Stock Market Investing Tip

One overlooked tip to stock market investing is knowing as much as you can about the company you are investing in. I know that seems painfully easy, almost common sense, but it is amazing how many people don't research the companies they are investing in. They check the stock reports on Morning Star or make the mistake of trusting the investing to a broker. But information, being educated about your investments is the most basic, fundamental tip for becoming a successful investor. This means reading everything you can about the company, the industry, competitors, even information about the board of directors. How do you get company information easily without having to spend hours digging? I set up Google alerts with the name of the company and then individual Google keyword alerts for each of their main competitors and sometimes one or two keywords and phrases for the general industry. All articles about the company are e-mailed to my inbox every day. I briefly scan for information that could possibly lead to a change in the stock price. Quarterly revenues, new markets the company is considering entering, buy-out rumors, if said company is considering selling off a business unit, or buying a piece of another business and general industry news. Is the industry growing? What is the demand level, etc? A simple news scan can save or make you a bundle of money.

Let me give you an example. Last year I became interested in an internet advertising firm. My interest was first developed when I used their services and was very pleased with the results. I decided to do some digging, so I set up Google news alerts and after a few months I discovered their business plan was to acquire firms as a plan of growth. I didn't buy stock immediately after the first few acquisitions, but when I read they were acquiring one of the biggest affiliate marketing firms in the world I decided the time to strike was then. Of course I used Google to do my research on the firm they were to acquire. I saw that customers were happy; they were the biggest in their market. They were trend-setting, they had grown fast and I knew just from simple, basic research they were a solid firm.

So I purchased the stock and within six months it doubled. I attribute my success to basic research. Knowing something about the company I was considering.

By Sarah Celeste

Sarah Celeste has discovered an amazing, automated stock market robot that helps you make fool-proof stock market investing decisions. Read more about this groundbreaking software developed by two programming geniuses at her blog: http://stockmarketinvestingtip.blogspot.com/

Here you'll discover stock market trading software to help you exploit the market. It provides analytical predictors that help you select the most profitable stocks. See http://stockmarketinvestingtip.blogspot.com for more info and thanks for reading.

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Two Simple Guarantees To Making More Money Than You Can Stand

The secret to making more money than you can stand is to provide solutions that people will always need. Don't just focus on selling products or services - sell solutions and you'll never be broke again for the rest of your life.

In over 7 years of research and testing I've discovered the two simple secrets to making more money than you can stand. If you'll follow this simple road map you'll experience more profits than you ever imagined possible. I only ask that after the money starts rolling in you write and tell me of your experience. That's it! Now here are the two simple secrets. If you have a product or service and you want to convince someone to buy ...

1. Highlight Time Savings!

Choose a product or service that saves people time. The reason we buy the latest cell phone, instant soup, or microwave oven is they save us time. Right?

Think about it, can you ever recall buying a product or service because it wasted your time? No way! Yes, most of the products and services we buy we purchased because it saved us time in some way.

Think back to the last three products or services you purchased and chances are you bought them because they saved you time directly or indirectly. For example, you bought that cheeseburger and fries instead of cooking it yourself because it saved you time. You bought groceries at the supermarket instead of taking the time to grow them yourself. And you buy clothes because it saves you time from having to sew them.

Yes, it's hard to believe just a few generations ago most people grew their own food and made their own clothes. So, anything you can do to help your customers save time by using your product or service is sure to strike a positive cord in them.

Let me tell you a secret. This time-saving solution is so powerful I've bought an inferior product at a higher price. Why? Because at the time it would have cost me too much time to try to find another similar product. We've all been in that position, where you have so much to do - but so little time. Right?

Always be sure to stress a time-saving element to your customers. Because saving time is the one thing most people are willing to trade their money for. Why? Because there's only so much of it available. 24 hours each day and no more. The product or service is only secondary to sales. When you think about it time-savings is what people are buying, directly or indirectly.

Yes, every time we spend our money we're looking to save time. It takes most people time to earn their money, so the things we always see as a valuable trade-off for our money is anything that saves us time. Money and profits are attracted to people who help save people's time.

2. Highlight Irritation Elimination!

Let's face it, no one likes irritations. We avoid it, we delay it, and we even try to ignore anything that causes it. We'll even pay thousands of dollars to people who will help us eliminate it from our lives.

A big part of making more money than you can stand is working to remove little irritations your customers have, through your product or service. What small irritation do your customers see or experience in your business, product, or service? Do you know? Do you care? Have you asked them lately?

A good practice is to secretly shop or do business with your competitors. Now please don't drop your coffee on the floor or shout me down, hear me out first. Secretly shopping at your competitors can be one of the cheapest and most effective market research tools you can use.

While you're shopping at your competitors you should be taking note of any little irritations you experience. The irritations you find in your competitors can be areas you can improve on or remove from your own business, product or service. Not all businesses can remove every irritation. Some just comes with the territory.

So, the next best idea is to give little extras to offset the irritations your customers must put up with. For example, magazines, television, soothing music, a snack machine, or kids play area can also help if your business requires customers to wait.

If you have to ship your product to your customer - give them something to download online while the product is on its way.

Conclusion

If you take the time to take action on these two simple principles you'll find more ideas and solutions coming to you. You'll discover in good times and in lean times these two principles will be in great demand from your customers.

The business or business person who pays attention to them will be the one customers will pay attention to as well. The businesses who ignore these two principles will find more customers ignoring them too. Which will you be?

By Roy Primm

Roy Primm has written hundreds of articles showing thousands how to make money in undiscovered niches. Discover more revealing secrets in free report at http://booklocker.com/books/1015.html

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5 Ways To Save More Money Each Month

Here are 5 specific ways to save money each month. Below we provide a few suggestions on ways that the average US household could save more money each month. Once you have determined a few realistic ways (which these are) to decrease your spending each month; you will should set a savings goal. This step is essential to building your personal wealth.

We hope that you will review each one carefully and honestly as it could mean the difference between no retirement, and a nice one.

The numbers below are estimates of the monthly savings that the average US Household could save by implementing some of the suggestions below. So, if you make more than the average US household, you could actually be saving MORE than the estimates below. If you make less than the average US household in income, your savings may be less. The average US Household income for 2006 was $48,201.

So, here are the 5 ways to increase your savings each month:

1). Eat out one less time each month (estimated savings - $35/month).

According to a 2005 report by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average US Household spends 5.5% of their money on eating out at restaurants (not groceries). Since the average US household income is $48,201 (before taxes), we estimate that the average household spends nearly $176 each month on eating out! Since everything spent on eating out is discretionary, (meaning it's not necessary spending); this could potentially be a huge area for savings! We don't expect you to never eat out again; however, if you were able to save $176 a month, that's $615,114 in 30 years! We encourage you to be ambitious in this area; however, if you can start with just one less outing each month...that's an extra $35 a month (on average).

2). Bring your lunch to work or school (estimated savings - $20 per month).

It's difficult to determine how much the average US household spends each month on lunches at school or work. However, if you do eat out for lunch during the week, consider the possibilities for savings. At $5 per lunch, that's $25 per week, or $100 per month. If you have children going to school and pay for their lunch; consider making them a homemade lunch. This could certainly be as much as $5 - $10 per week in savings or $20 - $40 each month! Only you will be able to determine how much you can save in your particular situation. Using the numbers listed above, we estimate that the average household will be able to save between $20 - $140 each month by being more frugal during lunch time.

3). Create a shopping list and stick to it when you get groceries, and use coupons (estimated savings - $40 per month).

According to the same US Bureau of Labor Statistics study mentioned above, it is estimated that the average US household spends 7.5% of their after tax money on groceries. Now of course food IS a necessity of life; however, there are ways to be more frugal without missing a meal. By simply being more conscious of what you are spending at the grocery store, you may be able to save a decent amount. The age-old "shopping list" is still a great suggestion. By sticking to your list, you will have less "impulsive" buys and will be able to shop around for deals on the items that you need. In addition, USE COUPONS...its free money! In fact, if you have a Wal-mart nearby, you can price match any competitors coupons. For example, if Albertsons is selling milk for $1.99; simply, go to Wal-mart, pick up the milk, and tell the cashier to "price match" for $1.99...and that's it. This is one of Wal-mart's business strategies, so they encourage you to do this. Whether or not you use Wal-mart isn't the point. Find a way to save on your groceries; plan before you go, stick to your list, and use coupons. The average household that was not doing this already should be able to save about $40 per month by implementing these strategies.

4). Use generic brands.

There is no explanation needed here; just do it! Nobody will know if you bought the cheap Wal-mart milk or the fancy brand! It all comes from the same cow anyway. Think of areas to go generic, you will be surprised how much you could save.

5). Lower your utility bills (estimated savings - $20 per month)

Ask your local utility company how you can lower your energy bills. They will have lots of suggestions such as weatherproofing your home and using window coverings. In addition, if you for every 1 degree you turn down your heat, you will save about 3% on your heating bill each month. (Also, consider using less A/C during the summer months). You can also turn down the temperature on your water heater to 115-120 degrees without any noticeable difference. This will save money as your water heater will use less energy. For the conscious utility user, these steps could easily translate into savings of $20 per month.

Other suggestions:

Don't buy on impulse. If you see something you want; shop around, look online, or wait until its on sale.

Lower your phone bill. You can switch carriers, use less text-messaging or other phone features. Use your debit card instead of your credit card.

Monitor your checking account so you don't bounce checks or pay extra fees. Use only the ATMs of your bank or credit union.

There are literally hundreds of other ways to save money. These 5 simple ways could save you an extra $115 per month. And that is not even scratching the surface!

By Spencer Ray

Take the 30 day Financial Challenge at Keyblast.com This article is a small portion of the 30-day financial challenge. To access lots of free information, tools, and to see what the challenge is all about, visit Keyblast.com.

Spencer has a BA in Finance, an MBA, and is currently a Commercial Banker advising Business owners on Business and Personal financial issues.

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Spending Wisely

Would you be surprised to find out that you and your spouse collectively spend $800 per month on fast food and coffee? Most people don't consider $10 per day a lot to spend on themselves. But do the math and figure it out. If you're married, you and your spouse both work, and you both get lattes in the morning and go out for a fast food lunch, then you could be spending a huge chunk of your income on working. If you were home eating a sandwich or brewing your own cup of coffee, you could save a lot of money. One way to curb your thinking is to figure out what you actually pay to work. How much do you spend on gas to get to work? Tack on food and drinks and your daily trip to and from work can add up to a much bigger piece of your paycheck than you would like to see.

Finding ways to save money can seem like you are depriving yourself. Giving up that coffee house latte may make you feel like you're giving up a small but satisfying part of your life. You need to change the way that you think of sacrifices. Sacrifices generally have a payoff. Concentrate on the payoff and enjoy it when it comes. If you and your spouse gave up lattes and fast food for a month, brewed your own coffee and packed your own lunch, they you would spend around $200 per month instead of $800. Track your spending and set a goal. See if you can stretch that dollar to save more money. At the end of the month, if you've saved the amount that you aimed for, then reward yourselves with a special weekend get away or night out. Chances are you won't spend as much on that as you would on weeks and weeks of fast food. Your wallet and your waistline will thank you.

Most importantly, you're training yourself to keep the future in mind. Most people have a very hard time imagining what the future will actually be like. It's even harder to make small moves now that may seem inconsequential at the present, but can make a huge difference in the long run. Small changes can add up to big ones more quickly than you think.

Consider saving a small amount of money. Let's say that you put one dollar aside for your grandchildren. Let's say that you invest that dollar and get 8% compounding interest annually. If you never touch that dollar, then it will grow. After one year, it will only be $1.08. It hardly seems worth it. But after twenty years it will be $4.66. Still not enough? Let's say that you leave it for one hundred years and it grows to $2,200. After 200 years it will grow to $4.8 million dollars. You may not be alive to see it, but your great grandchildren should be taken care of. This is only theoretical, but it helps you look at the big picture. Saving small amounts of money may seem frivolous, but a little at a time can definitely add up over time.

Don't make the mistake of running up your credit cards thinking that it's only a little bit of interest every month. Every one of those dollars that you paid the credit card company could be growing for you. Pay off everything you can as quickly as possible and start saving those dollars. You may find yourself taking out a payday loan or cash advance to make it over small humps, but just avoid anything that takes a lot of time to pay off.

By Bob Guy

About the Author: Bob is an Online Marketing Strategist of paydayone.com, a company that can provide a payday loan or online payday loans to individuals. For more information, please visit http://www.paydayone.com

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Six Steps To Financial Freedom

Being a member of the International Marketing Group (IMG), I am so blessed to have learned the concepts of financial management at this early stage of my life. I may still be starting out, but at least I've got the fundamentals of financial management correct now.

I've always believed that God wants me to be responsible for my time, treasures and my talents. I have worked hard to manage my time and talents but it is my treasures that I have no idea of managing.

My best friend in high school introduced me to IMG just this year 2007 and I am glad I became a part of the company. My blog schedule for today is on financial management so I want to share with you IMG's 6 steps to Financial Freedom and how it has applied to me:

1.) Increase cash flow

a.) Earn Additional income

b.) Manage expenses

- I have strived to follow the first step by earning both active and passive income through IMG's system. I have also managed to teach part time and at the same time explore the possibilities of earning income online. With regards to the expenses, it is important that I list down all my expenses and work within a budget. That is what I had been doing now for months.

2.) Manage debt

a.) Consolidate Debt

b.) Strive to eliminate debt

- I've managed debt by resorting to lower interest rates. I have availed of balance transfer features. The regular interest charged by credit card companies is 3.5 % per month. But if you avail of balance transfer features by "transferring" your debt to other credit cards then you can avail of 0.99 % interest per month. I have discussed this extensively in my post entitled "Getting out of the credit card debt mess."

3.) Create emergency fund

a.) Save at least six months income

b.) Prepare for emergency expenses

- This is something I have not done yet, but will be planning to do in the months or years to come. Once debt is eliminated I can now start to save at least 6 months income. This is just to ensure that you are liquid enough in case there are some things that must be bought with in cash. This could also be used for emergency expenses.

4.) Ensure proper protection

a.) Protect against loss of income

b.) Protect Family assets

- I have achieved this through availing of insurance. Insurance policies protect loss of income by compensating the person insured and his loved ones if ever the person insured losses the capacity to produce active income because of death or accident. Protecting family assets is also achieved by availing of non-life insurance such as fire insurance etc.

5.) Build long-term asset accumulation

a.) Outpace inflation

b.) Reduce taxation

- This is normally what is known as the "investment" stage. If you are "investing" in something that is less than the inflation rate then you loose in the long run. Always make sure that you are investing above the inflation rate. For some who still does not understand what inflation rate means and how it could affect you I will probably discuss it in a future post. Most experts suggest that if you are in the Philippines you should invest in something that is above 7 % (Even if now the inflation rate is below 2 % +) Currently you cannot put your money in the bank an expect a return of above 7 % since interest for savings is way below 2 % and interest for time deposit accounts is from 3 to 5 %

Clearly, the only way to achieve this is through the stock market, mutual funds investments and other types of investments giving you a return of more than 7 % per annum.

With regards to taxes, remember that the government taxes income, not wealth.

6.) Preserve your estate

a.) Help Reduce estate taxes

b.) Build a family legacy

This is something that I plan to do probably 20 years from now. There are a lot of ways to achieve this. I would probably tackle this in another post since this is a somewhat complicated topic. ]

This is the overview of IMG's financial strategy which I have strived to religiously follow. The steps must be followed sequentially. It is advisable that you should go through them one step at a time. However since I have learned about this just lately, I have managed to invest without first eliminating my debt. I should have eliminated my debt first and investe later. But I believe that it still worked out for my advantage since the year 2005 to 2010 is considered by many experts as "a window of investment opportunities" considering that the stock market is at it's highest and the fundamentals of the Philippine economy are in place. I will discuss more on financial strategies on my future posts.

By Zigfred Rivera Diaz

Zigfred Diaz is Vice president for operations for a group of family owned corporations. He is also a Financial & Real estate broker, lawyer, law professor & writer. He regularly blogs about law, leadership, entrepreneurship, management, financial management, investments, technology, internet marketing, blogging, theology, faith, life and living at http://www.zdiaz.com

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