Published July 31st, 2006
in Investing - Energy.
By Robert Aronen
October 19, 2005
We’ve heard the story a thousand times: The world’s oil is all located in politically unstable countries whose interests are opposed to those of the United States. Yet we have continued to increase imports for more than three decades, creating a dependence on foreign oil that is not easily broken.
Of course, we all know who has the oil. One country boasts the largest reserves on earth. Within the coming decades, its production will likely stand head and shoulders above every other nation’s. Our unfavorable trade balance with this country could politically destabilize and humiliate the U.S. No, I am not talking about Saudi Arabia.
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Published July 31st, 2006
in Real Estate.
by David Finkel
I had a great conversation with a mentorship student yesterday who shared with me how he and his wife are selling their third house (their first two houses they still own) and will net $45,000. It inspired me because I had talked with them over a year ago when they had a tenant/buyer back out of a deal, and they were at an emotional low.
Let’s face it, if you’re in real estate long enough, you will have moments of frustration and emotional lows. But the other side is so worth it. You have to look at real estate investing from the “Big Picture” perspective.
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Do any of the following thoughts ever cross your mind as you are preparing the monthly bills? How did your friend get a new job with a 20% pay raise? Wasn’t she almost fired last year? When is your manager going to move on? You are certainly more qualified. Whatever happened to the move up or out policy? Your debt has gotten out of control. You need more income. Why should you struggle each month living pay check to paycheck? It’s time for a change?
Now think back to your last large pay increase. Are you better off today than you were before the increase? Of course you are. You have nicer stuff. May be you are living in a larger house or finally purchased your dream car. You take a winter and summer vacation. Your kids are in private school. If you are better off, then why are you still struggling from month to month? A higher paycheck translates directly into a more expensive lifestyle. My wife and I vacationed in Hawaii a couple of years ago. One morning at breakfast while overlooking the most spectacular ocean view I had ever seen, my wife stated that she needed a vacation like this every year. I said that you would like to have a vacation like this each year. She replied, “No, this is a need.”
As your paycheck increases, so does your NEEDS. The bottom-line is that people that overspend on a modest income will usually find ways to overspend on a higher income.
Published July 29th, 2006
in Investing - Metals.
by Mary Anne & Pamela Aden
Jul 28, 2006
The point is, gold is in a mega bull market and it’s headed higher. That’s the big picture and it’s happening to coincide with this mega world power shift. In recent months, gold has been volatile but that’s insignificant compared to the big picture. So if this has you concerned, keep in mind that corrections and volatility are normal within any major uptrend and for now, we have to be patient. But considering what’s happening globally, we may not have to be patient for long.
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Published July 29th, 2006
in Portfolio - Updates (all).
Nice gains in both stocks and commodities as market anticipates the end of the interest rate raising campaign. Below are this week’s results of stocks that are regularly discussed here:
| DOW |
|
3.2% |
| S&P 500 |
|
3.0% |
| NASDAQ |
|
3.1% |
| GLD |
|
4.1% |
| GDX |
|
9.2% |
| CEF |
|
3.4% |
| USO |
|
-0.7% |
| BRIC |
|
4.8% |
| BBO |
|
6.6% |
GLD – Gold Bullion Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)
GDX – Gold Mining Stocks ETF
CEF – Gold and Silver Bullion ETF
USO – Oil ETF
BRIC – basket of 4 country ETFs: Brazil, Russia, India and China
BBO (Big-Build Out) – basket of 12 stocks critical to the industrialization of BRIC
Refer to the following links for more information on above stocks.
GDX, CEF: Link
USO: Link
BRIC, BBO: Link
Published July 28th, 2006
in Personal Finance 101.
Everyone knows that college is expensive, and getting more so every year. This tool will tell you three things: how much money will need for college; how much you will have based on your current savings rate; and how to adjust your plan to pay for four years of college.
College Planner
Published July 27th, 2006
in Entrepreneurship.
You may have a career path established with your company. If you follow this career path, you can probably enjoy a comfortable retirement through the company pension plan. Are you sure you want to abandon the corporate life to start your own business? Before you answer this question, let’s explore the reasons people become self-employed.
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Published July 26th, 2006
in Women and Money.
By Liz Pulliam Weston
MSN Money
Women are living longer. Isn’t that great? Then why are retirement experts so worried? Perhaps because longer lives translate into longer retirements, and women not doing a great job of saving enough money to last those extended lifetimes.
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Published July 25th, 2006
in Personal Finance 101.
By Ann Coleman
Everyone needs some short-term savings. In fact most people need a big pot of it, stashed somewhere safe and easily accessible. By “short-term savings,” we mean the money you’ll need for emergencies and for big expenses you’ll incur over the next three to seven years, depending on your tolerance for risk, volatility, and a market-induced change of plans.
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Published July 25th, 2006
in Real Estate.
by Aleksandra Todorova
Published: July 21, 2006
Smart Money
LAST MONTH, 43-YEAR-OLD Daryl White and his wife Renée closed on their new home: a five-bedroom, four-bathroom 2,900 square-foot house in Valencia, Calif., a planned community 40 miles north of Los Angeles. They got quite a deal. The property was appraised at $830,000, yet they bought it for $660,000. “The house was only 10 years old, so it only needed light repair, like removing the wallpaper and painting, just some patchwork here and there,” White says.
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