Key to Success,

Author: bussiness // Category:

Happiness, rather than working hard, is the key to success, according to research published today. Cheerful people are more likely to try new things and challenge themselves, which reinforces positive emotion and leads to success in work, good relationships and strong health, say psychologists.

The findings suggest that happiness is not a "feelgood" luxury, but is essential to people's wellbeing. What is more, happiness can also extend across an entire nation, with people in "happy" nations being more likely to have pro-democratic attitudes and a keenness to help others.

The link between happiness and success was investigated by a team from the University of California Riverside, led by Professor Sonja Lyubomirsky.

First, they analysed questionnaires that ask people about multiple aspects of their lives. "For example, they show that happy people tend to earn higher incomes," said Prof Lyubomirsky. Having established the link, they wanted to discover the cause.

"Almost always it has been assumed that things that correlate with happiness are the causes of happiness, but it could be just the opposite - that those things tend to be caused by happiness," said Professor Ed Diener from the University of Illinois, another author on the paper.

Other studies revealed that having a sunny outlook on life appeared to precede good fortune.

"There was strong evidence that happiness leads people to be more sociable and more generous, more productive at work, to make more money, and to have stronger immune systems," said Prof Lyubomirsky.

Meanwhile, experimental studies showed that an instant injection of high-spirits could generate success. "Inducing a happy effect leads people to make more money in a computer simulation."

The research shows that while success can put a spring in someone's step, people need happiness in the first place to achieve success.

According to the study, around four out of five people in modern industrialised nations are happy at any one time.

Success was not just about earning lots of money. "We define success as obtaining the things that culture or society values, whether it be friends, close family, money and income, or longevity," said Prof Diener.

However, sorrowful people are not condemned to a life of failure.

"Our work suggests that sad people should try to increase the frequency of positive emotions in their lives by doing things that make them feel happy, even temporarily," said Prof Lyubomirsky, whose research is published in the Psychological Bulletin today.

But there is a caveat: your happiness boosters should not be dangerous, like driving fast, or counter-productive, like eating lots of chocolate.

If you can raise your spirits, the benefits can be manifold. "Happy people are more likeable and more sociable. They are also better able to cope with stress and likely to be healthier and live longer."

Nor is happiness just an individual pursuit. Happy nations, full of happy people, are more likely to be successful than unhappy nations. "People in happy nations trust others more and want to cooperate with their neighbours," said Prof Diener.

Governments could keep a smile on their citizens' faces by ensuring safety and stability.

"Although nations cannot live people's lives and force them to be happy, they can create conditions - for example, parks, reasonable weekly work hours, a health infrastructure, and good transportation - that influence people's happiness," he added.

For governments and individuals alike, it seems, happiness is more than just a hedonistic pleasure.

Why People Give Up on Their Goals-And How Not To!

Author: bussiness // Category:


Goal-setting, especially having the proper tools to structure goals, is crucial for long-term achievement. The usual problem, though, is not setting goals but completing them.
While a vision involves creativity and foresight, goals require strategy and dedication.

An extensive study on goal-setting by Marshall Goldsmith and Laurence Lyons helps us understand an essential component: why people give up on goals. Here, according to Goldsmith and Lyons, are six of the most common reasons people give up on goals--the inverse is success insurance:

1. Lack of Ownership. It's necessary to "buy in" to one's goals, to take ownership. Doing so shifts the initiative to an internal point of reference. Then effectiveness and mastery can result.

2. Time. Goal setters tend to underestimate the time it will take to complete the task (an "optimism bias"), leading to giving up.

3. Difficulty. The optimism bias equally applies to difficulty as well as time.

4. Distractions. People tend to underestimate the distractions and "noise" of competing goals.

5. Inadequate Rewards. Disappointment sets in when achievement of a goal fails to translate into other goals or to yield the desired happiness.

6. Maintenance. Maintaining changed behavior is difficult, and there is always the pull of the old and the fear of the new.

Create a Map

A successful journey involves three critical steps: determining where you are now, deciding where you want to go, and figuring out how to get there.
Creating a plan and plotting a course allows you to stay on track, recognize and avoid detours and distractions, measure progress, and move effectively toward goals. Without a plan, you cannot know where you are, nor strategize to get to where you want to go. If you don't know where you want to go (a goal), you can't figure out how to get there.

Eleven Steps to Ignite Success

The following steps will guide success when coupled with the blueprint of how to establish specific, attainable goals:

• Have your needs and values in sharp focus.

• Know what you do uniquely well.

• Assess specific strengths, passions and weaknesses

• Establish SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.

• Determine three key initiatives to take for each goal (timetable: 1-2 weeks).

• Decide on the next best action for each initiative (timetable: 2-3 days).

• Structure a strategy to reach and stretch each goal.

• Increase tolerance of planned risk with associated fear.

• Focus on specific results, action and momentum regarding goals.

• Continue assessment of disciplined activity with refinement of goals.

• Endorse your progress.

The time frame for each objective must be specified so that the sense of mastery can occur. A goal may have a several month time frame. Each goal should have an initiative that can occur within the next several days, and each initiative should have a next best action, to begin within the next day or do.

Applying SMART Goals to Your Personal Mission Statement

You can use these five key questions to apply SMART goals to your personal mission statement:

WHO?

Who should accomplish the objective? In conjunction with others? Should certain aspects be delegated?

WHAT?

"What must happen" focuses on specific outcomes within a particular time frame to achieve a goal. Each outcome should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

HOW?

"How to accomplish the goal" may be a co-created exploration and discussion of possible approaches and alternatives, but the choice of direction must come from you, because the outcome must belong to you. A commitment needs to result.

WHY?

This exploration clarifies a pathway and precisely determines the goal. If it is unclear or uncertain, the best intention would be a promise you never keep.

WHEN?

The time frame for each objective must be specified so that the sense of mastery can occur. A goal may have a several-month time frame. Each goal should have an initiative that can occur within the next several days, and each initiative should have a next best action, to begin within the next day or do.

By David Krueger, M.D.

David Krueger, M.D. an Executive Mentor Coach. He is CEO of MentorPath, an executive coaching firm tailored to the needs of executives and professionals. Dr. Krueger is author of 15 books on success, money, work, and mind-body integration.

http://www.MentorPath.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Krueger_MD

CASINO CASH IS THE No1 ONLINE GAMING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Author: bussiness // Category:

Welcome to Casino Cash, a unique Online Casino business opportunity. The online gaming industry is the fastest growing Internet sector today and there has never been a better time to get involved. Own an online Casino web site with Casino Cash and get involved in this exciting online gaming era.

Online Casinos make millions of dollars every month and the majority of this income is generated by affiliates who promote the Casinos. When you consider that the top Casino affiliates can earn in excess of $50,000 per month in commissions you can see the advantages of joining Casino Cash!

Casino Cash gives you the opportunity to cash in on the popularity of online gaming and reap enormous rewards. Casino revenue has until now been out of reach for most business opportunists when you consider the complete set-up and licensing costs of a typical Online Casino to be in excess of $300,000.00. Casino Cash erase these problems by offering individually owned, fully functional Casino web sites to entrepreneurs and business opportunists at a fraction of the cost.

Casino Cash is an amazing opportunity please check out the following web site for more info on Casino Cash!

Click Bank Web Mall

Author: bussiness // Category:

TekBright Technology is a DotStartUp Web Mall Direct Dealer Affiliate
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Have you ever wanted to have a money making web site, but never had the time to learn HTML, figure out how to FTP files and make all those updates? Here's our amazing solution...
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Let's take a look at how it works.


ClickBank® is the World's largest marketplace for digital products like software and ebooks. These informational products are the hottest selling things on the web today, so it makes sense to get in on the action. ClickBank® affiliates get paid for referring paying customers to ClickBank® vendors. By operating your own Web Mall, you can get your affiliate links on every link. That's over 2100 of the top performing vendors offering over 11,000 products! All you have to do is promote your Web Mall and get the traffic there.


Whenever someone buys a product or service through your Web Mall, you make money.In some cases as much as 75%!

Amazon At Risk--Action Needed Now by Jason Witt

Author: bussiness // Category:


When you receive the Seal you are made like a little earth. So you want to take care of the earth like you take care of yourself. The great garden of the Amazon forest is essential for the health of that earth and yet is threatened.

Global warming is having an adverse impact on the Amazon rain-forest. And the more it happens, the less able to forest is to prevent more global warming, while the Amazon forest is doing much of the heavy lifting in such prevention.

The Amazon forest is keeping the earth cool, keeping down the rising temperatures due to the effect of the pollution people create. As pollution like carbon dioxide rises, so the temperatures of the earth are also rising.

The Amazon forest absorbs a lot of carbon dioxide. But it is also a key element in the balance of the ecosystem of the earth. It also contains an estimated 20 percent of the fresh water of the world.

In addition a third of the species of flora and fauna are found in the Amazon rain-forest in Brazil. But deforestation is yet another enemy in the battle. It causes skyrocketing amounts of carbon dioxide in the air.

If the Amazon forest is not conserved, temperatures around the globe will rise more than the 3.6 degrees above pre-industrial levels that scientists say is the "tipping point." Any more than 3.6 degrees and catastrophes will be omnipresent.

Floods and droughts will happen even more frequently than they are now, along with windstorms and other natural disasters. These have already increased greatly and we can not tolerate any more increases.

When the Amazon forest is depleted scientists say it will affect everyone else around the globe, including those in the United States who will see less rainfall for their crops, which will not be abundant harvests.

And as if deforestation for cattle ranching and soybean growing were not enough, global warming itself threatens to destroy some of the forest as climate change makes conditions inhospitable for life.

There is the price to be paid by those wealthy Western people who are producing the pollution. They must eventually pay for the poor in places vulnerable to floods and droughts.

And now the Amazon rain-forest can be added to those places the wealthy Westerners must subsidize. The Amazon must be preserved, and the people of Brazil need resources like money to do it.

They want to burn large tracts of forest so they can have land to raise cattle and grow soybeans. They want to do it so they can make money, and they will need money if they are to leave the forest intact.

It is unfortunate that the future of the world rests largely on the wilderness of one country--Brazil. But without much of the rain forest we have today we will not be able to sustain our current levels of polluting the air.

When you are sealed you are called to do your part to help preserve the environment and nurse it back to health again, just like you are called to keep your own body healthy.

When you are sealed you become a little earth, a little complete ecosystem. So you understand the failing health of the greater earth too, and you take action to prevent any more sickness when you receive the Seal.

Tony Blair on Genetically Modified Food Debate By: James Wachai

Author: bussiness // Category:


This week, I want to idolize British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, because of remarks he made last week on genetically modified foods.

Addressing a group of scientists last week, Mr. Blair suggested that opponents of genetically modified foods aren't "rational" when debating this issue.

"Government must show leadership and courage in standing up for science and rejecting an irrational public debate around it [GM food]," said Mr. Blair, referring to "those who have distorted facts to oppose developments such as GM foods."

Mr. Blair, expectedly, did receive flaks for these remarks. Some challenged him to state if he was openly criticizing Prince Charles, who has openly opposed genetically modified foods [I must, hereby, mention that Prince Charles is wrong to use the privileges of the British throne to make statements that can't be scientifically substantiated about genetically modified foods].

Others insinuated that it was payback time to multinational biotechnology companies, for millions of dollars donated to the Labor Party.

I found this quite amusing because of instead of addressing real issues, Mr. Blair's critics decided to dwell on side issues. This, needless to say, has been the hallmark of the debate about genetically modified foods.

Opponents of genetically modified foods dare not attack the science behind genetically modified food because they have no case to make against it. Instead, they go for fringe issues with the aim of confusing the public.

Mr. Blair is right in urging the public to "discuss technological innovations in a more scientifically literate fashion." Those who genuinely care about food safety should support and not criticize him. Mr. Blair evidently means well for the world.

How else can the world determine the safety of genetically modified foods other than subjecting them to thorough laboratory investigations? This is the premise of Mr. Blair's argument.

Genetically modified foods have been subjected to rigorous examination by various scientific bodies. The British Royal Society of Science has produced numerous reports showing that genetically modified foods can be beneficial to humans and the environment.

Various United Nations Agencies, notably the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have also published similar reports.

Perhaps Mr. Blair should use his political leverage to prevail upon other European countries to change their attitude towards genetically modified foods. Currently, Europe maintains the most draconian and restrictive laws on genetically modified food. These laws aren't informed by science, but by populist sentiments.

The Next Generation Technology Developement by Jonathon Hardcastle

Author: bussiness // Category:

Technology is playing an ever-increasing role in our daily lives. From the cars we drive, the homes we live in and the places we work and learn, we are faced with technology by the bucket load, aiming to improve efficiency and encourage competitiveness on a modern scale. The fact of the matter is, today technology is an irretrievable constant in our daily lives. Tell people to live without their cell phones and they'll laugh in your face. Tell someone he can't send that email, and again he'll be shocked. Technology is here to stay, big time, and it's really making its mark on the way we live our lives.

For example, think about your workplace. Even before you get in the door you'll come across modern technology, with car parking ticket dispensers, and door entry systems. When you get to your desk, the first thing you see? Yep, the computer. Even this monstrosity is betraying a vast network of technology underneath, linking it to other machines in your organization to allow you to print and share access to certain files. On your desk will also be an advanced calling system, and probably loads of other gadgets to boot. In fact, they're so engrained in our daily lives, it's hard to think how we survived before they existed.

Society today has gone down a dangerous path. We've placed far too much reliance on the machine and computer storage which has proven to be unreliable at times, as with all man made creations. The fact is with such a reliance on mechanical systems, we are jeopardizing whole hosts of vital information and operations which could result in major problems should systems fail dramatically. In this instant information generation, we are lacking the key ingredient of certainty which is so vital in storing our information.

Additionally, this societal movement towards technology is inevitably transpiring as a problematic area for youth, who grow up confused and in doubt as to effective written communication. This also gives rise to problems as far as grammatical and syntactical reasoning are concerned, which may have untold effects on generations to come.

Technology is clearly an asset in some respects, yet causes obvious problems in other circumstances, and has the potential to do so in the long run. It is necessary that we continue research into stable technologies to avoid putting all our metaphorical eggs in one basket, to provide the security and stability necessary for future commerce and society.

Black Hole Bullies Guest Galaxy by Jason Witt

Author: bussiness // Category:
When you receive the Seal you become fascinated with the wonders of the universe. One of those wonders is happening right now--one galaxy is attacking another galaxy and the 2 will probably merge.

The 2 galaxies are around 8.2 billion trillion miles away from earth. So the attack will have no effect on the earth. But it may affect other planets, some of which may have once had life on them.

One of the galaxies is emitting jets of radiation which are bruising the other galaxy with brightness. The jet is mainly X-rays and gamma rays but is affecting tens of millions of stars.

Astronomers consider it likely that many of those stars have planets revolving around them. And with the radiation pouring over them any life would be completely destroyed.

First the ozone layer of the planet would be destroyed. Then the magnetic field of the planet would be put out of commission. Those are 2 things needed to protect the planet from the star it revolves around.

The 2 galaxies are "dancing" around each and are thought to be in the processing of merging together into one galaxy. And the one galaxy is considered a "bully" by astronomers, attacking the other one.

Both galaxies have black holes at their center, and the black hole of the bully galaxy is what is emitting the radiation. Black holes are areas which such powerful gravity that not even light can escape them, thus they are "black."

Black holes have such a large mass in such a small amount of space that everything near enough to them is warped toward them, including space and even time, which both warp toward them.

In the case of these 2 galaxies, the black hole of the bully is also emitting more radiation than just the jet of radiation which has become such a spectacle. So there are really 2 sources of deadly radiation coming from the galaxy.

It is thought that over the course of a billion years these 2 galaxies will merge. And this jet has only been emitted for about 1 million years, considered to be quite a short time in the course of the universe.

But not everything is so deadly about the emission of radiation. Though it is destroying any life in many places, it also has the potential to give birth to many new stars. And each of those will possible have their own planets.

It is thought that in the "dance" of these 2 galaxies, the dormant black hole might have been awakened since the movement caused disturbances in the magnetic field. The black hole is thought to be supermassive.

The glory of God is shown here. It is terrifying how life is taken away from so many systems of planets in part of a whole galaxy. That is the Judgment of God happening.

And at the same time it is wonderful to see the birth of many new stars where God can create new Life. And it is a wonder to consider the distances and stretches of time astronomers theorize about.

If these galaxies are really billions of trillions of years away, then what they are viewing took place that many years ago. That was how many years it took for the light to reach the earth.

Those kinds of great distances are hard to imagine. And that is distant history too. Billions of trillions of years. Just a few thousand years becomes quite ancient for us here on earth.

But this is a picture of eternity. When you are sealed you will see it. Billions of trillions do not compare with eternity. Eternity is infinite. And eternity is the lifespan you will have when you receive the Seal.

Paid to Do Surveys Make You Feel Good

Author: bussiness // Category:
When an agency seeks participation in paid to do surveys, can you foresee the impact of honest responses from the respondent population? A company seeks an honest response from people who are most likely to use its service or product. The exercise is preceded by intense work on identifying the right target population, their habits and the things that they look for in an offering. Often, government policy is decided on the basis of legitimate needs of a group of people. The government body does a similar job of identifying the right people from whom to take viewpoints.

Go through the survey format carefully. Some questionnaires of paid to do surveys include a section for you to voice a subjective opinion. In truth, the information you provide allows senior players in the marketplace to take intelligent decisions. Your opinion counts.

Add Value
You are filling paid to do surveys and have an opinion about the topic under discussion. Add value to the task you have undertaken by drafting your opinion suitably. As long as you have clarity that your opinion is relevant to the specific issue that the company is trying to address, your effort will be valuable to the company. You have two options; one is to publish your views on the company site or on websites that cater to the industry.

Remove Helplessness
Sometimes a sense of not being heard creeps in when answering paid to do surveys. If you feel that your reviews and feedback are just one more voice in the dark, track the companies and products for which you have been answering surveys.

Feel Content
Be happy when you decide to fill paid to do surveys because your response will be given importance. You can fill a form only when your profile matches the requirement of the agency that has solicited information through this route.

Earning Extra Money Through Online Paid Surveys

Author: bussiness // Category:
Online paid surveys have greatly improved the standings of a company and thus it has become an increasingly popular choice amongst many companies. Online paid surveys are surveys that are made available by the company to its customers and ask for their opinion about the product. The company then pays the customers for their opinions.

Anyone who is willing to earn extra cash and is looking for a less stressful job can take up this job and earn money by taking online surveys. You will need to first do a lot of searching over the internet to find websites that offers paid surveys online. You will be returned with a list of hundreds of websites that offers this type of online job, but the difficult part is choosing the right one. To ensure that a website is a credible one you can read online reviews and keep track of its reputation. You can also read comments of its past customers i.e. those who had taken part in filling surveys.

Separate account is needed since all spam emails as well as related work emails will fill-up your inbox. Never signup with a company that asks you for a sign-up fee. Real and legitimate companies will never ask you for an initial fee. Lastly, always remember that earn money by taking online surveys is a part -time job and will help you in earning extra cash. It should not be replaced with full-time job.

Online Surveys and How They Work

Author: bussiness // Category:
Having a good knowledge of online surveys and how they work is a necessity to you when going into any online surveys. Online surveys involve you giving your opinion to some companies about there products and receiving money from them as a reward through their advertising agents.

These companies are paying you for the time you spend to evaluate their products and take surveys. A survey is all the questions put together for you to answer after the product's evaluation. Companies pay you through their advertising agents for participating in their surveys.

Do you wonder why these companies should spend money through this way? Most of these companies are giants and are ready to pay you $125 and above per survey. The major reason these companies give out their money through online surveys is that your opinion helps them either to improve on their products, or to produce new ones their consumers will value. so that's exactly how surveys work for them and also for you who make money from them by taking their surveys.

Again, a survey is just the questions these companies will ask you through their advertising agents, which is based on the evaluation of their products. You may taste and keep their products in some cases but, in most cases, it is assumed that you have received and tasted their products.

Get More Traffic Free

Author: bussiness // Category:
You have a great website, added content and chosen how it looks, but wouldn't it be nice if you could get more traffic for free? Its easy to get traffic once you have found the right traffic getting methods. Here are the best 4 ways to get traffic to your website without spending any money.

Comment on similar website or blogs
Often these days websites and blogs have a comment section at the bottom where you can express your opinion on their article. This is an opportunity to get some traffic to your site by leaving a useful comment and a link to your website ( if the comment form has the "authors website" field). Since most website owners manually approve their comments they are unlikely to approve a generic spammy looking comment.

Forums and online communities
Become an active member of a community or forum in your websites niche. You can place a signature with your web site's URL and it will appear every time you make a post. Make helpful and relevant contributions to the community and make it regular.

Submit to directories
Submitting your site to online directories is a good way to get the back links it needs and at the same time having the advantage of direct traffic and click throughs. Make your directory listing compelling and interesting to get more attention. Building back links is also a good way to get your website listed higher in search engine results.

Different Types of Investments

Author: bussiness // Category:
Overall, there are three different kinds of investments. These include stocks, bonds, and cash. Sounds simple, right? Well, unfortunately, it gets very complicated from there. You see, each type of investment has numerous types of investments that fall under it.

There is quite a bit to learn about each different investment type. The stock market can be a big scary place for those who know little or nothing about investing. Fortunately, the amount of information that you need to learn has a direct relation to the type of investor that you are. There are also three types of investors: conservative, moderate, and aggressive. The different types of investments also cater to the two levels of risk tolerance: high risk and low risk.

Conservative investors often invest in cash. This means that they put their money in interest bearing savings accounts, money market accounts, mutual funds, US Treasury bills, and Certificates of Deposit. These are very safe investments that grow over a long period of time. These are also low risk investments.

Moderate investors often invest in cash and bonds, and may dabble in the stock market. Moderate investing may be low or moderate risks. Moderate investors often also invest in real estate, providing that it is low risk real estate.

Aggressive investors commonly do most of their investing in the stock market, which is higher risk. They also tend to invest in business ventures as well as higher risk real estate. For instance, if an aggressive investor puts his or her money into an older apartment building, then invests more money renovating the property, they are running a risk. They expect to be able to rent the apartments out for more money than the apartments are currently worth – or to sell the entire property for a profit on their initial investments. In some cases, this works out just fine, and in other cases, it doesn’t. It’s a risk.

Before you start investing, it is very important that you learn about the different types of investments, and what those investments can do for you. Understand the risks involved, and pay attention to past trends as well. History does indeed repeat itself, and investors know this first hand!

Different Types of Bonds

Author: bussiness // Category:

Investing in bonds is very safe, and the returns are usually very good. There are four basic types of bonds available and they are sold through the Government, through corporations, state and local governments, and foreign governments.

The greatest thing about bonds is that you will get your initial investment back. This makes bonds the perfect investment vehicle for those who are new to investing, or for those who have a low risk tolerance.

The United States Government sells Treasury Bonds through the Treasury Department. You can purchase Treasury Bonds with maturity dates ranging from three months to thirty years.

Treasury bonds include Treasury Notes (T-Notes), Treasury Bills (T-Bills), and Treasury Bonds. All Treasury bonds are backed by the United States Government, and tax is only charged on the interest that the bonds earn.

Corporate bonds are sold through public securities markets. A corporate bond is essentially a company selling its debt. Corporate bonds usually have high interest rates, but they are a bit risky. If the company goes belly-up, the bond is worthless.

State and local Governments also sell bonds. Unlike bonds issued by the federal government, these bonds usually have higher interest rates. This is because State and Local Governments can indeed go bankrupt – unlike the federal government.

State and Local Government bonds are free from income taxes – even on the interest. State and local taxes may also be waived. Tax-free Municipal Bonds are common State and Local Government Bonds.

Purchasing foreign bonds is actually very difficult, and is often done as part of a mutual fund. It is often very risky to invest in foreign countries. The safest type of bond to buy is one that is issued by the US Government.

The interest may be a bit lower, but again, there is little or no risk involved. For best results, when a bond reaches maturity, reinvest it into another bond.

Determining Where You Will Invest

Author: bussiness // Category:
There are several different types of investments, and there are many factors in determining where you should invest your funds.

Of course, determining where you will invest begins with researching the various available types of investments, determining your risk tolerance, and determining your investment style – along with your financial goals.

If you were going to purchase a new car, you would do quite a bit of research before making a final decision and a purchase. You would never consider purchasing a car that you had not fully looked over and taken for a test drive. Investing works much the same way.

You will of course learn as much about the investment as possible, and you would want to see how past investors have done as well. It’s common sense!

Learning about the stock market and investments takes a lot of time… but it is time well spent. There are numerous books and websites on the topic, and you can even take college level courses on the topic – which is what stock brokers do. With access to the Internet, you can actually play the stock market – with fake money – to get a feel for how it works.

You can make pretend investments, and see how they do. Do a search with any search engine for ‘Stock Market Games’ or ‘Stock Market Simulations.’ This is a great way to start learning about investing in the stock market.

Other types of investments – outside of the stock market – do not have simulators. You must learn about those types of investments the hard way – by reading.

As a potential investor, you should read anything you can get your hands on about investing…but start with the beginning investment books and websites first. Otherwise, you will quickly find that you are lost.

Finally, speak with a financial planner. Tell them your goals, and ask them for their suggestions – this is what they do! A good financial planner can easily help you determine where to invest your funds, and help you set up a plan to reach all of your financial goals. Many will even teach you about investing along the way – make sure you pay attention to what they are telling you!

Determine Your Risk Tolerance

Author: bussiness // Category:
Each individual has a risk tolerance that should not be ignored. Any good stock broker or financial planner knows this, and they should make the effort to help you determine what your risk tolerance is. Then, they should work with you to find investments that do not exceed your risk tolerance.

Determining one’s risk tolerance involves several different things. First, you need to know how much money you have to invest, and what your investment and financial goals are.

For instance, if you plan to retire in ten years, and you’ve not saved a single penny towards that end, you need to have a high risk tolerance – because you will need to do some aggressive – risky – investing in order to reach your financial goal.

On the other side of the coin, if you are in your early twenties and you want to start investing for your retirement, your risk tolerance will be low. You can afford to watch your money grow slowly over time.

Realize of course, that your need for a high risk tolerance or your need for a low risk tolerance really has no bearing on how you feel about risk. Again, there is a lot in determining your tolerance.

For instance, if you invested in the stock market and you watched the movement of that stock daily and saw that it was dropping slightly, what would you do?

Would you sell out or would you let your money ride? If you have a low tolerance for risk, you would want to sell out… if you have a high tolerance, you would let your money ride and see what happens. This is not based on what your financial goals are. This tolerance is based on how you feel about your money!

Again, a good financial planner or stock broker should help you determine the level of risk that you are comfortable with, and help you choose your investments accordingly.

Your risk tolerance should be based on what your financial goals are and how you feel about the possibility of losing your money. It’s all tied in together.

Choosing a Broker

Author: bussiness // Category:
Depending on the type of investing that you plan to do, you may need to hire a broker to handle your investments for you. Brokers work for brokerage houses and have the ability to buy and sell stock on the stock exchange. You may wonder if you really need a broker. The answer is yes. If you intend to buy or sell stocks on the stock exchange, you must have a broker.

Stockbrokers are required to pass two different tests in order to obtain their license. These tests are very difficult, and most brokers have a background in business or finance, with a Bachelors or Masters Degree.

It is very important to understand the difference between a broker and a stock market analyst. An analyst literally analyzes the stock market, and predicts what it will or will not do, or how specific stocks will perform. A stock broker is only there to follow your instructions to either buy or sell stock… not to analyze stocks.

Brokers earn their money from commissions on sales in most cases. When you instruct your broker to buy or sell a stock, they earn a set percentage of the transaction. Many brokers charge a flat ‘per transaction’ fee.

There are two types of brokers: Full service brokers and discount brokers. Full service brokers can usually offer more types of investments, may provide you with investment advice, and is usually paid in commissions.

Discount brokers typically do not offer any advice and do no research – they just do as you ask them to do, without all of the bells and whistles.

So, the biggest decision you must make when it come to brokers is whether you want a full service broker or a discount broker.

If you are new to investing, you may need to go with a full service broker to ensure that you are making wise investments. They can offer you the skill that you lack at this point. However, if you are already knowledgeable about the stock market, all you really need is a discount broker to make your trades for you.

About Online Trading

Author: bussiness // Category:
The invention of the Internet has brought about many changes in the way that we conduct our lives and our personal business. We can pay our bills online, shop online, bank online, and even date online!

We can even buy and sell stocks online. Traders love having the ability to look at their accounts whenever they want to, and brokers like having the ability to take orders over the Internet, as opposed to the telephone.

Most brokers and brokerage houses now offer online trading to their clients. Another great thing about trading online is that fees and commissions are often lower. While online trading is great, there are some drawbacks.

If you are new to investing, having the ability to actually speak with a broker can be quite beneficial. If you aren’t stock market savvy, online trading may be a dangerous thing for you. If this is the case, make sure that you learn as much as you can about trading stocks before you start trading online.

You should also be aware that you don’t have a computer with Internet access attached to you. You won’t always have the ability to get online to make a trade. You need to be sure that you can call and speak with a broker if this is the case, using the online broker. This is true whether you are an advanced trader or a beginner.

It is also a good idea to go with an online brokerage company that has been around for a while. You won’t find one that has been in business for fifty years of course, but you can find a company that has been in business that long and now offers online trading.

Again, online trading is a beautiful thing – but it isn’t for everyone. Think carefully before you decide to do your trading online, and make sure that you really know what you are doing!

Rebates – Reward or Rip Off?

Author: bussiness // Category:

Rebates have become increasingly popular in the last few years on a lot of items and certainly on electronic items and computers. Rebates of $20, $50 or $100 are not uncommon.

I’ve even seen items advertised as “free after rebate”. Do these rebates come under the heading of “too good to be true”? Some of them do and there are “catches” to watch out for but if you are careful, rebates can help you get some really good deals.

The way a rebate works is that you pay the listed price for an item then mail in a form and the bar code to the manufacturer and they send you a refund thus reducing the price of what you paid for the item except with a time delay of several weeks.


Rule #1. Rebates from reputable companies are usually just fine.

You can be pretty sure you will get the promised rebate from Best Buy, Amazon or Dell but you should probably not count on getting one from a company you’ve never heard of. If you really want the product and are OK with paying the price listed then buy it but don’t count on actually getting the refund.


Rule #2. Check rebate expiration dates.

Many times products will stay on the shelf of a retailer after the date for sending in the rebate offer has expired so check that date carefully.


Rule #3. Be sure you have all the forms required to file for the rebate before you leave the store.

Rebates will almost always require a form to be filled out, a receipt for the purchase and a bar code.

Rule #4. Back up your rebate claim.

Make copies of everything you send in to get your rebate including the bar code. Stuff gets lost in the mail all the time and if the rebate is for $50 it’s worth the trouble to back up your claim.

Spend Wisely to Save Money

Author: bussiness // Category:
Have you ever noticed that the things you buy every week at the grocery and hardware stores go up a few cents between shopping trips? Not by much…just by a little each week but they continue to creep up and up.

All it takes for the price to jump up by a lot is a little hiccup in the world wide market, note the price of gasoline as it relates to world affairs.

There is a way that we can keep these price increases from impacting our personal finances so much and that is by buying in quantity and finding the best possible prices for the things we use and will continue to use everyday… things that will keep just as well on the shelves in our homes as it does on the shelves at the grocery store or hardware store.

For instance, dog food and cat food costs about 10% less when bought by the case than it does when bought at the single can price and if you wait for close out prices you save a lot more than that.

Set aside some space in your home and make a list of things that you use regularly which will not spoil. Any grain or grain products will need to be stored in airtight containers that rats can’t get into so keep that in mind.

Then set out to find the best prices you can get on quantity purchases of such things as bathroom items and dry and canned food.

You will be surprised at how much you can save by buying a twenty pound bag of rice as opposed to a one pound bag but don’t forget that it must be kept in a rat proof container.

You can buy some clothing items such as men’s socks and underwear because those styles don’t change, avoid buying children’s and women’s clothing, those styles change and sizes change too drastically.

Try to acquire and keep a two year supply of these items and you can save hundreds of dollars.