Friday, September 21, 2007

Top Ten Investment Mistakes

1. Lacking an investment plan a/k/a/ Don't take a trip without packing the map. A pre-planned asset allocation generates positive results and eliminates emotional panic selling.

2. Buying cheap stocks a/k/a Road crews erect "Dead End" signs for a reason. Most stocks with low share prices also arrive at the bottom for a reason. There must be institutional interest to influence price, and many won't even glance at stocks below $8 or $10.

3. Purchasing story stocks a/k/a A good fable lulls a child to sleep. Don't get taken by compelling story stocks. The plots include a cure for cancer, a big oil strike or a revolutionary invention. Such promising stories rarely prove true. If the story materializes, the company will still be a buy.

4. Selling your winners a/k/a You gotta know when to hold em. Don't sell your winners. These companies combine outstanding management, product and cash flow, creating steady growth for years. Holding these companies for the long run will compensate for other investing mistakes. In fact, one or two big winners can create real wealth.

5. Holding onto a peaked stock a/k/a Trees don't reach to the heavens, and companies don't continue growth beyond reason. Top companies peak for reasons such as attrition of top management or competition. Systematic pruning will help you avoid a rotting, unhealthy investment.

6. Under diversification a/k/a Ideas are good, but a mind full of them is better. Resist the urge to rely on a few stocks that you know. Lack of portfolio diversification leads to erratic and volatile returns, and owning several companies in the same industry also isn't diversification. The best investment results happen by investing in leading companies across various industries.

7. Over diversification a/k/a A portfolio stretched like an old T-shirt won't help an investor benefit from their insight. You don't create diversification by spreading yourself too thin. Although a mind full of ideas is good, ideas acted upon on a whim waste good thoughts.

8. Over trading a/k/a Replanting a garden every week won't produce high-quality tomatoes. Don't follow market noise and bounce from sector to sector or theme to theme. This prevents investors from enjoying the rewards of a long-term winner. Give stocks enough time to mature and compound.

9. Too much margin a/k/a Living on borrowed time brings a rush of excitement, but its a quick trip when time expires. Don't underestimate the damage margin can create. The relatively low cost and ease of obtaining leverage takes investors down a dangerous path. When a portfolio on margin declines rapidly, it can catch even experienced investors off guard.

10. Too many options a/k/a In life theres always options, (but timing makes the difference). When you buy options, you must be right and use impeccable timing. Options allow an investor to use leverage and control more shares but there are relatively high spreads involved in trading them. Many times investors lose money on their transaction even after they followed correct assumptions.

Mr. Kimmel is a private money manager and the author of Magnet Investing, build a portfolio and pick winning stocks using your home computer. His methodology was the subject of a Forbes Magazine article (June, 2004).

Barbara Kimmel is an award winning publisher and publicist at Next Decade, Inc. (http://www.nextdecade.com).

Wall Street to Main Street: News, Views and Commentary: December 13, 2005

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is without a doubt the 800 pound gorilla in the business world, from computer software to video games, they have dominated. For the past few years they pretty much sat on the sidelines in the Internet industry, not really making that their main focus, but all of that has changed.

The company is very much so focused on search engine technology and paid advertising, they have begun to go head to head with Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) on that level. They are now looking to rain on Yahoos(NASDAQ: YHOO) and eBays (NASDQ: EBAY) parade as they enter the Internet phone business. Being strategic, Microsoft has aligned themselves with MCI who soon will be under the umbrella of Verizon (NYSE:VZ).

So now that Microsoft has become a real player in the Internet game things should not only heat up but become more advanced. Google is still a great situation to be in and we are not diverting from that, 2006 should be a great year for the company as they add more services for their visitors, more options for their advertising clients and increase their reach.

Microsoft is becoming intriguing, they have their hands in all the right things. From expanding abroad to going after the Internet giants with new services and a potential deal with Time Warners (NYSE: TWX) America Online. So the growth for Microsoft has not hit a plateau, this looks to be a rebirth of sorts, look for 2006 to be very interesting in the Internet Industry.

I know that we touch on Seamless Wi-Fi (OTCBB: SLWF) in yesterdays segment but since we are on the subject of the Internet, we need to make mention of how this company fits into the overall picture.

Microsoft is not making their intentions a secret, they know where the money is. Its in search engine advertising, the more they enhance the services that they provide to their members and visitors the more visitors that will receive. More visitors equals higher advertising revenue and this goes for Yahoo and Google as well. Now as they do the 100 yard dash down the information super highway they are making Internet technology advance rapidly. Now why are we mentioning something that is a no brainer, well as they advance this technology it will make more businesses mobile. It has already begun to open the doors to global business, which means more people will be using the Internet to conduct business both in and out of the office. They are starting to move from cables to wireless, and that means these companies will need to provide a secure way for their employees to access both the Internet and their Intranet network.

Seamless has the technology that allows a business to be in a totally secure wireless environment, a person can walk around with their laptop from office to office without the worry of that information being hijacked. The price at this point does not reflect what the company has as of yet, they have not received the media attention because they have kept a relatively low profile. So we will continue to follow this stock as companies like Microsoft, Yahoo and Google make the advances in the Internet industry that will draw more interest to Wireless Internet/Intranet security.

General Motors (NYSE: GM) is just having a bad time, from downgrades to rumors of the company going bankrupt. All that needs to be said at this point is that GMs CEO Rick Wagoner needs to focus on the shareholders and not the board nor himself. The company needs someone involved that has a history of success in the automotive industry, Kerkorian offered that and as of now it has not happened. According to reports Wagoner has the board behind him but what does that do for the shareholders? , if they get thrown into bankruptcy it will be damaging to shareholder equity. So until GM puts someone in play that can turn the company around they will continue to spiral out of control. The street is brutal, as we have said time and time again, so they should expect to get kicked when they are down.

Yesterday, NAMC Newswire correspondent Peter Farrell reported that the biggest takeover in the Natural Gas industry could happen and it looks like it is. ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is lined up to acquire natural gas producer Burlington Resources Inc. (NYSE: BR) for a price tag of over $35 billion. This will make it the biggest deal in the Natural Gas industry since Chevron (NYSE: CVX) acquired Texaco.

Now, just today, Jonathan Jacoby of Banc of America downgraded Sirius Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) from a Neutral to a Sell while raising their price target for XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: XMSR). Jacoby is off target and I think that he is not looking at the big picture. Both companies have not even tap their potential, the satellite radio industry is just beginning to develop, similar to the internet industry when it was evolving and continues to evolve. The difference is that right now there are only two players in the game and one has locked up the automobile market while the other has the retail market wide open. Even though the arrival of Howard Stern is much anticipated, I really doubt that he is the end all of Sirius. He does add value but Mel Karmazin is a smart businessman and he is not solely banking on the success of Sirius on Stern. So we are ignoring Jacobys downgrade and do agree with his target on XM Satellite. As we stated 2006 will be the catapult year for the company. Keep it on your stock watch.

Information contained herein is the opinion of Louis Victor and is intended to be used strictly for informational purposes. You should be aware that Mr. Victor attempts to assure himself of the accuracy of the information contained in the analyses he publishes. None of the information contained in this opinion constitutes a recommendation by Mr. Victor, New Age Media Concepts nor the NAMC Newswire that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. You must make your own independent decisions regarding any security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy mentioned on the program. The companies that are discussed in this opinion have not approved the statements made in this opinion Louis Victors past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Neither Mr. Victor, New Age Media Concepts nor the NAMC Newswire guarantees any specific outcome or profit, and you should be aware of the real risk of loss in following any strategy or Investments Opinion posted here. This opinion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. This material is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell securities. The strategy or investments discussed may fluctuate in price or value and you may get back less than you invested. Before acting on any information contained here, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and strongly consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment advisor. Louis Victor, New Age Media Concepts nor the NAMC Newswire are not licensed brokers, broker dealers, market makers, investment advisors, analyst or underwriters

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Louis Victor NAMC Newswire 888-463-9237

Buying a Bank Certificate of Deposit - The Advantages and Disadvantages of Certificate of Deposits

In the World of Finance, A CD does not mean a compact disc; it stands for a certificate of deposit. Thus, if you manage to buy a CD through savings and loans or through banks that is worth a certain amount of money, then the bank will be paying you in return a specific interest rate for a certain time. Consequently, if you buy a thirty-month CD, you may get a 3%, which is equivalent to $5000. Although a bank might not issue CDs for less than $1000, this is not the case all the time. Usually there are no requirements for issuing CDs.

You are free to choose when to get your interest, whether annually, quarterly or monthly, or even with the maturity of the CD. Just take care that whatever your interest is, it will never be added to your original amount of the CD. This stands in open contrast to a normal savings account. Nevertheless, you can choose to be paid by check or to have your earned interest deposited in a new account.

It is preferable not to redeem your CD before the maturity date agreed upon. If you cash earlier than agreed upon, you might lose 3 to 6 months of interest payments; such a penalty is known as the penalty for early withdrawal.

One of the advantages of CDs is their being insured by the government (usually the FDIC program) and this is because they are certificates issued by banks. In other words, buying CDs is a risk-free investment.

Another advantage is the freedom to buy and sell your CDs just like any bond or stock, for example, through a brokerage house. By selling your CD this way, you will avoid the penalty payment.

You should also put into your consideration that CDs usually come with a minimum, mostly $5000 and they must have round numbers (multiples of 1000).

Discover the secrets to the best certificate of deposit rate when you visit http://www.tradingsphere.com - the premiere online trading portal on stock market trading tips and resouces

Forex Trading - Forex - Foreign Currency Trading and Exchange with Confidence

Forex Trading System with a few hundred dollars allows you to make incredible returns and spend less than 8 hours per month in the market! One 8 hour day at your current job versus forex trading for 8 hours spread over one month and you could be on your way to a new life, financially speaking. What would you do with more money than you could ever make now at your present job?

Forex trading allows you to consistently predict which direction the market is heading on days when financial news is announced. Learn how banks and financial institutions always know and always profit from the currency market. Most individual traders play a dangerous guessing game often on the wrong side of making a profit!

The Institutional Forex System is designed to make money no matter what direction price moves. This is as close to a guarantee as you can get in the financial markets and it completely eliminates the greed and human emotion of trading. This is how large corporations, banks and financial institutions trade the forex.

Forex Trading with the right tools can show you that only 3 days a month, an individual currency trader can expect a 10 to 30 percent profit margin, every single month. Can you think of anywhere else on the planet, where you can expect and receive that type of profit regardless of how much or how little you invest? Institutional Forex is not found anywhere for free, so don't go do a research or review check on it. This is not guess work or high sales pitch stuff, this is the tools that thousands of successful currency traders use to always come out ahead. How many banks do you know that lose money?

With Forex Trading you have the ability to trade 24/7, the market is always open. We're talking about a market of global scale and business activity that never ceases. It's the Las Vegas on a world scale. The players are always ready to trade and make money, if you have what it takes and the right tools to assure yourself of the profits institutional forex provides. You will not find a more exciting and faster moving market than the FOREX market. The Forex market has become the world's largest financial market with over 1.5 trillion USD traded daily. Forex is part of the bank-to-bank currency market known as the 24 hour Interbank Market.

Until recently the forex trading was limited to those who could afford to place large amounts of money down, like the world banks, and trade currencies on the world market. Now it's available to the little guy to get the same returns on their money as well. Don't think for a minute that you can't improve your net worth with your smaller investment capabilities, you can.

Learn more about forex trading systems:

Jim is an online writer that has a level of follower readers eager to see what is current and profitable to their individual stakes in online and offline business ventures. Today he is discussing forex trading, a highly profitable market for those in the know.

http://justaskchip.com/forex-foreign-currency-trading-exchange.htm

Psychic? Use Your Most Important Life and Business Skill

Intuition is an inner knowing. The word intuition is derived from the Latin intueri which means to see within. Intuition is natural - everyone is born with it. It is a spiritual gift - that sometimes still, small voice of love and wisdom that guides YOU in the direction of your highest good. Intuition is your sixth sense and your most important one - It transcends your other senses and includes information from all of your senses, all you have ever learned, plus wisdom and guidance from sources you are not even be aware of.

Intuition is also an experience that almost always has a physical component to it. Sometimes intuition comes as a hunch, or a gut feeling about something. I get what I call "niggles," little niggles that are ever so gently pulling me toward something. Niggles tend to keep coming back for awhile, while a hunch may be of the moment. Other experiences may be a tickle in your throat or some sensation in your body - an inner knowing is felt. You might also notice your energy increasing or decreasing, feel as if you are opening up or shutting down. All of these experiences are telling you something, offering wisdom and guidance in some direction.

And intuition is a skill. It is a skill in that it gets stronger the more you use it. Using intuition means listening to it and following its guidance. This next statement is important: Intuition is not supposed to be reasonable. So it's really best to simply go with it, take some action on it without trying to figure it out. If the purpose is not immediately apparent, it will be. Developing a strong partnership between your intuition and your thinking mind will enrich your life and work beyond any current measure. When someone asked Einstein the secret to his success he said, "It is the result of intuition, an inner knowing."

USING INTUITION IN YOUR BUSINESS

Intuition is a highly evolved business skill that can greatly assist your success. Intuition is most powerful when you first notice it - that is most often the time to take action. Fast Company Magazine has called "acting on intuition" the number one trend that will change the way we work and live.

Making decisions is one key area in which entrepreneurs can benefit from intuition. Highly successful CEOs regularly use intuition when making major decisions. Entrepreneurs and business professionals are faced with making decisions every day, often without having all the facts. Intuition accesses an infinite supply of information and wisdom. Following the guidance and wisdom of your intuition can shift you from indecisiveness, uncertainty, or worry to confidence in making decisions that will enhance the quality of your services and products, your ease of operating and your profits.

Another key area where intuition can be effectively used is in connection with prospective clients. Most of you, in retrospect, can probably identify intuitive experiences when first meeting potential clients. You've probably had at least one experience of knowing right away that a prospective client was not right but took them on anyway. Or maybe you've unconsciously followed your intuition with such prospects by not returning their phone calls or following up leads. It takes courage to turn away clients, especially when you are in a building phase of your business. It also takes trust. Both courage and trusting your intuition will serve you, your business and the other person.

FITNESS AND RELATIONSHIP TRAINING FOR INTUITION

Intuition is an innate gift. However, if it doesn't feel natural to you just yet, take some time to get to know your intuition. There are a few simple ways you can create an intimate relationship with it. You'll think of more as you go along.

1.Relax - intuition happens. Relaxation creates an ideal condition for intuition.

2.Meditate - a meditative state is a very receptive state.

3.Ask for intuitive messages at highly receptive times such as a) before going to sleep, b) before meditation and c) before journaling.

4.Spend time in nature - nature flourishes from the guidance of its own inner wisdom and primes you to tap into your own.

5.Use your imagination consciously - it has been said to be the playground for intuition.

6.Pause for regular intuitive check-ins with yourself.

7.Develop an intimate relationship with your body - intuition most always has a physical component.

8.Keep an intuition journal - keep track of your hunches, nudges and intuitive awareness; also keep track of which ones you acted on and which ones you didn't and notice the results.

FORMULA FOR INTUITIVE SUCCESS

Decide! Expect! Trust! Act!

Make a decision to be intuitive - it's simply choosing to use a powerful gift that you already have! Expect intuition! When you expect intuition, you can relax and let it happen, and it will. Trust your intuition, even if you don't initially understand it. The more you trust your intuition, and that it is always in your best interest, the more it will come around. Act! Acting on your intuition is evidence of your trust. It's your part of the relationship. Over time, it becomes second nature. And you will come to see the benefits of following the guidance and wisdom of your intuition.

Your intuition is a delicious gift, a spiritual muscle, a skill, and it is the most natural thing in the world. Using your intuition as a way of life and as a way of business will transform both into rich and thriving experiences. When we rely on the guidance and wisdom of our intuition, life takes on an effortless quality, and we find ourselves in harmony with others and the circumstances and events in our lives - we are in the flow of life!

Reggie Odom LICSW, CPCC, PCC, founder of Inspired Works, is known as the Passion and Authenticity Coach. She is a lecturer at the Simmons College School of Social Work and faculty member of the National Institute of Whole Health. Reggie is considered a master teacher and unforgettable speaker. She inspires and empowers professionals and solopreneurs to create a passionate, authentic life and business! She can be contacted at (617)524-6153, reggie@reggieodom.com, or you can visit her web site at http://www.reggieodom.com

Forex Trading - The Untold Secrets Of Forex Trading

Forex trading is a system developed to allow people to trade currencies in the various markets. For example if you bet $100 on the Yen to go up and it does, you make money. It has become incredibly popular over the last few years not because of its tranquility but because of its volatile nature. Seems sort of strange, but there is a good reason for it.

A volatile market can only mean one thing a series of large spikes both up and down. This means the gains are much higher than in any other form of online trading and it's not strange to see traders making up to 100 times the amount they initially invested.

The forex trading market unlike options and stocks is greatly affected by a number of variables, one of them being the news. During news time when an issue arises, a stir is created in the market. This is a time when some of the largest spikes may occur and a great percentage of people make both huge profits and huge losses.

Sticking To A Strategy

Some of the most successful online traders would agree with this technique finding a strategy and sticking to it. There is nothing magical about forex trading, the prices go up and the prices go down. Whether or not you make money, completely depends on the predictions you make.

There is no room for gut instinct in forex trading. Emotions tend to get in the way of your desired outcome and is one of the biggest reasons why 90% of traders fail within the first 12 months. There are of course many scientific ways of helping to improve your odds when trading in forex.

The Simple Moving Average

One of these strategies is to use a simple-moving average. This is where we extract a set of averages from previous existing spikes. Once you have determined this average you can then make an assumption that whenever the price crosses this average in the future, it's a surefire signal to buy. There are of course programs out there that can do this for you as it can be a fairly time-consuming job.

Some Tips For Beginners

Before you even think about forex trading, spend at least a week reading from people who know what they are doing. Then once that week is over, go back and analyze the information you just read to determine whether or not it was dependable. Then go and read for another week!

If there is anything to say to a beginner to the forex market or any other form of trading, it's this - don't trust anyone but yourself! Sure ask for advice, but make sure the final decision on your trade investments is solely yours. Measure up the investment to also determine whether or not you can afford to lose what you are about to place in and don't ever go overboard!

Your goal if you don't have one, should be to find a strategy that works and stick too it. Don't go changing strategies just because you got a hot tip from some guy who fluked a trade and made a mint. Find a good strategy that works well and stick to it.

The Fox And The Hedgehog

We can say people are categorized as being one of two things - they are either a fox, or a hedgehog. A fox is a person that knows a little about a lot of things and therefore tends to jump from one strategy to another. In other words, they are very cunning and use a great deal of strategies to try and get the hedgehog. The hedgehog knows a lot about ONE thing. It knows that whatever the fox tries, all it has to do is crawl up into a ball and when the fox pounces, he gets a mouthful of spikes, and so the hedgehog survives.

Don't be a fox, be a hedgehog. Become an expert of one strategy in forex trading and I promise you will reap the rewards.

If you want to learn more about forex trading or anything else about the forex market then Forex-Trading-Platform.org is the place to go for all the best FREE information!

The Truth - Computerized Commodity Trading Systems, Part 4 - Include The Basic Human Fears!

To get a computerized system edge, you need to figure out the basic human trading weaknesses and include them in your software. Anyone can buy a trading system these days, but it will have little value unless it is unique and different from the crowd. Here's some easy-to-understand ideas I use that add in the human fears!

To develop a catastrophic exit plan, we need to look back over the history of trading for the e-mini futures contract market. A computer can easily do this. Figure out after the initial sell-off, over the last X period of time, what price swing has the futures very rarely reached? Is this ten points, fifteen points or what? You need to come up with a super panic number that will get touched maybe once every three months or so for day trading.

So whats this equate to in dollars? If you are trading small e-mini futures lots like you should be, it will be equivalent to a good day or twos day-trading profits. This is a small price to pay to enable you to survive many trades that start out real bad but end up to near break-even. The key here is that you need to be positioned in the market at a manageable risk for as long as possible. If fact, if you could be in the market ALL the time with probability on your side and tiny risk if wrong, that would be the ultimate.

In contrast, what happens when we get stopped out right away? We give up the opportunity to be positioned for the move. How many times have we said, If I only had my original position, or, I got stopped out at the exact low again! If we can train ourselves to be more humble and accept that we do NOT know where the exact bottom will be and that its OK to be wrong for a while, we will evolve to the next level.

Let the e-mini futures market be what it really is a roller coaster that keeps moving up and down. You want to keep buying this coaster on the dips and selling it on the peaks as it flows. Yes, try to stay with the main trend, but dont worry about your current profit and loss until the computer says to get out on the next favorable rally whether profitable or not.

Getting stopped out too early in panics will eventually eat up your commodity trading account, or make you a break-even trader at best. By scaling in and scaling out you will be doing the opposite of the crowd. When the crowd is getting stopped out you will be excited to see another opportunity to average for a better price. But always execute your uncle point after one or two averages and no rebound occurs.

You want to make the odds work for you by letting more bad market time work for you, while your competition only takes advantage of the more rare good times. Like any risky technique, averaging down must be used sparingly. Ideally, if you are an intuitive fuzzy logic e-mini futures trader rather than a rigid system player, you can make a choice to average more aggressively when high probability set ups appear. Profitable trading IS an art.

Remember that there are special times when the e-mini futures market can go one way for days at a time. If you are witnessing a huge move like this, give the market some time to play its energy out before standing in its way. Or simply stay with your one-way trending model on this big days.

After a couple of days these one-way markets end and the e-mini market gets back to its normal choppy self. These one-way moves can do a lot of damage if you fight them. Probability will allow the market to clean out every method known to man, given enough time. Scaling in and being humble also applies to your general trading methods. Know when to lay off for a while when your models stop working and then later start up - slowly.

Small improvements every day make huge differences at year end. Work hard to find new and unique ways to make your trading even better!

Good Trading!

There is substantial risk of loss trading futures and options and may not be suitable for all types of investors. Only risk capital should be used.

Thomas Cathey - 27-year trading veteran heads the managed futures division of Thomas Capital Management, LLC. View his TimeLine Trading market predictions and get his complete 44+ lesson, "Thomas Commodity Trading Course" - they're all free. http://www.thomascapitalmanagement.com/commodity/welcome.htm Main site: http://www.ThomasCapitalManagement.com