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	<title>Investing Guide</title>
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	<link>http://www.tok2008.org</link>
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		<title>Are Penny Stocks the Fastest Way To Make Money Or Lose Money?</title>
		<link>http://www.tok2008.org/are-penny-stocks-the-fastest-way-to-make-money-or-lose-money/</link>
		<comments>http://www.tok2008.org/are-penny-stocks-the-fastest-way-to-make-money-or-lose-money/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 May 2012 06:31:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>J. Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Stocks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[penny stocks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stocks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trading]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.tok2008.org/?p=131</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently, I was reading through some questions posed by newbies. Many of the questions essentially boiled down to this: Are penny stocks the fastest way to make money or lose money? Some newbies were more interested in how to make money fast from penny stocks and others were expressing more concern about losing money if [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Recently, I was reading through some questions posed by newbies. Many of the questions essentially boiled down to this:</p>
<p>Are penny stocks the fastest way to make money or lose money?</p>
<p>Some newbies were more interested in how to make money fast from penny stocks and others were expressing more concern about losing money if they attempted to trade penny stocks.</p>
<p>From reading through the answers they received, I found there were two camps on each end of the spectrum with virtually no one taking a position in the middle. On one end, people flat out said things like, &#8220;Don&#8217;t trade penny stocks at all&#8230;it&#8217;s like gambling.&#8221; On the other end of the spectrum people said things like, &#8220;&#8230;just dive in&#8230;sign up for my free newsletter&#8230;.my free e-course&#8230;.and you&#8217;ll make tons of money because everyone knows there more profit potential in penny stocks than with other stocks.&#8221;<span id="more-131"></span></p>
<p>I found all of the answers to be completely inadequate to a newbie seriously interested in learning how to make good money from these types of stocks. I would like to provide a more practical answer in this article.</p>
<p>First, my short answer to whether or not you will make money or lose money with penny stocks is that it depends on your strategy. I also want to point out that if you follow the advice that was being given on those forums, you will likely LOSE money &#8211; perhaps your entire investment.</p>
<p>Many newbies do just what was suggested &#8211; they subscribe to all sorts of supposedly &#8220;free&#8221; newsletters/e-courses/etc and then follow the bad advice in them. They follow some supposed &#8220;hot stock pick&#8221; and then lose all or most of their money very quickly. Those that can afford it do this repeatedly until they burn out thinking that the people who advised not to buy penny stocks at all must have been right.</p>
<p>This is very unfortunate because you CAN make a lot of money with penny stocks if you use the strategy.</p>
<p>What I&#8217;m about to tell you is golden advice based on experience. If you chose to follow it, you will have a very good chance of making good money and you will lower your risk very significantly.</p>
<p>First, I would strongly suggest you never follow the advice in anything offered for &#8220;free.&#8221; 99.99% of the time, it is very bad advice. Free penny stock resources are full of intentional pump and dump scams. They are also full of &#8220;free advice&#8221; from others that are not much beyond the newbie stage themselves pretending to offer &#8220;expert&#8221; advice.</p>
<p>After lots of trial and error, I have found the most profitable strategy for me is to ignore all the free advice and buy PREMIUM penny stock picks from people who have successfully made a fortune trading penny stocks themselves. I ALWAYS test these stock picks in a test account before I trust the source enough to invest real money in the picks they are offering. I learn a lot from closely following these premium picks from real experts. However, I confess the main reason I choose to invest this way is that I make so much money just trading the picks I am given that I am able to fund several non-profit causes that I care truly care about. Also, the risk is minimized using this strategy and frankly this is much easier on my psyche than me trying to figure out what stocks to buy myself!</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s one of the very <a href="http://www.best-penny-stock-picks.info/" target="_blank">best penny stock pick services</a>. I have tested these picks thoroughly and I find them to be extremely profitable on a consistent basis.</p>
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		<title>Commodities Futures and Options Explained</title>
		<link>http://www.tok2008.org/commodities-futures-and-options-explained/</link>
		<comments>http://www.tok2008.org/commodities-futures-and-options-explained/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 18:28:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>J. Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Futures and Commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commodities Futures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Futures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Futures Market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.tok2008.org/?p=126</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[?With all of the buzz surrounding commodities these days you are probably wondering just how does a penny stock trader gain exposure to something as potentially disastrous as the commodities futures market. What exactly are futures? Growing up in an area dominated by agriculture I used to watch the lunchtime agricultural news with a mixture [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>?With all of the buzz surrounding commodities these days you are probably wondering just how does a penny stock trader gain exposure to something as potentially disastrous as the commodities futures market.</p>
<p>What exactly are futures?</p>
<p>Growing up in an area dominated by agriculture I used to watch the lunchtime agricultural news with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. What exactly is a lean hog future? I remember my father explaining that from his perspective no hog on any farm he ever saw had much of a future. What on Earth is a pork belly and why would anybody buy a barrel of oil? It was all rather mysterious. The image I had in my mind&#8217;s eye wasn&#8217;t entirely incorrect.</p>
<p>In investment terms, a future is a contract between a supplier of a commodity and a buyer.<span id="more-126"></span></p>
<p>How on Earth does the Futures Market work?</p>
<p>Essentially the buyer and seller agree a settlement price or strike value, a price for a commodity which may or may not already exist fixed at a delivery date in the future.</p>
<p>The buyer agrees to pay the seller and take delivery of a commodity of a certain quality at a date in the future fixed by contract and the seller agrees to supply the commodity on that date at the strike price.</p>
<p>The Futures Market is all about betting</p>
<p>As future is essentially a bet between a buyer and seller about what the future market value of the commodity will be. Some futures may be settled in cash with no physical delivery but this is not always the case. With futures there is always the very real concern that a hapless speculator unable to find a buyer may actually have to take delivery of 15000 frozen pork bellies and 2000 barrels of North Sea crude.</p>
<p>Futures can be bought but can they be sold?</p>
<p>Futures contracts can be sold on by either party before the delivery date.</p>
<p>How does the buyer avoid actually taking delivery of a commodity?</p>
<p>A safer variation of the future is an option. Rather than binding the buyer to actually taking delivery, the option, simply gives the owner of the option or right to buy the commodity from the supplier at a date in the future for an agreed price. The seller is happy to sell short because they know they will at least get a predictable price no matter which way the market goes. If the value drops and the option isn&#8217;t used then the seller still has the commodity to sell and the money they received from the holder of the option.</p>
<p>Options can be bought but can they be sold?</p>
<p>As with futures, the option can be sold before the delivery date, but the owner is not obliged to buy anything or take delivery of anything. That said the option does have a market value which the owner forfeits if the option isn&#8217;t exercised.</p>
<p>How are futures and options traded?</p>
<p>Futures and options are traded in specialist exchanges and would not normally be something that an amateur penny stock enthusiast would be advised to tackle. The best way for a penny stocks investor to expose their portfolio to commodities is to look for companies which produce commodities.</p>
<p>Want to know more about how to avoid direct exposure to the ups and downs of the futures market? Would you lie to invest in commodities without filling the garage with pork bellies and barrels of crude oil? There is a a way to with the best penny stocks 2011.<br />
Visit <a href="http://thebestpennystocks.info/" target="_blank">the best penny stocks</a> site today!</p>
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		<title>Planning for an Earnings Report &#8211; A Protective Trading System</title>
		<link>http://www.tok2008.org/planning-for-an-earnings-report-a-protective-trading-system/</link>
		<comments>http://www.tok2008.org/planning-for-an-earnings-report-a-protective-trading-system/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 06:24:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>J. Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Stocks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[potential profit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stockholders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trading strategy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.tok2008.org/?p=97</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Your investment has grown beautifully. However, you want to wait to sell the stock for tax reasons. However, the stock&#8217;s earnings report date is approaching, and you are apprehensive. If the report is disappointing, your stock could be easily downgraded. This short article describes a trading strategy for protecting and increasing your profit if the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Your investment has grown beautifully. However, you want to wait to sell the stock for tax reasons. However, the stock&#8217;s earnings report date is approaching, and you are apprehensive. If the report is disappointing, your stock could be easily downgraded. This short article describes a trading strategy for protecting and increasing your profit if the stock takes a dive.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s consider a fictitious stock named ABC. Assume you bought 100 shares of ABC on July 30, 2010 for $29.48. Let&#8217;s say that it is now worth $51.35. Your gain is close to 75%, $2187.00. For tax reasons you do not want to sell now. In addition,, its earnings report is due to be announced before the open.<span id="more-97"></span></p>
<p>You are very concerned. While the stock&#8217;s growth has been steady, what if the report doesn&#8217;t assure the stockholders of continued growth? What if the price increase prior to the reporting date has made the stock over-bought? Disastrously, what if as a result ABC is downgraded? A downgrade could easily result in more than a 10% price drop. A 10% price drop would be over $500 and would take away about 25% of your profit.</p>
<p>Or, you could sell an Out-of-the-Money July $52.50 Call. It would convert your trade to a Covered Call and bring in $225 with the sale. This is inadequate for providing the necessary protection. Insurance, in the form of a $50 May Put will cost $137. The income from the Call will pay for this insurance. The purchase of the Put converts the Covered Call to a Collar.</p>
<p>As long as you keep the Collar, your profit will be limited to $2,380 no matter how much ABC rises. Giving up additional potential profit, shouldn&#8217;t concern you.. It&#8217;s focused exclusively on a possible downgrade. However, with this insurance, your profit is protected and will not fall below $2,130.</p>
<p>If the earnings report is good and you feel ABC has further to go, you can remove the Collar. This might cost $400-$500, depending on how well ABC&#8217;s price responds to the report. However, the real opportunity arises if there is a downgrade.</p>
<p>Assume its price has fallen 10% to $46.21. Your Put has grown substantially in value. At the same time, the Call you sold has dropped from $2.25 to $0.46. You can buy an additional Put, the May $45. Its cost will be about $110. Your total option expense would be close to $25.</p>
<p>If ABC&#8217;s price stays above $45, your maximum profit would be capped at $2,020. With the downgrade, it&#8217;s much more likely the price will continue to fall. But, with this additional Put, your income would start accruing at a rate of $100 for each $1.00 in price drop below $45.</p>
<p>With this common scenario, maybe bad news can be good news.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s recap. When you hold a stock that you don&#8217;t want to sell and a situation arises that could threaten your profit, a Collar provides an inexpensive trading strategy for protection. If the threat materializes, you do not have to bail out. An additional Put allows your profit to grow further if the stock reverses.</p>
<p>My web site, <a href="http://www.spxtimer.com/" target="_blank">SPXTimer.com</a> is dedicated to assisting investors sharpen their investment performance using the SPXTimer linked with proven money management. We aim to achieve outstanding gains while maintaining safety primary. See our ETF Trade Performance.</p>
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		<title>Estate Planning With a Roth Conversion</title>
		<link>http://www.tok2008.org/estate-planning-with-a-roth-conversion/</link>
		<comments>http://www.tok2008.org/estate-planning-with-a-roth-conversion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 May 2012 18:26:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>J. Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[IRA 401k]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[estate planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retirement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roth Conversion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional IRA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.tok2008.org/?p=307</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A friend of mine recently came to me with a question about helping her mom do a Roth conversion as part of her estate planning. You see, her mother wanted to be able to leave the monies in her individual retirement account to her heirs, without using any of the funds, herself, for retirement. Before [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A friend of mine recently came to me with a question about helping her mom do a Roth conversion as part of her estate planning. You see, her mother wanted to be able to leave the monies in her individual retirement account to her heirs, without using any of the funds, herself, for retirement.</p>
<p>Before I could give her an answer, I had to ask a couple of questions.</p>
<p>First, I needed to know how old her mother was. This information was important because the laws governing traditional IRAs require the owner to begin taking minimum distributions from the account at age 70 ½. Her mom was 68, so she still had time to do a Roth conversion.</p>
<p>Now, I needed to know if her mother was married and, if so, was her spouse her sole beneficiary? My friend&#8217;s father was still living, so there were a couple of things her mother needed to consider with regard to doing a Roth conversion.<span id="more-307"></span></p>
<p>Her first option would be to convert her traditional IRA to a Roth and then bequeath the funds, entirely to her husband.</p>
<p>In this instance the surviving spouse would not be required to take minimum distributions, no matter their age. In fact, if the surviving spouse wishes, he can leave the funds where they are and allow them to continue to grow tax-free.</p>
<p>But even if this person decides to make withdrawals, they can do so without having to worry about paying taxes. The only stipulation is that the Roth IRA must be five years old or older.</p>
<p>Her mother&#8217;s next option is to leave the Roth IRA to her heirs. In this case her heirs would be required to take a complete payout within five years of her death, or begin taking minimum distributions before December 31st following her death.</p>
<p>To try to make things a little more clear, I laid out this example scenario for my friend:</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say her mother has a traditional IRA worth $100,000. She does a Roth conversion and bequeaths the Roth to her husband upon her death. However, due to a healthy retirement income of his own, he decides to leave the Roth IRA to his daughter (my friend) when he passes away.</p>
<p>Now, because she&#8217;s only 43, my friend would have a couple of options open to her with regard to taking the money.</p>
<p>She can decide to wait five years and cash out the entire amount, tax-free, including any earnings accumulated over those five years. Or she can begin to immediately begin taking small, annual distributions, leaving the majority of the funds to continue growing, tax-free, until she retires.</p>
<p>These withdrawal stipulations would also apply if her mother directly bequeathed the Roth IRA to her, bypassing her father.</p>
<p>In any case, I encouraged my friend to help her mother seek professional advice before doing a Roth conversion, or any other type of estate/retirement planning.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s face it! Retirement will be here before you know it. If you begin planning today, your Golden Years can be even better than you imagined. All it takes is the right information and purposeful action. Visit <a href="http://rothconversiononline.com/" target="_blank">http://rothconversiononline.com</a> to get the details you need to plan for a wonderful future.</p>
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		<title>Using Moving Averages As Technical Indicators</title>
		<link>http://www.tok2008.org/using-moving-averages-as-technical-indicators/</link>
		<comments>http://www.tok2008.org/using-moving-averages-as-technical-indicators/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 May 2012 06:24:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>J. Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Futures and Commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[futures broking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moving Averages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trend movements]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.tok2008.org/?p=55</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The moving averages are lagging indicators (MA) that most traders both professional and novice, will have probably used at one time or another. Although there are a number of MA indicators, the most common used are the Simple Moving Average (SMA) and the Exponential Moving Average (EMA). In this article, we will focus on these [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The moving averages are lagging indicators (MA) that most traders both professional and novice, will have probably used at one time or another.</p>
<p>Although there are a number of MA indicators, the most common used are the Simple Moving Average (SMA) and the Exponential Moving Average (EMA).</p>
<p>In this article, we will focus on these two indicators which traders use as technical indicators to forecast market trend movements to make their decision in trading.<span id="more-55"></span></p>
<p>These moving averages will help identify:</p>
<p>1. Direction of a trend</p>
<p>2. Potential support and resistance levels.</p>
<p>The Simple Moving Average (SMA)</p>
<p>The SMA is an indicator used as a common indicator for trading. It is calculated by taking the closing price of the asset and adding it with a number of time periods, and then dividing it by the total of number of the time periods.</p>
<p>For example, let&#8217;s say the last 5 days closing prices for Kuala Lumpur Index Futures (FKLI) are 1300, 1450, 1250, 1500 and 1550.</p>
<p>Thus, the 5-day SMA for FKLI is calculated as follows:</p>
<p>1300 + 1450 + 1250 + 1500 + 1550 / 5 = 1410</p>
<p>The way of looking at SMA is straight forward. If the simple moving average line is on an upward trend, it indicates a strong momentum of an upward trend.</p>
<p>If the SMA line is on a downward trend, it indicates a strong momentum downwards.</p>
<p>If the SMA line is neither up nor down, it indicates a weak momentum where the market is stagnant.</p>
<p>The momentum also builds if the shorter term SMA crosses over the longer term SMA.</p>
<p>The SMA can also be used as a support on an upward trend and also a resistance on a downward trend.</p>
<p>The con of using the SMA is that some regard it as a lagging indicator since it does not weight recent price movements. Thus some traders prefer to use the exponential moving average (EMA) which will be discussed below.</p>
<p>Exponential Moving Average (EMA)</p>
<p>The EMA is similar to the SMA just that more weight is given to the data. In this manner, the average is weighted to place emphasis on the most recent price action.</p>
<p>This is the reason why many traders prefer to use this indicator because of its ability to reduce lag between EMA crosses.</p>
<p>The EMA is read exactly like the SMA price movement where the upward trend of the EMA line indicates a strong upward trend momentum and vice versa.</p>
<p>Simple Moving Average (SMA) versus Exponential Moving Average (EMA)</p>
<p>There are distinct differences between these two indicators as discussed above and both of them have different functions as indicators.</p>
<p>Because the EMA has less lag, traders prefer to use this as a trend indicator.</p>
<p>However for SMA, it represents the true average for the entire time period. Thus, the SMA may be more suited to identify support and resistance levels.</p>
<p>Sheim Quah writes for Oriental Pacific Futures, a Malaysia-based brokerage authorized to provide futures broking services to institution and private clients since 2007. OPF specializes in futures broking, particularly Crude Palm Oil Futures (FCPO) traded on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives. Head on to this <a href="http://www.opf.com.my/" target="_blank">futures broker</a> website for more information.</p>
<p>###</p>
<p>Oriental Pacific Futures articles written and published by Sheim Quah may be reprinted, reposted or distributed free for educational purposes only on the condition that Oriental Pacific Futures, Sheim Quah and the Corporate Website link information ( http://www.opf.com.my ) are included. However, other organizations are invited to link to articles that are available in the public area of the Oriental Pacific Futures&#8217; Learning Resources website. No additional permission is needed for such a link.</p>
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		<title>Contribution Limits of 401(K)</title>
		<link>http://www.tok2008.org/contribution-limits-of-401k/</link>
		<comments>http://www.tok2008.org/contribution-limits-of-401k/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2012 18:24:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>J. Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[IRA 401k]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contribution Limits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retirement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retirement plan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.tok2008.org/?p=45</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 401(k) retirement plan is a great retirement account for the employees available at present. The plan allows the employees to collect certain amount of money during their career by saving money to get reasonable amount as pension for the retirement life. The contribution limits of the 401(k) plan include catch-up limits, total contribution limits, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The 401(k) retirement plan is a great retirement account for the employees available at present. The plan allows the employees to collect certain amount of money during their career by saving money to get reasonable amount as pension for the retirement life. The contribution limits of the 401(k) plan include catch-up limits, total contribution limits, pre-tax and the limits applicable to the highly-paid employees. There are certain 401(k) maximums which do not allow exceeding certain amount while making contributions to the account. The maximum money you can contribute to the account depends up on the age of the employee.</p>
<p>In a 401(k) plan, it is crucial to remember that the contribution limit will change each year. The maximum limit to contribute is based on the living costs of the person in the previous year. The contribution limits are normally announced during mid October. The contribution maximum of 2011 is same as that of the last two years and the limit is $16,500 per year. The maximum may be increased in next year because the US government recalculates the limitation regularly due to the inflation. The rate normally increased is $500 each year.<span id="more-45"></span></p>
<p>The applicants of 401(k) plan who are eligible for additional contributions are the employees of more than 50 years of age and this kind of contribution is known as the catch-up limit. The catch-up amount is also limited by the maximums and the present maximum contribution limit is $5,500. Again this rate is also recalculated because of the economic changes, mainly due to inflation and the increasing rate here also is $500. Catch-ups help the employee to increase the funds in their account during the last ten years of the pre-retirement. This contribution limit is useful for a person who applied for the 401(k) plan at a later age.</p>
<p>The employee can decide whether to provide after tax or pre-tax contribution. If the person is applying for after tax contribution, then he/she should apply for Roth 401(k) program. Both after tax and pre-tax accounts can be created by the employee, if required. But the contribution limits of both accounts together should not exceed the amount mentioned in the 401(k) maximums. In other words, the yearly contributions to both of these accounts should not go beyond the limit of $16,500. If the employee is above the age of 50 and creates catch ups, then the amount contributed to both of the accounts together should not go beyond $22,000.</p>
<p>Never mix up because if the amount exceeds the contribution limits, then you have to pay heavy taxes. If you have exceeded the maximum contribution limits of 401(k), then you have to withdraw additional amount by April 15th of next year. This plan is available for both self-employed and hired employees. In the case of hired employees, the contributions are automatically deducted from the salary. But in case of self-employed people, you have to apply for a solo plan known as the Individual K.</p>
<p>More information, please visit <a href="http://www.a401kcontributionlimits.com/" target="_blank">401k contribution limits</a> and maximum 401k contribution.</p>
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		<title>Oil Price Spikes &#8211; A Threat to Investors</title>
		<link>http://www.tok2008.org/oil-price-spikes-a-threat-to-investors/</link>
		<comments>http://www.tok2008.org/oil-price-spikes-a-threat-to-investors/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2012 06:25:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>J. Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Investing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[consumer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[price rise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prices]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.tok2008.org/?p=43</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recent spikes in the price of oil have seen the price rise over fifty percent in the past several months. The current barrel is trading at around US $115. This is concerning for investors because of the potential for high oil prices to further upset an already delicate recovery. Oil is a key component of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Recent spikes in the price of oil have seen the price rise over fifty percent in the past several months. The current barrel is trading at around US $115.</p>
<p>This is concerning for investors because of the potential for high oil prices to further upset an already delicate recovery. Oil is a key component of almost every company&#8217;s cost structure, either direct or indirect, and sustained high oil prices will impact profit margins and business sentiment. It also threatens to put even more pressure on consumer spending, which is already weak.</p>
<p>We observe that if the current &#8220;Libya premium&#8221; we are seeing in the oil price is sustained, global economic growth could be reduced by about 0.5% this year (from our current estimate of approximately 4.3%).<span id="more-43"></span></p>
<p>There is a risk of a more severe disruption arising. However, the chance of tension escalating, and oil prices rising to US$150 a barrel (and staying there for a time) remains low, maybe at a probability of 10%.</p>
<p>An event of that nature would reduce global growth by a greater magnitude, probably shaving about 2% from our forecasts, and pushing the world back towards recession territory. The effects of such a shock on inflation could be somewhat greater than the effect on economic growth.</p>
<p>Those that will be hit the hardest will be those countries that are more dependent on imported oil. Countries that have significant domestic energy production would be insulated. Industrial countries would be better off than developing economies given their greater levels of energy efficiency.</p>
<p>The general consensus from forecasters is that oil prices will reduce from current levels as tension dissipates in the Middle East, with most forecasts closer to US$100.</p>
<p>Given the situation however, it is still important to recognise such risks and position portfolios accordingly. For investors looking to reduce some of the risks of rising oil prices, one strategy could be to own shares in oil producers that will benefit from rising earnings should oil prices remain elevated. There are a number of businesses internationally that give exposure to energy demand and prices, as well as on the Australasian markets.</p>
<p>Those enterprises that provide services to the oil sector, such as drilling and engineering operations, are also likely to see strong growth should oil prices remain high. This is due to the economics of increasing capacity or new production opportunities increasing as it becomes clear that prices will stay at high levels for longer.</p>
<p>Investors should also consider taking steps to protect themselves from the flow on effects that go hand in hand with a significant increase in energy costs. The two most prevalent being high levels of inflation as costs are passed on to consumers and a reduction in disposable incomes leading to lower discretionary spending. A strategy could be to ensure that portfolios include investments in companies that have high levels of pricing power, which can easily pass on rises in costs to their customers without seeing any real reduction in demand. What type of companies are these? Think of supermarkets, utilities, and infrastructure owners.</p>
<p>In order to protect against the risks of reduced consumer spending, investors would be wise to ensure that they are not over-exposed to those sectors that are dependent on discretionary and luxury spending, such as discretionary retail and tourism.</p>
<p>This is a modified article from Mark Lister. To read the complete article visit <a href="http://www.craigsip.com/" target="_blank">www.craigsip.com</a>. Craigs Investment Partners Limited (formerly ABN Amro Craigs.) is an NZX Firm that was established in 1984. It is one of New Zealand&#8217;s largest and most established investment advisory firms.</p>
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		<title>Self Directed IRA Investing/Lending Success</title>
		<link>http://www.tok2008.org/self-directed-ira-investinglending-success/</link>
		<comments>http://www.tok2008.org/self-directed-ira-investinglending-success/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 18:26:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>J. Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[IRA 401k]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[investing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRA Investing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[profitable loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self directed IRA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.tok2008.org/?p=200</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You can use your self directed IRA or 401k for great returns in real estate private lending. Is your 401k looking more like a 4K? Are your IRA returns just breaking even? Are you sick of losing money yet? You need someone that can turn your losing accounts into 8%-12% annual returns for your self [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You can use your self directed IRA or 401k for great returns in real estate private lending.</p>
<p>Is your 401k looking more like a 4K? Are your IRA returns just breaking even? Are you sick of losing money yet? You need someone that can turn your losing accounts into 8%-12% annual returns for your self directed IRA or 401k! Imagine a world with multiple opportunities to choose from and you get to choose the best deal for you.</p>
<p>You need to become the bank and with your &#8220;self directed&#8221; IRA or 401k you can!!! Naturally, the best and most profitable loan for a lender is one that is short term with the highest possible interest rate. The best high interest rate loan with a short term period is a hard money loan! Hard money is typically secured with real estate. This is a low &#8220;loan to value&#8221; loan, not the high leverage loans of the recent past, so your money is protected. In the past people seeking this type of loan had limited options. However, real estate investors can afford higher interest rates because the returns in real estate are always much higher than the interest charged but again finding a loan when you have the opportunity has always been an obstacle. You need an expert that eliminates this problem by bringing everyone together.<span id="more-200"></span></p>
<p>Ask yourself where else can I get this kind of return for my self directed IRA or 401k? In the stock market? Seriously, they have preached that lie to us for decades only so they can manipulate and squeeze out all of our money.</p>
<p>Picture a world of &#8220;cherry picking&#8221; the best opportunities! Pick one. Pick many. Or, pick none. It&#8217;s your opportunity. If you ever dreamed of investing in real estate but just feared all the unknowns this investment eliminates all the guess work. By lending your money in real estate you reduce all the risk and unknown. You are in the driver&#8217;s seat.</p>
<p>Self Directed IRA Investing/Lending.</p>
<p>Your self directed IRA or 401k is the best vehicle for maximum returns you just need a marketplace that can provide the opportunities. Opportunities which deliver a multitude of short-term loans to your decision table. The best loans are typically 6 months or less &#8220;fix and flip&#8221; opportunities as America works through its current foreclosure mountain. There are cities where houses can be bought for much less than their true values after repair if you know where to find them. You simply loan on these opportunities at low &#8220;loan to value ratios&#8221; and you get to cherry pick the best opportunities! Your self directed IRA or 401k deserves the best returns and you have the ultimate source for finding them!</p>
<p>Rainmaker Capital | Marty Heath | 817-458-8505 | <a href="http://lendmoneywithira.com/" target="_blank">www.lendmoneywithira.com</a></p>
<p>Rainmaker Capital has partnered with Private Money Bank (PMB International) which is the nation&#8217;s leader in private funding real estate with your self directed IRA or 401k. PMB matches you with the best short-term real estate lending opportunities to maximize your return and minimize your risk.</p>
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		<title>Don&#8217;t Over Trade &#8211; Six Tips to Not Deplete Your Trading Account</title>
		<link>http://www.tok2008.org/dont-over-trade-six-tips-to-not-deplete-your-trading-account/</link>
		<comments>http://www.tok2008.org/dont-over-trade-six-tips-to-not-deplete-your-trading-account/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 06:25:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>J. Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Day Trading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[novice traders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[over trade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trading Account]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.tok2008.org/?p=700</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is a message to all new novice traders. Please don&#8217;t over trade. Over trading can wipe out your account big time. I&#8217;m not saying that just because that is what the professional traders say, but because it happened to me in demo and real accounts. And those experiences lead me to write this article [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This is a message to all new novice traders. Please don&#8217;t over trade. Over trading can wipe out your account big time. I&#8217;m not saying that just because that is what the professional traders say, but because it happened to me in demo and real accounts. And those experiences lead me to write this article on how to avoid depleting your trading account.</p>
<p>I had signed up for the Avalon FX Pro demo contest the summer of 2009, which started, with a demo account balance of $100,000. First price was a Mac Book. I wanted that Mac Book but more I wanted to see how I would perform trading with $100,000 (I don&#8217;t even trade close to that amount right now). Well, I was doing pretty well in the beginning. In fact I was able to turn $100,000 to $211,000 in two and a half weeks. My strategy was sound &#8211; trading trend line and horizontal support and resistance and taking advantage of momentum. I did some trades around news time as well (not recommended) which helped. I had profit goals as well that once hit I stopped trading for the day.<span id="more-700"></span></p>
<p>But problems set in when I became greedy. Because I did so well, I began to over trade. I started to set unreasonable goals like reaching $300,000 in one week. I traded during low volatile illiquid times thinking I can take advantage of even small movements because I wanted to reach that goal quickly. I traded huge lot sizes. And, I was no longer using stops. Then losses set in. In my attempt to recoup from losses more losses set in. I&#8217;ve doubled up; I tried to hedge, but only to gain more losses. I kept trading. In the same day that the account reached $211,000 it dropped to $60,000. I&#8217;ve ended the contest with $23,000 left in the account. Thank God it was a demo.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve learnt a valuable lesson about myself and that is I can easily over trade because I can easily get greedy when I see trades working out in my favor. Here again is what I did wrong and it&#8217;s a warning to new traders whether trading equities, futures or currencies:</p>
<p>Firstly, I had set an unrealistic monetary goal. It&#8217;s fine to set monetary goals but make sure it is realistic. Some folks don&#8217;t set dollar goals but would set how many trades a day they will make whether they profit or lost and stick to that.</p>
<p>Secondly, I kept trading after many consecutive losses. If you have 2 &#8211; 3 consecutive losses, stop trading for the day. Maybe you are not thinking straight that day, your ill, or too many distractions around you that you keep losing. You should stop trading, clear your head and plan for the next day.</p>
<p>Thirdly, I had traded during low volatile times. Big mistake. Trade only during times when the markets are very liquid (high volume). It&#8217;s during these times that the markets move great distances giving you higher profit potential. Also, it increases the chances of your trades getting filled.</p>
<p>Fourthly, use stops and never stops using them like I did. Using stops can help save you from depleting your account if you happen to be wrong in your trade decisions. Of course, your trading plan should include a good reward to risk ratio (at least 2:1).</p>
<p>Fifthly, your trade lots sizes should be in proportion to your account value and the risk that you are willing to take. This is a money management topic.</p>
<p>Lastly, don&#8217;t chase trades, double up or trade another instrument in opposite direction thinking you can recoup your loses. Most times it doesn&#8217;t work.</p>
<p>In conclusion, over trading can hurt your account. Don&#8217;t over trade is my warning. Setting proper goals, using proper reward risk techniques, lot sizes, stops, along with trading only during liquid times, and ceasing after too many consecutive losses will give your account a chance of serving you another day.</p>
<p>For free educational resources on trading and investing go to <a href="http://www.mytradersed.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.mytradersed.blogspot.com</a></p>
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		<title>Safe Money &#8211; Understanding Annuities</title>
		<link>http://www.tok2008.org/safe-money-understanding-annuities/</link>
		<comments>http://www.tok2008.org/safe-money-understanding-annuities/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:26:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>J. Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Retirement Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Annuities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retirement]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.tok2008.org/?p=29</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As we grow up in American, we are taught to work very hard to provide a decent income that will allow us to take care of our families, do our best to educate our children, and set goals that will provide a secure retirement. As time goes by, and the retirement age approaches, it would [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As we grow up in American, we are taught to work very hard to provide a decent income that will allow us to take care of our families, do our best to educate our children, and set goals that will provide a secure retirement. As time goes by, and the retirement age approaches, it would be wise to consider the following questions: Do I have enough money saved to retire? Will taxes have a major impact on our standard of living? Are our retirement safe in the monetary vehicles we are currently using?</p>
<p>I want to suggest looking into an Indexed Annuity. First off, an annuity is essentially a savings account with an insurance company. A very important benefit is that your principal investment and credited interest can never be lost due to index volatility. Indexed annuities are fixed annuities that allow a great chance to potentially earn a lot more interest than traditional fixed annuities and other accounts that are considered safe money alternatives. This is achieved by basing the interest earned on this particular annuity on an increase in equity or a bond index. You as a consumer have total control over how your annuity can accrue interest by choosing the index crediting methods on the anniversary of each contract year. The most commonly used indices are; the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 10-Year U.S. Treasury bond, and the S&amp;P 500. When you purchase an indexed annuity, you own an annuity contract backed by an investment life insurance company; you are not directly purchasing shares of stock or indexes.<span id="more-29"></span></p>
<p>Annuities is a tax deferred investment that allows you to maximize both growth and safety for your retirement dollars that you worked hard for, making your money double almost twice as fast as taxed investments. Fixed annuities by their very nature are considered a safe money alternative. It is a contract between you and the insurance company for guaranteed income options. Guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims paying ability of insurance companies.</p>
<p>Creating a nest egg for retirement is hard work, and while a lot of people already consider the market risk for their money I want to elaborate on six of the major concerns facing your retirement dollars.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s take a look at the safety of your retirement. The problem is how can your retirement dollars grow without risking your initial premium. It&#8217;s imperative that an insurance company&#8217;s portfolio is conservative and maintains high liquidity to meet the contract owners&#8217; needs. Only an insurance company has the regulatory reserve requirements and the financial strength to provide all the guarantees of an annuity.</p>
<p>Next is the avoidance of probate. Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person&#8217;s property under the valid will. Probate administrative costs and fees can be a substantial burden on the assets of your estate. Your assets are not available to your love ones until your estate is approved by the probate court. The average time your assets remain tied up in probate court is one year. Another problem with probate is that your asset records are available to the general public. An annuity, with a properly designated beneficiary, may bypass the probate process and may avoid probate administrative costs, fees, delays and publicity. Therefore, at the time of your death, more of your money goes to the family members you chose and not the courts.</p>
<p>Another concern is being able to lock in interest credits. You had success in the market in the past years, however, you don&#8217;t want to go backwards due to a market downturn. To offset the effects of inflation, indexed annuities offer potentially higher gains based on the appreciation of a bond or stock index. You can lock in your interest annually and still continue to grow with future appreciation in the index.</p>
<p>The problem with taxation is that the interest earned on most checking and savings accounts, CDs, mutual funds, dividends (except for special tax-free funds), T-bills and common stock dividends may be taxable by the Federal and the State Government each year as earned, even if you do not take the interest out. Interest credited to your annuity is not currently taxable by the Federal or State Government each year, unless withdrawn or annuitized. This allows you to earn interest on your premium, on your interest, and on your dollars that would have normally been paid in Federal and State Income Taxes.</p>
<p>Outliving your income is another major concern when considering your retirement. In 2000, there were 50,000 people age 100 years or older. In the year 2010, it is estimated there will be over 131,000 people age 100 or older! The 85 plus year old population is projected to increase by over 43% between 2000-2010 and 70% between 2000-2020. These statistics are based on the U.S. Bureau of the Census. You need two Guarantees for your retirement income. Your monthly income checks must stay the same every month never decreasing, when interest rates decline. Your monthly income check must keep coming to you for your entire life, no matter how long you live. Most financial vehicles you have looked at, or have money in, cannot give you these guarantees. Only annuities can guarantee your monthly income check, could be the same every month depending on the settlement or income option selected. Your income cannot decrease if interest rates fall. Your monthly income check keeps coming to you as long as your live. Your annuity income cannot run out. Also, if you die prematurely, your annuity can be guaranteed to continue at the same monthly amount to a named beneficiary if a specified period is chosen.</p>
<p>The sixth concern is accessibility. Many accounts will charge a penalty for withdrawals before maturity. You may want to withdraw money should the need arise without paying excessive penalties or losing previously credited interest. Annuities have guaranteed penalty-free withdrawal options that allow you to access a portion of your money with paying any company penalties or charges. In the event you are required to live in a nursing home, you may have access to a larger portion of your money, penalty-free. Annuities have the ability to guarantee a lifetime income while preserving access to money in case of emergencies.</p>
<p>If you want an investment that can offer you safety of premium, flexibility, tax advantage, accessibility when you need it and a chance to have a lifetime income, an indexed annuity can provide that service.</p>
<p>It is my pleasure to help Americans enjoy their retirement years with financial security. I care about providing products that protect you and your family. I am committed to ensuring peace of mind for your retirement future. My commitment to unsurpassed service and strong contract owner benefits has allowed me to experience consistent growth within my industry. I&#8217;m the one to offer you diverse financial planning choices for your retirement dollars.</p>
<p>We represent over a dozen of the nation&#8217;s top rated life insurance and annuity providers. We&#8217;ll provide you with information and pricing on every service available at your location and let you choose. No more high-pressure, heavily biased sales pitches from pushy insurance salespeople.</p>
<p>Life&#8217;s Protection<br />
Bobby E Richardson<br />
(386) 308-9626<br />
(407) 210-1602<br />
bobby.richardson@lifesprotection.com</p>
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