How To Make a Smart Charitable Investment During the Holidays
Times are tight right now for many households. Even those families who may not be hard pressed are thinking about scaling back during the holidays. But the season of giving still persists and many want to express gratitude for all they have by sharing with those who are less fortunate. In fact, one recent study asserts that during a climate of financial hardship, people actually give more than during times of plenty. . . .
Jan/12/2009 Comments (0)
Cheapest Way to Celebrate in Style on Freshers Week
Celebrating Freshers Week in style is not going to be a cheap affair, especially if you make the most of all the promotional nights that the big clubs put on. Here are some tips to make the most out of a celebration without shelling out extra money.
Drink before you go out: As cheap as the drinks appear, its still cheaper to drink before you buy at the clubs. . . .
Jan/11/2009 Comments (0)
The Rise of Investment Clubs in the UK
Increasingly, though, it is a concept that is attracting high net worth individuals.
MMC was born out of a group of individuals investing for our own account, says Bruce Macfarlane, co-founder and director of MMC Ventures, a firm that invests in fast-growing young companies. However, we were all busy with our daytime jobs and did not have enough time to do proper due diligence and documentation and deals depended on haphazard connections. . . .
Jan/08/2009 Comments (0)
Soaps and Cleaners on a Budget
Regardless of how tight your budget is, there's no need to go without soap and detergents. In fact, there are a number of alternatives to commercial soaps that are cheaper and healthier for you and your family. Among other things, you may find that reducing your exposure to the phthalates and fragrances found in commercial cleaning products may alleviate a number of immune-related problems. . . .
Dec/27/2008 Comments (0)
Understanding the State of the U.S. Economic Crisis
Some of my other articles have touched on the enormity of the current credit crisis, but since this issue seems to be at the forefront of financial news lately, I'd like to take a minute to discuss the United States' situation in better detail.
According to Mike Larson, author of an article recently published in Money and Markets, in the past year or so, the United States government has loaned, invested, or promised the following amounts:
- $200 billion to help the world's largest mortgage companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, get back on their feet
- $25 billion (so far) to the three auto manufacturing giants
- $29 billion to Bear Stearns
- $150 billion went to AIG
- $350 billion shelled out to Citigroup
- $300 billion was put into the Federal Housing Administration rescue bill intended to refinance faulty mortgages
- $87 billion paid back JPMorgan Chase for bad Lehman Brothers trades
- $200 billion went toward the government's Reserve Term Auction Facility, which provided loans to banks
- $50 billion supported short-term corporate IOUs that were held by money market mutual funds
- $500 billion rescued various credit markets
- $620 billion left our country to provide aid to industrial nations, such as the Bank of Canada, Bank of England, and the Bank of Japan, just to name a few
- $120 billion more left out country to help emerging markets like the Bank of Brazil, the Bank of Mexico, etc.
Dec/24/2008 Comments (0)
Planning for the Future: Tips on Personal Financial Success
Getting ahead financially can seem like a challenging prospect during downturns in the economy. But planning for a successful financial future extends beyond immediate conditions. It requires an ability to look far ahead of tomorrow with a firm plan in place. No matter when you begin to enact a plan, there are a series of fundamental strategies for getting ahead:
Take Control
With more families facing significant amounts of personal debt, the first step to financial success is to take control of your money. . . .
Dec/15/2008 Comments (0)
India Holds Great Promise For Wealth Industry
CapGemeni/Merrill Lynchs latest World Wealth report provide the reason why: In 2007 India led the world in high net worth individual population growth, rocketing ahead 22.7 per cent and exceeding gains of 20.5 per cent in 2006. Boosted by market capitalization of 118 per cent and real GDP growth of 7. . . .
Dec/10/2008 Comments (0)
Important Concepts for Financial Planning in the 21st Century
Your total return for each and every investment you make is directly and simply related to total necessary risk. Your financial professional should make that clear to you, especially in consideration of your tolerance for risk. Necessary risk is of course necessary (that's why they call it that) as it is at the heart of every investment. . . .
Dec/10/2008 Comments (0)
Risk Appetite Models Face Ultimate Test
The desire for risk exposure is currently at historic lows. According to State Streets global investor confidence index that was published recently and which is measured using changes in actual allocations to equities, institutional confidence declined sharply in September, falling to an all-time low. . . .
Dec/09/2008 Comments (0)
How to Make Solid Investments During Hard Economic Times
The recent wild swings of the stock market have left many doubting the health of their investment portfolio. Although we should concentrate on investing for the long run, during an economic down-turn, it's easy enough for investors to lose focus. The following are ideas and tips for staying the course, regrouping, and perhaps recouping. . . .
Nov/20/2008 Comments (0)
