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How to Start an Investment Club - Business Model

Your investment club will need to decide what type of entity you're going to adopt for business purposes. You'll have to decide whether you're going to be a corporation, a general partnership, or limited liability partnership. Each of these business models has their own advantages and disadvantages. · Corporation. Most investment clubs will avoid becoming a corporation. This is because corporations are taxable business entities that require knowledgeable accounting skills to make them run smoothly and in accord with government regulations. A corporation generally means a lot of paperwork. This paperwork can be avoided by choosing another business model for your purpose of running an investment club. · General partnership. This type of business model requires less paperwork and knowledge about taxes and other financial issues. Most investment clubs choose a general partnership as their choice of a business entity. A general partnership has nominal paperwork and costs associated with it because the taxes are passed to each partner's tax returns. This type of business model will let you accomplish what you need to do to run your investment club with the least amount of tax influence. · Limited liability corporations. This type of a business model is much like the general partnership but it gives individual members of your investment group a bit more liability protection. Keep in mind that this type of business entity can be expensive and will need more paperwork. Members of your investment group will have to decide which of the above business models works best for your club. You will have to make a decision one way or the other since establishing a business entity is a requirement for tax purposes.

Forex Trading: Great Opportunity or Scam?

A lot of interest has been generated recently in FOREX trading, hailed by some as the great new investment opportunity. There are even companies running TV infomercials, offering sure fire systems that will bring massive profits in an easy fashion. So what is forex? Is it something new? The exchange of currencies is said by some to be the world's second oldest profession and as long as there have been two sovereign states that have issued their own currencies, there has been foreign exchange as a facilitator for trade. Forex, as foreign exchange has been abbreviated to, has been conducted for centuries and has become a global market with a daily turnover according to a recent Bank for International Settlements survey of $1.9 trillion (billion, billion) per day. Essentially it is a global market place with no physical exchange building where all claims on foreign currencies are settled - between governments, corporations, investors and speculators among others. Banks have traditionally been the middlemen who provide the liquidity to this gigantic market, which incidentally is traded on an almost continuous 24-hour basis. Then came the Internet and suddenly it became possible for everyone to get a piece of the speculative action. Brokers sprouted up with their electronic trading platforms and high 'leverage'. Essentially the brokers lend clients funds to speculate with, 100:1 or in some cases up to 400:1 ratio, or leverage. This means that $10,000 can 'control' up to $4,000,000 in the market. This is far higher than is possible in the stock market. Many people have been attracted to the possibilities of earning fast profits from forex. There are often sharp movements that can turn your $10,000 to $20,000 in a matter of minutes. You can also get wiped out, but the lure of a fast buck has turned would-be speculators into out-and-out gamblers. The Internet has also made it possible for the individual to obtain so-called 'charts', that allow them to do 'technical analysis' on their own PCs. The theory is that price movement patterns repeat themselves, so if you have a system of analysis, you can predict a future move in the market. This may well be the case, but it does not address the problems of the psychology of trading - the fear and greed that drives many to irrational behaviour. People are often taken in by the seller of a system, often paying $5,000 for a piece of software that shows a green light to buy and a red light to sell. However, they don't tell you how to manage your money. So speculators lose. It has been estimated that 90% of new investors in forex lose their capital in the first year - an appalling figure. What can one do to avoid being a victim? Well, forex is a business like any other business and planning is required. It is also a profession and as such, adequate training is necessary so that you understand fully what forex trading is all about. Many are prepared to invest thousands in forex trading without really knowing what it is all about. Just think if franchises were offered in a major hamburger chain without the franchisees having a clue how to run a restaurant or even make the burgers. The failure rate would also probably be 90%! As with all investing, it is all a matter of risk and reward. Investing in Government securities is considered low risk, therefore they carry the lowest return. Increase the risk (the probability of loss on the investment), the higher an investor is rewarded in terms of return. An individual trading forex decides his own level of risk, which should dictate the level of reward. However, in the hands of an inexperienced trader, the two factors are impossible to reconcile, meaning in stark terms that traders cannot control the risk or the reward levels. People attracted to forex trading often have an unrealistic expectation of what can be earned. To start with an investment of $5,000 and expect to be making $100,000 a year after the first year is unrealistic. It is not impossible; then again, neither is winning the lottery. If the parameters for trading are laid down and adhered to combined with knowledge of forex trading, success is possible. It does not take much in the way of 'enhanced' returns to be able to double an investment. 26% per annum is required to double your investment within 3 years. Who is going to teach you? There are some very good courses available, but these will only give you the theory, in itself very important. The ideal way is to have a mentor, or guide to show you the way. Getting mentored is a wise move because it makes it possible to draw on the experience of a veteran expert and avoid making the common mistakes that cause the unwary to suffer catastrophic losses. After a while under guidance, a forex trader will gain the experience The bottom line is that forex is not in itself a scam. There are for sure scam artists who prey on individuals' greed as there are in any other business. If it is approached in a sensible and realistic manner and the trader is prepared to work hard, forex can provide a good living both financially and materially.

E-currency Exchange Trading

I have searched high and low and tried MLM's such as Market America, Quixstar, Trek Alliance and Amway. The business idea works, however people need to sell products and build their downline to be successful. I hated the idea of trying to convince people that Market America, Quixstar and all the other MLM's worked. In fact, that was the hardest thing to do was to convince somebody that these MLM's worked! I have finally found a system that involves no selling, no downline and and garunteed profits with a little learning involved. I thought this couldn't be true, I actually don't have to sell something and didn't have to build a downline! Let me explain how it works. There are hundreds of companies on the internet that deal with electronnic funds, such as Netpay, PayPal and INTgold. Currency exchanging is relatively unknown but incredibly lucrative business opportunity. While Currencies are traded all over the world (like with Forex), there are both US-based and offshore trading houses that need your flow of dollars to facilitate their business operations. This is where you,"The Merchant" comes in. By making funds temporarily avaliable to the Global Exchange Network creates float. The company we work with is able to borrow against this dollar amount and the commissions come back to us. The funds you lend to the network are typically returned in a 24 to 36 hour time frame. For example, by pushing $100 in INTGold to another person in exchange you recieve a fee of $3.50. This process takes about 30 seconds. When the funds come back into your account you make another $1. $4.50 isn't bad for something that takes 15 seconds to do. There are other ways to cycle this money back through the system and reinvest profits to your bottom line. On top of building float, your investment is compounded daily and you easily make gains of .35% off of your investment per day. How much is that? Well if you invested $100 that would be 35 cents per day profits. Now imagine when your investment grows to $1000 and $5000.... even $10,000 your daily profits are easily $35 per day. Remember the best part about this is that is compounded daily! How much can you start with? You can start with as little as $25.00 I recommend a few hundred dollars until you get to know the system and become more comfortable with the exchange network. I learned the e-currency exchange network through a group of friends online. It is extremely difficult trying to learn how to do this sitting in chat rooms and reading posts. I finally gave in and purchased a guide that literally enabled me to double my investment in under a month. I am very pleased with my results and I can now kiss those MLM's that require downline building and selling goodbye forever!

Do you want to generate extra dollars and new friends in the stock market?

What is an Investment Club? The definition of an investment club is simple: a group of people who share an interest in the stock market pooling their resources into one large investment. Defining how an investment club works is more complicated. The majority of the time the investment decisions will be made after some research has been done regarding the stock that is under consideration. This will be discussed at length further in this book. An important feature of an investment club is that the members are there to have fun as they invest their money and learn about the stock market. Making a profit isn’t the only goal of the club and members are encouraged to have fun as they invest their money.

Buying a Timeshare Resale: Seven Tips For Success

Most people know that when buying a timeshare, great care should be taken. However, even more care and research should be used when buying a timeshare resale. Timeshare resales cost much less than buying directly from a resort developer, but you should still keep your best interests at heart. Being informed about your timeshare will lead to a positive experience. 1. It is a very good idea to actually see the timeshare you are buying. Some timeshare resellers may “talk up” their timeshare. If the reseller says that the timeshare is in a beautiful place, be sure to check it out. A timeshare, even a resold timeshare, is a great investment. It is important to make sure that you are buying what you want. 2. Timeshare resales often have very appealing prices. Sometimes, these prices can cause the buyer to overlook crucial questions. Be sure to ask about maintenance fees and property taxes. If these have not been paid up-to-date, then the timeshare will cost significantly more than the base price. It is very important to know the whole cost before you decide to buy a timeshare. 3. Some timeshares are affiliated with an exchange company. If the timeshare you are purchasing is affiliated with an exchange company, make sure to find out if this membership can be transferred. Doing this can help you to avoid unnecessary hassles in the future. If the timeshare you are purchasing is a point-system timeshare, find out if the points are transferable. Finally, if there are any additional bonuses with the timeshare, find out if they can be transferred. 4. The seller often pays to advertise the timeshare, while the buyer is stuck with the closing costs. Be informed and find out all of the charges that you will be responsible for upon the closing of the sale. This is important because some buyers do not know how much they are paying when they decide to buy the timeshare. 5. Visiting the timeshare can solve this problem, but it is important to be aware of it. Timeshares can sometimes be located in a facility that has only been partially remodeled. Other timeshares have not been touched at all. Paying an extremely high price for an old, worn-out timeshare is never a good idea. 6. Timeshares have different times that they can be used. Knowing when you can use your timeshare is very important. Some timeshares are odd-or even-year-use timeshares. If you buy one of these timeshares, it may be another year or two before you can actually use the timeshare you purchased. If there is a lease on the property, make sure to find out how much time is left on the lease. 7. Last, but certainly not least, find out why the timeshare is being sold. Too many buyers simply overlook this crucial information. Some resellers don’t want it anymore, but other resellers may have discovered a problem with the timeshare, or an inconvenience. It is important to know these issues so you can decide whether or not you yourself want to deal with them. If the reseller tells you the negative aspects concerning the timeshare, and you are still fully confident in its success, then it will be a good investment. Timeshare resales can be complicated business. It is important to be as informed as possible when purchasing a timeshare because it is often a very large investment. The more investigating you do, the more informed you will be. Being informed is the best way to ensure that you have a positive timeshare resale experience.

Buying a Franchise

is not for everyone. This guide will help you evaluate whether buying a franchise is right for you. It will help you understand your obligations as a franchise owner. Many people dream of owning and running their own business but are often let down by the reality of doing so. By purchasing a franchise, you often can sell goods and services that have instant name recognition and can obtain training and ongoing support to help you succeed. But be cautious. Like any investment, purchasing a franchise is not a guarantee of success. A franchise typically enables you, the investor or "franchisee," to operate a business. By paying a franchise fee, which may cost several thousand pounds, you are given a format or system developed by the company ("franchisor"), the right to use the franchisor's name for a limited time, and assistance. While buying a franchise may reduce your investment risk by enabling you to associate with an established company, it can be costly. You also may be required to relinquish significant control over your business, while taking on contractual obligations with the franchisor. Outlined below are some of the main points you need to consider before buying a franchise: - Franchise fee: Your initial franchise fee, which may be non-refundable, may cost several thousand to several hundred thousand pounds. - Royalty payments: You may have to pay the franchisor royalties based on a percentage of your weekly or monthly gross income. You often must pay royalties even if your outlet has not earned significant income during that time. In addition, royalties usually are paid for the right to use the franchisor's name. - Advertising fees: You may have to pay into an advertising fund. Some portion of the advertising fees may go for national advertising or to attract new franchise owners, but not necessarily to target your particular outlet. - Controls: To ensure uniformity, franchisors typically control how franchisees conduct business. These controls may significantly restrict your ability to exercise your own business judgment. - Terminations and Renewal: You can lose the right to your franchise if you breach the franchise contract. In addition, the franchise contract is for a limited time; there is no guarantee that you will be able to renew it. A franchisor can end your franchise agreement if, for example, you fail to pay royalties or abide by performance standards and sales restrictions. If your franchise is terminated, you may lose your investment. Franchise agreements typically run for 15 to 20 years. After that time, the franchisor may decline to renew your contract. Before investing in a particular franchise system, carefully consider how much money you have to invest, your abilities, and your goals.

Best Stock Market Simulation Games

A stock market simulation game is a great way to practice your investment skills before actually investing any "real" money in the stock market. Simulation games are usually played on the internet, where people can experience the thrill of investing in the stock market without any risks, costs or any fear of losing money when and if they make a poor investment decision. Many teachers and professors of banking and finance are now using stock market simulation games to teach their students about the rudiments of investing in stocks. Most stock market simulation games come with a fee to get started, but there are some that are free of any charge. One does not need have prior knowledge about the stock market to join. This is how stock market simulation games usually work: First, players must register. After registration, players are given an initial sum of "virtual" money to invest in companies of their choice. Players build a portfolio of stocks by buying and selling shares in companies. Most stock market simulation games use real-time market data. The objective of most stock market simulation games is simple: To increase the value of your portfolio of stocks so that it is greater than that of the other game players. Below are some tips on choosing a stock market simulation game: • Choose a stock market simulation game that is used and recommended by reputable colleges, high schools, middle school, investment clubs, brokers in training, corporate education courses and any other group of individuals studying markets in the U.S. and worldwide. • Choose a stock market simulation game that is comprehensive and easy to implement in any Finance, Economics, or Investments class. A good stock market simulation game should feature trading of stocks, options, futures, mutual funds, bonds from the U.S. and many of the world's major markets. • Choose a stock market simulation game that provides a valuable, reliable, and realistic trading simulation at a reasonable price to members and other individuals who are interested in learning more about investing and trading. The simulation game should also have some capability for testing a variety for investment strategies. • Choose a stock market simulation game that has a toll-free customer service phone number and excellent e-mail support for members. The support function should be able to quickly answer any questions that members/players may have. • Choose a stock market simulation game that is easy to use and easy to teach even to those who have never had any real hands-on investment experience.

An Untapped Resource For Finding Your Ideal Home Business

The pitch "Business For Sale!" may be your key to a Profitable Home Based Business! In fact, your GOLDEN Opportunity may be just a FEW CLICKS AWAY!... But most people NEVER even know that a profitable, proven, growing home based business that COULD be theirs might be right under their nose! 99% of the people seeking a home based business go to the news stand or the Internet. They look at 100 "me too" operations selling nutrition, soap, or some digital product and HOPE it might work locally. Wouldn't it be much simpler to find a viable, cash generating, home based business opportunity right in your own home town that is already proven to work? You can! And 99.5% of the other home business wannabe's in town will never bother you as competition either. That's because they don't know how to tap into the nationwide network of business brokers. Yes. They even sell HOME BASED BUSINESSES! I can hear you now. "But I don't have money to BUY a business!" Well, you don't necessarily have to buy anything. But, you CAN look at "Business for Sale" listings from all over the country and you WILL find home businesses for sale. Or ideas for businesses that can be operated from home that you can re-create in your neck of the woods. For the price of some hours spent surfing the net at a key website I've discovered, you'll develop page after page of ideas for your home based business. In fact, you may never have to go searching again for ideas once you know where to look and find out that the looking only involves the investment of your time. Found a business you really like at a reasonable price? You might just want to buy it. Or at least respond to the listing and see what other information you can glean about the enterprise! Your time learning about businesses for sale may be the best investment you'll ever make in your home business career. It will expand your horizons as an entrepreneur, cure you of home business pipe dreams, and let you find out what works in the REAL world!

Annuity Help

Many people today are looking for annuity help. The biggest challenge seems to be that most of the help is biased. What exactly do I mean? I mean that there is always a vested interest for the person who is helping you with your annuities. They are out to sell you something so you don't know if they are doing it for your best interest or for theirs. For instance, let's say you were looking for a fixed annuity. If you work with an agent who has a bias towards variable annuities or gets paid more for selling variable annuities, you may end up with something that doesn't fit your needs. Also, if you end up with a banker or financial advisor who does not do a good job at addressing your financial needs and concerns, you may end up with the investment of the day instead of the investment that's right for you. And by the time you realize it, it may be too late. So how do you get help with your annuity? First and foremost you must help yourself. What is really good is to take inventory of where you are currently and where you want to be. Look at your current investments and your goals. Take a snapshot of your financial situation. This may sound elementary but most people don't do it. But the key is to do it before you seek help from an outside source. Look, the reason is simple. The more you know going in, the better the chance that you will get what you want. Doing your financial homework is a critical piece of getting the right help. A good financial advisor will ask you to help him understand you so you can help him to help you. This is crucial to your financial future. Getting help with your annuity or your investments means helping yourself first. The most important aspect of this comes at the time you need to make a financial decision about your annuities or your investments. If you know what you want, you will be able to figure out what you don't want. For example, if you want safety of principal and the advisor offers you a variable annuity, you can easily say no because you know that won't fit your goals. Also, the opposite is true. If you don't know what you want, you may know what you don't want and that may be a good place to start. The bottom line is annuity and investment help begins with yourself. Understand your financial situation, your time frames, your needs for liquidity, and your goals. The specific investments and annuities you will use to accomplish your goals will come second. The more you help yourself, the more likely it is you will end up with the right annuity. Good luck and remember... Ignorance is not bliss...

Angel Investors: Who They Are & When Are They Appropriate

Angel investors are individuals who invest in emerging business ventures. Angels typically provide both capital and know-how to companies who are in either their start-up or expansion phases. To reflect the increased risk of investing in such firms, angels seek a higher rate of return versus traditional public stock investments. Angel investors fulfill the financing need that exists between capital provided by friends and family and capital provided by venture capitalists. Individual angel investors often write checks from $25,000 to $100,000. Recently, angel investing has become more organized, and angel groups often invest from $250,000 to $500,000 at a time to deserving ventures. Angel investors often have similar financing criteria as venture capitalists. They want to see proprietary intellectual property, a large market size, management team members with expertise and experience and a current valuation that allows for a good return on investment. In identifying and attracting an angel investor, companies should seek angel groups that are located in their region. For instance, the Tech Coast Angels have funded over 85 Southern California-based companies since 1997. When seeking individual angel investors, it is critical to network in order to create a personal connection between yourself and the angel. Also, ideally the individual has experience within your specific field so he/she can provide industry contacts and operational expertise in addition to capital.

Alternative Retirement Income Options

A very wise and good friend of mine told me once: "One good investment is worth a 'lifetime' of labor." After reading this article, the wisdom behind this statement will be clear to you. The big question we should all be asking ourselves is "how much do we need to save to be able to support ourselves?". We cant estimate that unless we first make some basic assumptions: A zero-inflation is unrealistic. It's safe to assume however about 2% inflation. If it is higher than that, it is bad for the economy of the country., The Bank of Canada is is mandated to keep inflation under control, using interest rates. If the average rate of inflation for the next 50 years is 2%, then a dollar 50 years from now will be worth roughly (1 - 0.02)^50 = 36 cents. So if save one million dollars today, these retirement dollars will be worth about $360,000. That's still enough to give you an annual income of $36,000 -- well above the poverty level. Compound interest is powerful magic. In 50 years, money doubles roughly 7 times, which means that a single $1000.00 investment will grow to roughly $128000.00. Other than the work you did in the first year to save the money, you haven't had to do anything for the next 50 years. That's roughly one-tenth of the million dollars most people would like to have sqirreled away for retirement. If you also want to have a million dollars, you'll need to invest about ten times this amount: say, $1000 a year for the next 10 years. Or roughly save $100 a month. Not too difficult is it? If you can save more, sooner and earn more longer; this is better. Hence the name of my website http://www.BetterRetirementSooner.com. Lets not forget about the federal and state taxes we have to pay every year. We dont have many tax breaks anymore, but the RRSP / 401(k) is there for us to use. Your RRSP / 401(k) is your friend because the money that you put into an RRSP / 401(k) is not taxed until you draw from the plan. If you can make a 10% return on your money inside your RRSP, you get to keep the entire 10% and the compounded untaxed growth dollars until you retire and start making withdrawals. If this same 10% was earned outside your RRSP/401(k), and your yearly marginal tax rate is roughly 45%, you only get to keep about 5.5 percent of that. So you can reinvest less,and therefore your money over the years will grows slower. These days...How do you make a double-digit return on your money? GICs are a low risk investment. And respectively, GICS only pay upto 5%. At 5%, it will take 14 years for your money to double. A $10000.000 GIC will grow to about $115,000 over 50 years. If you managed to save $300 each month instead of $100, you could get up to $300,000 or $400,000, but you should also think about taking on a little more risk than just GICs. What do you do if you cant wait 50 years for your retirement nest-egg? According to Statistics Canada the stock market has maintained an average return of 9% annually. If you're not a seasoned investor, you may not be comfortable with the idea of putting your money into the stock market. Trust me, if you do not know what you are doing, leave the stockmarket to the professionals because you can lose your shirt. Don't try to time the markets yourself. There are to many variables and you don't have the information required fast enough to make the timely decisions necessary to be profitable. An inexperienced Day Trader will fsail as miserably as an inexperienced gambler! The odds are very much infavour of the house! Large mutual funds are a good investment vehicle. You can regularly invest a small amount every month in a mutual fund instead of stocks, realize better growth than if you invested in a stock or two yourself. Mutual funds reduce the risk of losing all your money because they are managed daily by professional money market analysts. Politics and the economy are very difficult to predict. Merely not being able to sell in the first few hours of a crisis can be very very costly to you and your retirement fund. A Mutual Fund manager will be ready and better prepared to properly deal with a major shift in the market so we dont all lose our shirts. You must Plan and budget to build Savings. If your goals and your expenses are out of balance -- there's no way you can save enough to meet your goals -- make a first pass through your expenses, seeing where you can trim them. Even consider lowering your goals a little. It is usually much easier to save $100.00, than it is to earn an extra $200.00 because of the taxes payable. Roughly $100 in tax must be paid on that extra $200.00 you earn based on your middle class tax bracket. So planning yor retirement at a later stage in your life, starts with a change in priorities. Begin spending less rather than trying to work overtime to earn more. You may have to do without some of those "nice to have items" that you are dreaming of, or you may end up having to eat cat food in your later years if you don't! Once you've got some savings accumulated, keep three months worth in a bank account for short term emergencies. Liquid assets are the easiest to get your hands on when yo need them. Dont worry about making big interest on this money. When you have your emergency money saved, we can talk about savings-building options, to meet our goals. Once you have your short term nest egg squirrelled away, you can begin regularly contributing to long term investments for retirement. Can You retire at 65? Because of modern medicine, our life expectancy is longer. Much longer now in 2005 than it was in 1927. Whereas, we used to live until an average age of 61, we now live to an average age of 78! Do you know? The chances are that if you live to be 65, there is a 25% chance that you will live well into your 90's today. There is a big problem with this because of our life expectancy, we need live longer on our retirement savings, much longer! So it is harder to retire comfortably today! This means that if you did not start saving significantly when you were young, most likely you will NOT have enough money to live well, for very long, after you are retired, unless you win the lottery. But don't panic! The situtation is still not that desperate. In fact, Financial advisors are now telling older people not to retire at retirement age, but instead, keep working. Work, even part time, as long as you can after the official retirement age. This helps to build furthur savings or at least stretch the savings you did have so you can live well in retirement longer and wealthier. The bottom line is, we all need a lot more savings and even so, one can no longer retire well on savings alone - at least not for 20-30 years of retirement - thats for sure! What if you dont feel like working into your 70's? What if Mopping floors at Walmart and flipping burgers for minimum wage at MacDonalds, until your 70, is not for you? This is the million dollar question! Remember my friends statement: "One good investment is worth a 'lifetime' of labor."? If you have an investment that is bringing-in income, month after month; monthy income for the rest of your life , then you have succeed in securing a wealthy retirement for yourself. You can retire and not worry about running out of savings! Cool. What kind of investment are we talking about? We know real-estate rental properties are such a means because they are not a lot of work adn they bring in money month after month. This is not the only way though. We are lucky today. We have some really good options for earning money now. In fact, because of the internet, we have the entire world as our marketplace now. Via the internet we can all have a home based-business and a customer base too! All we need is an internet business that we can tend to a few hours a day...a business that will generate monthly income for us 24/7/365 days a year, for the rest of our life. Here are some Recent Internet facts and Figures: 1. By 2007 there will be 1.1 billion Internet users worldwide. - IDC, 2004 2. Worldwide broadband subscribers exceeded 150 million in 2004. - Point Topic, 2004 3. Over 40% of all Americans have made a purchase online. - NDP Group, 2004 4. Over 75% of online consumers do not care whether an online store is run by a large or small company. - TNS, 2004 5. $1.6 trillion was made via e-commerce in 2003; $7.1 trillion is expected in 2007. - Source: IDC, 2004 6. A recent UK study indicated that 82% of Internet users go online to research products and services. - UK Stats Office 2004 7. More than 60 million Europeans now shop online, an increase of 50% since 2003. - Forrester, December 2004 8. US online retail sales will more than double over the next six years, reaching $316 billion by 2010. - Forrester, Aug 2004 9. 61% of small and mid-sized enterprises believe the Internet is a significant advertising medium.-The Kelsey Group, Nov 2004 10. In 2004, paid search advertising grew by 51% to $3.6 billion in the US alone. - eMarketer 2004 The internet has big potential and opportunity that we did no have back in 1927. It should not be overlooked or under-estimated! If you can save more, sooner and earn more longer; you will have secured yourself a fabulous retirement! Hence the name of my website http://www.BetterRetirementSooner.com Happy Retirement!

Alternative Venture Finance: Federal Grants and Loans

While most companies seeking venture capital initially think about angel investors and venture capitalists, a large alternative source of financing is federal grants and loans. The two largest federal grant programs are run by the Small Business Administration (SBA), and by Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs). An SBA loan, regardless of whether it is a direct loan from the SBA, or, as is more common, a bank loan guaranteed by the SBA, is essentially a bank loan. The benefit of it versus a traditional bank loan is the rate. SBA rates are typically much less than traditional business loan rates. In most cases, in a guaranteed SBA bank loan, the SBA guarantees 90 percent of the loan will be repaid to the bank. As such, banks are at much less risk than in most other loans, and are a bit more flexible with regards to who they offer these loans. However, the SBA usually requires the founders of the company to personally guarantee the loans, which makes them risky should the venture collapse. Alternatively, Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) are privately organized corporations that are licensed and regulated by the SBA. Small or emerging businesses which qualify for assistance from the SBIC program can receive equity capital and/or long-term loans from these companies. Essentially, these companies provide their own capital, which is supplemented by federal funds, to the companies they fund. Interestingly, U.S. taxpayers benefits from the SBIC program as tax revenues generated from successful SBIC investments have more than covered the cost of the program. Likewise the program has created hundreds of thousands of jobs. In summary, SBA and SBIC financing are viable alternatives to financing from angel investors and venture capitalists and should be considered in the capital raising process. Similarly to angel and VC financing, companies seeking SBA and SBIC financing need a strong management team and value proposition, and a highly professional and compelling business plan in order to raise the capital they need.

All About Stock Market

A stock market simulation game is a great way to practice your investment skills before actually investing any "real" money in the stock market. Simulation games are usually played on the internet, where people can experience the thrill of investing in the stock market without any risks, costs or any fear of losing money when and if they make a poor investment decision. Many teachers and professors of banking and finance are now using stock market simulation games to teach their students about the rudiments of investing in stocks. Most stock market simulation games come with a fee to get started, but there are some that are free of any charge. One does not need have prior knowledge about the stock market to join. This is how stock market simulation games usually work: First, players must register. After registration, players are given an initial sum of "virtual" money to invest in companies of their choice. Players build a portfolio of stocks by buying and selling shares in companies. Most stock market simulation games use real-time market data. The objective of most stock market simulation games is simple: To increase the value of your portfolio of stocks so that it is greater than that of the other game players. Below are some tips on choosing a stock market simulation game: • Choose a stock market simulation game that is used and recommended by reputable colleges, high schools, middle school, investment clubs, brokers in training, corporate education courses and any other group of individuals studying markets in the U.S. and worldwide. • Choose a stock market simulation game that is comprehensive and easy to implement in any Finance, Economics, or Investments class. A good stock market simulation game should feature trading of stocks, options, futures, mutual funds, bonds from the U.S. and many of the world's major markets. • Choose a stock market simulation game that provides a valuable, reliable, and realistic trading simulation at a reasonable price to members and other individuals who are interested in learning more about investing and trading. The simulation game should also have some capability for testing a variety for investment strategies. • Choose a stock market simulation game that has a toll-free customer service phone number and excellent e-mail support for members. The support function should be able to quickly answer any questions that members/players may have. • Choose a stock market simulation game that is easy to use and easy to teach even to those who have never had any real hands-on investment experience.

A Completely New Way To Get Rich Rapidly

This new way is catching on around the world. People are compounding money rapidly for themselves. Its called "opportunity investment" and it has nothing to do with the traditional way to invest. Stocks, bonds, shares etc. This is hands on. The entire premise is based on compounding and becoming the "investor source" You see when we hand over our funds to "professionals" to invest our capital we dilute our returns dramatically. It makes sense if you think about it. They have no interest or incentive to manufacture returns any better then maybe 10% if you are lucky. "Opportunity Investment" is a term that describes the process of taking responsibility for your own funds. Thereby becoming your own "investor source" What that means is that you determine by your daily actions and decisions, what your returns will be. I have managed over 2500% per year and it was easy. Starting with just $100 and on a whim, I compounded that in to $1 million dollars within 27 months I discovered this 5 years ago. There is a book written by a guy who pioneered this formula and lives the results every day. Hayden Muller. The book is called "The inside trade secrets to an ethical opportunity investor" The idea is to identify "investment objects" that are endowed with "excess intrinsic value" By recognising profit where others do not we put ourselves in the position to access this unseen stored portable value and transform it into profits which we pyramid and compound into a rapid fortune. Its my opinion that this is not new at all. I believe, this is the narrow path that all "high net worth individuals" discovered for themselves. What is novel and new is the way its packaged as a book and disclosed freely to all who choose to recognise its worth. I am so impressed with it, as were my associates, that we invested in an online resource to share with the many who already compound their wealth rapidly and certainly day by day. (Theres a link to the site below if you wish to learn more) Theres revolution in the air. Ordinary people are daring to reach for their first million and taking it. Millions are not content to work their whole lives, then retire then die. They express it by their actions. They are living in large comfortable homes. They are sending their children to good schools, driving nice cars and living the life they choose today not tommorow. We are part of that paradigm shift and we fan the flames with knowledge. Wealth education need not be complicated. Your wealth education could be alot simpler and direct if you choose it to be. Simpler is always better, and opportunity investment is the bare bones. The structure is robust and direct. Take it and earn like the many who already do.

5 Hot Tips for Successful Real Estate Investment

The last downturn of the global stock market saw millions of ‘every day’ investors having their fingers badly burned. Overnight life savings were eaten away, retirement funds went into decline and the economic forecast for all of us who had any money invested in stocks and shares was gloomy to say the very least. As a direct result investors in their thousands turned their backs on the rollercoaster stock markets and sought alternative asset classes in which to invest their hard earned money. This has led to a global boom in real estate markets and property prices, and it has spawned a generation of budding real estate investors. For those of you wondering whether it’s too late to venture into real estate investing or considering how best to make the most significant returns from property investment, here are 5 hot tips for successful real estate investment to set you on the path to potential profits! 1) Consider Investment Property Abroad There are many relatively untapped property markets in countries around the world that offer the real estate investor greater return on investment in the form of rental yields or short to medium term capital growth. While major markets in the USA, UK, Australia and Europe are slowing down, there are emerging property markets globally that are hungry for investment and are proving to be highly profitable. For example, in 2007 a number of countries are already aligned for accession into the European Union and as a result property markets in these countries are likely to benefit from greater numbers of visitors, more trade, increased investment into infrastructure and more stable economies. The likes of Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Turkey and even Northern Cyprus are just a few examples of overseas destinations with emerging real estate markets that may be worthy of your consideration. 2) Make Sure Your Plans Are Profitable This sounds ridiculously simple right? Well, you’d be surprised how few people actually make sure their plans are actually sustainable and as profitable as they hope. Examine any real estate market that you’re about to enter by firstly comparing property values across the city, state or region and making sure you know what your money will buy you. Then ensure that the rental yield you intend to obtain from your property is actually realistic or that the asking price you intend to set once you’ve renovated the property will be offered. 3) Never Assume Anything This goes from assuming a house is structurally sound to accepting that tax laws won’t change – from believing your tenants when they tell you that they are house proud and honest to accepting the first builder’s quotation! Do your due diligence on every single aspect of the process from ensuring the asking price for a property is fair to checking your tax returns before your accountant submits them for you. This is your investment, your future, your potential profit and therefore it is ultimately your responsibility. 4) Employ An Expert When In Doubt Few people are a master of all trades therefore be prepared to acknowledge areas where you are far from being an expert and at least consider courting a second opinion. Again, this goes from checking out the structural soundness of a property to understanding the legal ramifications of letting out your property. If in doubt always double check – and if this means you have to call in an expert, make sure you call in an expert! 5) Set A Realistic Budget And Stick To It Whether you’re purchasing property to let out or buying real estate to renovate you need to sit down and add up every single area of projected expenditure to enable you to set a realistic budget with which to work. Make sure you add in everything from having searches and surveys conducted, legal fees, accountancy fees, insurance costs, likely interest payments on any finance required, taxation, connection of utilities, marketing for tenants or buyers, real estate agency fees, and of course don’t forget to add on the cost of the property and the price of any renovation and refurnishing and decorating work required. Spend time considering every single area where a cost will be incurred and detail every likely payment that will have to be made and you will arm yourself with a bullet proof budget and do all you can to ensure you encounter no nasty surprises along the way.