A DIY Guide for Income Tax Preparation Services Online

It is tax time again and nobody really enjoys this time of year, except maybe the accountants. Nevertheless, taxes are a necessary evil and they must be filed each and every year. Fortunately, there are some income tax preparation services online that allow people to file themselves without the need of hiring an accountant. Filing taxes online is faster than snail mailing them and it means you can get your return faster as well. You may even be able to file a free tax return online if you qualify. The following information will help you file your taxes online all by yourself.

One of the best ways to e-file your taxes online is to do so directly with the IRS. It is really easy and all you have to do is follow the three steps and you will be done. The first step is to get all of your information and organize it right beside you. That way when you are filing your taxes online you will have all the forms you might possibly need. The information you will need includes social security numbers for anyone you will include on your claim. You will also need all forms W2 you received for the year as well as any and all forms 1099. Your schedule A receipts for itemized deductions are also needed as well as other expenses or income receipts for the year.

You can receive a fast refund or pay your taxes electronically if you so desire, but you will need to include your bank account number in order to do so. If you use a self select PIN you will need that information or your prior year adjusted gross income. The next step is to choose one of three options to file your taxes. These include personal computer, tax professional and free file.

The final step is to efile your taxes! The option you chose in step 2 will affect how you file your taxes. If you chose a professional to file your taxes let them know you want to efile. If you will use a personal computer then you can choose the tax preparation software you desire, answer the questions, and have the taxes filed quickly. If you want a quick refund include your bank account number. Finally, you will need to choose the Free File website or the IRS efile Partners page. Once you are done you will be ready to pass the information n to your friends and family and let them benefit from this great service.

Amassing Wealth - What Does It Really Mean?

Dumb question, right? Anyone knows that accumulating wealth means making lots of money, and we desire to collect wealth because we want more money. Correct? Obviously, or maybe not.

The modern dictionary defines wealth in several ways including an abundance of possessions or resources, abundant supply, and property with monetary or tradeable value. Money doesn't even appear until the last entry. Intriguing right? However, I would wager that any ordinary person asked to define wealth, would define it in terms of possessing much money. And, although that's true, it means so much more.

Why are we interested in building wealth? Do we desire money simply to have it? While several selfish individuals may answer 'yes' to that question, the majority would certainly answer 'no'. By and large, the greater number of us are interested in having money because of its potential,or for how we believe it can change our lives.

We desire money to settle bills and release us from debt. We desire money for the security it represents for ourselves and our loved ones. We desire money to purchase our dream home or the car we thought we'd never have. We desire money to gain control of our work and our actions, instead of handing that power to other individuals and companies that are not interested in our identities as individuals or our life dreams and objectives. Those represent a few causes for amassing wealth.

Wealth offers the means to obtain supplies, favor and prospects that we wouldn't have under other circumstances. It offers access to first rate care for the prevention of sickness and disease. It provides for freedom of time and movement. Want to explore the Amazon rain forest for a month with fifty of your closest friends? Then you go! Wealth is the opportunity to connect with family members for every special occasion or just because, rather than every few years. It's a chance to follow after the things that matter the most to us, whether that includes skydiving, traveling a continent, or donating our services to people affected by catastrophe or in need.

The real definition of wealth, and the importance in possessing it, really is about having adequate supply and opportunity. Building wealth, in its most basic sense is gathering ample resources to create and to live genuinely; so that our lives reflect who we really are here and now on this planet.

To paraphrase Oprah Winfrey, be appreciative of what you've got, and you'll get more. But if you concentrate on what you lack, you'll never be able to get enough. You can only be yourself, and if you were not a nice person prior to accumulating money, you'll just become a wealthy schmuck, and the same is true in reverse. Wealth doesn't change the core of who you are. It just makes for a better dressed core.

For information about wealthbuilding online, visit GetMyWealthNow.com.

Protectionism

First let’s see what protectionism is. According to Mr. John Webster it is the advocacy, system, or theory of protecting domestic manufacturers by impeding or limiting, as by duties or quotas, the importing of foreign commodity and services.

That sounds pretty good. It is something that volition protect the occupations of our workers from commodity that tin be produced elsewhere and undercut the terms of our local goods. How? There are a couple of ways. The wares or trade goods itself is in very large supply in another country and is mined or grown there very cheaply. Not much you can make about that. Or the labour costs of production are vastly less than our ain workers and the merchandise can be manufactured for less.

The average worker in the U.S. do about $12.00 per hr while the workers in United Mexican States get $2.00 and the people in People'S Republic Of China average 60 cents per hour. How make you vie with them? Answer - you can’t. Sol what make you do? If you are a shoe maker in the U.S. you inquire the federal authorities to impose a duty (tax) on all imported place (or maybe just the sort you make). This certain assists that peculiar cobbler who might have got 300 employees making sneakers. Now the gym shoe shaper can maintain his terms up and his workers working. That’s good.

But wait a minute. There are billions of feet that need gym shoes and that agency billions of consumers are paying more than for comparable quality sneakers. Are it just to give particular consideration to a very small grouping that automatically punishes the mass of consumers?

Examine the definition of duty again and believe it through to the end. A duty is a tax on consumers.

You are paying more than for certain commodity (and there are about 13,000 separate tariffs) than you should just for the benefit of a few makers who cannot vie in the human race market. Every country is not just a unit of measurement unto itself any more. We now have got a planetary economic system that allows specialisation of products. If a company cannot vie it should not be in business and should not punish the bulk of its citizens for the benefit of a few. You, the consumer, should not have got to pay more than for tomatoes, bandeaus and steel just so our politicians can get reelected. That is what is furuncles down to. Unions will assure to endorse certain campaigners if they will vote for duties (tax increases) that protect incompetent manufacturers. The steel duty is an first-class example. Shrub set on a duty when he could have got given a tax interruption to assist overhaul that industry. In the long tally our steel production will vanish because of continuing inefficiency. If we get into a trade warfare where one country trump cards another with more than than and more duties it is a guaranteed also-ran for everyone. Visualize this as edifice a house of cards. You stop up with a game of 52-pickup. It could travel to the ultimate of deflation and depressions for all the states of the world.

Protectionism in all of history have never worked.

Stuff

I continually hear from economists, talking heads, other market missive writers, analysts and miscellaneous “experts” that I need to cognize all sorts of “stuff” about the pillory and common finances I am going to purchase and I should maintain up with them on a regular basis.

What is this of import “stuff”?

Let’s see. Oh, I know. Price to Earning ratio, P/E. That’s always a large 1 on almost everyone’s list. Simply set it is how many old age it will take a company’s earning to pay back the terms today. It can be from five to eternity if it is not earning anything. Today there are many companies that have got P/Es inch extra of 50. That’s Fifty old age to earn back your investment. Kinda steep, don’t you think? For old age the average have been 14 or 15. Today it is about 28 to 30 depending on who is counting.

A stock merchandising at 14 P/E is fairly valued by “experts”, but if the stock is going down is that still a “fair” value? Bash you desire to purchase something that is a just value, but looks like it will sell for less in a few months?

Then there are all sorts of things market analysts like to look for and talking about such as a gross sales, nett profit, management experience, competition, industry sector, price/volume relationship, interest rates, rate of rising prices and I could travel on for a couple of pages, but you get the idea. When, and if, you make this type of analysis you will happen most of the numbers don’t hold with each other to give you a clear thought of whether to purchase or sell. It is like trying to pick a button out of a lavation machine during wash cycle. The more than than you look the more baffled you become.

Brokerage companies desire you to seek to utilize all this “stuff”. They encourage you to go confused. That manner if you pick a stock that travels down they don’t take any blame. “The market is very complex” is their favourite phrase. Whether you win or lose they do money in commissions.

If this “stuff” is of no value in stock choice (and it isn’t) then how are you to happen pillory that spell up? It is so simple that brokers don’t desire you to know. In fact, most of them don’t know. Here is the answer. Find a stock or better yet a common monetary fund that is going up. Are that too easy?

There is a basic law of physical science that states a organic structure in movement will stay in movement in the same direction until disturbed by another force. The Law of Inertia. This same rule can be applied to the stock market.

Find a stock or common monetary fund that is going up and purchase it. When the direction changes to down (or even sideways) sell.

You don’t need all that “stuff”.

Performance Funds

Mutual finances are doing more than than and more to discourage investors from leaving them and taking their money to a better acting fund. What makes better performing mean? It have got nil to make with who the manager is, what the disbursal ratio is or how well they performed over the past 5 or 10 years.

Remember the old one, “What have you done for me lately?” That is the ONLY thing that counts. If you ever anticipate to do money in the stock market you must take the clip to happen the best acting no-load, no-redemption fee finances that are going up the fastest during the past 3 and 6 months. Usually any monetary fund that have done well for a twelvemonth or more than have just about tally its course of study and once it begins weakening in its upward movement, travels level and starts down it should be sold and replaced. This tin easily be seen in a chart on your computing machine or at the library at www.bigcharts.com.

There are many finances that volition advance at the rate of 1% per week. Yes, per week, but you must happen them. It is certainly deserving the effort. There are services you can purchase such arsenic as as No-Load FundX; however, there are many free countries on the Internet that volition turn up first-class finances such as Barroom Charts (http://www2.barchart.com/funds.asp , Bloomberg http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/data?pid=mutualfunds and Yokel www.yahoo.com/finance as well as Investor’s Business Daily newspaper that listings the best 3-month and 6-month performing artists each week. Be careful to check with the monetary fund or your broker that there are no concealed fees. Those that charge a committee make NOT outperform those that have got got no tons (commission).

Most full service brokers will not sell you no-load funds so you will have to have an account with a price reduction broker such as as Ameritrade, Scottrade or Brown & Company. Many of the well known price reduction brokers such as as Fidelity, Schwab and Waterhouse have got got adopted hidden fees.

Brokers and financial contrivers will state you not to switch over around, but that is because they have not learned their trade. It also might intend they are too lazy to make their job. If you stay with a weak monetary fund you will have got got a weak tax return or even lose money.

I may sound too rough in my unfavorable judgment of brokers and financial planners, but I have hired more than than 300 brokers when I owned a brokerage company and I cognize that lone about 1% (yes, one) cognize how to do money and protect capital. You have got to happen a good 1 or take charge yourself.

There may be modern times when very few, if any, finances are going up. Then you will be in cash in a money market. CASH IS A POSITION. Performance also includes not losing while the market is going down.

Knowing how and when to switch over volition double or ternary your tax returns and most importantly you will not lose net income you have got made. Stay with the best performing artists at all times.

Top 25 Growth Funds

On Monday, November 25, 2000 Investor's Business Daily listed on page B1 the Top 25 Growth Mutual Funds for the last 36 calendar months along with their public presentation for the twelvemonth 2000 to date. Only four showed a net income this twelvemonth of 21% and the other three had additions of 12%, 5%, and 5%. Fifteen had loss of from 10% to 28% and the other 6 were down slightly.

In the column next to them there is a listing of Top 25 Growth Funds for the past 3 calendar months for the twelvemonth 2000 to date. Only 2 had additions in terms for the twelvemonth 2000, 4 were even and all the remainder are showing losings for the year.

Now pay attention and believe about this adjacent sentence. Not one common monetary fund looks in both lists.

What is the significance of this? It very simply states you that bargain and throw is NOT the manner to do money with common funds.

I have got been sermon for old age to purchase only no-load common finances and throw them only as long as they are going up. When they halt going up you sell them (paying no commission) and happen another monetary fund that is going up as the topographic point to have got your money. In this current bear market the latter is hard to happen so what make you do? Put your money in a money market account and don't worry about the market going down and dragging your investing with it. Protect your capital!

Don't throw up your custody and state I can't make that because my broker states to "buy and throw - the market always come ups back". It is not his money. It is yours. You must be the 1 to originate the action to protect your capital. Brokers are not taught how to make this. I cognize - I used to have got a brokerage company.

Brokers have been smart adequate to learn, but taught all the incorrect things when it come ups to investment money. They claim you can't "time the market". wrong again. They never encourage you to put stop-loss orders so you won't lose all your money when you purchase a new stock or monetary fund and they never encourage you to utilize a trailing halt to protect the net income you have got got got got made.

I cognize there are people reading this column who have had pillory that have doubled, tripled, even more than and now have that same stock that is now selling for less than they bought it.. Where was your broker when all this was happening? If he is so smart why didn't he state you to sell at the top? This also uses to common funds.

What I am trying to get across is the simple message that you cannot bargain and hold. The "secret" every knowledgeable investor cognizes is to protect his capital first and then to protect his net income second.

The Big Bad Bear

The large bad bear is stirring again. So far he have stretched, yawned and ailing out of his cave. After his almost year-long nap he is hungry. A nice large steak would hit the spot.

That steak come ups from cattle and not too far from his lair there is a fat self-satisfied bull munching in the pasture. He have his tail towards the bear and Mr. Bear retrieves that 3 old age ago he walked up to another bull and spot him in the backside. It looks like he can make it again.

We cognize who bull and bear really are. It looks that almost everyone is bullish and believes we are in another bull market like the 1 in 1999 where all investors thought they were geniuses. History have taught (for those who wish to listen and learn) that major bull markets are followed by bear markets of equal length. The major bull came to an end after 18 old age in 2000. Can we anticipate an 18-year bear market? If history repetitions its rhythm the reply is yes.

The recent tax return of the upward motion of stock terms from last twelvemonth is very typical of mass meetings in bear markets. Many have got a 50% retracement of the first down leg (as happened after the large interruption in 1929) that tops out with the recommencement of the downward path.

Today our bull is feeding on the lowest interest rates in 40 years, a tax cut that put option extra money in the custody of consumers (where it belongs) and a strong lodging market plus the belief that the market always makes well in an election year. Let’s hope all these things will come up to pass.

The worst problem for investors is their complacency. They begin making money and forget to protect their profits. These faux pas away when the market starts down and their broker says, “Don’t worry. The market always come ups back”. If the investor did not learn to protect his assets from the 2000 fiasco he is doomed to lose again. What should he do?

He should protect his investing account with stop-loss orders on all pillory and mental Michigan for all common funds. Brokers detest this and will seek to speak their clients out of doing it. Why? Because he do a committee as long as you are invested and nil if you have got cash inch your money market.

It is better to do 1% in a money market than lose 20% Oregon more than of the rule as the market caputs south. You don’t have got to be a market “expert” to put a stop. Decide how much hazard you are will to take 5%, 10%, 15%? And topographic point your halt accordingly.

When this bear come ups out of his cave don’t allow him seize with teeth you – you cognize where.

Stock Picks 101 How to Become a Successful Trader By Treating Your Trading Activities as a Business

Trading should be treated like any other business; that is, you are trying to maximize your return on investment. In trading, your "inventory" is the cash balance of your brokerage account. Using this cash balance, you try to "manufacture" a return on your investment.

Of course, to begin with, you need to have experience recognizing profitable trading situations. Unfortunately, there is no good way to do this in the real world other than to have enough trades under your belt to gain that experience. Therefore, it's highly recommended that you practice trading using a virtual account, or play account, before you go "live." Most brokerages provide such "play" accounts. Like any business, you want to make sure you have the basic techniques of the business down before you dive into it.

Fair warning: if you start trading with real money before you have a good, solid feel for your unique trading style, it is quite possible you'll lose your entire "inventory" (that is to say, cash balance), before you have developed enough expertise to be successful. Although everyone is different, typically it takes hundreds, even thousands, of trades before you can expect to develop real expertise. Depending on trading style, this will usually take months, if not years, to achieve.

Therefore, one of your initial investments needs to be the time to come up the learning curve before you actually put real money to work for you. Otherwise you will be in danger of failing before you even have a chance to really become successful.

Before you enter a trade you should have a clear idea of the risk-reward ratio and the potential return on your trade. Of course, because you are dealing with a statistical process with many unknowns, you will need to make educated guesses as to what this potential risk-reward ratio might be. This presumes you have a certain level of expertise at calculating risk-reward ratios. In most cases, again, this can only be achieved through experience.

Another important aspect of any business is proper record keeping and performance evaluation. Again, fair warning: if you're not keeping a trade diary that includes all the particulars about when you entered the trade, how many contracts or shares you bought, the reason for entering the trade and the outcome of the trade, you're setting yourself up for failure. It's also extremely helpful to make notes about your psychological and physical state as you enter trades; that is to say, are you refreshed, are you tired, are you in an upbeat mood, are you concerned or in a pessimistic mood? All these factors should be carefully noted.

Later, as you go back over your trading diary and evaluate performance, you may notice that there are certain conditions under which you simply should not be trading. This information is invaluable. You may also find that there are certain trading intervals and types of trades that you do better at than others. This should also shape your trading plan. You may also find that you do better with some trading vehicles than with others. Some people are naturals at stock picks; others do better with options. Or you may be a futures or a forex kind of person.

Trading is a very difficult profession because you're constantly dealing with a large number of unknowns. Dealing with conflicting and contradictory information is inherently stressful. The more you can do to minimize your stress, the higher your chance of succeeding before you're inclined to give up, or before you lose your trading account.

Another thing to keep in mind is that trading can be a very solitary activity. You may want to find a select group of other traders to either physically or, more likely, virtually meet over the internet. This should be a group you feel comfortable with bouncing ideas around and with whom you can generally develop camaraderie. Being a member of such a group helps tremendously with maintaining your perspective and making sure you don't get lost in a funk. Keep in mind that we are indeed social beings and that working alone may not be good for your mental health.

If you keep the foregoing tips in mind as you begin your trading career, the chances of being successful in it increase immeasurably. You need all the advantages you can get when you start trading so you have the highest chance of succeeding.

However, the rewards of being a successful trader are what make it all worthwhile. You will have the flexibility of working from whatever location you choose as long as it's conducive to a trading mindset. This can make trading a dream of a profession. Paradoxically, you can gain security by trading on the uncertainty of others.

Best of luck in your chosen career of being a trader.

5 Key Personal Finance Problems - Which One Do You Want to Overcome?

You can take control of your personal finances by applying the lessons listed below.

Problem #1. Spending Without Knowing Your Limits

As in business, you will not last long financially if you spend without regard to your income. Knowing your spending limits is not hard to do. Just find the answers to these 4 easy questions:

Question #1. What is my take-home income per pay? (that is your total income less taxes)

Question #2. What do I need to spend to live?

Question #3. What is the difference after taking spending from income?

Question #4. Can I save enough for my future from the answer in Question #3?

There are many tools to help you gain answers to these questions. You can find many on the Internet. Helpful Hint: Find one that helps you set your savings targets, checks your ability to meet the targets and then shows your progress towards your goals.

Problem #2. Spending Without Setting Savings Targets

It's OK to spend to the limits of your income but that does not provide you with any buffer for urgent purchases, or protect you from a financial emergency. Urgent purchases could be renewing a broken fridge or stove, calling a plumber to fix a broken pipe or having to spend for major car repairs. Financial emergencies could be temporary loss of income or hospitalization of a family member. How would you survive financially in any of these situations?

You can begin to save today, it's easy. What if you went without your bought lunch each day at work? That saves you $1,000 per year on $5/day. What if you reduced your Starbuck's coffee by 1 each working day? That's another $1,000 per year on $5/day. Just those two amounts alone can mean a holiday for you, the beginnings of a savings plan, or an emergency buffer.

If you set a target of 10% of your take-home pay each payday that would be a good start. If you think creatively, you are sure to come up with ways to achieve this. Think of the peace of mind that would bring.

Problem #3. Spending Without Knowing How to Save

There are many easy ways for you to save money that allow you the freedom to spend when you see something you really want. Some of these are:

1. Don't buy on impulse. Ask yourself 2 or 3 times "Do I really NEED this?" before you buy. If you cannot answer with a resounding "YES " let it go.

2. Don't buy things JUST because they are on sale. Only buy things you need. If you do need them wait a few weeks the price may fall even further.

3. Don't buy the latest fashion items at the height of the season. Just wait a while. The prices usually reduce.

4. Don't compare yourself with others and what they have. They may have purchased making the same finance mistakes as you.

5. Set yourself a savings target. Put this money aside each payday BEFORE spending any of your pay.

Problem #4. Spending Without Feeling Satisfied

Spending can leave you feeling pretty shallow and unrewarded when you purchase on a whim or fancy when you really know you cannot afford the item. What's more you may not even use it. What a waste!

To really FEEL GOOD ABOUT SHOPPING and spending you need to know these 4 things:

1. My budget allows me the freedom to purchase this item

2. I have the cash put away already for this purchase (even though I will use my credit card for the transaction).

3. This purchase is something that I really want and will use.

4. I have purchased this item at the best possible price, saving as much as I can.

Problem #5. Spending Without Caring About Your Future

Unless you are planning for your future and financial security, you cannot be really happy. There are always worries lurking in your mind about how you would survive in a financial emergency if you have no savings. It can be very rewarding to see how quickly your savings multiply over time with only a small investment each payday.

Did you know that by saving just $5 every day this would grow into $1,867 in 12 months at 5% interest and then it grows into a whopping $10,343 in 5 years? Isn't your future worth investing in?

Why not start to overcome your personal finance problems today? Looking back you'll be so glad you did!

If you click on the links below you will be taken to a great budget solution. It helps you set your savings targets, checks your ability to meet the targets and then shows your progress towards your goals.

Stock and Fund Dividends

When is a dividend not a dividend?

The up-to-the-minute thing “conservative”
brokers are preaching these years is to purchase stocks
that wage dividends. Everyone wishes dividends. I
cognize I do, but when Wall Street states me something
I am automatically leery because they lie to
me every day. Are this a new scam? Let’s take a
look.

When you purchase a chemical bond or a cadmium at the
bank it pays interest and is a existent dividend. You
might get a check every month, one-fourth or annually
or have a credit to your account. The amount of
your rule (what you paid for it) stays the
same. Yes, that is a true dividend.

Companies do large splashes about
raising their dividend. It was 50 cents per share,
but we have got raised it to $1.00. Big deal. Yes, you
will have a check and at least you cognize the
company have cash available to pay you. That is an
indicant the company is in good financial
condition, but there have got got got been many of the big
name calling on the New York Stock Exchange that have continued dividends
even when they have lost money. How can that be?

Currently Microsoft have announced a
dividend of $3.00 per share. The talking caputs on
CNBC-TV state us they are loaded with cash and want
to administer it to their stockholders. Many
people purchase the stock in expectancy of the
dividend as they believe they will be getting an
extra $3.00 per share. They are in for a big
surprise.

The twenty-four hours that dividend is paid
Microsoft stock (symbol MSFT) will automatically
drop $3.00 per share. Today $27.00; tomorrow
$24.00. Folks, this is NOT a dividend. This is a
statistical distribution of capital. You are being paid in
your ain asset. The sap that believes the Wall
Street mumbo-jumbo volition not have got one extra penny
after the dividend than he did before. In fact he
will have got less. Why?

The stockholder will now be allowed to
pay income tax on the “dividend” distribution. To
do that “dividend” look even better the Bush
disposal have reduced dividend taxes from
38.6% to 15%. Thanks, Mr. Bush. Thanks for
nothing. I can’t incrimination him for more than Maul Street
fume and mirrors. He have just made it cost less
to get back your ain money.

Companies seldom pay large dividends
and they are paid quarterly. A $30 stock that pays
a 4% dividend ($1.20) on a quarterly footing shows a
lessening in the stock terms that twenty-four hours of 30 cents
per share and is lost in the noise of trading. Few
notice that portion of the terms change is owed to the
“dividend”.

When you have the stock of any company
the most of import criteria is to happen one that is
in a long term upward trend. Never purchase a stock
that is showing a diminution no matter how “good” the
company may be. Even sideways motions should be
avoided. Keep in head you are buying the stock to
do money. Forget the dividends and all other
“reasons” and retrieve if it isn’t going up, don’t
bargain it!

Rebalance And Diversify

The stock market has not been very kind to your investments lately. Your broker knows this so you may have received a call from him suggesting it is time to 'rebalance and diversify' your portfolio.

What does this really mean? He wants you to sell some of your holdings and buy something else. Probably sell stocks and buy bonds "because of market uncertainty". Sounds good, but it really means he needs some commission and you are "it". Yes, I agree it may be time to sell all your stocks and mutual funds and put everything in a money market account until this bear market is over. Your broker doesn't like money market funds because he doesn't make any commission. That may be why he never recommends them.

Rebalance doesn't have any true stock market meaning. It is one of those Wall Street words they use to confuse you. It sounds good, but that's all.

Diversify is another broker and financial planner favorite. Have part of your money in stocks, some in mutual funds, bonds and maybe 5% in a money market so you can take advantage of an initial public offering when a new one comes along. Yeah! Now let's try the true meaning of diversify: put some here, put some there and a little there (and all of this does generate commission, of course) because I really don't know what to do so we will spread it around and hope for the best.

No, I don't hate your broker or financial planner. It is just that I know they have not been trained to protect your capital or how to make money. How do I know that? I used to own a brokerage company and I know how these guys consistently lose their customers and their own money. Yes, they even do it to themselves. That's how dumb they are.

If you have lost money this year in your nice "safe" mutual fund you are not alone. Did you know that 99% of all stock mutual funds have a loss? Scary isn't it. Is there any thing you could have done to have protected your capital from a major loss? Yes there is.

For example, in 1998 you could have bought Janus 20 mutual fund for about $40/share. You and several hundred thousand others did. All of you watched as it went up to $94/share. Wonderful! Uh oh, it is now selling for $35. If you had been told by your broker (and you weren't) that it is a good policy to protect your profits with a mental stop-loss order of about 10% you could have sold out at about $80/share, but you are in for the long haul and you are a conservative investor so you won't sell.

The term conservative investor is an oxymoron. There is no such thing when you have your money on the line. You are a speculator. It happens to be that you are a long-term speculator. And they get just as burned as the day traders. It just takes longer.

Don't fall for the nonsense of rebalancing and diversifying. When one of your holdings starts down more than 10% just sell out. You want to diversify and rebalance into cash until this bear market is over.

Hill of Hope

Just about now everyone is confused as to which manner the stock market is going to travel - up or down. For the past 3 old age it have got been headed south, but the Wall Street experts have told us that the market never travels down 4 old age in a row so this have to be an up year. But no guarantees.

The old expression is that the stock market climb ups a wall of worry. We watch crisp moves up followed by days, sometimes hebdomads of failing and then another shot to higher prices. From 1982 to 2000 this went on until we absolutely, positively knew it was going to go on forever. The current mentality is you can't lose if you just "hang in there". Mr. Average-stockholder have lost about 50% of his money so far and have chewed his fingernails to the nub. Now what?

I trust you don't need a house to fall on you to recognize we are in a long-term bear market, one that could endure for years. In a bear market the action is exactly opposite what you see in a bull market - crisp diminutions followed by slow agonising mass meetings that don't quite do it back to the former high prices. This is called climbing the Hill of Hope. This is a slippy hill to which you will not do it to the top. Hope is the most expensive word in an investor's lexicon.

The smartest (?) analysts (?) and talking caputs on television go on to state us the market always come ups back - if you dwell long enough. They neglect to state you that every bull market is followed by a bear market of about equal length. This last bull ended after 18 old age and if rhythms repetition we have got 15 more than old age of the downward way to follow. I cognize - "this clip it is different". Let's hope so, but I don't desire to have got my money on hope.

The DOW Industrial Index have been down 3 old age in a row and only once in history have it gone down 4 modern times to newer lows. Did you cognize that the DOW Transportation Index have been down 5 old age straight? Can there possibly be a 6th year? Your reply is as good as mine.

There have recently been some settlement of common finances from 401Ks and IRAs, but the amount is small. It have been reported that there is about 3 trillion (with a T) in common funds. The talking caputs talk of 10 and 20 billion departure the so-called "safe haven". As a percentage of entire assets this is a spit. One of these years not too far in the hereafter (probably this year) investors will suddenly get the thought to head for the door. And they all expression to make it about the same clip like lemmings headed over the cliff.

This volition look like a major underside in the market - and it might be if the P/E ratio can get down to around
10 or less. Until it makes they will still be trying, unsuccessfully, to climb up that Hill of Hope.

The Golden Goose is Sick

It is finally catching up with them. The brokerage companies I mean. For old age they have got been eating bad nutrient to their flock and now the flock is rebelling. The client have been low adult male on the totem pole for too long. That nutrient have been the disinformation that have caused clients to lose large sums of money of money.

Last twelvemonth there were 33,000 brokerage company recommendations for thousands of stocks. Things like Strong Buy, Buy, Long Term Buy, Outperform, Underperform, Neutral, and Hold. The 1 word that was missing was Sell. Of those thousands of messages sent to their clients only 125 were Sell. Something is very seriously incorrect here. While the market was going up in 1999 the so-called analysts whose occupation it is to calculate out if the company is a bargain campaigner were telling you to purchase everything in sight. Anyone could have got used a dart and thrown it at the long listing of pillory in the newspaper and hit a victor almost every time.

What happened to the in-depth analysis of the brokerage company geniuses when these same pillory started down. I cognize - Hold. They name it Buy and Hold, but I name it Buy and Prey. In 2000 over 1,000 pillory on the Nasdaq lost more than than 90% of their value and today many of those companies have got gone under. Why were you not notified and told to sell? Because the brokerage companies were making more than money doing Initial Populace Offerings (IPO) than they were making committees on your trading.

To state the naughty word "Sell" would have got got made company executive directors huffy and they would not have given the brokerage company a shot at their adjacent Initial Populace Offering (IPO). To heck with the customer; he doesn't count. There are cases where analysts were fired because they told clients to sell out.

Now that the moneymaking initial public offering market have got dried up maybe the brokerage companies will get to recognize they have a fiducial duty to their customers. Hundreds of thousands of customers' accounts have got lost 40%, 50% and more than of their equity. If the short-sighted brokers had protected these accounts they would have got 100s of billions of extra dollars left so the client could merchandise again which would intend billions more in committees for the house. Now the dollar cost averaging technique is left with no dollars to invest.

Customers are afraid to set more than money in the stock market because they have got been so badly abused. They cognize something is wrong, but they don't cognize what so they wisely throw onto their money and decline to pour more than into losing propositions. Brokers desire the clients to purchase pillory and not set their dollars into a money market account where they do no commission.

The golden goose have got lost quite a few pounds, but let's trust the brokerage companies have learned that by treating clients with regard and eating them properly will convey them greater rewards.

Bad Credit Loan Scams - Don't Send Money Upfront

It's important for consumers to understand that though a fee can be asked for certain financial services, you should never be asked for money upfront for an actual loan.

These unscrupulous subjects and their practices cause a great damage to consumers and to the financial industry as well. The trustworthiness of legit online lenders and other companies that provide financial services like intermediation gets harmed by these practices. There are however some tips that can help you identify a scam from a legit bad credit lender or online financial intermediary.

Money Down? Money Upfront?

There are only certain loans that can require you to put money down. However, that amount is never handed over to the lender but to the seller of the property (real estate, vehicle, etc,) that you are planning to purchase with the money you obtain from the bad credit loan. This amount required as a down payment, only limits the percentage of the purchase price you'll receive from the lender.

As regards to money upfront, you should NEVER provide any amount to the lender because any cost or fee can be included in the bad credit loan and thus it makes no sense to ask for money in order to provide money. If you run into a lender (not intermediaries that usually charge small fees upfront and are completely legit) asking for money for insurance or security in order to provide finance, chances are that you are facing a scam (not intermediaries that usually charge small fees upfront and are completely legit).

How About Intermediaries?

There are many online companies that offer intermediary services providing access to lenders and other financial services. Some of these companies do charge a small fee for their services and are completely legit. This practice is legal because the company is not actually offering a bad credit loan but intermediary services and thus it's perfectly lawful to charge for them small amounts.

What these companies actually do is gather plenty of information regarding different lenders and offer it to clients through a web portal. They may also provide some guidance as to which loan type should someone look for according to the needs and qualifications that he or she possesses. It's time saving and also money saving; thus, it's perfectly reasonable to charge a fee but remember that only for intermediary services and not for providing an actual loan.

Tips To Know If You Are Facing A Scam

There are things that can tell you whether an offer is a scam or not. For example, if you receive an email, phone call or are taken to a web page where you are asked to send money as a security or deposit for a bad credit loan, chances are that you are facing a scam. And the payment method chosen will immediately confirm you this fact.

If you are required to send the money in cash through post, money order or other services you need to doubt about their legitimacy immediately. On the other hand, most bad credit loan intermediaries who are legit online merchants will offer as payment methods online services like Paypal.com or Credit Cards which can protect you from scams through their customer protection programs and the ability to get your money back through them.

Free Online Debt Consolidation Quote – Get Free Estimates For Debt Solutions

Popularity of free debt consolidation services and growing demands for free online debt consolidation quote indicate that more and more people are reeling under the pressure of mounting debts. Easy accessibility to debt consolidation companies on the Internet has to a great extent eased the pressure of people looking for debt consolidation help.

Is Free Debt Consolidation Really Free?

One more factor which needs to be mentioned while discussing the ever increasing demand and need for debt consolidation - a much talked about topic is the prefix Free added to many of these services. After all, we all are enticed by the term 'free' when it is attached to a very useful service, such as debt consolidation. In this regard, consumers must be aware of the fact that like everything else, a non profit debt consolidation industry offering free debt consolidation help has its share of flaws. Therefore, users should be familiar to the nature of these debt consolidation companies, services offered by these debt consolidation companies and also the services included and excluded from the list of free debt consolidation and the free online debt consolidation quote.

When Do You Need Free Debt Consolidation Help?

When your debt level is on the rise and has also exceeded the limit of your affordability, would you opt for anything that may charge you with high fees? Certainly not! Right? But, you can instantly plunge into the same services when offered 'free'. Won't you? This is the reason, people who step back from for- profit company providing debt consolidation loan or services; do not think twice for signing in with a non-profit company.

Companies that offer free online debt consolidation quote are generally funded by local and national level companies. There are also those non-profit entities that have been sponsored by Federal or State Funding Associations. With the advent of Internet, now you can access as many of online debt consolidation companies and select the right company as per your needs and debt situation. Most of the online debt consolidation services offer quick and online application for a loan or other debt reduction, debt management, debt negotiation or debt consolidation programs. Tell them your income, total accumulated debt amounts, monthly expenses etc., to get a tailor-made and free online debt consolidation quote for you.

When you have located such company, you can take help for spotting a suitable loan to clear all the dues with a free online debt consolidation quote. With a debt consolidation loan, you only take responsibility of a single debt account. Well, there are more benefits you will have for using these services. If you are hesitating to confront your creditors, let these professionals to do it on your behalf and reduce your debt to an easily payable amount. Most of the non profit organizations will do it for free. They require you to sign up and deposit them an amount that will be used to pay back your creditors. Yes, now you can pay an amount one time and transfer your headaches and duty of payments to these companies. Some would also help you to get an affordable debt consolidation loan on easy terms if you cannot make a bullet payment.

Good News?

As the adult male said, "I've got some good intelligence and I've got some bad news. What make you desire to hear first?" It was replied, "Tell me the good intelligence first". The good intelligence is that they are going to do some changes in the common monetary fund industry reporting to assist the investor and the bad intelligence is it isn't going to do any difference in your underside line.

It looks that us small investors are getting the usual window dressing to do it look that we are getting a good deal, but when you travel in the shop to seek on the wares it still doesn't suit any better.

Here is what the Securities and Exchange Committee passed as a new ordinance for registered common funds. Instead of 50% of the Board of Directors being from outside the company they now must choose 75% from outside the company. Can anyone state me what difference that is going to make? The cats who have the monetary fund will pick people who are friendly to their goals. Volition they care any more than for the investors than they make now? Window dressing.

One new ordinance I make hold should assist a small (but very little) is the demand to supply more than information to shareholders about their contracts with investing advisors and how they are approved. Big deal. The common monetary fund industry said this volition rise their costs. How? They have got the information. All they have got to make is add it to their prospectus. Also retrieve that the course catalog was written for the Dilbert lawyers at the second to ran into the ordinances and not to give you apprehensible information.

Do you retrieve what happened to your finances from 2000 to 2003? Most investors lost from 40% to 60% of their money. Let's hope they don't engage back those same analysts again, but they probably will. Just their contracts will be different. It is dubious their consequences will change.

Furthermore these new fantastic, fantastic regulations (sic) will not travel into consequence for 18 months. I think as one of the 95 million common monetary monetary fund proprietors I will have got to wait, but I'm not going to throw my breath.

What I did not hear from the second was that common fund managers should be paid on public presentation of how well they make with your money. Now they get paid by how much money they have got or can get and maintain in the fund. Sounds backwards to me. See if you can get your broker to return all committees if your monetary fund makes not do money. Don't throw your breath on this 1 either.

Eighteen calendar months from now investors are going to experience a batch better when all that good intelligence travels into effect. Yeah.