Stock market Investing

saving for retirement

2010-02-28T02:30:00.000-08:00

Monitor current expenses. Unless you're intending to enter retirement newly mortgage free or to downsize significantly, estimate that your expenses will remain largely the same in retirement. If you plan to travel or take up expensive hobbies, your cost of living may even increase. "Most people don't change how much they spend when they retire," says Constance Stone, a certified financial planner and president of Stepping Stone Financial in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. "Work off the scenario that you are going to spend about the same as you do now in retirement."

[See The Best Mutual Funds for 2010.]

Consistency matters. Beginning to save for retirement as soon as you begin working full time is generally the best way to accumulate a large retirement account balance. "You should be saving a minimum of 10 percent of your gross income in 401(k)'s or taxable accounts," says Scott Leonard, a certified financial planner and chief investment officer for Trovena in Redondo Beach, Calif. If you're saving less, step up your retirement savings each time you get a pay boost. "Every time you get a raise, take 20 percent of the value of that raise and put that into savings," Leonard says.

Factor in Social Security benefits. Most Americans don't have to finance retirement completely on their own. Some employees still have traditional pensions that guarantee income for life. Retired workers also received Social Security checks worth an average of $1,164.30 each month in 2009. Although you are not likely to be able to sustain your desired lifestyle using Social Security payments alone, you'll have a nice base to build your savings upon. Workers can boost their Social Security checks by 7 to 8 percent for each year they delay signing up for benefits between ages 62 and 70. You can get an estimate of your future Social Security benefits at ssa.gov. Factor that amount into your savings calculations.

Budget for taxes. Your entire 401(k) balance isn't available for spending in retirement. Regular income tax is due on withdrawals from traditional 401(k)'s and IRAs. If you withdraw $20,000 from a retirement account and are in the 25 percent tax bracket, $5,000 will be due to Uncle Sam. No income tax is due on Roth 401(k) and Roth IRA distributions in retirement because you already paid tax on that money before it was deposited.

Consider health expenses. Healthcare expenses can make a huge dent in your retirement savings. Even after retirees qualify for Medicare coverage at age 65, they must still pay for premiums, deductibles, copays, and common uncovered items such as eyeglasses and dental care. Out-of-pocket medical expenses throughout retirement for a 65-year-old couple retiring in 2009 could be between $240,000 (Fidelity Investments estimate) and $338,000 (Employee Benefit Research Institute calculation). The Urban Institute recently projected that median out-of-pocket healthcare costs for retirees will reach $6,200 annually in 2040. None of these estimates include the cost of long-term care, such as assisted living or nursing home care, which could easily be the biggest retirement expense of all. "Just about half of my clients have had knee replacement and then have to get care in the home," says Susan Spraker, a certified financial planner and president of Spraker Wealth Management in Maitland, Fla. "People are not planning for what are they going to do when they can't live on their own anymore."

Picture your desired lifestyle. A retirement spent traveling the globe or with an ocean view is obviously going to cost more than downsizing into a smaller house or condo. Those who choose a low-cost place to retire may be able to get by with significantly less money. "Someone who lives in a community in rural South Carolina is going to need a different amount of money than someone who lives in New York City," says Spraker. "It completely depends on the person's lifestyle and how early they retire." Retirees willing to work part time in retirement can also get by with less in savings, and those willing to delay retirement can shorten the number of retirement years they need to finance.

Estimate life expectancy. The wild card in retirement planning is how long you will live. Your nest egg must be divvied up to provide a stream of income that will last as long as you do. Spraker says retirement savers should plan on living into their 90s, while Stone recommends budgeting for age 100. Couples should also factor in the woman's typically longer life expectancy.

EDC and stock dividends

2010-01-11T04:29:00.000-08:00

Made a blog last time about dividends. CLICK TO VIEW

I sold may EDC stocks today at 4.75. When I bought the EDC stock last time, I earned a 20% dividend which I sold today. Its the interest I earned for buying the stock, sometimes its good to buy a stock that gives dividend in terms of percentage.

Example: If i bought 10000 shares, at 20% i will have a dividend of 2000 shares.

10 steps to riches

2010-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

10 steps to riches

2010-01-03T05:52:00.000-08:00

If you enjoy this excerpt, come back Monday, January 4, and download David Bach's new book, START OVER, FINISH RICH: 10 Steps to Get You Back on Track in 2010 for FREE!
Early in the summer of 2009, I was walking down Greenwich Street in Manhattan when a woman I didn't know stepped in front of me.
"You're David Bach, aren't you?" she said.
When I admitted I was, she told me her name was Georgia and that she had read nearly all my books, starting with Smart Women Finish Rich more than a decade ago

I grinned and, as I always do when I meet a reader, I asked her, "Have my books helped you?"
"Yes," she said, "a ton." But then she stopped.
"You know," she said. "I was doing great. I felt like I was finally on track and was doing everything right. But now it's all falling apart."
I asked Georgia to explain what had happened. Slowly at first, Georgia began to tell me her story.
"You see, about five years ago I had nothing and I was looking to get my financial life on track. So I read your books and got going. I started 'paying myself first.' I signed up for my 401(k) plan at work. I saved 10% of my income just like you said, and I set up a college savings account for my daughter. I was really building up a nest egg, and it felt GREAT. I had nearly $70,000 in savings, plus six months' worth of expenses set aside in an emergency account. And I had finally paid off my credit cards. Even better, I bought a house, then rented it out and bought a second home that I live in today. And I put it all on 'automatic pilot,' like you suggested in The Automatic Millionaire.
"The thing is," she said, "now it feels like it was all for nothing!"
Georgia then proceeded to share a brutal list of financial woes.
As a result of the stock market slump, her 401(k) account had dropped by more than a third, along with the balance in the 529 plan she had started for her daughter's education.
At the same time, her house had declined so much in value that it was not only worth less than she had paid for it, it was barely worth what she owed on her mortgage.
To make matters worse, the guy who was renting her other house had lost his job and was way behind on the rent.
And she herself had suffered a pay cut, which forced her to dip into her security account, the balance of which was rapidly dwindling.
"I got so sick of watching my 401(k) and 529 plans lose money that I stopped saving," she added.
She shook her head sadly. "I just don't get it," she said. "Was I wrong to have saved diligently and done all those other things you advised people like me to do? I mean, where has it gotten me?"
Georgia looked up at me and sighed. "What do I do now, David?" she asked me. "Is it even worth it to try and start over? I've lost my motivation-and my courage."
THE SECRET TO FINISHING RICH IS, YOU CAN'T GIVE UP!
Georgia's story hit me at my core. That's because her story, or some variation of it, is shared by millions of Americans -- maybe including you. Maybe you are like Georgia and you did everything right. Or maybe you never got started on the right financial road in the first place and now you're not sure if there is a point in trying. Either way, you are probably wondering if it is still possible in today's economy for someone like you -- even if you don't know a lot about money, even if you don't make a lot of money -- to become financially secure.
Well, I'll tell you what I told Georgia.
THE ANSWER IS YES!
Yes, you can start over (or get started in the first place!) and, yes, you can still finish rich, even in this economy. BUT you can't start over and finish rich if you give up. You have to get back up off the ground, dust yourself off, and keep going.
Recessions like the one we have just experienced are not fun. They are gut shattering, and they take a long time to recover from. But we do recover. What's more, the aftermath of a recession is the ideal environment in which to lay the foundation for a secure, financially independent future. Although the economy has already come a long way back from where it was in the winter of 2008-09, both real estate values and stock prices are still way below the peaks they hit in 2006 and 2007. In other words, there are bargains -- in some cases, phenomenal bargains -- to be had. More important, recessions can be a great time to reset your financial life, your goals, and your values.
DON'T GIVE UP -- GET GOING! THIS IS YOUR YEAR
As I told Georgia, this is not the time to quit. This is the time to get started again. Georgia was on the right track, and the worst thing she could do would be to give up. The same goes for you. So please, for the next few hours, let's set aside the doom and gloom. Instead, let's focus on what we can do to get you back on track financially. Yes, the economy did have the equivalent of a heart attack. But don't think that means the rules for the steady, lifelong accumulation of wealth have somehow changed. They haven't. Indeed, not only do they still apply as much as they ever did, but there has never been a better time to recommit yourself to them than right now.
I'm serious about this. I believe that the postrecession period we're in now offers a once-in-alifetime opportunity to build wealth and start over.
That's why I'm willing to make this promise: If you are willing to take the 10 action steps I am going to share with you in this book -- starting with this first step of regaining your belief in yourself and your future -- you will be able to start over and you will finish rich.
The truth is, you really don't have a choice. Like everyone else, you need to get going again. And together we can.
SOMETIMES LIFE REQUIRES YOU TO HIT THE RESET BUTTON
So listen to a little more of what I told Georgia.
I assured her that the course she had been on was the right one and that to stop saving now would be a huge mistake.
I said that when the stock market is down, you have the opportunity to buy good stocks at "fire sale"prices, and that the stocks or shares in mutual funds that she bought today could easily turn out to be the most profitable investments she ever made.
I said that real estate values go up and down and back up again, and that as long as she was able to pay her mortgage, she would continue to build wealth and independence. And if she couldn't pay her mortgage, she would still have options.
Furthermore, I pointed out that the whole point of having an emergency fund is to draw on it in an emergency, so the fact that she was doing that wasn't a bad thing. To the contrary, it meant that her financial plan was working exactly as it was intended to.
And I suggested that she was way more in control of her future than she realized.
Perhaps most important, I told her that there are as many, if not more, opportunities to build wealth during recessions and the recoveries that follow them as there are during the boom times. But you won't get anywhere if you are too scared -- or feel too defeated -- to do anything. You have to have a plan based on action!
DOING NOTHING IS THE WORST CHOICE YOU CAN MAKE
You have to hit the reset button and START OVER.
The truth is that hitting the reset button is what recessions are all about. When we go through a recession, we are all forced to "reset" how we live -- what we think we want, need, and hope for. And that is often a good thing. Much of the last great boom of wealth building was built on an illusion. There was this crazy idea that it was okay to spend more than we made because our homes would always go up in value. In fact, the idea that we could always borrow on the equity in our homes to pay for stuff we didn't really need was a fantasy -- a fantasy that eventually turned into a nightmare.
Now it is time to wake up and deal with the new reality. The real world is a place where we save before we spend. Where we build up our emergency accounts. Where we plan to fund our own retirement (instead of counting on the government). Where we pay down what we owe on our credit cards and our home mortgages.
It may sound boring, but when it comes to money, boring is good. In fact, it's more than good. It's ROCK SOLID, and it works.
The good news, I assured Georgia, is that despite how she might feel, she was still in charge of her life. How she handled the next few years would determine how quickly she overcame the challenges that life had thrown at her, and whether she would ultimately be stronger and smarter and richer for it.
It's in difficult times that we learn what we are made of. This is true for us both as a country and, more important, as individuals. It is always the difficult times that make us who we really are and show us who we ultimately want to be.
So I gave Georgia a hug and reminded her that her future was in her hands. She thanked me for the pep talk and promised that she would start saving again and learn to look at her house not just as a piggy bank but as a place to live and enjoy.
As I watched her walk away, I realized Georgia wasn't the only one with a new mission. I had one too. I needed to get the message out. This is not the time to give up.
You can start over. You can finish rich. And the time is now!
THE PROBLEM ISN'T JUST MONEY -- IT'S FEAR
Standing on that Manhattan sidewalk in 2009, listening to Georgia's confusion and anxiety, I realized something very important. The biggest problem most of us are facing isn't the economy or the state of our finances. It's fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the future. Fear of what might happen.
True, the last few years have been a time of great economic turmoil -- and that's putting it mildly. Over the course of 2008 and 2009, one of the greatest economic booms in history suddenly slammed into reverse, with disastrous results for virtually everyone. Almost before anyone knew what was happening, credit was drying up, home values were tanking, and the stock market was in a nosedive. "Not since the Great Depression" became an all-too-familiar phrase as business ground to a halt, companies laid off millions of workers, banks foreclosed on millions of homes, and much of the wealth that Americans had built up over the previous decade seemed to disappear overnight.
Their savings shrunk, their futures suddenly in doubt, tens of millions of Americans found themselves asking the same questions that Georgia was asking me. What now? Did I do it all wrong? Has the game changed? Do I keep going with my plan or do I throw in the towel? Do I wait for the market to recover and then invest again? Will real estate ever come back? Should I forget about owning a home and just rent? What about my credit cards and skyrocketing interest rates? Can I ever trust the financial companies again? Do I simply cut my spending and hope everything someday will get better?
Will I ever be able to sleep through the night again without being awakened by worries about money?
Amid all this fear and anxiety, it was easy to forget one of the most basic and important facts of economic history: Nothing goes straight up -- or straight down -- forever. All booms are followed by recessions, and all recessions eventually end in recoveries, often MASSIVE recoveries. We lived through an unprecedented boom time and then experienced a very difficult correction. Sure, what some people have labeled the Great Recession of 2008-09 was deeper than most, but it's behind us now and we will recover. In fact, we are already recovering. More quickly than many experts expected. As Franklin Roosevelt said back in the 1930s, the only thing we really have to fear is fear itself -- fear that makes us want to pull the blankets over our heads instead of confronting the situation head-on and making sensible decisions for our future, fear that keeps us from focusing on the basics, recommitting to our financial plan, and staying positive.
ALL RECESSIONS END -- ALL BUSTS LEAD TO BOOMS
If history teaches us anything, it is that all recessions end. And all busts ultimately lead to booms. Take the horrendous recession of 1981-82. That recession dragged on for 16 months, with the unemployment rate nearly reaching 11%, but it finally ended -- and when it did, what followed was the longest and strongest peacetime economic expansion in the history of the United States. And the biggest rally of all followed the biggest collapse of all. In the four years following the infamous 1929 crash, Standard & Poor's 500 index fell by 83%. But after it touched bottom in June 1932, the S&P 500 soared by 132% over the next 12 months.
The human spirit -- the force we all possess that drives us to live extraordinary lives, to overcome adversity and get back to having fun -- is hard to deny. It is a time-tested universal truth that human beings bounce back. And when we do, we usually bounce back stronger and happier and more grounded than when we first fell down.
This happened in the Great Depression and it will happen again. We will learn once more the truth of the phrase "This too shall pass."
But this doesn't mean you can just sit back and wait for things to get better. The other great truth is that how fast you bounce back depends on how well you prepare yourself to bounce back.
This is your chance to start over and to start stronger. It is your ultimate opportunity to hit the reset button on your life, both personally and financially. Don't let it pass you by.
YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS THE NEXT GREAT RECOVERY
As I said, history has shown that deep recessions tend to be followed by historic rallies and powerful recoveries. Well, as I write this in the summer of 2009, an epic rally is roaring along like a freight train.
At the beginning of March of 2009, the stock market was in the tank. Since October 2007, when prices hit their peak, the Dow had fallen by nearly 50%, while both the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite were in even worse shape (down 56% and 53%, respectively). There were real questions about the solvency of the U.S. banking system and fears that the big banks would fail, just as the giant Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers had in September 2008.
At the time, I felt strongly that the banks and financial stocks -- and ultimately the market as a whole -- would rally. I was right. Over the next several weeks, the banking system was fueled with government stimulus money, and the stock market and the financial-service sector staged their biggest rally in history. In less than two months (between March 9 and May 8, 2009), the Dow rose by more than 2,000 points, from 6,547 to 8,574. By the end of August, with corporate profits coming in stronger than expected and the real estate market finally showing some signs of life, the Dow had jumped to over 9,200 -- a 42% gain in just five months -- the best six month rally in the stock market since 1933.
Where will the market be when you read this? I don't know, but what I do believe is that by 2010 the stock market and the economy will be "resetting" and starting over. And we will all be looking at years of opportunity that none of us can afford to miss.
So the time to start over is now! With new information, updated investment strategies, and a new way of thinking and acting -- all of which you will find in this book.
GO FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVING
I know you are busy, you are worried, and you want a plan that is simple. Start Over, Finish Rich is written with all that in mind. The START OVER ACTION PLAN to live and finish rich is designed to be read quickly and put right to work. It is a plan designed to take you from surviving to thriving in the years to come. It is based on tried-and-true principles of building wealth based on today's market, today's economy, and our combined hope for a brighter future. It will get you back on track, it will confirm what you are doing right, and it will remind you of what you still need to do.
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY OF SMART PEOPLE STARTING OVER
My goal with this book is to help you help yourself and others. Over the years, I have received thousands and thousands of emails and letters from readers like you who have used my books to make huge positive changes in their lives.
You can find these inspirational stories -- and join our FinishRich community for free -- at www.finishrich.com. (You can also join us on my new Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/DavidBach.)
My goal is to inspire you to act. This is not the time to hesitate. This is the time to take action. What you do now will determine the kind of life you will have for years to come. You deserve the strength and power that come with positive action, and I am here to help you along the way.
As I said before, despite all the pain and upset we've been through over the last few years, the fundamental rules haven't changed. It doesn't matter what kind of beating you've taken -- it's not too late to turn your financial life around and finish rich. The challenge is simple. Are you ready to put aside your fears and recommit to wealth? That's all you really need to do -- just believe in yourself and follow the easy-tounderstand, easy-to-do action plan outlined in this book. Like my many other readers, I hope you'll share your Start Over Success Story with me and our whole community. Send it to success@finishrich.com and let your story be an inspiration to others.
As we move from surviving to thriving in 2010 and beyond, I want you to know it is never too late to START OVER.
Live and finish rich,David Bach
Take Your Start Over, Finish Rich journey to the Next Level!
As a thank-you for reading Start Over, Finish Rich and to motivate you on your journey to recommitting to wealth, I've recorded a special Start Over video for you. Check it out at www.finishrich.com/startovervideo.
There are many ways to be part of our growing FinishRich community: Get my free newsletter, join my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, and subscribe to my blog! Details at www.finishrich.com.
Hope to see you there!
TO DO IN 2010
*Recognize that the fundamental rules of money have not changed. Don't stop saving, don't stop investing, and don't give in to fear and despair.
*Commit to taking action on all ten Start Over steps, and start to believe again that you can live and finish rich.

FGEN- FIRST GEN CORP

2009-12-22T03:10:00.001-08:00

This is for my friend ART who studies the FGEN carefully. He ask me why the sudden dip???Heres the reason. The volume is good and its cheap, but when a company borrows money, the investors run away. hehhheeehhe. Shall we ran or not???? I dont have enough money, and I want to beat the market, Im already running away. Hope to see you all. Im going on vacation to DAVAO,GENERAL SANTOS AND POLOMOLOK SOUTH COTABATO for the holidays, but ill be blogging always.

- First Gen Corp has set its right offering forJan 8-14 next year and hopes to raise as much as 15 billionpesos (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER).

Art if you read this, pls make a comment.

iF YOU WANT A STOCK TO BE ANALYZE, MAKE A COMMENT, ITS FREE

NI-nihao

2009-12-21T02:52:00.000-08:00

Its been twice that I have posted Nihao, its a very good stock to buy right now, I can say that its

very very cheap, a lot of buyers right now, as you can see the lower graph.I will not hesitate to

buy this stock since its nearing its lowest price of around P3.7 from december to april last

year ,or you can wait when its finally bottom but I know it will be in a upswing by the end of

December.

NiHAO Mineral Resources International, Inc. (NI) was incorporated as a mining company under

the name Summit Minerals, Inc. on July 9, 1975. On December 10, 1993, the company changed

its primary purpose to that of a holding company. Subsequently in 1994, the company changed

its corporate name to Magnum Holdings, Inc. On June 28, 2007, the Securities and Exchange

Commission approved another change in the company's primary purpose from a holding

company to that of a mining company. The company also changed its corporate name to NiHAO Mineral Resources International, Inc.

Ni is engaged in exploring, developing, and operating nickel properties. As of December 31,

2008, NI has four mining tenements located in the provinces of Zambales, Misamis Oriental,

North Cotabato, and Antique. In addition, NI also operated three small-scale mining claims in

Botolan, Zambales, as well as a small-scale mining claim in Manticao, Misamis Oriental. The

company's mining claims and small-scale mining claims cover a total of approximately 20,841 hectares.

NI's subsidiaries consist of Mina Tierra Gracia, Inc., Visayas Ore Philippines, Inc., and Bountiful Geomines, Inc.

nihao-ni

2009-12-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

The volume of buying has increased significantly, the price of NI is almost the same as it was two years ago, this a long term stock that can give you a ten bagger or a 20 bagger. I really recommend you to held this long term.

Paxys

2009-12-14T05:42:00.000-08:00

PAX

Its been to loooong that i have denied myself of this beautiful and wonderful stock, even my broker spyfrat have been a follower of paxys for so many years now and have probably earn a lot from the changes through the years . Now that im back in the investing scene, Ive been watching carefully how this stock has been moving for the past month.Im waiting for the change in momentum and I know it will not be a long wait because I fell that this stock will change direction anytime and can profit more than 10%, even now I can but this stock becuse its very cheap and undervalued,but i think it can still go further down it has gone down already more than 10% and give me more profit. The stuck is tumbling down, be readt to ride the stock when its going up, and hope it will give you lots of profit and dividend.

5 WAYS TO DOUBLE YOUR MONEY

2009-07-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

There's something about the idea of doubling one's money on an investment that intrigues most investors. It's a badge of honor dragged out at cocktail parties, a promise made by over-zealous advisors, and a headline that frequents the cover of some of the most popular personal finance magazines. Where this fixation comes from is anyone's guess.

Perhaps it comes from deep in our investor psychology; that risk-taking part of us that loves the quick buck. Or maybe it's simply the aesthetic side of us that prefers round numbers - saying your "up 97%" doesn't quite roll off the tongue like "I doubled my money." Whatever the source though, it is both a realistic goal that investors should always be moving towards, as well as something that can lure many people into impulsive investing mistakes. Knowing some of the most trusted avenues to doubling your money is something that all investors should have in their toolboxes.

More from Yahoo! Finance:

• Fraudulent Money Managers: A Cautionary Tale

• Advantages Abound When Converting to Roth IRA

• 7 Questions to Ask a Financial Adviser

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Visit the Retirement Center

The Classic Way - Earn It Slowly
Investors who have been around for a while will remember the classic Smith Barney commercial from the 1980s, where British actor John Houseman informs viewers in his unmistakable accent that they "make money the old fashioned way – they earn it." When it comes to the most traditional way of doubling your money, that commercial's not too far from reality.

Perhaps the most tested way to double your money over a reasonable amount of time is too invest in a solid, speculative portfolio that's diversified between blue-chip stocks and investment grade bonds. While that portfolio won't double in a year, it almost surely will eventually, thanks to the old rule of 72.

The rule of 72 is a famous shortcut for calculating how long it will take for an investment to double, if its growth compounds on itself. According to the rule of 72, you divide your expected annual rate of return into 72, and that tells you how many years it takes you to double your money.

Considering that large blue-chip stocks have returned roughly 10% over the last 100 years, and investment grade bonds have returned roughly 6%, a portfolio that is divided evenly between the two should return about 8%. Dividing that expected return (8%) into 72, gives a portfolio that should double every nine years. That's not to shabby, when you consider that it will quadruple after eighteen years, and octuple (8 times) after 27.

The Contrarian Way – Blood in the Streets
Even straight-laced, even-keeled investors know that there comes a time where you've got to buy. Not because everyone is getting in on a good thing, but rather, because everyone is getting out. Just like great athletes go through slumps when many fans turn their backs, the stock prices of otherwise great companies occasionally go through slumps because fickle investors head for the hills.

As Baron Rothschild (and Sir John Templeton) once said, smart investors "buy when there is blood in the streets, even if the blood is their own." Of course, these famous financiers weren't arguing that you buy garbage, at any price. Rather, they were arguing that there would most surely be times where good investments become oversold, which presents a buying opportunity for brave investors who have done their homework.

Perhaps the most classic barometers used to gauge when a stock may be oversold, is the price-to-earnings ratio and the book value for a company. Both of these measures have fairly well established historical norms for both the broad markets and for specific industries. When companies slip well below these historical averages for superficial or systemic reasons, smart investors will smell an opportunity to double their money.

The Safe Way
Just like how the fast lane and the slow lane on the freeway eventually lead to the same place, there are both quick and slow ways to double one's money. So for those investors who are afraid of wrapping their portfolio around a telephone pole, bonds may provide a significantly less precarious journey to the same destination.

But investors taking less risk by using bonds don't have to give up their dreams of one day proudly bragging around the lunchroom about doubling their money. In fact, zero-coupon bonds (including classic U.S. Savings Bonds), can keep you in the "double your money" discussion.

For the uninitiated, zero-coupon bonds may sound intimidating. In reality, they're surprisingly simple to understand. Instead of purchasing a bond that rewards you with a regular interest payment, you buy a bond at a discount to its eventual maturity amount. For example, instead of paying $1,000 for a $1,000 bond that pays 5% per year, an investor might buy that same $1,000 for $500. As it moves closer and closer to maturity, its value slowly climbs until the bondholder is eventually repaid the face amount.

One hidden benefit that many zero-coupon bondholders love is the absence of reinvestment risk. With standard coupon bonds, there's the ongoing challenge of reinvesting the interest payments when they're received. With zero coupon bonds, which simply "accrete" or grow towards maturity, there's no hassle of trying to invest smaller interest rate payments or risk of falling interest rates.

The Speculative Way
While slow and steady might work for some investors, others may find themselves falling asleep at the wheel. They crave more excitement in their portfolio and are willing to take bigger risks to earn bigger payoffs. For these folks, the fastest ways to super-size the nest egg may be the use of options, margin or penny stocks.

Stock options, such as simple puts and calls, can be used to speculate on any company's stock going up or down. For many investors, especially those who have their finger on the pulse of a specific industry, options can turbo-charge their performance. Considering that each stock option potentially represents 100 shares of stock, a company's price might only need to increase a small percentage for an investor to hit one out of the park. Be careful and be sure to do your homework; options can take away wealth just as quickly as they create it.

For those who want don't want to learn the ins and outs of options, but do want to leverage their faith (or doubt) about a certain stock, there's the option of buying on margin or selling a stock short. Both of these methods allow investors to essentially borrow money from a brokerage house to buy or sell more shares than they actually have, which in turn, can raise their potential profits substantially. Again, this method is not for the faint-hearted, since margin calls can back your available cash into a corner, and short-selling can theoretically can generate infinite losses.

Lastly, extreme bargain hunting can quickly turn your pennies into dollars. Whether you decide to roll the dice on the numerous former blue-chip companies that are now selling for less than a dollar, or you sink a few thousand dollars into the next big thing, penny stocks can double your money in a single trading day. Just remember, whether a company is selling for a dollar or a few pennies, its price reflects the fact that other investors don't see any value in paying more than that price.

The Best Way to Double Your Money
While it's not nearly as fun as watching your favorite stock on the evening news, the undisputed heavyweight champ of doubling your money is that matching contribution you receive in your employer's retirement plan. It's not sexy and won't wow the neighbors at your next block party, but getting an automatic 50 cents to $1 for every dollar you deposit is tough to beat.

Making it even better is the fact that the money going into your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan comes right off the top of what your employer reports to the IRS. For most Americans, that means that each dollar invested really only costs them 65-75 cents out of their pockets. In other words, for every 75 cents, most Americans are willing to forgo out of their paychecks, they'll have $1.50 or more added to their retirement nest egg – not too shabby!

Before you start complaining about how your employer doesn't have a 401(k) or how your company has cut their contribution because of the economy, don't forget that the government also "matches" some portion of the retirement contributions of taxpayers earning less than a certain amount. The Credit for Qualified Retirement Savings Contribution reduces your tax bill by 10-50% of what ever you contribute to a variety of retirement accounts (from 401(k)s to Roth IRAs).

If It's Too Good to Be True…
There's an old saying that if "something is too good to be true, then it probably is." That's sage advice when it comes to doubling your money, considering that there are probably far more investment scams out there than sure things. While there certainly are other ways to approach doubling your money than the ones mentioned so far, always be suspicious when you're promised results. Whether it's your broker, your brother-in-law or a late night infomercial, take the time to make sure that someone is not using you to double their money.

Unemployment Rate

2009-07-18T02:32:00.000-07:00

Jobless rate tops 10 percent in 15 states, DC
Jobless rate tops 10 percent in 15 states and DC, endangers economic recovery
By Jeannine Aversa, AP Economics Writer
On Friday July 17, 2009, 7:59 pm EDT
Buzz up! 447 Print
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Fifteen states have crossed a painful threshold: 10 percent unemployment. More states, and the nation, likely will follow, one of the biggest dangers to an economic recovery.

How consumers behave in the face of rising unemployment will figure prominently in shaping a broader rebound. If they go back into hibernation and sharply cut spending like they did at the end of last year, the recovery could cave in. More likely is that consumers will stay cautious, making for a fragile and slow-moving national economic turnaround, economists said.

The Labor Department on Friday said unemployment topped 10 percent in 15 states and the District of Columbia last month. And the jobless rate in Michigan surpassed 15 percent, the first time any state hit that mark since 1984.

The Federal Reserve this week projected that the national unemployment rate, currently at a 26-year high of 9.5 percent, will pass 10 percent by the end of the year. Most Fed policymakers said it could take "five or six years" for the economy and the labor market to get back on a path of long-term health.

"With so much uncertainty, companies will stay in cost-cutting mode and consumers will watch their spending," said Steve Cochrane, managing director at Moody's Economy.com.

The news was not all bad. North Dakota, helped by the oil business, reported the lowest unemployment rate of 4.2 percent in June. It was followed by Nebraska at 5 percent and South Dakota at 5.1 percent, supported by farm businesses. None of those states ever got carried away with the housing boom, either, so their residents didn't suffer as big a hit to household wealth.

Still, the state unemployment report underscored the damage that the longest recession since World War II has inflicted on companies, workers and communities, and the challenges the economy faces getting back on its feet.

A common theme running through states suffering from high unemployment was heavy layoffs tied to the troubled auto industry and the collapse of the housing market. Workers in manufacturing, construction, retail and finance have been the hardest hit.

"A lot of older industries are having to shut down and many of these jobs will never come back," said Bernard Baumohl, chief global economist at the Economic Outlook Group.

Take Michigan, ground zero of the recession.

Home to the nation's struggling auto makers, Michigan has been clobbered by lost factory jobs. Its jobless rate of 15.2 percent in June was the nation's highest. It was the first time in 25 years that any state has suffered an unemployment rate of at least 15 percent.

If laid-off workers who have given up looking for jobs or have settled for part-time work are included, the state's jobless rate was 22.5 percent, according to Michigan's Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Development. Nationwide unemployment by that measure was 16.5 percent in June, the highest on government records dating to 1994.

"In Michigan and elsewhere, the unemployment rate is just the tip of the iceberg of the extensive adverse impact of this 'Great Recession,'" said economist Lawrence Mishel, president of the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.

Many workers have seen hours trimmed, their pay cut and have lost benefits. Combine that with a dismal housing market making it difficult for people to sell their homes and move to other places to find work, some jobseekers are trapped.

The other states where unemployment topped 10 percent last month were: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Tennessee. In May, 13 states plus the District of Columbia watched their jobless rates surpass 10 percent. Alabama and Georgia joined the list in June.

Rhode Island had the second-highest unemployment rate in the country in June at 12.4 percent. When including people who stopped looking for work and those forced into part-time jobs, the state's unemployment rate was 22.7 percent, Mishel estimated.

Oregon had the third-highest unemployment rate at 12.2 percent, which was 21.6 percent by the broadest measure. South Carolina's jobless rate of 12.1 percent jumped to 22 percent when underemployed workers were included. It was followed by Nevada with a jobless rate of 12 percent, or 21.6 percent by the broadest measure, Mishel said.

The June jobless rates for Nevada, Rhode Island and South Carolina were the highest ever for those states in records dating to 1976. Other record-highs: Florida at 10.6 percent, Georgia at 10.1 percent and Delaware at 8.4 percent.

Associated Press Writer Tim Martin in Lansing, Mich., contributed to this report.

Higher Earnings

2009-07-18T02:06:00.001-07:00

Earnings season has put some luster back in the stock market, but it may have a tougher time scoring gains in the week ahead.

Nearly 30 percent of the S&P 500 and 40 percent of the Dow 30 report in the week ahead. That includes such major companies as Caterpillar, McDonald's, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Morgan Stanley, Merck, Boeing and Apple. Markets will also be watching testimony from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on the economy and Fed policy before Congressional committees Tuesday and Wednesday.

From 'Fast Money':

Your First Trade for Monday, July 20
Despite some steep profit and revenue declines, investors latched onto every bit of heartening news they could find in the past week's earnings reports, pushing major indices up about 7 percent. Major banks, technology and drug companies, as well as economic bellwether General Electric [GE 11.65 -0.75 (-6.05%) ], reported profits above forecast, but typically on big drops in revenues and not without serious cost cutting.

"I would be happy with not giving much of it back next week," said Art Hogan of Jefferies, of the market's gains. "We're not going to see anything great in earnings. It's just a question of whether they're going to be better than expected, and that's the best we can hope for."

The Dow raced ahead by 597 points, or 7.3 percent to 8743, while the S&P 500 jumped 61, or 7 percent to 940, and the tech-driven Nasdaq soared 7.4 percent to 1886.

The bond market in the past week saw selling, and the dollar weakened against the euro, losing a percent to $1.4099. The dollar gained 2 percent against the yen. Many commodities were higher on the week, with gold gaining 2.7 percent to $937.20 per troy ounce and oil jumping 6 percent to $6.56 per barrel.

This earnings season is particularly important because of corporate America's ability to give a fresh view of the economy, in comments about the outlook, orders, spending, inventories and costs. For the most part, traders are looking to the tech sector to deliver the best news on future earnings.

"The key question the market is looking to find the answer to is when and if there's a turning point for earnings," said Deutsche Bank U.S. equities strategist Binky Chadha. "That's not going to happen this quarter or next quarter. The macro economic forecast is for a long slow recovery. I think it's likely more in the fourth quarter."

When earnings turn, year-over-year comparisons will look positive. The deep drop off in the last year's fourth quarter profits, and improving profit picture has many looking at this year's fourth quarter as a time when there will be a difference in the complexion of earnings.

"There comes a point where top line stops falling, and they've cut costs too much, and in a sense margins start to improve. You're going to see a big pickup in margins," he said.

Chadha said there is also a high level of uncertainty about earnings in certain sectors that has to change before the market can really move higher. He said that shows up in the high levels of "dispersion" in analysts' estimates for financials, materials, energy and consumer discretionary stocks. In other sectors, the dispersion is close to historical averages. Dispersion is calculated by looking at the standard deviation of analyst estimates, he said.

For financials, for instance, the dispersion is usually about three to four percent, but it is currently at 37 percent, showing a lot of disagreement among analysts on financial company earnings. That was apparent in the big beats by Goldman Sachs [GS 156.84 --- UNCH (0) ], JPMorgan Chase [JPM 36.89 0.76 (+2.1%) ] and Bank of America [BAC 12.89 -0.28 (-2.13%) ] this past week. Currently, earnings surprises have been positive for an average 71 percent of the 55 S&P 500 that have reported so far.

"Sequential earnings (quarter-to-quarter) are going up but they are going up very modestly. That implies modest upside for equities until later in the year. Then things could change," Chadha said. He said he is neutral equities and has a target of 1,060 on the S&P this year.

Bonds: 'We Have Not Seen All of the Sellof"

Treasurys were under pressure in the past week, and that trend could persist in the coming week, says Ajay Rajadhyaksha, head of U.S. fixed income and securitized products research at Barclays Capital. He said some data improvements, including housing starts and jobless claims, as well as better bank earnings worked against bonds. The yield on the 10-year was at 3.645 percent late Friday, compared to the 3.29 percent yield of a week earlier.

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"We have not seen all of the selloff," said Rajadhyaksha. However, "bank earnings so far have been positive. Next week, the regionals start to report, and they do not have the benefit of investment banks to offset profits ... As investors look at regional bank earnings, and if they see things are still pretty bad in a large part of the banking sector, you might see some support for Treasurys."

Another important discussion for the bond market in the week ahead will play out on Capital Hill when Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke gives his semi-annual update to a House Committee Tuesday and Senate Committee Wednesday. A big emphasis could be on the Fed's "exit strategy," or the unraveling of the programs it has undertaken to bail out the economy and financial markets. "It depends on what he says about a time line," he said.

Tony Crescenzi, market strategist and portfolio manager at Pimco, said Bernanke may give more information on the direction of the balance sheet, which is expected to expand more before it starts to shrink. He too said there could be more detail on the timing, of great interest to markets.

"He could lay out what the Fed could do. There are well known ways to exit—to raise the interest rate on reserves, to sell securities, to raise the Federal funds rate, to absorb balances by the Treasury Department. Treasury could sell T-bills and deposit money at the Fed," said Crescenzi.

Bernanke may also explain why the Fed believes growth will pick up so much in 2011, to a projected level of 3.8 percent to 4.6 percent. "What gives them the confidence in that? Does he expect to be stimulating it til then?"

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Crescenzi said Bernanke will shy away from political statements during the testimony, and it's not likely his reappointment will be broached in the hearings. This is Bernanke's final testimony before his term expires in January. "The thinking is markets will know by September whether he's been reappointed. September or October. I can't see how in he midst of all this they have a changing of the guard. It's still a fragile situation. He's got built-up credibility," he said.

Econorama

Besides Bernanke in the week ahead, markets are watching a few economic reports, including leading indicators Monday; FHFA home price data Wednesday; weekly jobless claims and existing home sales Thursday, and consumer sentiment Friday.

Crescenzi said he is watching the inventory element of the housing data. "The inventory story is really important even though we want to see if inventories continue on the downtrend because in both new home sales and existing home sales, we've seen supply numbers move downward, especially for new homes, which are at a decade low," he said. In May, the inventory level was 3.798 million, down from a peak of 4.57 million in July, 2008. Crescenzi said a normal level would be 2.5 million.

"As supply starts to shrink, the bidding dynamic would start to improve," and prices would improve, he said.

Crescenzi said he is also watching the jobless claims, which have been affected by the shutdown and, now, restarting of auto production. Jobless claims showed an improvement in the past week, to 522,000 for the week of July 1. "Most of it's a distortion but there's something going on there potentially," he said, adding it would take several weeks of numbers.

5 dumbest thing in stock market

2009-07-13T07:55:00.001-07:00

Sergey Aleynikov's dream was to be a big-shot trader. Turns out he may have traded away a lucrative career at Goldman Sachs(GS Quote) for a prison cell.
Aleynikov, who was paid $400,000 a year as a computer programmer for the investment bank, was arrested by the FBI July 3 and charged with "theft of trade secrets." Specifically, the 39-year old Russian immigrant is accused of stealing codes used for Goldman's highly sophisticated, rapid-fire stock and commodities trading and then uploading them to a computer server in Germany. He was released Monday after meeting his $750,000 bail.

Aleynikov told authorities his plan was merely to gather "open source" files on which he had worked, but he "later realized that he had obtained more files than he intended," according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case. Goldman declined to comment, but a Reuters source said the firm was unharmed by the computer breach.

Aleynikov worked at Goldman from May 2007 until June 5. On July 2, he started working at Teza Technologies, a Chicago-based hedge fund focused on high-volume trading. Teza has since suspended him without pay, according to Bloomberg, after learning of the allegations.

We here at The Five Dumbest Lab fully subscribe to the rule of innocent until proven guilty, so we won't officially condemn Aleynikov until a jury weighs in. (Hey! We may be snarky, bordering on obnoxious, but we do have our principles.)

That said, we do operate on a dumb until proven not dumb protocol. And in this case, Aleynikov is undoubtedly guilty on all counts of grand stupidity.

Based on analysts' 2009 earnings forecasts, Goldman is on track to pay out as much as $20 billion this year, or about $700,000 per employee. So Aleynikov was in line for a huge pay day just by sticking around till bonus time. And whether or not his intent was criminal, only an idiot would screw around with Goldman's top-secret trading recipe so close to leaving the firm.

Once the government gains access to the German server, prosecutors will be able to determine if Aleynikov transferred other confidential data. If the feds can prove Aleynikov planned to use the code at his new company, then it's likely his once-golden goose will be cooked.

The Best Credit Card for You

2009-07-12T01:52:00.000-07:00

The Best Credit Card for You
by Ismat Sarah Mangla
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
provided by

All credit cards are not created equal. Here are a few we like.

Simmons First Visa Platinum
Courtesy: Simmons First

Why we like it: Very low rate

If you're looking for a low rate, you can't get much better than 7.25%, but you must have excellent credit to be approved. Bonus: There are no balance transfer fees, though transferred balances don't get a teaser rate -- they go right to 7.25%.

Interest rate: 7.25% variable
Grace period: 25 days
(http://www.simmonsfirst.com/, 800-272-2102)

Schwab Invest First Visa

Courtesy: Schwab.com

Why we like it: Great cash-back rewards, no foreign transaction fees

You earn 2% unlimited cash back on every single purchase you make. You must have a Schwab One brokerage account, but there are no fees to open or maintain the account. Bonus: If you're traveling abroad, this is the card to take with you -- it charges no foreign exchange transaction fees.

Interest rate: 13.24% variable
Grace period: At least 25 days from the statement closing date
(http://www.schwab.com/, 866-724-9223)

Citi Forward

Courtesy: Citigroup

Why we like it: Shrinking APR

Citi Forward just might be the model for all credit cards in the future: Stay under your credit line and pay at least your minimum amount due on time three billing periods in a row, and your purchase APR will be reduced by 0.25%. It can be reduced a maximum of eight times for a total reduction of 2% during the lifetime of your account.

Interest rate: 12.24% variable
Grace period: At least 20 days if you pay the total balance in full by the due date every billing period. If you do not, you will not get a grace period.
(http://www.citiforward.com/, 800-456-4277)

Pentagon Federal Visa Platinum

Courtesy: PenFed.org

Why we like it: Cash back for gas guzzlers

The rewards on this credit union card are hard to beat, especially if you're a road warrior. Earn 5% back on all gas purchases, 2% on supermarket purchases, and 1.25% on everything else. You must join the credit union to apply, but if you don't meet membership requirements, you can join the National Military Family Association -- open to anyone -- for a one-time fee of $20. PenFed is also promoting a great balance transfer for life rate -- 2.99%. (Balance transfer fees are 2.5% of the loan, capped at $100.)

Interest rate: 13.99%
Grace period: 25 days on average
(http://www.penfed.org/, 800-247-5626)

Clear from American Express

Courtesy: AmericanExpress.com

Why we like it: Free from fees

If you're looking for simplicity, go with this card. It charges no fees of any kind -- late, over-limit, balance transfer, or cash advance fees. You earn an unlimited 1% back on every purchase; you automatically receive a $25 American Express shopping card for every $2,500 you spend.

Interest rate: Starts at prime + 8.99%
Grace period: 28-31 days if the previous balance shown on each billing statement is paid in full by each respective due date.
(http://www.americanexpress.com/, 800-223-2670)

Blue Cash from American Express

Why we like it: A lot of cash back

Big spender who pays down your balance each month? This is the card for you. After you spend $6,500 in a year, you earn 5% back on all purchases at supermarkets, drugstores and gas stations and 1.5% back on everything else. (Before you reach $6,500, you earn 1% and 0.5%, respectively.)

Interest rate: Starts at prime + 7.99%
Grace period: Up to 20 days, if the previous balance shown on each billing statement is paid in full by each respective due date.
(http://www.americanexpress.com/, 800-223-2670)

Why do stocks go down

2009-06-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

Why do stocks go down?

If the companies earning is below the average yearly earnings or weak cash flow of company's profit or just a earning due to one time sale of a certain branch of company in a not so profitable branch or area of the company.But sometimes it could be affected by external factors such as change of President, recession and others.

Below the predicted net income

Sometimes companies tend to for cast a bigger earning to entice the investors.When they cannot meet their target quota, the stock usually drop.Because shareholders always rely on how much is the expected income from year to year.When the for casted income is not met, It means the dividends and the stock price will also be lower

Selling by companies executives

How can you sell a product if your not using it? if companies executives unload their companies share, it might raise suspicion that a company is in bad shape. They will never sell their shares as long as the company is healthy.Executives have higher dividends.Why would you sell if its giving you income , unless company is in bad shape??

The sector is not profitable anymore

Sometimes even if the company is healthy but the sector is not to profitable anymore, like the Finance sector.Even if the some financial companies are not invested in sub prime, they can easily be drag by other companies affected by the financial crisis.Sometimes bad publicity can overwhelm that sector and investors shy away from this type of investment.Sometimes their product has not been able to adapt to the new trends.

No dividends or low dividends

Company paying dividends can attract a lot of investors, As for myself i always check if that company is giving a dividend before I buy there stocks.The fact that company is paying a dividend, the company is making a lot of profit.

Conclusion

You should always check out the company before buying and always be on guard if you have already bought shares from this companies.

4 Mental Keys That Help Trading Performance

2009-06-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

Insight #1: "Why do most traders lose most of the time? Markets can spin on a dime and most traders cannot."
Even the best traders (or the best trading systems) are going to be frequently wrong. That doesn't negate the trader or the system - that's just part of trading. The challenge for traders is accepting that the trade signal was errant. In a case such as this, Williams correctly points out that we've been trained to 'hang in there' and 'have faith in our initial insight', even if it's clearly the wrong course of action. That's just our ego needing to be right so badly that it will often ignore the exit signals that warn the trader of the impending problem. His analogy may help you work through this issue. He compares trading to robbing a bank. A bank robber may successfully break into a bank and start scooping up the money, but when the lookout guy warns the man in the safe that the cops are on the way, the robber drops the money and runs. If the robber were like too many traders, he might stay in the bank and hope the warning about cops being on the way was a false warning. As Williams says, "The instant you learn to trade reality, not wishes, you will break through the wall of fire to become a successful trader."
Insight #2: It's not the trade, it's the battle.
Too many traders believe that their last trade is a reflection of just how good of a trader they are (but they are the only ones who feel that way about themselves). This boils down to one word - expectation. If you expect to win all the time, or even the vast majority of the time, you're setting yourself up for a lot of heartache. That frustration, though, is the very same force that will truly make your negative perception of yourself a reality. And even a good trade can be damaging if you let it warp your disciplined approach. The fact of the matter is that this is a game of odds, and should be played over a long period of time. Focus on the war - not the battle.
Insight #3: The amount of (or lack of) evidence for a market move does not make the move any more or any less likely.
All traders, but especially new traders, have one of two problems. They either buy too soon, or buy too late (and in reality, when it comes down to it, those are the ONLY two problems in trading). The first problem of buying too soon is a sign of not wanting to miss out of any of a move. Of course, if you jump in and the move never becomes a reality, the trade suffers. The second problem is the opposite - the trader wants to make sure the move is going to happen, so he or she will wait for all the right signals to verify that the move is for real. Of course by that time, most of the move is behind you. While it's easier said than done, one has to find a balance between those two extremes. In this case, the best teacher is experience.
Insight # 4: What's the difference between winning traders and losing traders?
Well, first, there are a few similarities. Both are completely consumed by the idea of trading. The winners as well as losers have committed to doing this, and have no intention of 'going back'. This same black-and-white mentality was evident in their personal lives too. But what about the differences? Here's what Williams observed:
The losing traders have unrealistic expectations about the kind of profits they can make, typically shooting too high. They also debate with themselves before taking a trade, and even dwell on a trade well after it's closed out. But the one big thing Williams noticed about this group was that they paid little attention to money management (i.e. defense).And the winners? This group has an intense focus on money management, and will voluntarily exit a trade if it's not moving - even if it's not losing money at that time! There is also very little internal dialogue about trade selection and trade management; this group just takes action instead of suffering analysis paralysis. Finally, the winning traders focused their attention on a small niche in the market or a few techniques, rather than trying to be able to do everything. Hopefully the second description fits you a little better, but if the first one seems a little too familiar, you now at least know how to start getting past that barrier.

5 WAYS TO KNOW WHEN A STOCK IS FINALLY A BARGAIN

2009-06-09T02:33:00.000-07:00

1)Read the news. Not all stocks that are cheap is good for investment.Check id their is a lawsuit or bad news about the company.

2)STABILITY. Check the company's balance sheet. Check the total asset by its equities.

3.Price to cash flow ratio. This shows the cash of company per share it generates. It sometimes reliable than P/E ratio.

4. forward P/E- the price a investor are willing to pay for every dollar of expected earnings.

5.Trailing P/E- this is company's past earnings. This must be cheap before satocks rececnt drop.

STOCK PICKS for 2nd week of june

2009-06-04T00:42:00.000-07:00

FGEN-First Gen Corporation-22.75-Upper graph. I think its ready to rise.But the problem is that the market is due for correction. You should apply your stop when the market is down.Do not fight the wave.

EDC- Energy Development Corporation.See lower graph.

PSE- Due for a correction

2009-06-04T00:24:00.000-07:00

A great bear rally losses steam? Are you ready ? Are you in ? or are you Out? Ill just step aside for now.

First Gen Corporation

2009-06-03T23:58:00.000-07:00

June 3 PX-philex Mining

2009-06-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Ill buy Philex Mining 8 pesos per share-I dont care if its to high.The dividend (25 percent)is to high to let it pass.This is a short term stock.Usually you can sell this around august.

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Stock picks for the week- BDO and MEG by mark hervias

2009-06-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

Philippine stocks-stockmarket

bdo-banco de oro-For every SM their is a BDO.

meg-megaworld-1.14- a property stock-I own some stocks but was not able to get out during the crisis.It is very promising.I think it can still reach around 2 pesos.Hold this for long term.

Active Stocks-Philippine Stocks

2009-05-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Philippine Stocks by Mark Hervias

Why buy the most active stocks?

1.They are the easiest to sell when you need your money during emergency.Blue chip stocks are usually traded in this portion.Most people watch out for this stocks and hold for a long time.They are heavily traded.

2. Most people like this stocks in the active region ,so it is easy to buy and sell.

3.Active stocks sometimes indicate heavy buying from foreign brokers.They buy and sell in high volume.Day traders use this method to short sell stocks and earn money.

4. Active stocks indicates heavy buying and selling.

Related Topics:

Stock with dividends

Bear vs Bull Market

Easy Money Stocks for june 1-5 2009

2009-05-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Easy Money Stocks for june 1-5 2009

Philippine Stocks

PX-7.30 -Philex Mining-This is the highest level of profit the company has ever attained.So they are giving a big dividend. There is a increased in their metal produced like gold.Gold is good during bearish times as hedge, I bought PX last year and made money .They are giving 25% dividend as a form of shares.Example: 1000 shares at 7.30 is 7300 + 1000x0.25=You get250 shares or free.Total shares at 1250 but you only pay for 7300.Buying time is upto jun 8 only.You can sell this near august to december.You can never lose with this stock.Im buying again this stocks.Imagine if I invested 25k pesos, I will get P7250 as a form of dividend.Its very high compared to the banks interest.

Mark Hervias

review stocks for may 22-may 27

2009-05-29T05:31:00.001-07:00

Philippine stock market
MArket was good for the week

smph 8.5 now 8.4 .Let it go down before buying.

ict 15.5 now 15.25 volume is still good, I recommend a buy.

fgen 19.75 now 20 volume is in te average, buy.

mbt 35.5 now 33.5,Let it go down before buying.

glo 895 900 volume still above average,buy

meg- 0.95 now 0.93 .do not buy

ac-270 now 275 buy.

mark hervias

Stocks for the WEEK-Philippine Stocks

2009-05-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Stocks for the WEEK-Philippine Stocks-This stocks are slowly going down.You need to monitor them daily and perfect timing for a big rally when they rise.For me I need at least 10-15% profit for my money and a loss of 5% drop before I sell.Im not a believer of buy high, sell higher.A stock stays at the bottom and the peak temporarily, so always buy at the bottom for maximum profits.

SMPH-SM Prime holdings

ICT-International Container Terminal Services,Inc

FGEN-First Gen Corp.

MBT-Metrobank ,highly recommended for dividends if you want it for long term.

GLO-Globe

AC-Ayala Corporation

MEG-Megaworld

GEO UPDATE-PHILIPPINE STOCKS

2009-05-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

Geograce is losing its volume and I think it will go down.I already called my broker(spyfrat) to post a sell when it hits P0.65,I love this stock and I am willing to wait for this stock to climb up again.I will just hold on for the money for a little while,I hope I dont spend it.I think its just a minor correction before this stock will go up again.

Bull Market vs Bear Market in the Philippine stocks

2009-05-22T04:45:00.001-07:00

In theory, the market would seem more likely of consecutive highs in the BULL market, and a series of consecutive lows in the BEAR market.

For a experience investor , we can make money on both sides of the market.

Bear markets are more volatile,this is obvious to who have traded in the bear market.

In bear periods of a philippine stock market traders often sell the market short term high to exploit their downward bias.

mark hervias

GEOGRACE-Philippine Stock

2009-05-20T00:27:00.000-07:00

I have already bought the Geograce before the credit crisis, Thank you spyfrat.Made money in the geograce, but I was not able to pull out during the credit crisis when it hit 5% below my buying price and all the way to 50%, Its almost one year that Ive waited ,it is slowly moving up, I think you can still avail of this very cheap stock.

The graph is going up, and the volume is good.I hope it can ran through 0.75 cents before june.

Buying on MAY 2009 in philippine stock market

2009-05-17T07:58:00.000-07:00

philippine stock market buying tips for may 2009

1. Dont buy those stocks not listed in the most active for at least 4 weeks of philippine stock market.Its hard to sell, if your on a short term basis.

2.Dont buy penny stocks if you did not do your home work about philippine stock market.pls read my past post.

3. Always look for stocks dat are giving dividends.You cannot lose.Check the newspapers for the latest dividends.

4.This is a selling season month, most stocks are high.

5.If you cannot wait, post the stocks your planning to buy, and I will analyze it for free.

6. Long term is the key.Hope your not using the money by December.Philippine Stocks

7.UBP-Union Bank of the Phil is giving 1.12 per share @ P26 share.ex date is MAY 22-MAY 27, expect the stock to go down equivalent to your dividends or greater.

Check out the list below.Months before May dont count.refer to no 7. for example.There are so many right now that are giving dividends because they want your money.Happy Investing.

mark hervias

BUYING AND SELLING SEASON FOR PHILIPPINE STOCK MARKET

2009-05-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

1. SUMMER SEASON-This is when the families go to the beach and enjoy.the month of March , APRIL ,MAY . The families eat jolibee,drink SAN Miguel beer and drink pepsi products.Food and Beverage stocks are good for selling .SELLING TIME is MAY.Buying time is January up to march.

2.PLANTING SEASON/ENROLLMENT SEASON/TYPHOON SEASON-This is the June to August months.Its a nice time to buy stocks and hold it untill DECEMBER.buying time.

3.HOLIDAY SEASON-This is the december month.When Employees get their bonuses and buy ridicuous things.Its selling time.Stocks usually climb very high during this season.

thank you

by mark hervias

summit secirities and www.pse.com.ph

STOCKS WITH DIVIDENDS IN THE PHILIPPINE STOCK MARKET

2009-05-16T05:28:00.000-07:00

Philippine Stocks give dividends so that they could entice us to buying their shares.Actually the main purpose of dividends is to provide interest from the money the investors have lent to them.It is also a sign that a company healthy and has extra profit for thier loyal investors.Just like banks, they post how much their interest rates are they giving to their depositors, like stocks they give in time period for buying their stocks and avail the dividends.The price of the stock usually goes after they have given the dividends so that the investor will not sell their stocks after buying them. If you invest in longterm ,stocks is always better than bank.When buying stocks it safe to think about dividends.

IF you have 100 thousand in the bank,Compare to stocks.Interest for the bank @ 3% per annum or P3000(this is higher than most banks interest).Computation is based on Jan 2008-2009

holcim(HLCM)-0.76 centavos per share dividends-for 100k thats 16000 shares .16000 times 0.76 =12000 pesos interest.stocks is BETTER THAN BANK.12000 vs 3000.

globe(GLO)- 119.50 per share dividends-for 100k thats 76 shares.76 shares times 119.50 =9000 pesos interest.stocks is always BETTER THAN BANK.9000 vs 3000.

gsmi-GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL-has given diividend has from 2006-2009.P1.50 per share dividends.for 100k thats P26 peso per share=3800 shares.for 100k thats 3800 shares.3800x1.5=5700 pesos.

urc -UNIVERSAL ROBINA CORPORATION-0.68 dividend,7200 shares,4900 pesos.

psb

smc

mwc

bpi

sbc

amc

mark hervias

pls. visit http://pilipinostockmarket.wordpress.com/ to download the list of 2006-2009 stock dividends.There are a lot of stocks, but only few give dividends.

pls click followblog on the top area of the webpage,so that it will automatically give you tips through email.ty

Buying Philippine stocks for May 2009

2009-05-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

1. PLDT-BUY- The stock is to cheap to miss out.gives out dividends.

2.PX-PHILEX MINING-BUY-Gold miner.Made a lot of money from this stock.Good for hedging.

3.AC-BUY-Ayala Corporation

4.MWC-BUY-Manila Water Corporation

5.GLO-BUY-Globe Telecom

6.DMCI-BUY

*Watch out for the graph before buying, if it goes down ,just wait before buying.

pls click followblog on the top area of the webpage,so that it will automatically give you tips through email.ty

philippine bank stocks

2009-05-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

I have the best banks stocks for you.This are stable banks with dividends.

1.CHIB- CHINA BANK-Buy.Highly recommended by my broker for its high dividends, shares bof stocks and money value.If the price goes up to 322 per share its buying time.If it goes below 322 just wait for a little while.If it goes up, its buying time once again.Buy this for long term.

2.BDO-BANCO DE ORO-HOLD.Dont buy just yet.Wait.Haste makes waste.I have shares of this stock when it was @ 50 per share.I have not sell this since.Wait for the price to go down.It will still go down,below P30 ,A good solid bank at a very affordable price.Make a comment if you want to know when to buy so that I could analyze the charts.http://pilipinostockmarket.wordpress.com/2009/05/14/bdo-philippine-stocks/

3.MBT-Metrobank-Hold.Dont buy.A strong bank but the price right now is high.I think it will still go down.

4.UBP-Union bank of the Philippines.Hold .Wait for the price to go up by 25.If it goes down by 24.Just wait.

by markhervias

http://pilipinostockmarket.wordpress.com/

pls click followblog on the top area of the webpage,so that it will automatically give you tips through email.ty