmland. The land could be profitable each year as the owner/farmer grows produce and raises livestock. Such an investment could produce a lifetime of income and even be passed on to subsequent generations for further farm use.

Another simple land investment strategy could involve purchasing a piece of commercial real estate. The commercial real estate could be apartment buildings, office space, a manufacturing facility, a warehouse or any other type of real estate that could be rented to a tenant. The great thing about this strategy is that the owner only needs to put down a small deposit (usually around 20 percent) and takes out a note for the remainder. The monthly rental receipts are then used to pay down the note. Eventually, the tenants pay down the note in full for the owner and the monthly rental receipts become pure profit.

Yet another very simple land investment strategy is to purchase a foreclosure property to sell for a profit. In such a scenario the owners are unable to make the payments and the bank is making preparations to repossess the property. These homes can usually be quickly purchased for as much as 20 percent below value and then resold for a profit. An industrious investor can even make a few targeted improvements that can dramatically increase the value, resulting in greater profits.…

Don’t Be One of Those Penny Stock Investment Experts

Don’t Be One of Those Penny Stock Investment Experts

Of all of the questions that I receive, there is one question that seems to be more plentiful than other. The question is this: “What penny stocks should I invest in?” There must be a lot of penny stock investment experts running around because somebody needs to tell all of these young, inexperienced investors the truth.

I guess for today, that will be me so here it is. Penny stocks are dangerous. In fact, very dangerous and although there are a lot of people who act like penny stock investment is easy, that is far from true.

First, you aren’t going to make any money until you change your way of thinking before you start investing. We have learned in our everyday life to get products as cheaply as possible. If you’re like me, you love to play the haggling game with cars. I shop all dealerships in the area and play each together. Lower price means better deal.

While that does transfer to the stock market, penny stock investment isn’t successful if you buy the lowest price stock. It is only successful if you buy a HIGH QUALITY stock at a low price. Get out of the mindset that low price means better value. 10 shares of Apple priced at $175 per share is a much better value than 500 shares of Sirius XM radio. We don’t look at price until we look at the quality of the company.

Next, penny stock investment is dangerous because of the risk/reward. If you buy 100 shares of Chevron, you can be relatively sure that the worst that will happen is a temporary dip in the price of the stock. As long as you’re patient, you will make money or at least not have a very large loss. Penny stocks are different. If a penny stock drops in value, it may never come back. The company may go out of business and your money may be lost.

So look at the risk/reward. Chevron is low risk and at least medium reward. Penny stocks are high risk and low reward since penny stocks tend to stay penny stocks.

Finally, it’s difficult to evaluate penny stocks. Often, they don’t have positive cash flow, a lot of debt, and very little longevity. Is the debt they incurred to start up going to result in a healthy company or will the debt cripple them? Will they ever have a profitable product or service or will they, one day, suddenly close their doors taking your money with them? The pros often take chances with these questions. Are you willing to lose your entire investment?

Is penny stock investment worth your time? It may be but before you become a penny stock investment expert, you should be an expert stock picker in high quality names. Don’t look at penny stocks until you have a healthy portfolio of blue chip stocks.…

Investment Capital Costs

Investment Capital Costs

Investment capital always comes at a very high price as you need to provide a substantial amount of equity to your angel investor. You can ameliorate this cost by owning a business that is already in operation or a business that is considered to be low risk. We will continue to discuss these issues throughout the rest of the article.

Writing a good business plan is one of the most important part of raising capital. When writing your business plan, you should always include a yearly budget as part your financial forecasts. If you are unfamiliar with how to write a business plan then it may be in your best interest to hire a company that can assist you in this process while concurrently showcasing the investment capital cost that will be incurred by your company.

Capital always comes at a cost. There many benefits to working with private equity firms despite the fact that they provide capital at a very high cost. Equity will almost always be required as a negotiating tool. Royalty based financing can it help you get the capital that you need without having to give up too much of your equity. Capital that is obtained through a hard money mortgage is usually extremely expensive although you will not have to give up equity in order to receive this type of investment. Hard money mortgages typically carry a term of one year to two years at most and are usually secured by real estate or tangible equipment.

More and more angel investors are investing in hard money mortgages due to the fact that there is an immediate upfront fee paid to them for providing capital. You should thoroughly showcase the tangible assets that are held by your business that can be liquidated if your business is not as planned. It is very important that you have an extensive amount of industry experience as it relates to the business that you intend to start or expand. In all transactions that are related to raising new capital for your business going to need to have a business plan. The current economic climate has made lending very difficult. Debt capital allows you to own 100% of your business at all times.

Many small business investment companies are not directly looking to take a very large percentage of your business. A breakdown of investment funds should be provided to potential funding sources within your business plan. As an alternative to angel investors or venture capital, a SBIC is able to provide you with both loans and equity as it relates to your business expanding.…

Positive Cash Flow Properties And Your Tax

Positive Cash Flow Properties And Your Tax

When investing in any income producing assets, it’s perfectly allowable to make a claim for any up-front, ongoing and selling costs of that item and when it comes to properties, it is certainly a helpful bonus to the landlord.

When you buy a property, any income you receive from that in terms of rent (or as a Wrappee payment) will be tacked onto any other income you earn although you are allowed to deduct any costs you may have for holding the property before you are charged any extra tax on it – what is left over then becomes your taxable income.

There are several different categories that determine what and when you can claim some tax benefit.

Capital Costs

Capital Costs are the first type of cost that you will run into when you buy a property – and the biggest. These include:

Stamp duty you have paid to the government on the purchase price which varies in each state.

Any pest or building inspections

Commissions or payments made to selling agents

Any costs involved with renovating the property (though renovations or additions are not advised in the case of a Wrap property)

Fees and charges by conveyancers or solicitors

Any other costs involved with purchasing or effecting the sale of the property

These costs will be taken into account at the end of your holding period (upon sale) and when calculating your capital gain for tax purposes.

Revenue Costs

There are normally a lot of ongoing expenses when you purchase an investment property and these can be claimed against that and any other income you earn to reduce your tax bill, as long as the property is income producing. In relation to a Wrap property, this list of expenses is cut dramatically in the first instance as the costs become the responsibility of the Wrappee’s. The following are a short list of things that I mean in relation to this, but it is in no way an exhaustive list:

Pest control and building maintenance

Water rates, council rates and all energy costs

Telephone charges

Cleaning, gardening and property maintenance

Repair bills

Depreciation

The tax office already has a standard way of deciding how much your property depreciates through age, wear and tear (even if the price of the property rises) and so this is an easy tax claim to make on your property. Some of the capital works deductions that are taken into consideration include such things as the driveways and paths, wiring, plumbing, gas fittings, windows, shutters, in-ground pools etc.

You can also claim back some plant and equipment costs such as any furniture, whitegoods, floor coverings etc but this is not as likely in the event of a property purchased and contracted as a Wrap.

Land Tax

No matter where you are in Australia, you will be charged land tax for any landholding outside of your principal home. Unfortunately it is also a tax that catches many property investors off guard yet is unavoidable.

Capital Gains Tax

Like the land tax, this is an unavoidable cost for investors in all states of Australia and will need to be paid at the time of on-selling your property.

This is only a very brief explanation of the types of taxes you can expect from your investment property so it really is a wise thing to get some solid financial advice before stepping into this type of investment.…

Space Applications in the England’s East Midlands

Space Applications in the England’s East Midlands

The continued development of GNSS is enabling a huge downstream market in services and equipment – 250 billion Euros plus by 2020. Today’s main markets in terms of volume are in GNSS-enabled mobile phones and Portable Navigation Devices. Earth Observation and GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) is a cornerstone of the EU’s Space Policy framework programme, with a development budget of 1.4 billion Euros (2007-13) to support the development and commercialisation of opportunities across public and private sector in support of mapping, resource and emergency management.

The University of Leicester enjoys worldwide recognition for its international research in space science, planetary exploration and earth observation science: the National Space Centre in Leciester is a A�60M science visitor centre attracting over 200,000 visitors annually, with over 10,000 students and their science teachers participating in its Space Academy and other space education programmes. Meanwhile, the University of Nottingham is a world leader in space-based applications of GNSS.

Space applications industry

Industry specialists

Thanks to our world-class facilities and strong skills base, a number of key businesses involved in space applications have chosen England’s East Midlands as their base.

Handling almost half of the European Space Agency’s total Earth Observation data collection, Infoterra is an EADS Astrium company based in Leicester. It acquires and processes airborne and satellite data, provides operational information for monitoring and managing security and the environment, and operates one of Europe’s largest commercial geospatial hosting and archiving facilities.

With proven expertise in providing reliable, robust GNSS technologies, Nottingham Scientific Ltd (NSL) is a spin-out company from The University of Nottingham. At the cutting edge of positioning technologies, they have vast experience in satellite navigation, algorithm and software development, system prototyping, performance prediction and monitoring, and project management.

International aerospace companies rely on Lincoln’s Lockheed Martin Stasys Ltd, to provide impartial systems, technology and management consultancy to public and private sector clients worldwide.

Specialising in airborne surveys, BlueSky International Limited is based in Leicestershire. With more than 30 years’ industry experience, they are experts in data capture and analysis.

The National Space Centre in Leicester was founded through a partnership between the University of Leicester and Leicester City Council, with support from the British National Space Centre and EADS Astrium. It hosts the only Challenger Learning Centre outside North America, and is also part of a regional collaboration which has set up UK’s first Space Academy.

NEREUS (Network of European Regions Utilising Space Technology) is a network of European regions with an interest in the application of space technologies, and aims to influence European and national policy on the exploitation of space technologies and applications. England’s East Midlands is the only UK founding member.…

Transforming Ways of Property Dealing – Real Estate Portals

Transforming Ways of Property Dealing – Real Estate Portals

With so many ups and downs happening in all the sectors due to global economic slowdown, investments in Indian real estate is the hottest topic for discussion. This phase of slowdown is also witnessing mass developments in real estate sector. Everyone is touched by one of the aspects of selling, buying or renting property. Apparently, changes in behavior of consumers and financial firms can be seen with the changing trends in unprecedented times.

Each one of us is generally involved in property related issues of investing, leasing or selling. Since it is difficult to take these decisions and there is some amount of risk involved, we mostly depend on property brokers and the prevalent word of mouth. These tendencies are now facing a make over with the ever growing internet penetration and the constantly increasing internet users. With user base exceeding 50 million, online property portals are set to revolutionize the real estate sector.

Real estate portals in India introduce a completely new way of sending across property related information and transactions. The developed real estate markets abroad are accustomed to the concept of online portals but it is comparatively new for Indian sellers and buyers. Even as the popularity of these portals in India is growing, it is expected to burgeon in the coming years. Number of listings and conversions of both residential and commercial property is multiplying everyday. Moreover, the feedback of both buyers and sellers of real estate in India has been favorable.

Online property portals are a platform for exchange of information relevant to property. They display residential and commercial property listings; buying, selling and renting options; other recommendations for property registrations, property loans, property laws, property news, etc. This newly developing trend of portals has made internet an acceptable as well as effective medium for real estate transactions. Both property sellers and property buyers find this medium highly cost effective, descriptive and extremely helpful.

For real estate sellers i.e. the supply side Internet is useful in more than one way. It can be noted as following;

o Advertising on internet allows more descriptive ads as against space restricted print ads.

o It enables lower costs as compared to other modes of advertisements.

o It offers various add on features like virtual walk through, uploading video clips, online databases, archives of listings, etc.

o Internet is the most interactive way of advertising as it connects the sellers with the potential buyers through chat messengers, etc.

o It extends more exposure to targeted buyers and offers measurable returns.

The real estate buyers i.e. those who stand on the demand side of property also find internet a feasible way of looking for property because:

o It is convenient and time saving to search for available property online than visiting real estate agents and waiting for their response.

o Portals reduce dependability on third parties as all the information and listing are available online.

o There is no limitation to number of properties available as property agents are generally popular within a particular area.

o The search and comparison between properties according to localities, etc has become effortless as portals are doing that too.

o Buyers can soon make online transactions, see featured galleries and walk through vacant properties.

The current times witness tenants and landlords interacting in a high tech way. The concepts of ‘automated transactions’ and ‘smart buildings’ is gaining popularity on this front. Apartment owners and commercial builders welcome automated rent payments, placing of work order requests online, display of facilities management, etc.

Creating a system that blends bricks and clicks is instrumental in changing the face of Indian real estate sector. Internet connectivity and meeting of buyers and sellers online only further enthuses the property market.…

Business and Investment Opportunity Alerts

Business and Investment Opportunity Alerts

If you want to explore new money making opportunities, you should consider becoming a currency trader; if you decide to do so, you should know that the basic knowledge and understanding of the foreign exchange market is not enough. It could be sufficient at the beginning, when you start trading in the Forex market, but once you are past the beginner’s level in trading then you should certainly find the way to advance.

There are some forex trading programs though that tend to do everything in a fully automated mode; this means that they predict but also execute the trades. This is something that is both good and bad, depending on what kind of trader you are. Some people who enter the market find that very beneficiary, because simply they don’t know how to deal with the market; they follow the operation of the system and they are happy with it.

There are though some other traders who find that very annoying, because they cannot gain enough experience this way. The fully automated systems require minimum or no observation at all, which means that they cannot follow the trends and they just get the results at the end of the trading you want to start trading online you can probably try them, but always make sure that you are cautious enough; ask for recommendations and read reviews before doing so.

Robots can detect the trends before they actually appear; growing trends are actually the best ones to follow and this is something that robots can detect early enough. Robots will give the traders the pieces of advice and information they need in order to make the right decisions and execute the right trades at the right time.

Remember that it’s not a good idea to be too ambitious and too confident when in currency trading; move to another pair when you are really familiar with the first set and once you have mastered your strategy; you need to be able to make good decisions and the ability to implement more than one strategies is more than essential. It will keep you on track no matter what.

You cannot expect anything in day trading generating 100% winners all the time, but if the robots can generate a good percentage, that is a great plus for you, especially if you don’t have the time to follow the market closely and you need someone to do the research and update job for you.…

What to Consider When Making a Smart Real Estate Investment

What to Consider When Making a Smart Real Estate Investment

Real estate is the largest purchase most people with make in their life so it is crucial to think about a long term investment strategy when doing so. The old adage “location, location, location” is the key to smart real estate investing. Purchasing a home in sought-after areas is an easy to way to ensure you are making a smart investment. These areas tend to have low crime, great schools and accessibility to highways, which leads to more demand than supply. Keep in mind that just because a home appears to be a “deal” doesn’t mean it is necessarily a good investment. You still want to take in consideration the location, the neighborhood and other surrounding factors before making a final decision. I like to remind my clients that the actual house is secondary to these other external factors that you cannot change and have no control over.

Getting a good price on a home is also an important strategy when making a real estate investment. You definitely want to make sure you are buying within the area’s price range, if not lower, to ensure you won’t be in a negative equity situation. Reviewing comparables with your Realtor will help educate you on what a fair, or even aggressive, price is for the home you want. If a home needs some cosmetic upgrades, many buyers will ignore that house as an option because they tend to overestimate how much (or little) time and money it will take to get the home up to par. Many times a home is listed 10k below market value simply because it needs 3k worth of paint and carpet! This scenario would make for a terrific investment!

Lastly, you are going to want to stay in your home long enough to build up some equity. Sometimes this may mean possibly selling your home when the market is at its peak, which could be only 2 years after buying it. Other times it could mean staying in your home for the long haul so that you can wait for the next peak to arrive. Be sure you have decided on a home than is flexible if your life circumstances suddenly change. Things like a new baby, aging parents or sudden injuries or surgeries can sometimes make people feel like their current home just can’t work anymore and are forced to move before having enough time to build equity. So while not every house can fit every life circumstance, it is important to consider the “what ifs” when finding your new home.…

Hybrid Bikes – A Great Transportation Investment

Hybrid Bikes – A Great Transportation Investment

Hybrid bikes offer a great, comfortable ride for any rider, whether you are a beginner or a more advanced rider. These incorporate the best features of the mountain type version and the regular road version. So the end product will achieve high speeds on road surfaces and will also be able to take on the dirt pathways of the off road trails. There are many such bikes available today and you may want to consider buying one as a tool to exercise with, to have some fun with or even to use as an alternative way to get to work instead of driving your car.

What make them ideal for these uses, are the great pedal efficiency and the comfort they provide. The light weight nature of these and their easy pedaling is a feature you will find in all of them. Some models will even cater to off-roading activities.

Many features distinguish these hybrid bikes from the regular versions and are as follows:

· The body is designed to facilitate easy pedaling and great comfort.

· The combination of the lightweight materials used in the design and the extra smooth suspension will allow you to move very fast even while enjoying a ride that provides excellent shock absorption.

· The ability to adjust how you are seated on the bike has been designed into the models.

· The adjustments will allow you to sit in an aerodynamic position or you may opt for a more upright positioning.

· The seats come with get type padding, are ergonomically designed, and are soft and very comfortable. They are built with a flexible frame and anatomical shapes. Should you decide to use you bike to work, this feature alone will make it a comfortable commute.

· The handling of rough roads is helped by the suspension structure of these hybrid bikes, and that same structure promotes easier control.

· The tires are designed to take high air pressure and that makes traveling for longer rides that much easier and it also makes reaching faster speeds much easier.

· The usual jolts and bumps are not experienced with the hybrid bikes, instead it consistently provides a more comfortable and smooth experience.

· Suspension seat posts are a feature on many models. This suspension seat post feature will add immense comfort and ease the bumps you may experience when negotiating obstacles such as curbs.

· The gearing mechanism is easy to use and consists of two sets that allow from 16 to 27 gear combinations which make a commute to work or a country side ride equally possible.

· The braking system is excellent and allows for effortless control of both speed and braking.

Because of the fast growing popularity of these bikes, you will find a large variety of models on the market today as more manufacturers are making them. The quality, comfort, and attractive pricing of these hybrid bikes is making then a preferred choice for many people who are now choosing them to commute to work. Research can easily be done on the Internet to find and review the models and features available. As with most products on the Internet, you will be able to ship the product to your door in record time.…

HDFC Systematic Investment Plan – Tips to Invest

HDFC Systematic Investment Plan – Tips to Invest

HDFC SIP plan is really well known and has produced great results in past years. They are giving you the option to invest on regular basis; and the process of investment is really easy and cost effective. SIP of Systematic Investment Plans are rather monthly investment plans to provide you the facility of saving a small amount each month and getting compound benefit. You may consider this as a recurring deposit with a locking period of 3 years. The SIP invest are also valuable for the companies as they give them more number of customers and the locking period enables them to utilize the funds in proper places.

There are numerous ways of investing into HDFC SIP plan. As it has been listed to be one of the top 20 best return giver in last years you will get good number of brokers also giving you the facility of investment and describing the features of its invest. The facilities that are the key reasons for investing into HDFC SIP are like

Economical saving system at the time of recession.

A savings plan for all the classes of people.

HDFC being a brand in India with almost its foot in every aspect of financial sector the faith comes automatically.

The SIP funds make the average cost go down for your buying per unit.

There is compound benefit seen in the HDFC SIP.

Monthly investments start with HDFC with as low as 100 to 500 Rupees a month. So you may consider this to be economical and a way of saving you were searching for years. You will also get the benefit of online transfer. HDFC offers the cost go for the right thing with a wide range of investment plans even in SIP.

SIP with HDFC is easy and details can be collected from their site only. With the current recession it is the best to go for SIP as this will allow you buy more units when the NAV is low and low number of units when the NAV is high. HDFC top 200 scheme is an answer for many of your goal achievement where it has shown a result of 30.6% profit last year whereas in not SIP invest it has shown a growth of 27.51%.A�…

Stand Out From the Competition – Make It Fun For Your Customers to Do Business With You

Stand Out From the Competition – Make It Fun For Your Customers to Do Business With You

People like to have fun. They like to be able to enjoy themselves. One of the best opportunities for pleasure can occur when they do business with your company or organization. Laughter is one of the few languages that is spoken by every human being. When your customers are met by cheerful, personable, and positive employees, chances are those customers will enjoy spending their money and do even more business with you.

Let’s examine the psychology behind that kind of thinking. One of the main reasons why customers quit doing business with a company is a feeling of indifference they receive from the frontline personnel that serve them. Many times, your customers take personally the type of service they receive. If they receive poor service, it can very easily be interpreted as a form of personal rejection. Conversely, if it is very good service, it can be interpreted as a sign of respect and acceptance. Naturally, our customers prefer the latter form of service.

Taking this discussion one step further, when a person experiences joy or laughter, endorphins are released from the brain. An “endorphin” is a natural morphine-like substance that is produced within the human body. It creates a euphoric-like state that allows a person to experience physical and mental feelings of pleasure. A person feels good. In a similar way, when a person receives the kind of service that can be interpreted as a sign of respect and acceptance, he or she can actually experience a release of endorphins. Thus, when a customer comments to you on how they like doing business with your company, recognize that there is more to it than just words.

What does all of this have to do with your business? The key is to let the fun side of your personality show. Your example will serve as a good role model as well as a reminder for your employees and co-workers. By setting the pace in your business in terms of behavior, your customers, employees and co-workers will appreciate it.…

Figuring Out Funding When Your Business Is Growing

Figuring Out Funding When Your Business Is Growing

Most business articles focus on financing and survival issues when trying to get a business up and off the tarmac when you first start out. Less is said about the financing issues you can run into once you are up and running. That ends now.

Being a small, growing company with little history places you in an odd area when it comes to commercial financing. You aren’t exactly new, but also aren’t established. This makes you a bit of a ghost as far as lenders are concerned. This is often bad news since you usually need financing to grow a business since you need to buy things like equipment, hire more employees and so on. When seeking such financing, there are many things to consider. Here are five important ones.

Business Plan

Look at it this way. You want a financial institution to grant your business a loan. They have no idea about your business and thus the onus is on you to provide them with as much information possible. It will need to describe your business, detail the start up, where you are now headed and why money is needed to make it happen. Put in facts, facts and more facts!

Credit Report

You might be surprised to learn you have business credit. Well, you do and you need to check it frequently. The lender is going to go over it with a fine tooth comb, particularly given the current lending environment. Make sure yours is buffed to a shine so it doesn’t cause you problems.

Investment Options

The bank down the street may be a financing option. Then again, it might not. You need to think big when it comes to financing. Spend a good bit of time researching the options available in your area. You might be surprised to learn that agencies that regulate your industry, such as the USDA, also offer loan programs. Your starting point should always be the Small Business Administration, an agency that is actually tasked with the mission of helping companies like yours. Imagine that!

Valuable Rejections

Rejection is a part of life as we all know. If your financing package has been rejected, don’t just head to the bar. Ask questions of the lender. Don’t be a jerk. Just try to find out why you have been rejected so that you can isolate the weak points of your presentation or business profile. Then fix them and apply with another funding source. In short, learn from your mistakes.

Commercial financing is a world unto itself. Treat it as such and you’ll find that getting financing is not only possible, but probable.…

Gold Necklace With Ruby and Other Stones

Gold Necklace With Ruby and Other Stones

Keeping into account the contemporary world, when economic decline has been at its peak, and no commodity has retained its value, gold has been receiving immense amount of interest in terms of value and worth. Investors have started looking upon it as a stable source of investment through which they can gain a lot of profit without facing any loss in the long run.

Yet, the fact cannot be ignored that gold is, above all, a beautiful ornament. It has become a commodity in the world of today, yet there was a time when it was employed and purchased extensively for jewellery purposes. Even nowadays, people who have a lot of jewellery collection are considered as people with secured future. Yet, if you notice, for them, gold still stands as a beautification ornament. It is an embellishment of their personality and tends to enhance your outlook with a certain aura of dominance.

Therefore, you may find how much gold necklaces have been in demand for centuries. Traditionally speaking, gold has been very popular in Arabic and Asian Countries, where gold is considered as a compulsion to be worn on occasions and various formal events. Since it can be moulded into any form, you may see how gold is worn as necklaces, rings, earrings, bangles etc.

Focusing on gold necklaces, many stones have also emerged that can be blended together and give an altogether enhanced and attractive look. For instance, you may easily find gold necklaces studded with emerald, pearls, sapphire and rubies. These stones are highly precious yet you may simply find replicas all across the globe. Stones tend to be more prominent in a necklace. They serve as the colours that are added to a canvas. When it comes to stones, the value of gold and its weight is augmented.

Although these may look very attractive, but when u want to modify any change in the outlook of the necklace, the stones are not given any value until and unless they are original.

You may find gold in various forms. Some are labelled as designers, classic, modern and some fancy. They have different shapes and designs, but all inculcate a traditional look.

When you go to a jewellery shop, you shall see a wide range of gold necklaces that would include hand crafted harem, floral necklace sets that are usually studded with synthetic stones, and gold necklaces that are fitted with marquise-shaped emeralds. You may also find gold harem for brides, traditional hand-crafted gold necklaces, and rhodium coated ones and some are antique styled. You may also get hold of party wear necklaces that are studded with stones like emeralds, rubies and sapphires.

Lastly, you may also observe how Indian women tend to wear “mangalsutra” that are usually gold necklaces with various beads. Most are usually black in colour, but as the time is progressing, people have started showing some bent of interest towards other stones like rubies, emeralds, sapphires and pearls as well.…

What You Need to Know About Selling Rental Property

What You Need to Know About Selling Rental Property

Selling rental property can be one of the most financially rewarding experiences any real estate professional can encounter during his or her career. Aside from maybe the residential mansions in Beverly Hills, apartment buildings are commonly sold at prices that exceed residential property prices and thus generate more commission dollars for both the listing and selling agent.

It is not unlikely, for instance, that in a market where the average sales price of a house is $250,000 that a ten-unit apartment building one block over will sell for two-to-three times that price. And when you do the math (assuming a six-percent commission) even conservatively, the result would be $30,000 verses $15,000.

Another advantage associated with selling rental property comes in the form of what I will simply call “the benefit of repeat business”.

Once you sell a house it’s probably safe to say (barring something irregular like a job transfer or change in finances) that the buyer is no longer a potential customer for about five years. On the other hand since it is “investors in real estate” who purchase income property you are always faced with the potential that your customer might want to invest in more rental property; or given the right set of circumstances may even want to exchange one investment property for something larger.

In other words, when you sell investment property, you work with investors by association and therefore are always in a position to acquire repeat business and reap the benefit of additional commissions.

This was true with the first investment property I ever sold to an investor and in most transactions I was involved during the years since just as true. Real estate investors by their very nature are always looking for a property (or another property) that will make them money and this means repeat business for you and as a result more commissions earned.

Fair enough, but you can’t enter the income property arena thinking like a residential real estate person. There are a few things you need to understand about real estate investing protocol to be successful at it.

When you sell rental income property, you need to present the numbers. It’s not enough to simply point out the on-suite bathroom and large walk-in closet because real estate investors are only interested in the bottom line: “How much money does it make me?”

You must present the cash flows, rates of return, and profitability numbers for every rental property to your investors otherwise you could merely “pound sand” and lose the opportunity. This is not difficult with good real estate investment software.

It is also a good idea to become familiar with some of the essential returns real estate investors look for in a property when making an investment decision. Otherwise you will appear less-than-capable of working with rental property and lose credibility with the customer. Amongst other things learn how to compute capitalization rate and cash-on-cash return and understand the role of an APOD and Proforma Income Statement.

The truth about selling rental property is that you can make money at it; what’s more, it is not really that difficult. Once you make the decision to get involved visit my website and read the free real estate investing articles and learn about my real estate investment software. These are designed to help agents like you to get started off on the right foot.…

Investing in Foreclosed Homes

Investing in Foreclosed Homes

In this day and age we have the unfortunate situation of foreclosures across the US. But for some foreclosed homes are an opportunity for those want to buy investment property.

If your thinking about getting a loan for one of these types of properties you’ll need to know a few things. Getting a loan for a foreclosed property is like getting a mortgage for a residential property.

One key different for a loan for a rental property is you’ll typically pay a higher interest rate. You’ll also need to have specific information available to your lender in terms of rent that will be collected to make mortgage payments. Many of the programs that are available to residential owner occupied properties won’t be available to those looking at rental property.

Many foreclosed homes are in rough shape since many people do a number on the houses before they leave them. You’ll need to select a home that’s in decent shape otherwise most lenders will pass on them. You’ll have to have all the information for the lender available cause they will want to see that you’ve done your homework and not just the home but the market as well.

In order to get prequalified you’ll need to know what the guidelines are for investment property, you’ll lender will give you all the details. If you’re going to attend an auction you’ll need to have a significant amount available for a down payment to secure the property while you set up financing, just food for thought.

Auctions can be a gold mine in terms of investment properties but keep in mind you are not the only guy that’s showing up with a big checkbook. Many pros have all the tips and tricks of the trade and you’ll get no time to inspect the property before you buy so you’ll need to know what to look for in terms of information. If you’re starting out it’s probably best just to wait for the properties that don’t go at the auction and are on the open market available for all. You’ll get more time to have the property inspected and uncover whether or not is a solid property fit for an investment.

Investing solo can be very scary so if a friend or family member has an interest in starting out in real estate investing and the fit is right joining forces and minimize any losses. Combining the due diligence effort will help with whether or not you’ve found a solid gem to invest in.…

Stay at Home Mom Job Description

Stay at Home Mom Job Description

A lot of mothers that stay at home to raise their children are looking for a stay at home mom job description.

Affiliate marketing offers a wide variety of opportunities to earn income from home.

With affiliate marketing you can earn money online by promoting products or services from other companies via your website. When a customer clicks on a link on your site and then buys something, you earn a commission. A commission is a percentage of the total cost of the product that is sold. All you need to do to get started is sign up with an honest and legitimate home business program. This can be done for less than 25 dollars including setting your new website up. It’s also important that the home business program you sign up with offers free training and support. This way you can learn all you need to know to make your home business successful. Another good thing to look for in a home business program is to find out if they can set your new website up for you. In this case you only have to come up with a domain name for your new site and they will set your new income generating website up for you. This can be done within 24 hours.

The things you don’t want to look for in a stay at home mom job description are the numerous scams that claim to make you rich overnight or require a lot of money to sign up for without even offering free training and support or a free website. Those home business programs are only after your money.

When you do find an honest home business program that suits you, you can have your new website set up for you within 24 hours. Once your website is set up, you can get creative and customize your site until it has the look you desire.

The great benefit of this type of home business is that you only have to put in a few hours a week and then your website does the work for you the rest of the week. Another benefit is that customers from all over the world can buy products via your site, so your site can make money 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Finding a good stay at home mom job description isn’t difficult, just keep these few tips in mind and you can successfully start your own home business.…

ETFs Versus Mutual Funds – Which is Right For You?

ETFs Versus Mutual Funds – Which is Right For You?

In recent years more and more investors are selecting Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) over mutual funds. But what exactly is an ETF, and how do they differ from the mutual fund? The two have some similarities such as allowing investors to diversify their assets among numerous sectors of the market. However, there are several important distinctions worth noting.

Tax-Efficiency

If you own a mutual fund, then you have probably experienced a year-end capital gains distribution (even if your mutual fund had a negative return for the year) because trades made by the fund sponsor throughout the year flow to its shareholders. Depending on the size of your portfolio, this can create unwanted and unpredictable tax consequences at year-end. ETFs, however, do not have capital gains distributions because ETF sponsors do not transact with their shareholders. ETFs are traded among other investors. Hence, capital gains/losses are controlled by the investor making them highly tax efficient.

Liquidity and Transparency

While mutual funds investors can only buy or sell their shares directly from the fund sponsor and only at the end of each day, ETFs can be traded throughout the day just like stocks. Investors not only can actively trade ETFs, they can also employ the same trading strategies that apply to stocks (limit or stop loss orders, short-sales, and options). In addition, it’s easier to “look under the hood” of an ETF, because unlike mutual funds, ETFs report their holdings daily, giving investors up-to-date information.

Cost

Mutual fund companies, regardless of size, incur significant record-keeping expenses to keep track of all their shareholders. ETFs, however, are low-cost and do not have such expenses because they are traded among investors just like stocks. Unlike some mutual funds, ETFs do not have sales loads or require minimum investments; investors only have to pay a commission to their brokerage firm to trade ETFs. In addition, most popular ETFs are extremely liquid, as millions of shares are traded each day. This allows investors to easily trade their shares with minimal impact on price.

Based on this information, you may assume mutual funds are no longer good investment options; however, is not that simple. There is no hard and fast rule, but here are some good rules of thumb to determine which is right for you:

• Many mutual fund companies have low minimums to start (as low as $25), but commissions to trade ETFs make such small purchases very cost prohibitive.

• If an investor plans to dollar-cost-average (buy a fixed dollar amount every month) or reinvest dividends, then a mutual fund is a better option.

• Mutual funds are effective for gaining exposure to a very specific sector of the market. For instance, it may be more appropriate for an investor interested in investing in international high yield fixed income or a specific country.

The growth in ETFs has exploded in recent years, and according to estimates by the Financial Research Corp. of Boston, ETF assets will most likely reach $1.4 trillion by 2011. And while mutual funds still remain the dominant investment vehicles in individual retirement accounts where the bulk of investor assets are held, it is important to determine which, mutual funds or ETFs, is right for your unique circumstances.…

3 Keys to Getting the Best Home Investment Program

3 Keys to Getting the Best Home Investment Program

Today there are several different stock programs on the market which will generate analytically picked stocks which are set to go and profitable trends so that you can invest accordingly without needing the experience or time to invest yourself. These programs are modeled after programs which professional traders use to anticipate market data but are available on a home based scale.

All you’ve got to do is invest in the corresponding picks which they generate to make reliable money. Not every home investment program is as good as the next, so here’s what to look for to get the best stock program for the money.

First, look for the home investment program you go with to focus entirely on cheap stocks. Penny stocks perform with much more volatility than greater priced stocks as it takes virtually little trading influence and send them skyrocketing value. Some home investment programs exclusively target cheap stocks for this reason, because if you can find a cheap stock which is set to go on a profitable jump you can make far more money on it than an initially greater valued stock.

Next, go with a home investment program with a money back guarantee on it. Most importantly for the reason for doing this is the fact that it enables you to test the program first hand. This entails getting the program, receiving a handful stock picks, and following their performances along in the market accordingly. I’ve done this with every home investment program I’ve ever used and find it to be the best indication of whether or not this program is worth your money.

You can also check out a user review site or two to learn a thing about the most popular, not to mention the least popular, stock programs on the market. You can learn interesting insights about these programs which you likely never learn from the publisher themselves.…

How to Make US Government Spending Habits Work Toward Your Investing Process

How to Make US Government Spending Habits Work Toward Your Investing Process

We are better than most world economies only because we are sinking slower. We are however still going under. I see the direction of the U.S. government as something we, as its citizens better off not fighting but joining.

Here are some musings/observations about our economy that we as investors can use to our benefit.

1. There is no reward for savers anymore. We punish people who do everything right. Savers earn nothing on their bank deposits, and the purchasing power of their savings falls further every day. When the interest rates are lower than the rate of inflation, simply saving or investing in low risk instruments such as treasury or municipal bonds doesn’t work.

2. The Government DOES however reward indebtedness. My financial plan now includes going into as much debt as I can. The Government rewards people who take on more debt than they can manage. I watch people who haven’t made a mortgage payment in years and still live in their house, which never gets foreclosed.

3. The Government devalues our money by printing more whenever it’s convenient to cover its ever increasing debt. Therefore what seems like a large amount of money today will amount to nothing in the future with the inflation of the dollar.

4. Many Americans believe they are entitled to something. The lower income populations feel entitled to Government handouts and the rich are entitled to lower taxes than the rest of us. Middle income people pay the fare and don’t expect rewards.

5. Government insurance of banks assures them they can’t fail, no matter how many bad loans they make. We created a penalty-free environment for stupidity. Use this to your advantage.

You’ll lose when you play against the Government. Don’t play against the Government, play with them. Don’t work hard to pay off debt. If you really want to go all the way, skip a few house payments every year, and invest that money.

Before you start skipping house payments however, be sure to refinance your house and get as much equity out of it as you can. Remember, the Government doesn’t reward you for having equity in your house. You don’t get to deduct anything on your taxes for home equity, but you can deduct a second mortgage interest.

Once you’ve borrowed to the limit at long term and low interest, pay back the loan with as little of the principle as you can manage. If you can get an interest-only loan, all the better. If you can get a thirty year loan at under 3% interest, you’ve got the best of all worlds.

The plan is to pay back as little principle as possible. Emulate your role model, the U.S. Government. After 30 more years of inflation, the annual income of the average household will be $500,000 a year.

If you managed to borrow a half million dollars during that time for example, go ahead and pay it back. It will be like having a $50,000 loan today. It’ll be chump change. Retire the loan and thank the Government for the continued devaluation of the dollar.

You could invest the principle for 30 years and get rich using their policies, while paying practically nothing for the money. This is my retirement plan. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.…

5 Necessary Advice for Investors In Stock Trading

5 Necessary Advice for Investors In Stock Trading

Investing in the Internet is a new huge trend and it’s worth to know for beginners some basics. So, I would like you to have a look at the following stock trading advice for the novices.

I need to say, the people who want to be involved in stock trading need to know much. This is the knowledge about different situations on the market, security of types of trades. Of course, nobody is perfect about it. But certainly some tips exist about making the inputs more beneficial

Where Should You Invest

Today so many sites exist for online trading, such as TradeKing, E-Trade, Scottrade. All of them may be used by newbie for advice and they help to find a brokerage firm with attractive rates of commissions. These sites also have free courses and important tips for successful trading. Plus they may offer deals, as free accounts for trading for a special gap of time.

The Investment Advice: Learn the Basics.

The Ropes for novice investors is understanding the utilities and the operations in trades. The basis orders, fro example stop-loss and limit and other more complicated operations are available.

Initial Tools for Stock Trading

Learning the stops and limits are vital for successful trades on the initial stages. Direct purchases and sells or orders they all require permanent watch, however other exchanges let investors to make safe nets for purchases and sells that helps to create better trading. And it doesn’t have to be viewed all the time.

Making Inputs to Learn Trades and Orders

The novices in investment have to practice to use the limit of stop orders and will make fell free to invest. Free trades are available at and at related sites. Though, real trades are to help newbie to understand the importance of trades and real risk.

A good experience may be received through handling small amounts of money. One of the clues to success in trading is the low buying and higher sale that is attained by variability in a security. Novice in investment can use the tools at online companies and it will help them to be good at trading.

Looking for Indicators

There are indicators that can aid the investors to foresee the next move according to the security. But it doesn’t give the whole picture, as there exist different techniques to make an analysis of the presented course within the particular time. The tips here are: days of success or raising/falling tendency of the market.

The above mentioned tips and advice can undoubtedly help newbie in investment to understand the mechanism and tendencies in order to gain a return from that. First, they need to choose a good site, study the orders, search for potential indicators and then practice, of course. That will help a new investor make a notable progress in his online trading.…

Easy Tips to Start Investing Tomorrow

Easy Tips to Start Investing Tomorrow

Most people know that they should invest their money. Over time, well thought out investments can out-perform most simple savings accounts. But the idea of actually starting an investment can be paralyzing.

What should you invest in?

How much money should you invest?

Where do you even start?

First things first – do you have a broker?

A broker is a person or institution which facilitates the sale and purchase of investment vehicles such as equities (stock) or mutual funds. Now, if you’re just starting out, you’re probably not going to get much interest from the big investment firms. Instead, consider using a simple online discount brokerage. The fees are generally smaller and the initial monetary commitment that is required is lower.

After you’ve set yourself up with a broker, you need to transfer money into the brokerage. How much you start with is entirely up to you – but remember, many brokerages will have a minimum amount that is required to open an account. When you first start investing, it’s often easiest to begin with the minimum amount and contribute more as you grow more comfortable.

Next comes the tough part – what do you invest in?

When you’re first starting to invest, there are generally two options that people consider: equities or funds. Equities generally refer to the purchase of stock while funds, such as mutual funds or ETFs, refer to collections of investment vehicles, some of which may be equities. While the choice is yours and you should certainly research it further, most people often find it easiest to start investing in mutual funds or ETFs because it gives them exposure to many companies at once, rather than taking a risk on a single stock pick.

Then – just get started and make a purchase! While some people might feel tempted to wait for the “best” price, in reality, no one can predict what the economy will do with 100 percent accuracy. You might not get the best price, the stock might go down, and it might go up – but as long as you intend on holding it for the long term, you’ll be able to weather the storm. In fact, many people find it advantageous to contribute regularly to their investments. Over the course of a year, this “averages” your purchase cost – at times you’ll pay the best price and at times you’ll pay the worst, but on average, you pay something in the middle.

Finally, always remember that a simple savings account is an investment as well.

It’s a very conservative investment and it won’t make you a huge amount of money, but if you are uncertain of how to proceed, it’s never a bad idea to simply stash that money away in a savings account.…

What Is an Investment?

What Is an “Investment”?

Investing or the making of an investment cannot be confined simply to the world of economics and finance. While it is true that it is most commonly seem in that frame of reference, it is broader and is actually a part of every person’s life.

Investment, as I like to define it, is the act of putting effort into something now in the hopes of getting a return later. It can be almost ANYTHING – time is a very common investment. Take fitness, for example: you put in time at the gym now, so that you end up with a healthier body and better physique later. In a sense, as I write in my blog, you are trading time now for more time later.

There are hundreds of types of investments. From stocks, bonds, and mutual funds (and all of the types in each), to government investment in military or infrastructure. The list is essentially never-ending. But these are not the type that matter most, though I do find them an essential part of financial security and freedom. Examples of investment outside of the markets or government often include investing your time in another person, – much like Multi-Level Marketing (MLM), or the way businesses often use franchises – investing time and effort into cultivating your intellect, or investing money in a toy, movie, book or other item that will bring you some sort of happiness. The reality of the situation is, a large portion of the things we do are technically investments, and the return on investment is simply our incentive. And, as I hope we are all aware, incentives drive the world, and drive 99% of everything you or I do.

So whether it is your goal to lose 60 pounds this year, or whether you want to start your own network of multi-level marketers, remember that you’re making an investment. That knowledge alone will give you an extra incentive to work hard to achieve your goal.

On an ending note, look for articles or blog posts in the future to learn in detail about each type of investment. And learn to expect that no matter what, if someone is putting time in to something, they want to see something out of it. So maybe, just maybe, learn to be a skeptic and not always trust that a friend or co-worker’s motivation for helping is completely pure. Because, well, it MIGHT not be.…

Reasons and Benefits of Doing Business in Thailand

Reasons and Benefits of Doing Business in Thailand

Known as the Land of Smiles, Thailand is country of exquisite beauty, historical treasures and hospitable people. The incredible natural beauty, the world-class cuisine, tropical climate and relaxed lifestyle are some of the major reasons to start a new business in Thailand. Starting your own business in Thailand is the best way to enjoy the enamored lifestyle and earn a comfortable living in the Kingdom. Thailand is the second largest economy in the 10-nation ASEAN. The nation is rich in natural resources, such as timber, rice and precious stones. Textile, jewelry, tourism and electronic appliances are also some of the bigger players that add to the GDP of the nation. Starting up a business in this country is not a straightforward process. In order to run business successfully in this country, there are several important issues to be taken in consideration.

How to start a business in Thailand:

According to the Foreign Business Act (FBA), Thai government restricts business categories for foreigners. (Except for U.S. citizens who can engage in the business under the same rules as Thai nationals – Thai treaty of Amity). The foreigners are restricted from engaging in some business categories, unless a permit is obtained.

The most common way to initiate a new business venture in the country is by having a partnership with a Thai citizen. The labor, immigration and foreign investment laws are quite complex in Thailand, and hence a foreigner or alien cannot take part in day-to-day activities of business and requires a Thai national partner to run the front part. One can also think of opening a limited company in Thailand, but just remember, the Thai government restricts foreign investment in industries, like banking, transportation and communications. All the company documents are to be filed in Thai language and one may require professional help. The foreign owner shareholders can have only 49% and 51% is given to the Thai shareholder.

Benefits of starting new business in Thailand:

Thailand is considered as one of the region’s most attractive foreign investment destination. Thai government offers many incentives to the foreign investors. Incentives include tax exemptions and other generous concessions, permission to own land and import duty exemptions. However, foreigners are not allowed outright ownership of land.

Foreign Business Act is the main governing body that outlines the types and categories of businesses open to foreigners. It also sets the laws and regulations and restrictions for specific sectors such as insurance business, real estate and financial institutional businesses. To run your business successfully in this country, you require knowledge about the country’s Foreign Business Act, legal system and tax laws.

Unlike most of the other countries where it takes 38 days to start up a business, it takes on an average 33 days to start the business. Manual labor and construction is very affordable here as compared to other nations. The large, adaptable and intelligent workforce increases the potential for development and success of business. This regional center for trade and manufacturing has become an attractive place for doing business.…

How to Plan for Unexpected Expenses When Running a Business

It sounds ironic to plan for the unexpected. But, in business, it could mean the difference between surviving or failing in the event of an unplanned situation.

As a business, you are bound to face unexpected expenses from time to time and it’s necessary to prepare for them. It could be anything from equipment repairs to sudden opportunities that require additional capital you may not have planned.

Whatever the case is, the first step to prepare for the situation is to be in a solid financial state. In this article, we’ll discuss further how you can build an emergency fund.

Protect Your Business From Unexpected Expenses With These Tips

1. Build up an emergency fund.

An emergency fund is usually a few months of expenses in the bank for your business. It’s like a rainy day fund which you set aside for when emergency expenses occur. These include:

• Equipment breakdowns
• Utility problems; and
• Unprecedented business growth

Having an emergency fund provides a sense of security that you have enough funds to tide you over in lean times. It also means having enough money when the need arises without resorting to other options such as borrowing money with high-interest rates or tapping your personal funds.

2. Track your expenses

Make it a habit to account for everything you spend.

Start by listing your fixed expenses: lease, taxes, insurance, and payroll. Then look at your financial history in the past year, along with your bank and credit card statements to identify the irregular expenses you have paid.

Tally up the amount and whatever is above your regular expenses, factor it in when calculating your emergency fund.

3. Cut back expenses where possible

Aside from saving money, also prioritise cutting down your expenses. Review your finances—cancel subscriptions you haven’t used in a while (e.g. SaaS tools you no longer need) and shop around for better rates.

It is also where prioritising preventive maintenance and repairs matters. When detected early, you can address issues quickly, for the less amount you would pay for emergency repairs. It shows that while paying for maintenance may seem counterintuitive, it sure can keep your equipment and utilities in good shape, saving you a lot of money and headaches in the long run.

4. Plan Ahead

Concerning the above point, it makes sense to plan for the events that are bound to happen in your business. You cannot accurately consider an equipment breakdown as an emergency expense when maintaining it to prevent such serious issues is one of the responsibilities of running a business.

Protecting your business from unexpected expenses mostly boils down to planning for things that could go wrong. Anticipate them and build up a decent emergency fund—you should be fine.

5. Build Your Credit Score

Even with an emergency fund, there will come a time when you will have to borrow money to get started.

Having a high credit score can do several things, the most important of which is proving to the bank that your company has good financial records and is trustworthy. The interest rate on your loans could also be lower. Some of the ways to improve your credit score are as follows:

• Pay your bills on time
• Pay off your debt and keep your credit card balances low
• Do not close unused credit cards
• Apply for a new credit account only as needed

Takeaway

Running a business can catch you off-guard when things don’t go as planned. But, don’t let unforeseen expenses get in the way of your success.

Find a financial modelling company that offers consulting services and financial forecasts and projections to help you create a budget that accounts for unexpected expenses. They can also assist you in implementing strategies to reduce your expenses and further fuel your growth.

Get professional advice on unexpected business costs today.

…

The Frenzy Behind Online Stock Trading

The Frenzy Behind Online Stock Trading

Markets dealing in shares and stocks are considered as liquid, supporting and driving the viscosity and density probability factors at a given period of time. Therefore, an investor runs the risk of incurring loss in trading if he/she is not updated with the ongoing market dynamics.

Online trading is an exciting new way of trading in the stock markets in India, and the rest of the market in the world for that matter. Online trading exposes the user to numerous options that leads to efficient and effective result of the investor’s trade. This is the way to ensure better market access, high-speed transactions, etc.

There are number of strategies that are meant for online stock trading in India. The main benefit of online trading is easy money. Another attractive points of online trading is that trader can trade in each and every type of security such as IPOs, bonds and mutual funds.

Thanks to online platform, an investor can keep himself/herself informed by way of collecting the required information on all the topics associated with stock analysis and research. Other than that, an investor or trader is also able to get help by seeking expert views that are again based on stock market and the desired shares. Other than that, traders receive real time information for carrying out trades, something which is unavailable while conducting live trade. This information includes market watch on particular stocks, stock graphs and charts, etc. Orders can also be placed via phones even if you are offline.

Indian stock market is considered as one of the biggest stock trading markets in the continent of Asia. With the help of a consistently high GDP as well as a dynamic and buoyant economy, India is continually outgrowing other economies in this region. And with the advent of online stock trading, the trading in Indian market has become all the more convenient.

In India, for carrying out online stock trading or any online investment, you need to open an online trading and demat account. For all those who are not informed about demat account, it refers to dematerialization account. It is meant for holding the securities electronically instead of holding it physically. The functioning of a Demat account resembles that of a bank account. All the buying and selling of shares are also adjusted in this account.

However, in case you wish to carry out online trading of stocks and that too in a cost-effective manner, you are expected to have clean credit track record, a pre-requisite of opening an online trading and demat account. Other than that, it is advisable to rope in a financial adviser while figuring out a trading or investment pattern, something which is important for efficient channelization of your money.…

Characteristics of a Victorious Real Estate Investor

Characteristics of a Victorious Real Estate Investor

To become a successful real estate investor one must have the capability to identify good real estate deals and invest in them. You should also be able to assess the true value of properties based on when you expect to sell. Your purchase must be made at a reasonably low price to allow for a profitable sale at a later date.

Real estate investing is a strange type of profession that has no accepted curriculum of formal training. The only way to learn the art of successful art of investing in real estate answer is for you to find a mentor who can teach you the secret formula. You must become an adept at appraising and finding out the true value of a property as this information is critical to make an informed investment decisions. Realtors, appraisers, and banks determine what a property is worth by studying recent comparable sales in the same neighborhood. You must be able to do the same.

Leveraging is key factor for investors in real estate because the less cash you part with on each transaction, the more properties you can buy with your total available money. If you are long-term investor, leveraging will work in your favor if the markets in which you invest appreciate in the long run and your income from the properties can pay for most of your monthly debt.

Exit strategies are also equally crucial to successful investing. As a real estate investor you must know exactly when to sell the property even as you buy. You must completely study the market and your work out your plan even before you invest. Real estate investors can help you interpret market indicators such as the average length of time houses have been on the market. This information it will help you make better investment decisions.

Successful investors make it a point to review their portfolios at least once a quarter and work aggressively to get rid of the losing properties before they can seriously erode the profits from their winners. Bestow enough attention to protect your properties from creditors, plaintiffs, and the taxman. It is no doubt complicated, and time consuming – but yet every successful investor takes the time to do it, thus assuring that their hard-earned money is not imperiled.

To succeed in real estate investing, you must cultivate the art of moving with people as the business is built around people – sellers, tenants, contractors, agents, financiers etc. Since there is no written code of ethics for investors, it is up to each investor to decide how he will deal with customers, tenants, sellers, workers etc.

Do your market research thoroughly and look at houses that are priced lower than comparable properties in the neighborhood. Purchase the property with the lowest possible cash down-payment and get the seller to carry back a second mortgage or deed of trust for the property. If you can get a low enough price and generous terms you can make almost any property into a successful investment.

Finally, one last important rule for investing in real estate is – do not become sentimental about a property that you are purchasing for investment. Always look at the property from the viewpoint of a critical purchaser and a businesslike investor.…

How Stock Market Trading Happens

How Stock Market Trading Happens

The stock market has puzzled many people over the years with its behavior. Not many so called analysts have been able to make predictions that are always right and that is because price movement of stocks are dependent on a variety of factors like political developments, economic news, company performance of the stock, influence of foreign institutional buying and so on. In short, it is just another market that behaves as per the demand and supply existing at a particular point in time. It can be compared to a big super mall where people are either buying or selling stocks. For every buyer, there is a seller and vice versa.

This transaction of buying and selling of stocks is facilitated by a stock exchange. The New York Stock Exchange is one such example. As compared to earlier times, when you had to be physically present at the exchange to trade stocks, modern trading is done through online trading portals that are owned by brokers and many people have been able to do so from the comfort of their homes.

Let us look at one example of how a stock trade happens.

You first need to open a trading account with a broker and also a deposit amount with which you can trade in a specific quantity of shares depending on the price of the stock you wish to trade in. You then place an order to buy a particular stock at a particular price and the quantity could be say 100. The trading platform will communicate to all networks that somebody wants to buy 100 shares of a particular company and this immediately results in an interested seller of that stock to make available 100 shares at the price you wanted and the transaction is done online. Hundred shares get transferred from the seller’s account to your account.

Several such trades keep happening through the working hours of the stock exchange on a daily basis and the relevant brokerage fee; taxes to the government and so on are all adjusted online in the trade that is executed.

Now the decision of what stock to buy is based on valuation of the stock and that is determined by the profits the company is generating, the future potential of the company or the industry and the time the buyer is willing to remain invested in that stock. Those are aspects that merit discussion separately.…

Property Management Tips For Investment Property Owners

Property Management Tips For Investment Property Owners

Property management knowledge and experience is very important when it comes to managing the properties that are in your portfolio. The care and attention that a property manager takes with an investment property can make a huge difference to the success of an investment property.

If a property manager is careless with the management there are several things that can happen, some of which are listed below:

1. Rents will start to accrue and will be difficult to recover, even to the point where there may have to be legal proceedings

2. Tenants damage the property

3. Maintenance is not kept up to date and over time what would have been ‘repairs’ become ‘replacements’ which is a much more expensive exercise

4. Rents are not achieving full potential because the property is not as attractive and competitive as others on the market due to it looking ‘tired’

5. There is major damage to the property and tenants are not removed promptly

So to ensure that your property will be managed properly here are some tips:

1. Research the area and find out where the good property management teams are. Speak to them and interview them to find out exactly what services they offer and what charges they make.

2. Check that they send you monthly reports on the property and three monthly inspection reports. In this day and age there is no excuse that they cannot take dated photos to send to you.

3. Tell them that you would like to inspect the property with them at least once a year so that you can personally keep updated.

4. Discuss with your property manager your purpose for owning this property as regards cash flow, costs, future goals (rehabbing or freshening up between tenants, etc) so that they know exactly how you want the property managed.

5. If you find that you cannot get the satisfaction you want from a property management team do not hesitate to finish with them. Before you do though, make sure that it has not just been poor communication that has caused the problem and one which can be fixed quite easily.

As a property investor you are in the business of property investing to make money so you do need to take responsibility of the running of it as a business. You need to treat the property manager as an extension of your business and ensure that there is good and frequent communication between both parties. Don’t do as I have heard being done, not make contact then 12 months later wonder why everything is not going as well as it should be. Insist on those reports and make sure that you are reading them and giving them the tick of approval.…

Diverse Types of Investing

Diverse Types of Investing

There are many investment types that you can begin your quest of investing in. Stocks, and bonds are some of the more typical ones that you can invest in. The only thing complicated about them are the sub brackets that fall under these investment types.

The stock market is one of the scariest places for people to invest in because of the high risk involved. There are three types of investors: Conservative, moderate and aggressive. The different types of investments all have their place in each one these investor prototypes.

Most conservative investors invest in Currencies or in options in the stock market. This basically means that conservative investors invest in money market accounts, CDs, and T-bills. These are the safest investments to make over a long period of time with low risk involved.

A more moderate investor invests in bonds and currencies as well. They may invest a portion in the stock market here and there. They may also invest in real estate that have low risk involved in them as well.

Aggressive investors are more involved in the stock market, which have higher risk. They will invest in other investment vehicles such as real estate like apartment buildings, rehab properties, expecting to get a lot of money in return from the rents of the apartments and rehab properties. They may even sell the property all together. The risk is that they may not sell the property as fast as they would like.

Before you try to dive into an investment vehicle, you should do more research on the many types of investing so you can get a good idea of how you fit into the vehicle as well as the risk involved. Pay attention to consistencies, trends and other forms of history that repeat themselves.…

American Debt: How Did It Come To This?

American Debt: How Did It Come To This?

The American debt, namely the total amount of money the federal government owes (including the deficit and the interest on borrowed money) is of circa $13 trillion this year, and is increasing at a fast rate. Out of this huge sum of money, some $8 trillion is owed to bond mutual funds and foreign governments, that is, to those that bought US governmental bonds, and the rest of $5 trillion to government trust funds such as Medicare and social security. But despite the fact the US owe a staggering half of trillion dollars to Japan and another half to the United Kingdom and China, most part of the national debt, namely 78%, is owed to domestic businesses and government entities. Has a whole nation deceived itself? Well, some lost big and some won big, but in the end everyone lost. Paradoxically, this is the truth.

Citizens have been encouraged to live on credit for decades, but that was fine as far as people could finally settle their debt; and they had to, if they wanted to borrow again as they were used to. But this habit became catastrophic with the real estate bubble. In less than a decade (1997-2006), the price of an average house had increased by 124%. Encouraged by these developments, a lot of owners refinanced their houses at lower interest rates, taking out a second mortgage based on the price increase. What they did with the money so easily earned? That’s simple: they spent it; only between 2001 and 2005 the refinancing money spent had doubled. But they have never thought that house prices could go down, credits could be impossible to obtain and mortgages to pay off and, therefore, that their properties would eventually be foreclosed by banks. But that’s exactly what happened.

And this was still only the tip of the iceberg. These prime borrowers had at least something to lose in favor of the crediting banks. But with the sub-prime credits granted to people that presented high risk of default (2004-2006), the banks remained completely exposed. And, as expected, they lost, and lost big. Besides, the bubble was over and house prices went down. Few could afford to buy them even so. So, at best, banks remained with a lot of houses they couldn’t sell. The question is how was such substantial crediting without the right securities possible in the first place? If the borrowers, just normal citizens, without sophisticated financial knowledge were unconsciously getting more and more indebted, what happened with the lenders – major banks – expert in financial intricacies? Why should they doom themselves to bankruptcy, lending unconsciously, at random?

Well, believe or not, exactly the government and the banks encouraged, if not generated the indebtedness, by financial deregulation, changed laws, poor financial enforcement, off-balance financing and elaborate financial creations such as derivatives, CDOs, CDSs, MBSs and other such. When regulators themselves come with tricks for circumventing the laws, there is no surprise that not only the common citizen loses but also those that weakened the laws. In these conditions, the $700 billion amount used by the government to rescue the banks that caused this havoc in the first place does nothing but confirms the self-deception scenario. In this way, all have become deeply indebted: citizens, the banks and the federal government. The paradox has been unraveled.

Possible solutions would be less government and consumer spending, more production and, of course, investment in reliable assets (definitely not houses), which warrant gains. So, if you still have money, buy gold!…

Owning Physical Gold – The Ultimate Safe Haven

Owning Physical Gold – The Ultimate Safe Haven

Paper currencies have come and gone throughout history, only gold has maintained its place on the market and has always been on top. At the same time, gold is the oldest form of money and people have used it in trades, businesses and so on since its special qualities have been discovered. As other currencies, the yellow metal has faced some ups and down, however in comparison with paper currency gold has increased intensively when the inflation took off in the 1970s.

With stock markets at record lows, banks closing and government bailouts on the rise due to the critical times we live in today`s world, people started looking for viable forms of investment. Gold proved to be as both viable and durable investment on the present market. While there are many forms of investment such as shares, virtual metal and so on, buying gold in physical bars or coins is not only safe haven, more, with a wise decision.

The reasons why to own physical gold are numerous, starting with the fact that the yellow metal holds its value for a long time, it`s price generally increases at a greater rate over the long term, while paper money or other types of investment usually don`t. In the last decade, gold has reached a high price for over 1,200 pounds and it will probably stay as this for quite some time compared with the dollar that has brought the world terrible financial crisis.

Another strong reason for which you should consider buying gold is that by owning and keeping it in physical form in your possession, you will still be able to purchase consumables with it in case your economies were to disappear overnight. The precious metal will remain strong in times of recession and as a proof in the past couple of years successful businessmen but also, ordinary citizens, have chosen this form of investment.

Owning physical gold means you have to safely store it in your home, or if you buy a substantial amount is better to keep it in a safe vault in a bank or private gold dealers. As a conclusion, the precious metal is seen as a safe haven because its price tends to rise when equities are falling and as a result your gold holdings should increase in value. Experts affirmed that those who bought gold in 2009 can reach a profit up to 30 percent if they sell it this year. So not only it preserves the wealth but it can also bring you a lot of profit.…

Five Tips For Buying a Rural Property

Five Tips For Buying a Rural Property

If you have decided to buy an investment property in the country then there are a few things you need to be aware of. It is important you understand that life in a rural area is a lot different from suburban or city life, and that although it may look peaceful and quiet, life in the country can be busier than you may expect.

Agricultural industry

When buying a property you need to be aware that agriculture can be a noisy and smelly industry. If you think you will be buying a property away from noise and pollution just because you are in the country then you would be wrong. People working in agriculture use machinery, such as tractors, harvesters and stock trucks, so expect traffic noises. Animals, such as sheep, cattle and chickens, can be quite noisy when there are a lot of them, so look at what type of farm is next door to the property you are interested in. If the sound of roosters crowing at dawn is going to drive you crazy then you might not want to live next door to a chicken farm.

Action

Know what action you can take to improve your property. If you have fallen in love with a property but are turned off by what is over the neighbours fence, then think about what you can do it improve your property. To minimise noise, dust or block out an unsightly neighbouring shed, for example, you can plant windbreaks. A farmer is not usually required to minimise impacts from their agricultural enterprise so be prepared to have paddocks next door turned from lush green grass to a ploughed area, for bushland to be felled for more pasture or for windbreaks to be planted that block your view.

Rural roads

Sharing the road in a rural area is different to sharing a road in the suburbs or city. It is common for stock to be moved along the side of a road, or even across it, and it is your responsibility to give way to livestock. Slow down and be prepared to have to wait. Road surfaces can vary in the country too, with unsealed roads being common. Roads are not always in great condition either, even bitumen roads. There are certainly no street lights either, so be careful driving at night and use your high beams.

Pests

As a rural property owner you are responsible for managing pests on your property, which includes both feral animals and weeds. Rabbits destroy crops and spread disease, and foxes kill many lambs and even newborn calves. Weeds are a major problem and noxious weeds in particular need to be removed.

Services

When buying a property keep in mind that you won’t necessarily have access to services, such as gas, electricity or even a road. Properties a long way out from town often don’t receive a postal service, and a school bus may not go past your front gate either. You are likely to have a septic tank instead of being connected to the sewerage system, and you won’t be connected to town water either and will need rain water tanks for drinking and washing.…

Business Gifts and Who to Give Them to

Business Gifts and Who to Give Them to

Every year companies debate whether or not invest in business gifts and if they do, who they should give them to. Budget plays a large part in the decision making process but it is not the only important consideration. Matching the gift and perceived value to each recipient is extremely difficult even if you know your clients well, let alone if you don’t. The value of the investment made in the gift and the potential return is also something that maybe people don’t like to think about but nevertheless is equally as important.

We give gifts to our family and friends for special occasions and over holiday periods because it is customary for us to do so and we enjoy giving. To some extent it is expected of us because of the commercial hype that has developed over so many years. However, our business associates do not expect us to give them gifts and are usually pleasantly surprised if we do. A big problem arises if we have a huge number of business contacts because not very many companies can afford to give to them all. If they know each other, the problem is magnified because people who don’t receive gifts will be envious of those that do and offended because they didn’t receive one.

As John Lennon once said “there are no problems, only solutions” and this is certainly true of an experienced, professional business gifts supplier. You can make a list of names, placing the most important clients at the top of the list, work out the budget that you can allocate and then have a meeting with your supplier. In the armory of business gifts at his disposal he will be able to advise you on how many gifts he can supply for the money available and if he’s good he’ll be able to provide a gift for everybody. He will have access to personalized bags, clothing, caps, leather products; laser engraved metal pen sets, clocks, watches, backpacks, sports bags, crystal, USBs, umbrellas and so many more items.

You may also want to include some valued customers on your business gifts list together with members of your staff for outstanding achievements. However, tread carefully if you want to use them for new business because that can be a minefield of etiquette. If you are bidding on a contract, giving the decision maker a gift will be seen as a bribe. It would probably never cross your mind to bribe someone but no matter how good your intentions are – don’t do it.

Taking business gifts to a first meeting in China, Japan or Spain will make you very popular but it will be frowned upon in the United States and the UK so if you have international business interests some cultural education will benefit you if you are contemplating first contact business gifts.Every year companies debate whether or not invest in business gifts and if they do, who should they give them to? Budget plays a large part in the decision making process but it is not the only important consideration. Matching the gift and perceived value to each recipient is extremely difficult even if you know your clients well, let alone if you don’t. The value of the investment made in the gift and the potential return is also something that maybe people don’t like to think about but nevertheless is equally as important.…

Personal Accident Insurance: The Advantages Of Having One

With Urbanization reaching new heights, road accidents have increased over the years. Roads have developed and extended to the remote parts of the country. People are quite able to afford their personal vehicle. This development also brings a major problem in the scene, road accidents.

Road accident victims are mostly rushed to the nearest hospital available; it can be private or government. In such situations, one should have all-covering accident plans. Accidental Insurance covers can help in financing all the hospital and medical costs during treatment.

These plans are available in abundance in the market, but you must look for the best. Let us discuss a few reasons as to why buying an Accident Insurance cover can do well for you.

Benefits of Accidental Insurance Plans

Sharing of Financial Burden:

A good Accidental Insurance cover can help you lessen the financial burdens by almost 70%. The insurance company will pay your hospital expenses such as medicines, disability covers, occupational compensation, etc. thus, and it will help you financially and mentally as well.

Affordability:

Personal Accidental Plans are affordable so that every section of society can have access to it. The Accident Plans’ premiums are set based on the financial situation of the beneficiary. The insurance policy is your savings as you will save your money during any undesirable emergency.

Cover for Accidental death:

In some cases of accidents, a person can even end up dead. A good Accidental Plan will provide you a 100% compensation in such a situation. Thus, you are getting the benefits of two things in the money of one. The insurance cover may also compensate for the funeral and repatriation cost.

Hassle-free claim:

If someone is involved in an accident, claiming his insurance is the first worry in his mind. Accidental Insurance Plans provide you with a hassle-free settlement process. There are no prior medical check-ups involved to claim the amount insured. What you need to keep in mind is that you are getting treatment in a hospital included in the company’s network.

Add-on benefits:

The Accidental Insurance Policy may provide some additional benefits other than hospital expenses. A good insurance plan may also fund the education of the dependent child and allow some daily cash benefits. In certain cases, a percentage of the insured sum is offered for the treatment of minor accidents, including fractures and burns.

What to keep in mind:

Before buying an Accidental Insurance cover, one must keep a few things in mind to gain maximum benefits. Make sure that the accident plans that you buy must cover previous injuries and self-inflicted injuries. There are options to opt for either a personal plan or a group plan, or a family plan depending upon needs. Thus, you must reach out to a consultant and discuss your needs.

People should understand the importance of an Accidental Insurance cover and opt for it as soon as possible. An early subscription has its benefits in the long term for the insurer.…

Tell Tale Signs Of A Risky Investment

Tell Tale Signs Of A Risky Investment

When we invest, we want to make money. Its a simple concept but often that simple concept leads to us making some dire investment decisions that not only loses us money but can keep us from investing in the future. Investing, in the right hands can be very powerful and can allow your money to work hard for you. In the wrong hands however, it can be disastrous.

Its said that there are 2 emotions that drive all investment decisions – fear and greed. Fear is what makes us overly cautious while greed is what makes us insufficiently cautious. Expert investors are those who can control these 2 emotions. Can you? Well, we all think we can but when the moment presents itself we often succumb to the temptation of either making too much or risking too much.

the truth is that all investments carry risk. Along with risk comes reward and unless you risk you cannot be rewarded. the key is to take smart and calculated risks. The problem is that greed can easily set in cause horrible investment decisions. Risky investments usually have risk written all over it, but if you are a novice investor its really hard to tell. We’ve all see illegal investment scams catching out the elderly. Why? Because they are usually uneducated and vulnerable.

So, how can you tell is an investment is too risky? Usually if it sounds too good to be true then it is.

– Anything that guarantees your investment 100% is usually a scam.

– Anything where you can not see where your money is being invested is usually a scam.

– Anything that operates from so-called tax havens are usually a scam.

– If the company or investor that’s investing fro you does not have a reputable name that’s been in business for a while, then its probably a scam.

If you do want rapid growth on your money, stick to reputable investment houses and companies that are national. Not only will your investment be more secure but they will probably make much better investments than some private company that has no reputation.…