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Investing in Car Dealerships: Doing Your Homework

2007-06-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

Investing in Car Dealerships: Doing Your Homework

This article attempts to help give the investor a broader basis upon which to decide whether a dealership merits their time, money and attention.

Interviewing Factories and Financial Institutions

Lenders have an affirmative duty not to promiscuously disclose the financial condition of their debtors. In addition, most Sales and Service Agreements contain confidentiality agreements, with respect to the unauthorized disclosure of a dealer's business. Consequently, questions directed to factories and finance companies should be limited to pertinent, non-confidential questions.

The Buyer's Responsibilities

230 Kan. 684, 640 P2d 1235 held that not only was a bank under no duty to disclose information to a borrower intending to purchase a dealership, but that the investor could not avoid responsibility of exercising reasonable diligence for his own protection. See too: 387 NW2d 373 (Iowa) and 773 F2d 771 (7th Cir.) A buyer may not abandon all caution and responsibility for his own protection and unilaterally impose a fiduciary relationship on another without a conscious assumption of such duties by the one sought to be held liable as a fiduciary. 724 SW2d 343

Courts have even held that a seller's accountants upon discovery its client's financial statements were misleading at the time they were given out, had no duty to correct them, even though they were included in a prospectus. See: 513 FSupp 608 N.D. Ga.

The Physical Inspection of the Dealership

Due diligence requires more from a physical inspection of the dealership then searching for defects in the facility, or potential EPA or OSHA problems. A skilled advisor can surmise how well a potential seller is operating by a visit to the facility. Such things as whether the sales people are energetic, or lethargic; the amount of time it takes sales personnel to greet customers; whether the store is clean and well maintained; whether awards plaques are kept up to date, all indicate the financial condition of the dealership.

Public Information

Data can be obtained from public information to determine not only the financial strength of the dealership, but it can also suggest how to structure an offer more attractable to a seller. Sometimes a seller will accept less money because of the manner in which the offer was structured. Determine what a seller needs, then find a way to enable him or her to get it.

UCC-1, title and mechanic's lien searches all supply information without having to seek permission to obtain credit reports and without violating contractual relationships with lenders.

The Fallibility of Dealership Financial Statements

Dealers are required to file financial statements each month. These statements, however, should not be materially relied upon in making projections.

A profitable parts department and a losing service department may mean the service department is doing poorly, or that a strong parts manager is intimidating the service manager into paying too much for the part.

Industry Guides are available for each area of a dealership's operations. Guides, however, are good servants but bad masters. They are prepared by many different groups, using a variety of sources. A prospective purchaser should:

(1) Compare the selling dealer's actual performance figures, to the guides and obtain explanations for any variances; and

(2) Prepare a pro forma statement, based upon expected sales and forecast gross profits and expenses, based upon personal experience, rather than the selling dealer's experience.

(3) Recognize inconsistencies and irregularities in the statements, and pursue a more thorough investigation of those items.

Financial statements do not provide answers about a dealership; they present a method to formulate intelligent questions in order to pursue answers.

Keys to Analyzing Dealership Financial Statements

Basic "flags" when analyzing dealership financial statements: see our website: http://www.automotiveadvisors.com for a checklist of some basic flags.

Consistency should exist from month to month in each individual account. All inventory and expense accounts should be compared. Note and receive an explanation with respect to major fluctuations.

Buying Without Relying

One buys a dealership without relying solely upon a seller's financial statements in the same way in which a manufacturer opens a new point. Major differences in these approaches generally inure to the buyer's benefit. For example, when opening a brand new store, there will be no existing wholesale parts business, retail sales base; yellow page advertising; or vehicles lined up for service the day after the escrow closes.

Buying an existing business, on the other hand, provides all that, as well as "historical" versus "projected" data to use with forecasts.

In addition to reviewing financial statement, three additional questions should be answered before making projections for a new dealership:

(a) the current retail sales volume;

(b) the planning potential, at closing; and

With those three figures, one may guesstimate the dealership's earnings under proper management; and, he answers to those questions may be obtained from the factory and a reading of the lease.

Officer, Director and Shareholder Approval

Most dealerships are incorporated, or LLCs, and a check with the Secretary of State or Corporations Commissioner will reveal the shareholders, directors and officers of the corporation, and the members of an LLC. A check of local records will generally reveal a d.b.a., or general partnership, whether or not a partnership agreement or stock has been pledged or encumbered and, if so, to whom.

Information, regarding shareholders and officers should be acquired from sources in addition to the factory, as the factory may not have all the information needed to assure the buyer he or she is actually negotiating with the person who possesses the authority to make a contract. Dealers sometimes have silent partners, or sell an interest in the business without informing the factory. In either instance, a potential purchaser could be misled into negotiating with the wrong party.

You need that information to be sure you are negotiating with the right party. In 796 F2d 345 (10th Cir), Michael Gage, president of Michael Gage Chevrolet, signed a "Memorandum of Agreement" to sell his store. He had no approval from either the Board of Directors, or the shareholders of the corporation. Subsequently, the Board and the shareholders rejected Gage's agreement and entered into and approved a Buy-Sell Agreement, with another party that was consummated.

Gage sued the Board and the shareholders. The state court dismissed and Gage re-filed in federal court. The federal court held that when Gage (the dealer) signed a "Memorandum of Agreement" to sell, he had no approval from either the Board or the shareholders and "without such authority (he) could not validly contract to sell the corporation's assets."

Be aware too: states vary with respect to the number of shareholder votes required. Some require 100%, some a two-thirds vote and some a simple majority.

Attorneys, Accountants, Brokers and other Automotive Advisors

Attempt to determine the other party's advisors and whether they possess talent; are knowledgeable with respect to the automobile business; and their reputations for veracity and keeping their word. After an investigation is completed, a decision should be made whether or not to proceed. Some purchases are better avoided, regardless of the attraction.

Questions to Ask about the Business

Why did the Dealership Fail or Succeed?

As in "Valuation of Dealerships" (a topic for another article), the critical question is not whether a selling dealership's financial statements reflect a profit or a loss, but rather why?

The fact a financial statement shows a large net operating profit and a large number of vehicles sold is not enough answer to answer why it is profitable. See our website (automotiveadvisors.com) for a checklist of questions. The questions must be answered before projecting whether new management will make a profit and before deciding upon a reasonable offer for the dealership.

Actual Sales vs. Planning Potential

Planning potential is important for several reasons, such as vehicle allotment, build-out allotments, capitalization requirements and reasonable expectations. A low planning potential and high volume sales may mean the working capital requirements are unrealistic. It is almost impossible to be profitable when a dealership is capitalized too high, or too low.

When questioning the factory about planning potential, not only inquire as to the number, but also as to the manner in which the planning was derived, the date it was determined, when it is expected to be updated, whether it reflects actual sales in the market area and if not, why not.

Area of Sales and Service Responsibility

The dealership's area of geographic sales and service responsibility is important both with respect to surrounding dealers, and with respect to whether or not the factory intends to close an open store, or open a new store. Past service and sales numbers will be of less value to future projections if the factory intends to add or delete points.

Inquire of the factory, as to what the planning potential requirements would be, taking into consideration the newly closed or opened point.

Significant Document Checklist

Although some of the following items are more important when dealing with a stock sale, versus an assets sale, visit our website (automotiveadvisors.com) for a list of documents the prospective purchaser should have his or her advisors collect.

In addition, the advisors should be certain to verify addresses on insurance policies, as we have encountered instances where the address being insured was not the address where the dealership was located.

Finally, the appropriate advisors should have an understanding of past, pending and potential litigation, DMV, factory and finance company problems, along with any settlements, payment of sales taxes and whether or not favorable state unemployment insurance rates may be transferred.

Finding False Gold in Penny Stock

2007-06-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

Finding False Gold in Penny Stock

As far as traders go, many do not see the penny stock as a solid way to do business. Many believe that dealing with penny stock is a risky business. And it really is. Some traders think that the next Microsoft and Walmart stock is buried in a penny stock, which is why they stick around trading unknown stocks over the market.

What is a penny stock? According to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), any stock under $5 is a penny stock. Definitions can vary; some set the cut-off point at $3, while others consider only those stocks trading at less than $1 to be a penny stock. What makes a penny stock risky? Certain issues must be considered before you decide to buy a penny stock:

1. Lack of Information Available to the Public - the key to any successful investment strategy is acquiring information to make informed decisions. In dealing with penny stock, information is much more difficult to find. Much of the information available about a penny stock is typically not from a credible source.

2. No Minimum Standards - Stocks on the OTCBB and Pink Sheets like the penny stock do not have to fulfill minimum standard requirements to remain on the exchange. Sometimes, this is why the stock is on one of these exchanges. Once a company can no longer maintain its position on one of the major exchanges, the company moves one of these smaller exchanges. While the OTCBB does require companies to file timely documents with the SEC, the Pink Sheets has no such requirement. Minimum standards act as a safety cushion for some investors and as a benchmark for some companies.

3. Lack of History - Many of the companies considered to be a penny stock are either newly formed or approaching bankruptcy. These companies will generally have a poor track record or none at all. As you can imagine, the lack of histories of companies only magnifies the difficulty in picking the right stock.

4. Liquidity - When a penny stock doesn't have much liquidity, two problems arise: first, there is the possibility that the stock you purchased cannot be sold. If there is a low level of liquidity, it may be hard to find a buyer for a particular penny stock, and you may be required to lower your price until it is considered attractive by another buyer. Second, low liquidity levels provide opportunities for some traders to manipulate stock prices, which is done in many different ways - the easiest is to buy large amounts of stock, hype it up and then sell it after other investors find it attractive

Penny stocks have been a thorn in the side of the SEC for some time because of the lack of available information and poor liquidity make these groups of stocks an easy target for fraudsters. There are many different ways these people will try to part you from your money, but here are two of the most common:

1. Biased Recommendations - Some companies pay individuals to recommend the company stock in different media, i.e. newsletters, financial television and radio shows. You may receive spam e-mail trying to persuade you to purchase a particular penny stock. Look to see if the issuers of the recommendations are being paid for their services as this is a giveaway of a bad investment and make sure that any press releases aren't given falsely by people looking to influence the price of a penny stock.

2. Off-Shore Brokers- The SEC permits companies selling stock outside the U.S. to foreign investors to be exempt from registering stock. These companies will typically sell the penny stock at a discount to offshore brokers who, in turn, sell them back to U.S. investors for a substantial profit. By cold calling a list of potential investors (investors with enough money to buy a particular stock) and providing attractive information, these dishonest brokers will use high-pressure sales tactics to persuade investors to purchase penny stock.

Be wary when investing on a penny stock. Chances are you will lose more money by putting your trust in a penny stock

Credit Scores = ROI Profits for Real Estate Investors

2007-06-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

Credit Scores = ROI Profits for Real Estate Investors

Strong credit saves real estate investors money on mortgage finance costs. A good credit score, along with the other credit and mortgage qualifications, means that investors can pay lower fees for financing, such as points and interest charges. Also, good credit scores help you avoid garbage fees associated with nonprime loans.

However, the real money making difference for real estate investors comes into play in the return on investment (ROI). When you build up your credit score over 720, you open the way to finance multiple investment properties using other people's money. Today, you can get investment property financing for as little as 5% down when you meet the qualifying credit requirements. This means that your ROI on your cash investment for the down payment can be significant.

For example, let's take a home I found in Bradenton, Florida. Built in 1999, this 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1600 square foot home looks like a great buy for only $219,000. Assume that the property could be purchased for $215,000. With strong credit, the 5% down cash investment of $10,750 buys into the appreciation value of $215,000. A lower credit score would mean that you'd have to put 10%-25% down or more, which lowers your return on investment. You would need $21,500-$53,750 down to buy into the same $215,000 appreciation investment. In this case, your ROI for your cash outlay would decrease significantly.

Of course, other factors like carrying costs affect your investment capabilities. The point: get your credit score over 720 so that when you're ready to buy investment property, you get the best return on your money

Volatile Range

2007-06-29T21:25:00.002-07:00

Volatile Range

The stock market fell sharply Thu and Fri before and after the employment reports Fri morning. The Nonfarm Payrolls report showed 207,000 net jobs were added in July, which were 27,000 more than the market expected. Also, Hourly Earnings in July rose 0.4%, which was twice what the market expected. There's a strong inverse relationship between employment and profits, in part, because when employment increases, then productivity falls, which generally lowers profit growth. Moreover, some proportion of additional labor costs tend to come from profit growth when there is little slack in the economy. Furthermore, lower productivity is inflationary, ceritus paribus (all else equal).

Employment is a lagging indicator. The Unemployment Rate is currently 5.0%, which is considered to be the natural rate of unemployment, where there is an optimal balance of labor and leisure. A lower unemployment rate would indicate strain in the labor market, which would drive up wages. So, there is some concern for slowing profit growth and rising inflation, e.g. a wage-price spiral, although there have been signs of disinflation recently. Nonetheless, U.S. monetary policy is still accommodative, and the Federal Reserve will need to remain vigilant to preempt inflation.

Consequently, the stock market may have reached a short-term top last week, and may consolidate for a month or two. July-August-September is the seasonally weak period for the stock market. The chart below shows SPX rallied about 110 points over a 3 1/2 month period. The two big down days Thu and Fri were on lighter volume, which may indicate a trading range next week. SPX hit a high at about 1,246 last week, and 1,253 is a multi-year Fibonacci resistance level that may not hold for at least several months.

SPX closed at about 1,226 1/2 Fri. Short-term resistance is at the 20 day MA, currently about 1,231 1/2, last week's pre-Friday low at about 1,235, and the 10 day MA, currently just over 1,236. If SPX rises into that area early next week, that may be an opportunity to buy Sep puts. If SPX rises higher, e.g. to test the recent high or multi-year Fibonacci level, that may be an opportunity to buy Aug puts (SPX options expire in two weeks).

SPX is currently in a support zone, i.e. the congestion area over the past few weeks when it held the 10 day MA, and the long Price-by-Volume bar at around 1,225 (on left side of chart). Other short-term support levels are the open gap at 1,221, the 50 day MA, currently about 1,213 1/2, and the longest Price-by-Volume bar at around 1,200. If SPX fails to hold the 200 day MA, e.g. in Sep, then it may close the gaps at 1,174, 1,143, and 1,138.

Next week economic reports are: Mon: None, Tue: Productivity, Wholesale Inventories, and the FOMC announcement, Wed: Treasury Budget, Thu: Retail Sales, Unemployment Claims, and Business Inventories, Fri: Export & Import Prices, Trade Balance, and Michigan Consumer Sentiment. The FOMC is expected to raise the Fed Funds Rate another quarter point to 3.50% Tue. I believe the FOMC will continue to tighten the rest of this year, until monetary policy reaches a neutral stance (perhaps 5% Fed Funds Rate). The weekly oil inventory report is Wed.

Playing With Money - And Making More

2007-06-29T21:25:00.001-07:00

Playing With Money - And Making More

Ready to start playing with your money? Not interested in complicated businesses or boring bank C.D.'s? Here are some methods that aren't quite a business because you can do them once, or just whenever you feel like it. Start small and the risk is small.

Loan Sharking

Years ago a friend got a good job when I loaned him $300 to buy the necessary tools. I charged a $6 per week loan fee (don't call it interest) until he paid in full. That's more than 100% annual interest, and yes, we're still friends. Check the laws in your area if you try this, and take collateral. I don't loanshark any longer, but in my early twenties I loaned as much as $2,000 at a time ($100/month loan fee), and only once was stiffed on a small loan.

Investing In Other's Expertise

John showed me several car magazines before I understood why an old fiberglass car was a good deal at $2,300. What's a Corvette? He convinced me to put up the money, and after a new transmission for $900, he sold the 1976 Corvette for $4,300, netting us $1,000. I took half the profit ($500) for putting up the money for the two weeks.

I've done this many times with friends who know cars but don't have cash. Incidentally, if I had paid a $50 cash advance fee and 18% interest to raise the money with a credit card, my profit would still have been over $400, and John did all the work. I love playing with money. Do you have any friends who know about boats?

Buying Estates

My wife and I met a couple who buy out estates, sell some of it at flea markets, then run the rest through auctions. They've made a living at this for years. After negotiating to buy a whole house full of stuff, thay load up their trailer. If they don't want to do the flea market thing, they auction everything on Sunday afternoon for a nice profit.

If you're a good judge of value and have an auction nearby, you could also do this with rummage sales. Offer $100 for everything, then auction it off piece-by-piece. An auction near us lets anyone in, with no fee to enter - just a 25% commission on anything sold.

Playing With The Casino's Money

When I worked the roulette wheel at a casino I saw many people foolishly writing down the numbers that came up. Their theories were mostly nonsense. Casinos welcome these players and even hand them the pen and paper.

One man, however, was actually scientific about it. He found a bias in the wheel, after "charting" it for more than 5,000 spins. A number pays 35 to 1, but one of the numbers, due to manufacturing imperfections or whatever, was appearing 1 in 27 spins, instead of the average 1 in 38 spins.

He bet $10 a spin, and he profited $80 for every 27 spins of the wheel in the long run, or about $100 per hour. Since the ups and downs are dramatic, this is not for the faint-hearted. Even though he made tens of thousands, I saw him lose as much as $700 in a night. Remember too that not all wheels have biases (the casino eventually replaced that wheel). Have you ever tried "card counting" in blackjack?...

Creating Wealth by Gearing Up

2007-06-29T21:24:00.001-07:00

Creating Wealth by Gearing Up

Gearing is where you borrow money to invest. As already mentioned, it is best to clear all your debt before looking at investment. However, there will arise situations where the investment is a good one and it is necessary to borrow a small amount to make the deal work. The borrowing may be for property or shares.

Gearing allows you to increase your investment and potentially obtain a higher return. On the downside, however, if the investment does not pay off you stand to lose a lot more. Negative gearing comes about when the interest you are paying on your borrowing is greater than the income from your investment (for example, from a rental property). You can claim the loss or difference against your taxation and write it off as a deduction against other income.

Negative gearing is not necessarily the best investment strategy. Even though you get a tax break it is still costing you money. That is, you may be saving yourself 25 cents in the dollar, but you have to spend one dollar to achieve that.

People look at negative gearing because they calculate that they will be able to sell the investment for more than they bought it and in the meantime their losses are deductible off other income they earn. They conclude that the Commissioner of Inland Revenue is in reality helping them fund the growth of the value of their property.

If it can be avoided, don't borrow against your home for investment. This applies particularly when the investment is speculative. Things do go wrong and you wouldn't want to find yourself (and your family) out on the street without a roof over your head.

If you borrow money to invest, this is known as margin lending. The extra funds raised allow you to invest more, increasing the potential returns, compared to what you would get from your standard savings. It allows you to use other people's money so you can get a significant increase in your wealth from a small deposit.

The negative side is when share prices fall below a level and a margin call is made. When this happens you will have 24 hours to respond in one of three ways. You have to come up with the cash, you have to sell assets, or you have to provide additional assets to top up the equity.

If you have a margin loan, make sure you fully understand the terms of your loan and also put in place survival strategies in case things don't work out.

Creating Wealth by Gearing Up

2007-06-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

Creating Wealth by Gearing Up

If you have a margin loan, make sure you fully understand the terms of your loan and also put in place survival strategies in case things don't work out.

The Biggest Oil Opportunity in the World - And How You Can Profit From It

2007-06-29T21:22:00.002-07:00

The Biggest Oil Opportunity in the World - And How You Can Profit From It

Where is the second biggest deposit of oil reserves in the world?

In the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada. Oil sands are a thick, viscid mixture of bitumen, sand, clay, and water. Alberta's oil sands is comprised of 3 regions with the Athabasca area being the largest and the closest to the surface. Underneath these gooey tar sands lie trillions of barrels of oil.

So then you may ask why have we been so dependent on Mideast oil. Why haven't we just stayed nearby and relied on Canada? In fact, Canada is the largest supplier of crude and refined oil to the United States, having supplied 2.1 million barrels per day in 2004. But the percentage supplied to the US and other parts of the world is about to grow much larger.

The big difference between oil sands and oil from the desert sands of the middle east is difficulty of extraction. The oil sands process essentially entails extracting bitumen from the sand, and upgrading it to light crude oils. Easier said than done because this is thick stuff and has been expensive to mine and extract. However new technologies are changing the equation and making it much more cost-efficient to mine and extract from the oil sands.

Mining operations are used to produce reserves close to the surface. For oil that is deeper under ground, Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) and Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS) are used. Other examples of new technology and extraction methods include burning bitumen instead of gas to produce steam, a solvent-assisted production technique called VAPEX and a system that injects air into the oil well and ignites it to stimulate oil flow.

In addition to improvements in technology, higher oil prices are fueling expansion in the oil sands, and a lot of people want in. The Chinese, for instance. In April, China National Offshore Oil Corp., predominantly owned by the Chinese government, bought nearly 17% of MEG Energy Corp. for $122 million. The company is developing a northern Alberta project estimated to pump 25,000 barrels of crude from the oil sands by 2008. And Canadian oil pipeline giant Enbridge has announced a preliminary deal with PetroChina to anchor a $2-billion oil pipeline to the West Coast.

So how can you benefit from the increased exploration, production and sales of crude oil from the oil Sands of Alberta? Choose among the stocks of companies that are investing in the area and applying new technology to extract oil more cost-efffectively.

Companies than can capitalize on the increasing role of Canada's oil sands in the world's energy needs include Suncor (NYSE: SU), Encana (NYSE:ECA), Canadian Natural Resources NYSE:CNQ) Deer Creek Energy (DCE.TO), Total S.A. (NYSE:TOT), Petro Canada NYSE: PCZ), and, with its acquisition of Terasen whose pipelines are well-positioned to transport growing production from the Alberta oil sands, Kinder Morgen (NYSE: KMI).

And while it may remain somewhat more expensive to extract oil from Alberta than from the Mideast, consider the effects of global politics, terrorism and turmoil, and the chilly wilds of Northwest Canada become very attractive indeed.

Forex market offers opportunity and information

2007-06-29T21:22:00.001-07:00

Forex market offers opportunity and information

The forex market is what is called an international exchange currency market, where currencies are exchanged on a daily basis. There are five forex market centers around the world - New York, London, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Zurich. One does not need to be on the trading floor, so to speak to be involved in the forex market. Today, forex trading can be done from home on a computer.

The forex market itself is basically a worldwide connection of traders, who make investment moves based on the price of currencies, or their values relative to other currencies. These traders constantly negotiate prices with other traders resulting in the fluctuation or movement of a currency's value. The value of a currency on the forex market also corresponds with supply. If there is greater demand for the Euro, let's say, then there will be less supply of it on the forex market, which means, in time, it will make a Euro more valuable compared to let's say the dollar. In short, in this forex market situation, one Euro would yield more dollars, subsequently weakening the dollar as well. Analyzing the forex market's fluctuations allows investors to make predictions on how a currency will move in relation to another currency. They then can make predictions and buy and sell currency accordingly.

While some people view the forex market as a place to see what their exchange rate will be when they travel abroad, others view it as an opportunity to make great gains in their financial planning and future.

What If You Absolutely Positively Could Not Lose - Would You Play the Stock Market?

2007-06-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

What If You Absolutely Positively Could Not Lose - Would You Play the Stock Market?

Seniors on fixed incomes face a unique problem. Where do they invest their savings to get maximum return on investment with limited risk? Some of the traditional places like CDs and Treasury Notes are extremely safe, however the yields tend to be very low. Stocks and Mutual Funds while offering a potential for a higher yield have a risk factor that most seniors find unacceptable.

What if you knew you absolutely positively could not loose, Would you invest in the stock market? Imagine if their was a way that you could enjoy the upside potential of the stock market with absolutely no downside Risk, would you be Interested?

Equity Indexed Annuities may be the Solution you are looking for. Many insurance companies are now offering Equity Indexed Annuities. These annuities allow you to mirror the gains of popular stock market indices like the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average while not loosing any of your investment capital.

In simple terms if the stock market goes up your Annuity also goes up but if the stock market goes down your Annuity does not loose any value. An Equity Indexed Annuity is not an Investment in stocks or Mutual funds instead it is a way the Insurance allow your Investments to mirror the gains of the stock market with no downside risk.

Many Popular Equity Indexed Annuities are set up using a monthly tracking Method. Once a Month the insurance company will look at the stock market index to determine the gain or loss. If the index goes up 2% then they put a plus 2 on your scorecard. If the index goes down 4% then they put a -4 on your score card. At the end of the year the Insurance company totals your scorecard for the year if it is positive (say 8%) they would then add 8% to your annuity value however if it is negative your annuity value would stay the same. If you started the year with an annuity value of $10,000 your annuity would still be worth $10,000. It doesn't matter if your score card has a Negative 1%, 10% or 99% you will not loose one cent of your $10,000 starting value.

Every year your Annuity Value is reset, Using the above example if you Annuity started the year with a $10,000 Value and your score card shows a plus 8% for the year your Annuity would know be Reset to $10,800 and the process starts again. To sweeten the Pot even further many insurance companies are offering Bonus Equity Indexed Annuities, these vehicles work exactly the same as Equity Indexed Annuities but the insurance companies will add a Bonus of up to 10% to your Annuity. If you place $10,000 to start in your annuity with a 10% Bonus Annuity the insurance account would now add $1,000 making your Bonus Equity Indexed Annuity now worth $11,000. In addition you could receive this 10% bonus for any funds you add in the first 5 years.

With Equity Indexed Annuities from popular insurance companies You can have it all. A way to earn some huge Gains from the Stock market while being totally insulated from any downside risk and a Bonus of up to 10% of all money added in the first 5 Years.

Need To Trade!

2007-06-29T21:20:00.002-07:00

Need To Trade!

You don't HAVE to be trading.

As a novice trader, you'll often feel the need to trade.

You may be bored or frustrated. Or you just want to try a certain type of trade.

STOP!

Realize that you don't have to be trading all the time to be successful. In fact not trading is often the very best decision you can make.

The market tells you when to trade. If you feel the urge to place a trade or find yourself chasing a trade, walk away from the computer. Better still; take the opportunity to meet a friend for coffee.

The trades you do when you're feeling the "need" will usually be lemons - and leave you with a very bitter taste in your mouth!

They will usually not have clear signals, but you've convinced yourself they are there. After losing your premium, or much of it, you'll look back and wonder how you could possibly have entered that trade. It's happened to all of us, so don't be too hard on yourself. Just don't do it again.

The market is going to do what the market is going to do, not what you need or want it to do!

And remember the old saying, "If you can't see it, it's not there". So if you stand back from your computer and the chart pattern or signal doesn't jump out at you, it's not there.

Easy is Best

The novice is constantly staring at charts, looking for and often inventing signals. If you have your strategy in place and you wait for the patterns to form, your entry points will FEEL easy. They will be obvious - you won't need to be searching for them.

Write It Down

Remember to keep a log book. We keep one, which includes any potential trades - those which look like they will possibly provide an entry in the near future. It's good to see if they eventually develop into a trade. It will help guide you up to a point where you make a decision whether to enter, or to leave it alone.

Also, when you enter a trade, log it in your book with a few details and, commit to a stop loss point and a profit level where you will be happy to exit the trade. Remember, don't be greedy - or you'll see your premium reach that point, pass it and quickly drop back past your original exit point. You'll then see how you would have been happy to exit at your prescribed price!

Much of the time there won't be any trades for you to enter, so it leaves you with plenty of spare time for gaining extra knowledge and enjoying life. You probably won't trade more than a few times a week. So, you can see, there's a lot of time to be analysing charts - and feeling the NEED to trade. Be strong and disciplined!

We are not providing you with financial advice. We are simply sharing with you what has and hasn't worked for us personally. If you wish to trade or invest in the stock market you should obtain advice from a registered licensed advisor.

Direcway & Wildblue Set to Square Off this Fall?

2007-06-29T21:20:00.001-07:00

Direcway & Wildblue Set to Square Off this Fall?

There is a cat fight brewing between Direcway LLC, Starband and Wildblue Communications for the large number of people in the U.S. who can't get some type of broadband internet and are willing to pay $50 or more to get better speeds. The combatants are telling investors there are 20-30 million "potential users" out there in rural or underserved America...true, but the historical fact of the matter is that up to now, only 500,000 or so have been willing to pay as much as $50-$100 a month for the "so called" high speed services offered by Direcway, Starband and now Wildblue. What has changed to stir all the press and advertising hubub by the companies? The claim is that both the Wildblue ka band and new Direcway 7000 offerings will finally give consumers a more DSL/Cable-like internet experience...ie lower latency and higher upload speeds. They expect that tens of millions of rural Americans will flock to their doors to pay over $50 per month to be "connected". To a degree they are right. It has become virtually impossible to funcion as a business without broadband internet and it is more and more difficult as a consumer to do without it. Even retailers (who obviously target consumers) are building sites that are very difficult to navigate unless you have a fast connection to the net. Pictures chew up bandwidth.

More and more people have found it less expensive to buy over the net...after all, we are nearing $2.50 gas now and who knows where it will end up. Imagine the cost of going to a store in a rural area in a vehicle that is getting 12 mpg (pickup with a V8) with $2.50 gas? Quick math says it would run you about $16.00 for an 80 mile round trip.....do that three or four times a month and buying at home from your easy chair starts looking pretty good. And you have time left over to plow a few fields if you like. Pretty easy picture to get. The problem is that all too many rural Americans already figured that buying from home is a good thing...they just do it by the old reliable U.S. mail order system. No computer or internet required.

The marketing effort by the "combatants" needs to focus on how much better the experience will be over the net. Perhaps they can throw in some instructions on how to overcome the fear of computers and typing as well. This is what I beleive is hampering the efforts to reach rural America by satellite internet...fear of the potential user of new ways of doing things. This is a generational thing...younger rural folks are going to find the internet the only way to travel in the future, but by that time WiMax should cover most of rural America with cable/dsl-like pricing and satellite dishes might be used as birdbaths.

The point of this piece is to arm investors....don't make a long term bet on Wildblue or Direcway! They will provide a bridge to up to 1,000,000 or so underserved rural consumers and could make a splash over the next two years or so, but they will never reach the vaulted numbers they strive for within a timeframe to make a large impact or long term profits in the rural underserved marketplace.

Expand Your Pool of Investors for Your Company

2007-06-29T21:19:00.002-07:00

Expand Your Pool of Investors for Your Company

If you own a company that sells complicated products and you want more investors, consider having topics on your web site that discuss the background needed to understand your products and your company. For example, if your company specializes in producing and researching monoclonal antibodies, post articles discussing exactly what monoclonal antibodies are, how they are produced and what research your company is engaged in. In some cases, it may be a good idea to work with an outside writer, one who can explain the information in layman's terms.

Provide links to other sites discussing your industry. For example, a pharmaceutical company could provide a link to a web site discussing how clinical trials work. Suggest books to read. For example, a biotechnology company can suggest potential investors read The Biotech Investor: How to Profit from the Coming Boom in Biotechnology by Tom Abate.

Look over your annual report. How many terms may be confusing to readers? Many annual reports use terms known only in the industry. While you may not want to discuss every term you use in your annual report, you can direct potential investors to visit your web site to access a glossary. Granted, many of your investors and potential investors will be very knowledgeable in your field. However, you are looking to expand your pool of investors. The more a person understands about a company, the more he or she will be inclined to invest in that company. You just have to look at the most popular stocks to see that in most cases, what these companies do is understandable to most investors

Getting Started Investing is Often the Hardest Part

2007-06-29T21:19:00.001-07:00

Getting Started Investing is Often the Hardest Part

There are several reasons people give for not investing their money in things like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. One reason is that they feel that they don't have enough money to make a serious investment, but a more common reason that many people have absolutely no idea how to go about getting started investing. In fact, if more people understood the basics of investing and had a cohesive plan for getting started investing, more people would do it.

Let's assume that the first reason does not apply to you and you do, in fact, have some amount of money that you'd like to invest. How do you get started investing? You could contact a stock or investment broker and discuss the options that would be best for you. Whether you'll want to do this will depend quite a bit on the amount of money that you have to invest. If it's a small amount, you may be better off seeking some smaller, safer investment than you would be by jumping directly into the stock market. Some people get started investing by choosing simple accounts with their bank. CD's and IRAs make good investments, for example, for medium and long term goals. IRA accounts are intended for retirement, while CDs are time deposits that must remain in place for a set amount of time (often anywhere from as little as a week to as long as ten years) while they earn interest.

If you do go to the stock market, or "graduate to it" after getting started investing in safer accounts, you should resist the urge to buy and sell stocks wildly. One mistake that many first time investors make is they become nervous about the stability of their investment and they watch their stock rise and fall every day. If it drops too much they become afraid that the bottom will fall out and they sell at a lower price than they originally paid. This is a bad idea and works against the reasons they got started investing in the first place. Instead the new investor should "let it ride' and sell only if there is a sudden spike in the price that won't likely repeat. Otherwise, stocks should be a long term investment, especially when someone first gets started investing.

Everybody Wants to Know How to Invest

2007-06-29T21:18:00.001-07:00

Everybody Wants to Know How to Invest

Those unfamiliar with the process of making and managing investments often have more than a few trepidations about investing in general. They figure that, since they do not know how to invest, they will never learn. Of course the horror stories of investors who lost their life savings on some bad deal don't help people to feel any less secure when figuring out how to invest.

Fortunately "how to invest" can be taught and learned. "What to invest in" or "where to invest" is another matter entirely - if someone can tell you that, and be 100% correct every time, latch on and don't let go because you have found the fabled Rosetta Stone.

So, how do you invest? A big part of the investment process will depend on how much money you have to invest. The amount will determine the best investments for you as well as the best methods of investing - whether you're best off acting on your own or working with an investment counselor or advisor. If you have a small amount to invest, say a few thousand dollars, you may want to start small with an interest bearing account such as a CD. Higher investment amounts usually warrant bigger investments, but bigger investments are riskier as well. If you're investing ten thousand dollars or more, it is definitely advisable to use the services of an investment counselor or advisor. This professional can show you how to invest your money as wisely as possible to get the best rate of return you can.

Those investing very large sums of money, one hundred thousand dollars or more, will have no shortage of those who want to show them how to invest. You may think that someone who has that kind of investment capital would already know how to invest, but there are plenty of folks who had forty bucks in the bank yesterday and suddenly found themselves recipients of insurance payments, lottery winnings, inheritances, and the like. These people are often easy prey for unscrupulous individuals in the financial industry and should immediately seek the assistance of a reputable broker or investment counselor to show them how to invest their money.

Better Investing Made Easy

2007-06-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

Better Investing Made Easy

If there were one piece of advice that an investor could ask for, the question would probably be something like "What do I need to do to invest better?" Better investing choices are sought by investors every day. Some find them and succeed, others do not. The difference clearly lies in better investing, so investors are on the right track. They are, however, asking the wrong questions.

Instead of asking "How can I make better investments," they should be asking "How can I discern better investment choices?" While everyone is looking for that one hot investment tip that will turn them on to the next Microsoft or Wal Mart type of investment, they should be looking into how they can discern those choices for themselves and thus make better investing decisions. All those people who did jump on Microsoft back in the eighties weren't just lucky. Some of them were, but some had done their research and were able to realize that they were looking at an opportunity to invest in a company that would revolutionize the fledgling software industry.

Discerning choices for better investing starts with research. The savvy investor won't just read the features in The Wall Street Journal or the articles appearing at The Motley Fool web site, she'll read them and then do a bit of research on the company being discussed. The more an investor knows about a potential investment, the easier it is to make the decision whether to invest.

No one can see the future, of course, and there are plenty of companies that look like good investment ideas that wind up falling flat on their proverbial faces. Better investing is not about scrying into a crystal ball; however, it is about using your own powers of discernment to determine which investment is the better choice.

A little luck helps too, of course.

Art Investing for a Financial Future

2007-06-29T21:16:00.002-07:00

Art Investing for a Financial Future

When we think of investing we probably conjure images in our minds of the New York Stock Exchange, suited stock brokers making deals, bonds and treasury bills, and all manner of financial matters. The last thing we probably think about is art. Art investing, however, can be a big money business, and can create incredible financial gains and losses for those who choose to speculate in the art market.

Art investments can be risky, because no one ever knows for sure if an artist's work is ever going to be appreciated. Even living fine artists who make a living doing their work are producing paintings and other artwork that may not be worth anything more than was paid for the work until well after the artist is dead and gone. When Keith Herring started painting his colorful silhouettes, there was scarcely anyone willing to pay attention to them. Once he died of AIDS and his work became associated with the national AIDS awareness campaign, the value of his work skyrocketed.

It's difficult to give advice regarding art investments, but there are a few guidelines that the potential art investor can look at to help determine whether a particular artist's work is worth purchasing.

How Known is the Artist?

Artists that are already well known tend to remain well known once they're gone and their work becomes that much more valuable. When considering an art purchase, taking the artist's fame into account can be a good idea. Of course, artwork by someone who is already famous for something else (the lithographs of John Lennon come to mind) will always be of some value.

Controversy Sells

If an artist raises eyebrows, it is likely that her work will rise in value. The work of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe is a prime example. Whether his photos were truly offensive or not makes no difference when considering that the attention brought to him by a senate investigation cause the value of his photographs to double practically overnight.

Property Investment Just Got Exciting

2007-06-29T21:16:00.001-07:00

Property Investment Just Got Exciting

There is an area in Brazil that has lower crime & lower property prices than where your are probably sitting right now!

Demand from the increasing retirement population and from those who have benefited from their own property markets are now pushing overseas property prices up. Brazilian property prices are still very low and offer the overseas property buyer quality real estate in stunning locations. Fortaleza the capital of Brazil's Northeastern state of Ceara is one such place. Popular with Brazilian and South American holiday tourists it is now being recognised by foreign property investors as an area that is taking the overseas property market by storm.

Brazil Property -Fortaleza

The Place

What to do in a place like this- You can swim, surf, dive, sail, golf, play ball, ride, explore, bargain hunt, sight see, explore, or drive a dune buggy for 100 miles in any direction, take a jeep up a steep mountain trail. You can explore environmental preserves, or just swing in a hammock and do nothing at all.

Beaches, beaches, beaches, Hundreds of miles of untouched pristine beaches. Ocean surface temperatures are 82 F all year round with 65 feet of visibility underwater.

Tourism: a 270% increase in tourism over the last eight years this is expected to increase to nearly double the current number of foreign visitors to the area by 2008

Climate: Guaranteed good weather at least 90 percent of the time with more than 335 days per year of glorious sunshine.An endless summer

Low Crime: Forteleza, Brazil's fifth largest city, ranks 23rd in crime. Brazil is considered low risk in respect of war, terrorism SARs. You are probably more at risk where you are right now.

Forteleza food:Fresh fish is famous in this northeast region of Brazil.

Friendly people: all sizes, shapes, and colors, warm, friendly and welcoming that's the Brazilian people.

Property Prices: A 250 square meter house with three bedrooms and a swimming pool, about 100 meters from a beautiful beach only £27,000 approximate $ 47,000 USD.

Brazilian Investors welcome: Foreign Investment encouraged your own 100% of land and property, foreigners can open a bank accounts with attractive interest rates on investments

Easy buying process: Purchasing property is simple and straightforward for non-Brazilians and the right of freehold is incontrovertible. Title insurance is available and the legal process is inexpensive and relatively quick.

Looking For a Safe Investment? Try a Certificate of Deposit

2007-06-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

Looking For a Safe Investment? Try a Certificate of Deposit

If you are looking for a safe investment and you have between $100 -$1,000 to invest, you should consider a certificate of deposit or CD. When purchased through a bank, CD's are federally insured up to $100,000.

When you invest in a certificate of deposit, you are lending your money to the bank for a set period of time at a fixed rate of interest. At the end of that time period, the bank pays you back your investment with the interest you've earned. The annual interest earned is reflected by the annual percentage yield or APY.

There are several details to consider before investing in a CD. First, find out when the CD will mature? Banks offer certificates of deposit with maturities ranging from 3-months to 10-years or more. Figure out how much to safely invest and how long you feel you can leave that money alone so that it earns interest. Also, make sure you get the maturity date in writing.

Second, you'll want to know the annual percentage rate (APR) you'll earn on your investment. Investing larger sums for longer terms usually earns the best interest. However, even a small investment can earn you higher interest than a traditional passbook savings account.

Next, find out how the interest is compounded - daily, monthly, or annually? Daily compounding is best because it earns you more interest. You can shop for the best CD rates at www.bankrate.com or check with your personal banker.

Shopping on the internet, I found rates for a $1,000 1-year CD in my local area ranging from 2.96 to 3.97 APR and a 3.00 to 4.05 APY respectively. So if I invested $1,000 at 2.96 APR, at the end of 12 months I'd get paid $1,030.00 by the bank (figures computed with interest compounded monthly). That same $1,000 invested at a rate of 3.97 APR would return $1040.43.

Interest rates are usually locked in for the term of the CD, although some banks allow you to take advantage of higher interest rates by converting your CD. This type of CD is called a "step up" CD. Generally, banks will only let you "step up" once during the term of the CD.

What happens if you withdraw your money before the certificate of deposit matures? Your bank will impose an early withdrawal penalty, which can vary depending upon the maturity date and the amount invested. It's important to invest only money you can truly afford to leave alone for the term of the CD.

As with any investment, make sure you understand all the terms, fees, and any penalties before you purchase.

Why Should I Use Penny Shares to Build Wealth?

2007-06-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

Why Should I Use Penny Shares to Build Wealth?

A strategic question. Why indeed?

1. A penny share would usually refer to a share available for less than $1.00. This makes the aquisition of shares manageable by even the most modest investment budget.

2. The London Business School's research indicates that generally the smaller companies outperform their big brothers every year (except in the depth of a depression). This provides a measure of reassurance for the novice investor of modest means. Provided the share selection is made carefully, the investor seems more likely to see frequent upturns in the share value.

3. It stands to reason that the best of the smaller companies will shine the brightest. This tends to be because the smaller companies are generally more focused, react quicker to changing market conditions and often better organised and run more economically. Decisions are taken more quickly and results are usually measured more objectively. They don't usually have the enormous resource cushions that the big companies have - and sometimes use to hide deficient performance.

4. The big investment houses and mutual funds often overlook the small cap shares. They either don't generate enough brokage or are not available in large enough quantities.

These factors offer attractive opportunities for the small investor. Provided he picks wisely.

How Eating Bitumen Made Me a Better Stock Trader

2007-06-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

How Eating Bitumen Made Me a Better Stock Trader

Stock market trading is a fascinating activity.

There are so many layers to it. And so many paths that you can go down.

Soon after we first got interested in the stock market I became captivated by technical analysis. I finally felt that I was in control. It gave me great confidence to have all these tools to use.

We bought some expensive charting software and I started playing with the hundreds of indicators that it contained. Exotic sounding devices with impossible to understand mathematical formulas.

So, armed with all these new tools, I was sure we would be making a killing in no time. Because now we had science on our side!

And so I spent night after night, weekend after weekend trying to understand them. Backtesting. Trying one and then another.

But still we struggled to pick the winning trades.

I can remember buying this add-on to our software that gave us even more indicators. And I was convinced this would finally make the difference.

So I tried yet more indicators. Using different settings and different combinations.

But success still eluded us.

And it took us quite a long time before we understood why.

But before I explain what we discovered, let me tell you about eating bitumen.

My office is close to home. So some years ago I decided it was silly for us to have a second car. And so I traded it in and bought a scooter.

Now the only real problem with scooters or motor bikes [apart from getting wet in the rain] is that you are fairly likely to get hit by a car at some point!

It just stands to reason.

So I am always careful to watch cars to see which way they indicate they are going to turn or whether they are stopping.

But this one day I was in a bit of a hurry.

And as I approached an intersection a car was parked at the stop sign on my right. I was going straight through and the driver was indicating to turn left.

[At this point I should remind some of our overseas friends that we drive on the left side of the road!]

So I knew it was OK for me to keep going straight through the intersection. Or so I thought!

Next minute I am slamming on my brakes as the car accelerates across the street immediately in front of me. As my scooter hits the fender I go flying across the front of the car and land on the pavement on the opposite side.

For anyone who has experienced such an event you will know what I mean when I say that it was like the whole thing happened in slow motion. Quite weird!

I can remember looking at the car as it headed for me and not believing that this was really happening.

Because I was convinced it was going to turn left. The driver had indicated that he was turning so what was he doing on my side of the road?

But there he was. I couldn't believe my eyes but eating bitumen convinced me that this was indeed reality!

Ever since, I don't trust car indicators. Instead I have learned to look at the front wheels. Because this is the true indication of which way the car is actually going to go.

And you can't rely on looking at the driver, even if you can see them. Because they often don't seem to know where they are going, either!

But the wheels don't lie!

The car can only go in the direction they are pointed.

Now what on earth has this got to do with what I was talking about before?

You remember I was telling you about the problems we were having with technical indicators? Well what finally dawned on us was that we were not taking enough notice of price action.

And so we started to study the chart before adding any indicators.

And suddenly we saw what was really happening. It was like looking at the car's wheels instead of its blinkers.

You see, technical indicators are just what they say they are - indicators. Not reality. Not price action.

But an interpretation of price. A filter.

And so you need to look at a stock's price chart on its own to get a picture of what is really going on.

This is not to say that technical indicators are not useful. But the critical thing is to only use them after you have analyzed price action. Not before.

Just remember - the wheels tell the truth!

The above comments are offered for educational purposes only. We are not providing you with financial advice. We are simply sharing with you what has and hasn't worked for us personally. If you wish to trade or invest in the stock market you should obtain advice from a registered licensed advisor

Consolidation Period

2007-06-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

Consolidation Period

The economic data reported Fri showed continued above trend growth with disinflation (at the core level, excluding food and energy) in the second quarter. Real output growth has slowed from about 4% in 2003 & 2004 to just over 3 1/2% so far this year, while a core inflation rate fell from 3% last quarter to 2%. Consumption growth slowed from 3.5% to 3.3%, investment growth jumped 9%, and net exports increased over 12%. Also, business inventories declined.

Nasdaq has rallied 310 points in three months, and hit a new four-year high at 2,201 Fri morning. The economic data suggest market pullbacks will be limited, although we've entered the seasonally weak period of Jul-Aug-Sep after a big run-up. Consequently, there may be a consolidation period rather than a correction over the next few months.

The first chart below is a Nasdaq monthly chart. The long Price-by-Volume bar (on left side of chart) is a "sticky" area, between 1,750 and 2,250, that's difficult for Nasdaq to break above or below. However, if Nasdaq can break above and hold the 80 month MA at 2,257, then it may sustain a rally to 2,645, the 38.2% Fibonacci level. Nasdaq has an open gap at 1,905, and the monthly Parabolic SAR buy signal (green dots) is currently at 1,904, which are support levels.

The second chart is a SPX daily year-to-date chart. SPX has resistance at 1,253, which is a multi-year Fibonacci level. The rising 10 day MA, currently at 1,232, has been recent support. There are many support levels between 1,185 and 1,225. However, the 50 and 200 day MAs are key levels. If SPX closes below the 200 day MA, then it may close the gaps at 1,174, 1,143, and 1,138.

It's unlikely Nasdaq will hold 2,200 short-term. However, if it does, then 2,257 is another major resistance level. Also, it's unlikely SPX will hold 1,253 short-term, which is a multi-year resistance level. I expect a more volatile trading range under those levels, since the volatility indices are so low. Consequently, SPX may test the 20 day MA next week, and test lower levels in Aug.

Next week economic reports are: Mon: ISM Index, and Construction Spending, Tue: Personal Income, Personal Spending, Factory Orders, and Auto Sales, Wed: ISM Services, Thu: Unemployment Claims, and Fri: Nonfarm Payrolls, Hourly Earnings, and the Unemployment Rate.

Notable earnings next week include: Mon: TEVA HUM, Tue: CMCSA SIRI, Wed: PRU NT CI CVS DUK CPN HL TWX SINA, Thu: G OATS VIA UL TOT TOL SLE ONXX GFI CLX CQB, Fri: CBJ

I plan to continue trading puts on my "predictable" stocks, including two index ETFs, a biotech, and an internet. If the market rises higher, there are several large cap bank and drug stocks that should outperform, with less risk than most other stocks on pullbacks. See PeakTrader.com Top Stock Picks section for more information.

Charts available at Forum Index

Arthur Albert Eckart is the founder and owner of PeakTrader. Arthur has worked for commercial banks, e.g. Wells Fargo, Banc One, and First Commerce Technologies, during the 1980s and 1990s. He has also worked for Janus Funds from 1999-00. Arthur Eckart has a BA & MA in Economics from the University of Colorado. He has worked on options portfolio optimization since 1998.

Mr Eckart has developed a comprehensive trading methodology using economics, portfolio optimization, and technical analysis to maximize return and minimize risk at the same time. This methodology has resulted in excellent returns with low risk over the past three years

Find Your Investing Soulmate on the Jersey Turnpike

2007-06-29T21:11:00.002-07:00

Find Your Investing Soulmate on the Jersey Turnpike

As a followup to a previous column, "Irreconcilable Differences," I received an e-mail from a reader asking how she could ensure, ahead of time, investment compatibility with a future spouse.

Unfortunately, like most issues in life, the direct approach does not work. Asking him, "Sweetie, how will you invest our 401(k) funds?" will only result in getting the answer he thinks you want. "Honey, whatever you think is best," will be the answer you will hear. The thought that different investment strategies could result in irreconcilable harm to your future relationship seems remote to him. But we know better. He will say whatever you want in order to move the conversation to supposedly more important questions like, "How many kids do you want, five or six?" Or, "What religion should we raise the kids in?" We all know, however, as index investors, that our Investment Gestalt (IG) is the key predictor of future happiness. Fortunately, I have developed a test that will increase the probability of matching your IG with that of a prospective partner.

This is the scenario: Your friend (and I would keep the relationship at a platonic stage until after this first test of compatibility) is driving and you approach a toll on the New Jersey Turnpike. It's 5:30 p.m. and traffic is backed up a quarter mile. Now watch carefully as your friend selects one of 10 lanes to approach the tollbooths. Does he scan the mass of opportunities and abruptly cut across eight lanes of traffic to get into the shortest lane? So far, so good, correct? No, don't jump to any conclusions yet. Wait and see his behavior as his lane stops dead. Does he pull out and squeeze into the fastest moving lane two rows to your left? Even worse, does this behavior continue for the next 10 minutes as he chases the best performing lane? Stay away from this person. Don't give him a kiss goodnight and don't take his calls in the future. His approach is strictly short-term. He chases short-term performance (and he is rude too).

Still confused? The most suitable mate, the one with a similar IG would have randomly selected a lane and not wavered. He realizes that the lane that moves the fastest cannot be determined ahead of time and that short-term performance has no statistical significance to the final outcome. Your Mr. Right would have selected a lane and stayed in it. He would have used the extra time to find your favorite CD and ask how your mom is feeling.

Stay close to this guy. (Please note: With the introduction of express toll booths the validity of the above test has been challenged.) My question to our readers: what are the habits, quirks of personality that help you identify a person with a similar IG? Please share your perspectives with us.

Is it the kind of car he drives? Or the kind of dog he walks? Or how neat he keeps his apartment? Is it important that he calls his mom each night? Or is it totally counterintuitive? Are Indy 500 or Formula One drivers more likely to be index investors, while librarians take very large positions in hedge funds?

Please e-mail me with your insights so that I can share them with our readers

Before You Start Investing

2007-06-29T21:11:00.001-07:00

Before You Start Investing

There maybe several reasons why you to want to invest your money. You may want to retire early, want to build your own business in the future, or to pay for your kid's education. Should everyone start investing outside their retirement accounts right away? The answer to this question is that it depends on your financial situation. First, you must have a basic understanding in financial management. What would happen if you lose your job, accumulate large medical expenses, or losing money on your investments? Do you still have money to pay your bills? Do you have to sell your investments that you have worked so hard for, with a loss? No one knows what the future will bring. Therefore, you must have a safety net to fall back on in an unexpected event. This article contains 5 concepts that you should follow before you start investing outside of your retirement accounts.

1. Increase your savings rate:

Cutting down on your expenses is the easiest way to increase your savings rate. You can also increase your savings rate by working overtime or switching to a higher paid job, but these are usually harder to do. If you want to accomplish your financial goals, you must start saving your money. You can do this by evaluating where you spend most of your money, and adjust your lifestyle to increase your savings rate. You will be surprised how small changes can increase your savings rate tremendously. For example, you can make your own coffee in the morning, shop while the clothes are on sale, and cut down on eating out, can save you lots of money.

2. Emergency cash reserve:

Have an emergency cash reserve of at least 3 to 6 months of living expenses. This step maybe the hardest step to accomplish. But in the event that you lose your job, you will be thankful that you have this money. The best place to put your emergency cash reserve is in a money market fund. If you have relatives that are generous, you could use them as your emergency cash reserve. But make sure that you ask them first.

3. Paying off your consumer debts:

Pay off your consumer debts, such as car loans and credit card loans can help you financially. Let's say that your credit card charges you a 10% annual interest rate. Paying down that loan is like investing your money in stocks with a 10% annual return without tax consequences and risk free. Another reason you may want to pay off your consumer debts is that the interests are not tax detectible.

4. Paying down your mortgage:

If you want to pay down your mortgage earlier than required, compare your mortgage interest rate to an investment that you intend to invest in to make your decision. However, all investments have risks and you could end up losing money if you chose to invest. I personally think that paying down the mortgage early is too boring. In addition, the interests that you pay are tax deductible. Another reason that you may not want to pay down your mortgage early may be that you want to contribute more to your retirement accounts.

5. Contribute to your retirement accounts:

Take advantage of the tax benefits of your retirement accounts. If you are in a 30% tax bracket, for every $1000 that you contribute to your retirement account, you instantly saved $300. In addition, any profits inside your retirement accounts (dividends, interest) grow without taxation until you withdraw your money after age 59½. If your company matches a certain percent of your pay, you should contribute at least enough to receive the maximum company match. After all, it is free money. This is similar to making 100% return on your investment immediately. Can you do that with stocks? Not likely!

Once you have developed your safety net, you are ready to take on more challenges, but do it wisely. It took me 2 years to have my finance organized to begin investing outside of my retirement accounts. Use as much time as you need. And remember to diversify your portfolio.

In a Time of Need

2007-06-29T21:10:00.001-07:00

In a Time of Need

As I take my leisurely walk with my dog through the older section of the local cemetery, I pause to read the details on the barely legible, weathered headstones. I am fascinated with the dates, for I know each stone has a story to tell, a history of its own time and place, but only enough space for identity. Proceeding up the rolling asphalt pathway, I am led into the new section of the cemetery. It becomes crystal clear as I compare the cemetery's old sections with the new, Americans are living longer.

The aging of people in the US over the next three decades will have a huge impact on the way financial planners conduct business. Most baby boomers will reach retirement age over the next 30 years, causing rapid growth of the population over age 65.

According to the 1999 National Vital Statistics Reports, a total of 2,391,399 deaths occurred in the United States in that year. The age-adjusted death rate, which eliminates the effects of the aging of the population, was 881.9 deaths per 100,000. In 2001, a total of 2,416,425 deaths occurred in the United States. The age-adjusted death rate was 854.5 deaths per 100,000 (U.S. Census Bureau 1999, 2001).

As the facts are stated, the financial planning community will be working with much older clients in years to come. This will dramatically change the structure and methods used to create a successful long-term relationship. We will have to re-think our strategies in order to accommodate the client's ever-evolving needs, both financial and emotional.

Throughout an active career it is inevitable that most of us in providing financial advice will come into contact with grieving clients at some time. When this opportunity presents itself, we can play an instrumental role in the healing process. Done properly, the value added to the client relationship will be strengthened and your personal rewards will be extraordinary. Done improperly, the client could be adversely affected, both emotionally and financially, possibly creating severe consequences.

Adding to the complexity of mourning is the agonizing process of dealing with the financial realities. Most often the surviving spouse has to accept the ongoing obligations of the family and business financial commitments. Moreover, when children are involved, the larger issues become their health and financial welfare.

The financial advisor has many tasks to perform in a relatively short period of time. Important financial decisions need to be made, in some cases immediately. Life insurance policies, investment accounts, trusts, wills, deeds, debts, employee benefits, change in beneficiaries, Social Security benefits and budgetary issues, just to mention a few. When needed, the advisor will request the assistance of an attorney and a tax accountant to settle the estate.

The confidence and guidance of a trusted financial advisor is crucial at this time so the grieving client will be less burdened and therefore make fewer financial mistakes. We should also recognize that we have additional responsibilities due to the long-term nature of the relationship. The mental health of the client is as important as the financial health.

The financial-planning-community, banks, brokerage firms, CPA's, and insurance agents have not yet established any specialized training in bereavement as a priority. For many reasons, mostly traditional, financial advisors have had limited knowledge regarding the proper methods in assisting the grieving client.

To begin, we must understand the "The Five Stages of Grief ", (Kubler -Ross 1969). Without a thorough comprehension of these stages the financial advisor cannot fully understand what the client is experiencing. We should be able to identify both psychological and physical signs of grieving. Although the grieving process is necessary, unresolved over a longer period could seriously impair a persons self -worth and effectively render critical decisions. Recognizing these often- paralyzing symptoms may be the salvation to the client and the family.

As financial professionals we can play a key role in the client's lengthy healing process. How large a role you play, will partly depend upon your knowledge and understanding of the subject of grief and dealing with its implications. Recognizing the five (5) symptoms of the grieving process is an important condition to building a solid relationship with the client.

Five symptoms of the grieving process

Denial
The individual is overwhelmed and refuses to believe the loss is happening. This stage serves as a buffer in helping the client mobilize defenses to cope with the situation.

Anger
The individual resists the loss and may express his/her anger by acting out toward family, friends and health-care providers.

Bargaining
The individual attempts to postpone the reality of the loss by pleading for an extension of life or the chance to "make everything right"

Depression
This stage is characterized by an emotional void or disinterest in outside matters. The individual finally realizes the full impact of the loss and struggles with the idea of separation.

Acceptance
The individual comes to terms with the loss and gains a greater perspective of the situation and integrates the loss with his/her reengagement in life.

While interviewing many grief counselors, funeral directors, clergy, hospice care staff and volunteers, one comment frequently surfaced. Each individual does not follow the grieving process in any particular order. Often, the person confronting the grief will address and readdress a certain stage or stages repeatedly. The grieving process is individualized and has no time limits.

Grieving family members left behind struggle with their loss. In many cases they believe their whole life has collapsed and will feel every emotion imaginable and some unimaginable. Their anguish, sadness, despair, pain and sorrow may take away much of their purpose and determination in life. Given the emotional turmoil involved, this client requires a special kind of care. The following attributes will help convey the financial advisors concern and understanding.

Attitude
You should be genuinely committed to supporting your client throughout the process. Trust and commitment may have been established with your long-term client; however, this bridge may need to be built or re-established with a new client or the departed clients spouse or family.

As with any professional/client relationship, trust and loyalty take time and patience to establish. Your patience and understanding at this critical time of need will go a long way to affirming your commitment and instilling the necessary confidence in order for the client to know they are making the right decisions.

You must also be capable of dealing with real-life situations while maintaining a high degree of professionalism. Sensitivity, kindness and patience are qualities that will embellish your relationship. Your client has just gone through one of the most traumatic experiences and they are naturally afraid of every aspect of life, particularly in regard to their finances.

Remember, your first priority is to provide your client with a sense of security so they may gain confidence in your decisions. Letting the client know that you have a heartfelt conviction to guide them through this difficult period will help establish a safe and comforting atmosphere at this time when they have little hope.

Share your positive outlook on life, for this stability will offer the bereaved a sense of balance and hope for the future. Your client will feel confidence as you communicate your warmth and determination in approaching their present circumstances.

Listen
This is an art that needs to be practiced. Its human nature to want to respond as your client's concerns are raised, however it is your obligation to let the client speak. This meeting is about the client, not the financial advisor. This is the client's time to air their feelings. It is about their needs, concerns and objectives. You will have time plenty of time to speak, but it is not now. Continue to raise questions and take notes.

Listening is a skill that cannot be overemphasized. Listen closely and hear what the client is saying. They will convey volumes of information, both financial as well as emotional in a short time. For help in developing your skills in this area there is an excellent book: Listening: the Forgotten Skill: A Self-Teaching Guide by MADELYN BURLEY-ALLEN, the founder and president of Dynamics of Human Behavior. There will always be room for growth in this area and the benefits for your practice will be well worth the effort.

Empathy
Above all, your client must sense and understand that you care for their emotional and financial welfare. Revealing to your client that you are truly concerned for their well being and have a deep understanding of their present circumstances is worth more than your credentials at this point. Trust and loyalty are built upon honesty. These virtues are paramount to your success and once established, you will have gained their loyalty for life.

How to Get Started
Getting familiar with this topic will enhance your knowledge in human behavior and the understanding necessary before helping those at this critical time in need of your services.

Volunteer at a local hospice and palliative care organization. This can give you real hands-on experience. It will be well worth your time and effort because you will have an opportunity to learn first hand from those who have had many years of experience in this field. Additionally, it is a very satisfying experience to serve people in this real time of need. It is true that experience can be your best teacher.

Financial advisors and other professionals desiring a better understanding of grief and bereavement can and should get the basics from the many educational materials available. You can start with the references listed below.

Bookstores and public libraries generally have an extensive selection on the subject of grief, death and bereavement. Noteworthy are the following textbooks: Death and Dying Life and Living, Charles A. Corr, Clyde M. Nabe, Donna M. Corr, 4th Edition 2003, Wadsworth, Thomson Learning Publishing Co. and The Last Dance: Encountering Death and Dying. Lynn Ann DeSpelder and Albert Lee Strickland, 6th Edition 2002, McGraw Hill.

Additionally, there are many private and public training and certification programs throughout the country. The American Academy of Bereavement (www.bereavementacademy.com), through CMI Education Institute, Inc. provides a Bereavement Facilitator Level I training program. The American Academy of Grief Counseling (www.aihcp.org) also offers a comprehensive certification program. A Certification in Thanatology, (CT) is provided through The Association for Death Education and Counseling (www.adec.org). Most local colleges or universities offer introductory courses as well as advanced degrees in grief and bereavement.

Our Role
It is my hope and desire that the financial planning community will begin the task of educating professionals in the field of grief and bereavement. As the national death statistics change, so should our methodology. We are long overdue in creating a precedent in the understanding of this critical area. You don't need to become an expert or counselor in the field; this should be left to mental healthcare professionals. However, to be an effective advisor, we have to realize that long-term relationships demand we play a crucial role in the healing process as we serve our clients.

Beyond the fundamentals of the financial planning process, it is ultimately the advisors choice to serve clients with compassion and understanding as well as technical competence. These attributes are not mutually exclusive but interdependent requirements of mastering your craft and becoming a trusted family advisor.

Future Vision
The financial planning community should begin instituting a national program identifying a level of expertise in grief and bereavement. Implementing a training program through a series of continuing education courses would be a positive first step. However, a formal course providing the tools necessary to integrate this skill fully into the financial planning process would be optimal.

Identifying those professionals in the financial community with the desire and knowledge to work in this area could be of great benefit to those in need. An acknowledgment of skill mastery could be conferred upon successful completion of the grief and bereavement course regimen. The value of this mark would be to assure that those needing guidance would be receiving advice from a financial advisor certified in this area. New standards would be set forth for all financial advisors, dramatically changing the way we deal with this very natural but often ignored part of the planning process.

A Road Less Traveled
As I am about to leave the cemetery, I have found a new appreciation for the grieving client. I realize that for the benefit of our society, the financial planning industry must take definitive action on its approach and understanding of grieving clients and their family members.

Nearing the exit of the cemetery, my interest is piqued as I am drawn toward an artistically- built structure. This memorial stands above all others, it is the size of a small house. It is built of solid granite, darkened through the decades to a smoke black and gray with exquisitely detailed workmanship. Four generations are buried in this mausoleum, dating from 1809 - 1992. At the entrance, a large granite plaque announces this quote by Thomas Mann, "A man's dying is more the survivors' affair than his own." This statement could not be truer.

Kenneth W. Stephan, RFC graduated from Thiel College in 1979 with a B.S. Degree in Economics and Business Administration. He is a Registered Financial Consultant, RFC with "The Equity Advisor Group, Inc." a comprehensive financial planning firm, in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Ken specializes in financial planning for clients that have recently lost a loved one. He provides Care, patience, trust and professionalism for the bereaved, helping them through a most difficult time. Ken is also a registered representative offering securities and advisory services through Mutual Service Corporation, a registered investment advisor, member of NASD/SIPC, located in West Palm Beach, Florida.