Investing Psychology – Know Thyself

America will continue to be the land of opportunity and regardless of what course our economy takes over the next few years, it’s likely that investment opportunities will be numerous and attractive. Companies driven by the ever increasing advancements in technology will emerge, while older companies, out of necessity, will come forth with new products. One industry or another will enjoy a boom period relative to the rest. And, of course there will be casualties – there always is.

For the astute investor there’s always opportunities to buy investments (stocks, bonds, commodities, mutual funds, etc.) before “the crowd” finds out and it’s already over-valued or to buy a so-called “blue chip” temporarily out of favor, at a depressed price.

In many instances, the differences between great rewards and huge losses are subtle. However, before you can embark anew or jump back into the game you must ask yourself several questions wrapped into one.

They can be lonely questions because only you can answer them. It involves not only how much money you feel comfortable investing but it also takes into account the level of risk you are comfortable with.

First, does your financial condition permit you to invest; second, can you assume the current risk implicit in the markets; and third, is the market a safe place for you to be. Let’s take them one at a time.

Your Financial Position
One point should be made clear at the outset: you don’t have to be wealthy to invest. In the past, insiders have trumped the belief that stock ownership is a rich man’s game but with approximately 50% of american households currently in the market that is no longer the case.

The goals of the small investor is not of enlarging their fortune because clearly they currently don’t have one but to make available some money, however small, for the purpose of growing it over time. Regardless of your income level, investment is possible if three conditions are met:

1. If you are relatively assured of a steady income. Of course, these days nothing is set in stone.
2. If you are meeting your current household expenses and obligations.
3. If you have cash reserves with which to meet unforeseen emergencies. You have to decide how much but I would suggest enough to cover 3 months of living expenses.

Of course, these conditions are simply safeguards due to the inescapable fact that stock prices fluctuate and that your judgment of when to buy, when to sell and how long to hold should never be dictated by outside circumstances. Investment should be undertaken only with funds you can honestly and legitimately earmarked as discretionary.

A reserve also enables you to pick and choose. Whether you have a few hundred or a few thousand lying around should not automatically mean that it’s time to invest it. What’s the hurry? As the professionals say, “The market is always there.” If the trend isn’t to your liking or price’s are over-valued a reserve allows you the luxury of waiting for more favorable conditions.

Finally, a reserve permits investment over a period of time rather than all at once. Some “experts” feel you should back what seems to be a good situation with all the investment funds at your command. Others will warn against greed and advise partial investment to spread the risk.

This article is not the place to discuss the merits of either philosphy. The point is to give yourself the flexibility of moving whatever way “your” judgment dictates.

Your Personal Situation
Your age, health, the number of dependents you support, the kind of job you have, or the type of goals you have set for yourself are just a few of the possible factors that will weigh into your investment decisions. Unfortunately, there is no rule, no prescription, no secret formula to follow.

The story is told of two salesmen who met at the airport. Their conversation went something like this: “How’s business?” asked the first. “Oh, very good,” said the second, “and yours?” “Fine, fine,” said the first. “I got orders for a thousand gross last week. I sell buttons.” “Really,” said the second. “I’ve had one order in the last three years.” “and you call that good?” said the first. “Actually yes,” said the second, “I sell suspension bridges.”

Like the salesmen, the investor must have a clear notion of his goals and expectations and they must realize what is normal and acceptable to someone else might not be what is normal or acceptable to them.

What Kind of Person You Are
Consideration of your investment goals brings up the final point of personal evaluation – You. Very simply because your goals are a reflection of your temperament and personality.

You must go beyond your goals and pin down the traits and characteristics they stem from. Are your goals realistic? How do you regard money? How do you handle it? Are you easy-come, easy-go or do you count pennies? Are decisions involving money difficult for you to make? Are you on top of your budget or always running to keep up?

These are generalized questions and there are no absolute answers. Speculators should stay out of the market, but on the other hand, being a tight-wad is no virtue either. An overly cautious or conservative temperament may not be well-suited to react to the ever changing market conditions and thus miss out on opportunities to sell or buy.

The value in knowing thyself and how you will likely respond in a variety of financial situations is vital. Any personality type can count profits but it requires a certain rigor, a certain fortitude to face up to the adverse situations that investing unveils. If you have a character flaw, losing money will quickly expose it.

In a now famous pronouncement, the elder Morgan stared at a questioner who wanted to know what stock prices would do and he said, “They will fluctuate.” The statement is as pertinent today as it was then. As a result, the question you must ask becomes, “How will I respond when they do?” If you “Know Thyself” you’ll have the answer.

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Investing in Spanish Property is it still an attractive

Investing in Spanish Property is it still an attractive proposition?

For many years now, investors and those looking to live the dream, have nominated buying property in Spain as a favoured profit-making destination. But, in more recent times, the general consensus is that prices are stagnating
at best or even falling slightly in some areas.

So is buying a property in Spain still an attractive proposition?

From our experience, it still can be; but it is now more difficult to generate a good return. Whilst some lower end, especially re-sale, Spanish property is becoming increasingly difficult to sell OR rent, larger more luxurious specification property continues to be in high demand.

None more so than Spanish Golf course property. Demand for detached golf property, alongside the palm lined fairways of water filled courses, remains exceptionally strong and we cannot see this changing for the foreseeable
future. Indeed, this appears to be the focal point for many Spanish developers as many exciting, high quality Golf Resorts continue to emerge from often barren, yet usually stunning locations.

Morning tea to first green in minutes

The attraction of buying Golf Property in the Costa Blanca region of Spain comes from the exceptional quality and location of the developments. The ability to almost guarantee your own green belt, even drive your own golf buggy to the course, is a big draw for those looking to acquire golf property as either an investment or for personal use.

Although they are still abundant, the predilection for buying on council estates in the Sun is on the decline and the average purchaser of Spanish investment property has now set their sights much higher. And this can only be good for the future of property investment in Spain.

Most developers have very much upped their game and its not just the quality of golf property we now see coming to market that has increased dramatically. Golf courses are now designed as high-class resorts, complete with health clubs, spas, restaurants and commercial centres; with the emphasis on quality rather than quantity.

The results are staggering for both investor and second homebuyer alike, but only if you get in quick an eighteen-hole golf course only has so many superb properties on its perimeter. Thats not to say the surrounding,
second line homes are not fantastic, rather the best plots on these developments really are Hot Property.

Investing in Penny Stocks – How To Make Huge Profit

Investing in Penny Stocks – How To Make Huge Profit From Small Beginnings

Investing in penny stocks is all about defining the rules and playing by them as all of the big time investors have before you.

Big time stock traders and investors have played by the rules and started out small, or even very small, swearing by a defined set of rules that basically state they will not continue any cycle of failing that loses them money, over and over.

Losing money instead of learning these rules is something that is unacceptable and potentially crippling to a new investor – even though your brain is trying to tell you that “Heck, it doesn’t matter, they’re only Penny Stocks after all!” (Damn you brain!!)

However, follow a few simple rules and you should be ahead of the penny stock investing game.

Number One and MOST important – Never, ever, under any circumstance borrow money to invest; this is possibly the biggest rule to stay out of investment trouble.

Yes, I know! You think you have the upper hand with some inside information that could help you build a huge portfolio in no time!

So have thousands of others before you – and they were all WRONG!

Please, dont jump on a story with the only answer being borrowing money. If you start to lose money on the stock market, then the debt repayment will come directly out of your pocket. If this happens, trust me – you are now in big trouble.

Even if you begin to make money then you will be spending it to repay the loan instead of saving or reinvesting the funds. This money will stand by and haunt you as you continue to try to make a living off of the stocks you are trading.

Always save up to be able to invest as a rule of thumb, debt will be chased until you finally catch up by being farther behind than you were to begin with.

DON’T DO IT!

Investing in profitable companies is a big rule to keep in mind when investing in penny stocks. I know that reads and sounds awfully silly and a waste of breath but believe me – sometimes people simply invest in a company without determining if the company is profitable or not.

Either they like the name itself – or the product service the company offers – or even they know a cousin of the manager of the typing pool and reckon it’s keeping it in the family!

Dont be the sucker that buys a stock and then tunes in to the television or logs on to the internet to see that its quarterly earnings are down and its revenue per share is dropping like a four-ton boulder of the Empire State building – very hard and very fast!).

Find information on how to find a profitable company, it is readily available on the internet, and then determine which company to invest in. Guides for how to evaluate companies, their accounts declarations and markets are readily available.

Also, do all of your homework, research and analysis before you buy a stock that is not garnering any type of attention.

One of the most important things for investors to look at is volume, anything less than one million shares per day is not worth touching. It is a pointless task to purchase a stock that is trading 9,000 shares a day because it will be nearly impossible to sell once you are ready to do so.

Stocks need attention to have liquidity, which basically means that for it to sell it must have value. Dont be stuck with a rising stock that you will be unable to sell later. Don’t just thinkof all the lovely profit you’ll generate – think about the mechanics of actually being able to realise that profit. After all – so what if you’ve made 1.20 per share in three months – if you can’t actually sell them!

Oh – and in case you forget! DON’T BORROW MONEY FOR INVESTING!!

Investing In Gold

It may seem old fashioned, but it is still possible to place some of your wealth and prospects into the ancient practice of hoarding gold. Gold has been the standard of wealth for centuries, in almost every culture that requires some system of barter, from Europe to Asia to South America. The metal has been known to launch expeditions for new lands, start wars, and to be the cause of the annihilation of entire cultures.

The reasons for the worlds fascination with gold have been the same from the first item that a person exchanged one good for another until the present day. Gold is rare, easy to move, does not go bad or decay in any way, and it can be broken down into smaller parts. All cultures have recognized the value of gold, and as a result it is still a hot commodity on the markets in countries throughout the world today.

Many people who chose to invest in gold are somewhat skeptical about the state of the world. Gold, they figure, has always been and will always be in demand, so if the worst happens and an economy goes into the toilet, investments in gold will remain safe and secure (provided, of course, that it is not stolen, another common historical occurrence with the precious metal). Whenever a large scale war breaks out, gold prices always go up, as it is proof against an inflated and devalued dollar and other economic downturns.

Gold allows the investor a number of opportunities in their options. Many of us would not think of it in this way, but gold is easily stored in our houses and even in our persons in the form of decorations or jewelry, which means that gold is a kind of portable wealth. Someone who buys a lot of jewelry can therefore be thought of as a kind of investor in gold.

More serious investors might consider buying gold in the form of bullion or coins issued by stable, reputable governments through brokerage firms or well known dealers. Again, this gold is transportable, easily liquidated wealth and the investor must undertake for its safety herself. If you choose this method of investment and storing, you will have to get your gold tested before you can sell it on your own.

In order to avoid the expense and the hassle of testing your gold, you could instead choose to purchase the metal through a mutual fund that specializes in precious metals. Not only will this eliminate the need to have the gold tested before sale, it will also earn you some interest over time, which hard sales of gold will not. You will also avoid the costs of insurance and the anxiety of storage.

Investing in gold is a time proven way of retaining wealth even in the most trying of circumstances. The risks of gold also remain, however, as it remains a highly mobile commodity that can be taken away as easily as it is stored, and the proper precautions must be taken.

Investing in a Franchise And the American Dream

Harley-Davidson enthusiasts Chris McIntyre, Jeff Brown and Peter Wurmer always dreamt of touring the world on motorcycles.

Their dream is now a reality for them and the tens of thousands of customers who rent motorcycles, ATVs and watercraft from EagleRider franchise locations in the United States, Mexico, France and Spain.

McIntyre, Brown and Wurmer started EagleRider as one shop in Los Angeles in 1993, catering to adventure-seeking professionals and tourists. It has since become the largest motorcycle rental and tour franchise company in the United States and Europe.

While the three EagleRider founders have been able to see their business grow and prosper over the years, they understand that starting up a business can be a risky endeavor. To help other entrepreneurs who are interested in investing in the growing motorcycle-rental industry, they have turned EagleRider into a franchise opportunity

Simply put, franchising is a way of distributing products or services that have instant name recognition. According to statistics from the Small Business Administration and Department of Commerce, the failure rate for franchised businesses is significantly lower than for other start-up businesses.

One reason franchises are more sustainable is that they give entrepreneurs easy access to established products and proven business models, reducing some of the risks associated with starting up a business.

And as an added incentive, opening a franchise gives an entrepreneur the opportunity to operate independently while tapping into the experience and expertise of the franchiser’s organization.

Like any other investment, entrepreneurs need to do plenty of research before selecting a franchise opportunity. Consider the demand for the product or service, the franchiser’s background, the level of support you will receive and who your competition will be.

Whether you want to feed the masses with a fast-food franchise or take part in the exciting and adventurous world of motorcycle rentals, the list of franchise opportunities goes on and on.

Investing Mistakes to Avoid

Along the way, you may make a few investing mistakes, however there are big mistakes that you absolutely must avoid if you are to be a successful investor. For instance, the biggest investing mistake that you could ever make is to not invest at all, or to put off investing until later. Make your money work for you even if all you can spare is $20 a week to invest!

While not investing at all or putting off investing until later are big mistakes, investing before you are in the financial position to do so is another big mistake. Get your current financial situation in order first, and then start investing. Get your credit cleaned up, pay off high interest loans and credit cards, and put at least three months of living expenses in savings. Once this is done, you are ready to start letting your money work for you.

Dont invest to get rich quick. That is the riskiest type of investing that there is, and you will more than likely lose. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it! Instead, invest for the long term, and have the patience to weather the storms and allow your money to grow. Only invest for the short term when you know you will need the money in a short amount of time, and then stick with safe investments, such as certificates of deposit.

Dont put all of your eggs into one basket. Scatter it around various types of investments for the best returns. Also, dont move your money around too much. Let it ride. Pick your investments carefully, invest your money, and allow it to grow dont panic if the stock drops a few dollars. If the stock is a stable stock, it will go back up.

A common mistake that a lot of people make is thinking that their investments in collectibles will really pay off. Again, if this were true, everyone would do it. Dont count on your Coke collection or your book collection to pay for your retirement years! Count on investments made with cold hard cash instead.

Investing Basics What Are Your Investment Goals

When it comes to investing, many first time investors want to jump right in with both feet. Unfortunately, very few of those investors are successful. Investing in anything requires some degree of skill. It is important to remember that few investments are a sure thing there is the risk of losing your money!

Before you jump right in, it is better to not only find out more about investing and how it all works, but also to determine what your goals are. What do you hope to achieve with your investments? Will you be funding a college education? Buying a home? Retiring? Before you invest a single penny, really think about what you hope to achieve with that investment. Knowing what your goal is will help you make smarter investment decisions along the way!

Too often, people invest money with dreams of becoming rich overnight. This is possible but it is also rare. It is usually a very bad idea to start investing with hopes of becoming rich overnight. It is safer to invest your money in such a way that it will grow slowly over time, and be used for retirement or a childs education. However, if your investment goal is to get rich quick, you should learn as much about high-yield, short term investing as you possibly can before you invest.

You should strongly consider talking to a financial planner before making any investments. Your financial planner can help you determine what type of investing you must do to reach the financial goals that you have set. He or she can give you realistic information as to what kind of returns you can expect and how long it will take to reach your specific goals.

Again, remember that investing requires more than calling a broker and telling them that you want to buy stocks or bonds. It takes a certain amount of research and knowledge about the market if you hope to invest successfully.

Getting Your Feet Wet Begin Investing

If you are anxious to get your investments started, you can get started right away without having a lot of knowledge about the stock market. Start by being a conservative investor with a low risk tolerance. This will give you a way to making your money grow while you learn more about investing.

Start with an interest bearing savings account. You may already have one. If you dont, you should. A savings account can be opened at the same bank that you do your checking at or at any other bank. A savings account should pay 2 4% on the money that you have in the account.

Its not a lot of money unless you have a million dollars in that account but it is a start, and it is money making money.

Next, invest in money market funds. This can often be done through your bank. These funds have higher interest payouts than typical savings accounts, but they work much the same way. These are short term investments, so your money wont be tied up for a long period of time but again, it is money making money.

Certificates of Deposit are also sound investments with no risk. The interest rates on CDs are typically higher than those of savings accounts or Money Market Funds.

You can select the duration of your investment, and interest is paid regularly until the CD reaches maturity. CDs can be purchased at your bank, and your bank will insure them against loss. When the CD reaches maturity, you receive your original investment, plus the interest that the CD has earned.

If you are just starting out, one or all of these three types of investments is the best starting point. Again, this will allow your money to start making money for you while you learn more about investing in other places.

Determining Where You Will Invest

There are several different types of investments, and there are many factors in determining where you should invest your funds.

Of course, determining where you will invest begins with researching the various available types of investments, determining your risk tolerance, and determining your investment style along with your financial goals.

If you were going to purchase a new car, you would do quite a bit of research before making a final decision and a purchase. You would never consider purchasing a car that you had not fully looked over and taken for a test drive. Investing works much the same way.

You will of course learn as much about the investment as possible, and you would want to see how past investors have done as well. Its common sense!

Learning about the stock market and investments takes a lot of time but it is time well spent. There are numerous books and websites on the topic, and you can even take college level courses on the topic which is what stock brokers do. With access to the Internet, you can actually play the stock market with fake money to get a feel for how it works.

You can make pretend investments, and see how they do. Do a search with any search engine for Stock Market Games or Stock Market Simulations. This is a great way to start learning about investing in the stock market.

Other types of investments outside of the stock market do not have simulators. You must learn about those types of investments the hard way by reading.

As a potential investor, you should read anything you can get your hands on about investingbut start with the beginning investment books and websites first. Otherwise, you will quickly find that you are lost.

Finally, speak with a financial planner. Tell them your goals, and ask them for their suggestions this is what they do! A good financial planner can easily help you determine where to invest your funds, and help you set up a plan to reach all of your financial goals. Many will even teach you about investing along the way make sure you pay attention to what they are telling you!

Beyond the Pump and Dump – penny stocks

Penny Stocks can be a great investment, but you have to know what to look for, or sometimes more accurately, what to look out for. Buying Penny Stocks based on a recent email you received, or what you heard from someone you barely know, is not usually a good idea. Penny Stocks have historically been a source of wealth for many investors, but conversely have been the source of countless lost small fortunes. Determining what is good advice, mixed with all the hype, can sometimes be a very difficult process. You don’t have to be a stock market guru or brilliant investor to make a killing with Penny Stocks, but you do have to be willing to do your homework, and use a great deal of common sense to stay alive when you are swimming with the sharks in what can be dangerous waters.

There are many great small companies in existence today, struggling to stay afloat, that are tomorrow’s rising stars. Without the capital to grow and expand very few of our current generation of conglomerates would be more than a forgotten flash in the pan. Selling shares of a company can inject the needed capital into a niche business that may take it into the next level. However not all, if not most, of these tiny corporations will be around for very long. This creates an interesting situation for us, the investor or speculator. While the company in question may not be worth much today, what might that company be worth tomorrow? Hence the term speculation, which is the lifeblood of any Penny Stock trader.

Unfortunately, within this world there are a few unseemly characters, who seek to part you from your hard earned pounds. And, they will go to nearly whatever means is necessary to achieve their goal. PR firms, or Investor Awareness firms, are sometime hired to promote a small corporation’s stock in hopes of raising the share price. This in itself is not necessarily a sign of ill intent. Many times a small company may be very good at what it does, but for whatever reason finds itself unable to generate enough press interest in their successes to generate buying activity of their stock shares. However, this is occasionally done with the sole purpose of raising prices rapidly in an attempt to make quick profits on a very hollow company, one that has no real market or solid foundation. Hence the phrase, pump and dump. Pump and dump in a nutshell means, exaggeratedly “pumping” up the company in question with the primary intent of “dumping” their shares once the share prices begin to rise.

What can you do to protect yourself from being caught up in a pump and dump scenario? Most importantly you must use your own due diligence to wade through the hype. Ask yourself a few basic questions about the company in question. Are they making money? Are they creating new products? Are these new products going to be valuable in the future? The rules for trading Penny Stocks aren’t much different from those of trading large cap stocks. However, the risks can be much larger, but the rewards can be as well.

If you aren’t willing to do at least a bit of homework, investing in any stock is not a good idea. Never rely entirely on anyone’s advice, especially when dealing with Penny Stocks. But, if you take the time to research your investments, investing in Penny Stocks can be a very financially rewarding experience.

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