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by Larry Haywood

In the world of finances, futures and options are classed as “derivatives”. They are financial instruments whose prices are calculated by the price of another underlying asset or security. Generally, futures and options are used to guard against risk and for speculative roles. Whenever an investor from Europe purchases shares of an American company on the NYSE, for instance, he is exposed to some stock price fluctuations and currency exchange rate risks. To minimize his overall degree of risk, the investor can purchase currency options to make certain the exchange rate is fixed when he sells off the stock and converts the American dollars back into euros. We will now take a better look at how futures and options work.

Futures

A future is merely an agreement to purchase or sell an asset for a preset price at a specified date in the future. A future’s fundamental asset can be, amongst a lot of other things, an agricultural commodity, individual shares, stock market indices, bonds, and interest rates. A future contract will have fixed delivery dates, traded units, and other clearly defined terms and conditions.

For illustrative purposes, let’s imagine that you’ll “open” a futures position by either purchasing or trading an equity futures contract where the underlying asset are shares. Whenever you’re anticipating the price of the stock to go upwards in the near future, you will purchase a futures contract that will oblige you to receive a specified number of shares at a preset price on a certain date in the future. This is known as a long futures position. If, on the other hand, you’re anticipating the price of the stock to go downwards in the near future, you’ll sell a futures contract that will oblige you to deliver a specified number of shares at a preset price on a certain date in the future. This is known as a short futures position.

Like any other kind of investment, futures contracts carry a risk - that market prices may not go in the direction you thought they would. Nevertheless, they enable you to profit both in a rising and a descending market. When you invest in shares, you typically profit from purchasing low and selling high. But with a short futures position, you can still make money even if the stock price drops.

Options

An option gives its holder the right to purchase (call option) or sell (put option) an underlying asset at a planned price before or on a particular date in the future. But unlike a futures contract, the holder of an option is not obligated to take any action. If the holder decides not to exercise the option, all he stands to lose is the premium he gave for it.

Imagine you currently have a number of shares of a specified company’s stock and you plan on selling them in a month. If you anticipate the share price to drop in this one-month time period, you could purchase a put option that will give you the right to sell your shares at a preset price at any time within the next thirty days.

Whenever your expectations turn out to be right, you’ll be able to sell your shares at a price that is more than the market value.

Options could be utilized as an insurance mechanism against future dips in the price of an underlying asset. The purchasing of options arrives with limited risk as the holder of the option only stands to lose the option premium if his anticipations of market movements do not happen. Additionally, they allow you to take part in market price movements without actually having to take on the underlying asset.

Hopefully, this brief article has served to shed some light on what futures and options are and how they function. The examples preceding were very simplified and were only meant to show the basic concepts of derivative trading. In reality, trading with derivatives is a good deal more complex and warrants additional reading. You need to be extremely acquainted with the different types of products to be successful and fruitful in your positions.

About the Author

Larry Haywood is a stock market enthusiast, focusing on innovative and unique techniques for building up wealth via the stock market. For a limited time, you can claim the “Insider’s Guide To Forex Trading” e-book absolutely free at my stock market tips website.

Author: samweb1928

1) Do your research
It is very surprising to find that many investors do not put in adequate time into researching their investment opportunities. Instead they rely on what “the experts say”. Doing so may not be a bad idea at first, but in order to become a better investor you need to do your own homework and become very familiar with terms, theories and the numbers in the wonderful world of investing. Furthermore doing good solid research into an investment makes you more confident in your investment and takes away some of the worry that many people have with their investments.

2) Look to the long term
If you don’t feel comfortable in an investment for a long period of time then don’t bother investing in it. Look for long term value in an investment, and stay clear of “get rich quick” investment opportunities. Furthermore as a bonus, long term investing allows you to save a little on taxes. In most countries you get taxed on the capital gains you make on your investments. With careful planning and long term holding you can minimize the taxes you eventually have to pay on any gains you make in your investments.

3) Diversify
Diversifying your investment portfolio is a great way of reducing risk and the possibility of loosing money. But beware that diversifying too heavily can strip away potential return on investment that you may have enjoyed. Reasonably diversifying your investment portfolio eliminates some of the turbulence and makes for more consistent returns in your investment portfolio.

4) Use your extra money to invest
Don’t use money that you need to live. If you want to get into investing, it is wise to use your disposable income to invest. As you mature as an investor, then you can start using some more money from personal savings to invest. But never use money that you cannot live without to invest. In other words don’t use your rent or food money to invest, because these are things you simply cannot afford to loose.

5) Set your investment goals
An important step in investing is setting your goals. What kind of money are you realistically expecting out of your investments? Some people invest for their retirement. Some invest for their kid’s college. Different people have different reasons why they want to invest money, knowing exactly why is very important. The knowledge of where you want to end up with your personal finances makes it easier to choose the right type of investment and the way to go about it.

About the Author
Sam Java is a writer for www.moneyeducate.com

Most people who invest in mutual funds don’t know what they are doing. They take advice from someone at a bank or perhaps a friend and plunk down money into a fund. Sometimes this strategy works, but most of the time, it doesn’t.

When you invest your money in a mutual fund, you are trusting someone to invest in the stock market for you. Because of this, you want to be sure this person knows what he or she is doing. Also, you want to make sure that this person is not charging you too much to manage your money for you. Mutual funds fees are “hidden,” in the sense that they do not charge you an upfront fee but rather a percentage of the amount of money in your account. If this percentage is too high, you would do better just blindly picking stocks yourself.

Here are five helpful tips for choosing the right mutual funds.

1. Keep the fees low. Generally, expense fees should not be much higher than 1% if it is just a basic domestic equity fund. You should never invest money in a fund that also charges a “load,” which is an additional fee that is ridiculous to pay. Never invest in funds that charge loads; those funds are for suckers.

2. Check the asset base. Mutual fund managers only know of so many good investments. When they have too much money to manage, they begin investing in stocks they don’t like much but need to invest in anyway or else they’ll just have money laying around. There’s little reason to invest in a fund with over $5 billion in assets. It’s best if it’s under $2 billion generally.

3. Consider an index fund. This is a fund that tracks a stock index, such as the S&P 500. For these funds, the manager just buys whatever stocks happen to be in the index. Since this is not much work, the fees are much lower. Even though this method is simple, it has proven to perform better than most mutual funds. Some high performance index funds include FSMKX (Fidelity S&P 500) and VIMSX (Vanguard S&P 400 Midcap.

4.  Evaluate the fund’s strategy. If you have a long term outlook, look for a more aggressive fund that invests in small-cap stocks, international stocks, and riskier stocks in general. High risk tends to result in high performance in the long run. If you are more risk-averse, consider an S&P 500 index fund.

5. Keep the fees low. Did I mention this already? Well, I’ll mention it again. This is where most people mess up. Make sure you are not paying a load or paying too much in fees to the mutual fund.

More information about mutual funds can be found at Research Mutual Funds.

Author: karensha

The tax filing deadline may have passed, but many small business owners, professionals, and the self-employed still feel the pain of writing big checks to the IRS. Many of those same people are baby boomers who haven’t saved enough for their retirement, and are wondering how they can catch up.

After tax-season is an ideal time to consider an amazing tax-deferral vehicle — the very small business pension plan. Surprisingly, this is still a little known way for the self-employed to legally defer taxes on up to 100% of their income when they save it for retirement, paying taxes on it only when the money is withdrawn to use later in life.

The story: A very small business pension plan is a defined benefit plan for 1-5 person companies or individuals with self-employment income (even employed people who earn self-employed income on the side qualify). The amount of money that can be contributed annually is not limited to $50,000, as would be the case with a defined contribution plan like a small business 401(k). Nor is it limited by the amount of your current year earnings (the contribution may not be limited by the earnings, but the tax deduction is limited to current year earnings). Instead, the contribution to a defined benefit plan is determined based on age, years to retirement and the average of the three highest years of earnings.

The result: If you are self-employed, own and run a small company with up to five employees, or have a substantial side income from consulting or director’s fees, you may be able to contribute - and deduct from income – $180,000 or even more each year! We are talking about truly HUGE tax deferrals - more than enough to start retirement years earlier.

The details: There is no specified limit on your contributions. Instead, the limit is on the allowable benefit, not the contribution. The benefit is the amount your plan will pay out annually in retirement, and that can be up to an average of your three highest years of income up to $180,000 a year. The contribution is what you pay in each plan year. In general, you can contribute up to the amount you need to accumulate the funds to pay you the specified benefit after retirement. So, for example, a 52 year old that plans to retire at age 62 with an annual income of $200,000 can contribute – and deduct from his taxable income each year as much as $169,476 each year for an estimated annual tax savings of $67,790.

And that’s not all. Contributions can be invested in virtually any traditional investment vehicle, from stocks and bonds through mutual funds and annuities. When you retire, you have all the options of any other kind of retirement plan, including rolling the plan’s assets into a Rollover IRA. And, of course, contributions to the plan grow tax-deferred until you take a distribution.
There are no onerous restrictions on you either. You can stop the plan at any age and roll the value of your benefit over to an IRA. Routinely, however, a plan is expected to be maintained at least 3 years and the earliest retirement date is age 55.

Of course, not everyone qualifies. This program is designed for self-employed people age 45 or older, with no more than five employees, and who typically earn at least $75,000 a year from their work. And of course, to get their retirement savings caught up to the amount they will need, they must be willing to make a significant contribution each year for the life of the plan.

The really nice thing is that eligible people don’t have to be pension experts to make this work. A completely packaged program, OnePersonPlus® is available from financial advisors that work with Dedicated Defined Benefit Services, the company that designed and offers the plan. Some of the advisors offering the plan work with The Hartford, Oppenheimer Funds, and Pioneer Funds, but investors with a preferred advisor should ask them to run an illustration at www.onepersonplus.com or call 1-866-269-2706 to speak with a defined benefit plan consultant.

This is the right time to learn how to get rid of the after tax-time blues so you can get caught up on your retirement planning in just a few years.

About the Author
OnePersonPlus co-founder and CEO Karen Shapiro has served as an Internet strategy and marketing consultant to executives at startups and Fortune 500 companies. In her former role as Senior Vice President and Director of Bank of America’s Online Channel Management, she was responsible for Internet Strategies, Content, User Experience, and Online Advertising worldwide for the bank’s award winning Web sites. Karen holds a Ph.D. in communications research from Stanford University and a BA cum laude in cognitive psychology from Columbia University.

We choose our own destiny. Each living person chooses and they will take the responsibility along with the result. Each time that passes, his choice will be deeper and deeper in his daily life. Actually, wealth is created through a state of mind. Most people become rich and keep growing rich and still not have a feeling that they have become wealth. In the other side, poor people feel enough for what he has done and they enjoying their life. To acquire money and property is a simple and easy process. Once you are on the road to wealth, it is impossible to stop the growth.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca from Rome said, “If you live according to what nature requires, you will never be poor. If according to the notions of men, you will never be rich. This is especially detremintal to us, what we live, not according to the light of reason, but after the fashion set by others.” The problem to getting wealth is still the same until now. Same things kept people poor today and the principles of getting wealth have not changed since the year one.

Most people in the world are afraid having poverty condition, it can turn a good man to be criminal to getaway from the poverty. For everyone who have the will of progress, they didn’t have this fear. Thucydides (425 B.C.) said that, “An avowal of poverty is no disgrace to any man; to make no effort to escape it is indeed disgraceful.”

It has been understood by man until now that he who made little or no effort to rise above poverty, was largely responsible for his own unhappy condition. There is a difference between poverty and pauperism, though it is only a short slide. One who has a misfortune may have no avenue to escape from becoming a pauper. This pauper needs help. But the poor are those who spend more than they get or spend all that they get. They cannot control their expenses and exceed his income. If that person be in that condition for a long time enough, he will be a pauper.

We live to live. All of us are climbing to reach our dreams to reach wealth, ease, comfort, and even contentment. But dreams will end in dreams if we don’t work hard and sacrifice now. Poverty comes from idleness, intemperance, extravagance and folly. That means for you who is reading this article by now, the way to wealthy is open to you.

“Wealth may be an excellent thing, for it means power, leisure and liberty.” - James Russell Lowell.

Wealth is a state of mind. To change your life from poverty to wealthy, or to grow your wealth, all you need to do is change your mind from the previous thought. Discover the way to the wealth and apply those principle in your life. And there’s an exact result that you are on your way to reach wealth.

About the Author
To read a lot resources containing the principals of wealth building, please visit my website at http://hobbyin2wealth.com/

Submitted by anthonygreen123

Initiate Trade

The trading strategy begins with leading off by placing a position in anticipation that the possible Head & Shoulders Bottom will be activated. This is a vertical bull call spread. Lower strike calls are purchased and higher strike calls are sold. An approximate upside measuring objective can be obtained at this time. This would imply placing a vertical bull call spread with the highest strike at the measuring objective. It is suggested, however, that the closest out-of the-money calls be purchased and the calls one strike higher be sold. This is for liquidity considerations in anticipation of follow-up action when the neckline is penetrated.

The next lower level in the decision tree shows the two most distinct price moves that could occur a rally or a sell off. The market also could move sideways or experience myriad other price gyrations.

Valid Breakout

A close above the neckline on a noticeable increase in volume officially activates the H&S Bottom, This allows the technician to construct the specific upside measuring objective. It is also the time to make any trading strategy more directionally aggressive. For a vertical bull call spread, one-half of the losing leg should be liquidated. This means buying back covering one half of the higher strike calls that were sold short.

It is of almost importance for any trader to have a defined risk parameter. For classical bar chartists, this is usually straightforward. Assuming there was no possible second left shoulder on the chart, the technician would not expect the low of the right shoulder to be taken out. Thus, the bullish outlook would not seriously deteriorate unless a sell off to below the right shoulder occurred. Stop-loss orders in the options themselves are not usually recommended. A mental stop in the underlying instrument is the preferred approach. This means, of course, that a trader must possess the discipline to exit from a losing options position if the technical aspects of the underlying instrument begin breaking down.

Failure

Any Head & Shoulders formation is destroyed when the extreme of the head is violated, even intra day. Any bull strategy must be abandoned. The entire vertical bull spread should be liquidated.

Making a new price low affirms that the direction of the major trend remains downward. It does not automatically create a specific downside measuring objective. Therefore, it is never advisable to liquidate the long calls and stay with the short calls of the vertical spread. The position would turn into one of unlimited risk. It is far better to exit from a losing position and look for another more clear-cut technical situation.

Objective Met

When any classical bar charting measuring objective is met, it is prudent to realize at least some profits. In the case of the Head & Shoulders formation, profits on one-quarter to one-half of the position should be taken. Why only 25 percent? An H&S measuring objective is a minimum target. Although no specific maximum objective can be calculated, quotes often move far beyond the minimum objective. A trader should try to follow the old adage of cutting losses and letting profits run. This is what is being done in removing only a portion of the winning trade. The decision to exit from the remaining open positions should be based on usual support/resistance and volume/open interest considerations.

Fullback

In the long run, the most optimal path through the decision tree would flow. A price sell-off on declining volume back to the neckline would prompt removal of any remaining bearish positions. All short calls should be covered. The resulting position is simply long call options. Note that this is the technical situation in the options strategy matrix that results in the long call strategy.

Objective Met

A trader should begin to take partial profits when an objective is achieved. Removing 25 to 50 percent of all bullish positions is suggested. But this is, as economists are wont to say, all other things beingequal. This is not usually the case. For example, if the underlying instrument is a futures contract, open interest changes become important. In a futures contract, open interest declining as a price target is being achieved is a warning signal. The percentage of profitable positions removed would move up to 75 percent.

In general, protective mental sell-stops in the underlying instrument would follow the market up moving in fits and starts depending upon where support formed on the chart.

Symmetry Destroyed

If quotes move below the right shoulder low, the symmetry of the Head & Shoulders Bottom is destroyed. This does not automatically invalidate the pattern. The pattern is destroyed if the low of the head is taken out. But a trader must begin to mitigate the loss of the long call position. Removing approximately one-half of the long calls would accomplish this.

Another Chance

Since the Head & Shoulders Bottom remains valid, the original upside measuring objective is intact. A bullish stance should be held unless the low of this second pullback is taken out. The decision to add to bull positions is tricky. A close above the neckline once again would certainly revive the bullish look of the chart. Aggressive traders can then look to increase a bullish bias possibly with outright longs in the underlying instrument rather than long calls.

Pattern Destroyed

The worst path through the decision tree culminates, the H&S pattern has failed. Although the H&S formation is usually highly reliable, it does fail in up to 20 percent of the cases. If enough premium is remaining in the long call options, they can be liquidated. If so little premium remains, they can be held rather than paying commissions. May be the trader will get lucky and a price rally will occur. But a trader who uses the words luck or hope is in a terrible situation.

About the Author
Get the best stock market trading, finance and investing tips. For more stock trading related articles and information visit http://www.2stocktrading.com.

Submitted by anthonygreen123

Initiate Trade

The trading strategy begins with leading off by placing a position in anticipation that the possible Head & Shoulders Bottom will be activated. This is a vertical bull call spread. Lower strike calls are purchased and higher strike calls are sold. An approximate upside measuring objective can be obtained at this time. This would imply placing a vertical bull call spread with the highest strike at the measuring objective. It is suggested, however, that the closest out-of the-money calls be purchased and the calls one strike higher be sold. This is for liquidity considerations in anticipation of follow-up action when the neckline is penetrated.

The next lower level in the decision tree shows the two most distinct price moves that could occur a rally or a sell off. The market also could move sideways or experience myriad other price gyrations.

Valid Breakout

A close above the neckline on a noticeable increase in volume officially activates the H&S Bottom, This allows the technician to construct the specific upside measuring objective. It is also the time to make any trading strategy more directionally aggressive. For a vertical bull call spread, one-half of the losing leg should be liquidated. This means buying back covering one half of the higher strike calls that were sold short.

It is of almost importance for any trader to have a defined risk parameter. For classical bar chartists, this is usually straightforward. Assuming there was no possible second left shoulder on the chart, the technician would not expect the low of the right shoulder to be taken out. Thus, the bullish outlook would not seriously deteriorate unless a sell off to below the right shoulder occurred. Stop-loss orders in the options themselves are not usually recommended. A mental stop in the underlying instrument is the preferred approach. This means, of course, that a trader must possess the discipline to exit from a losing options position if the technical aspects of the underlying instrument begin breaking down.

Failure

Any Head & Shoulders formation is destroyed when the extreme of the head is violated, even intra day. Any bull strategy must be abandoned. The entire vertical bull spread should be liquidated.

Making a new price low affirms that the direction of the major trend remains downward. It does not automatically create a specific downside measuring objective. Therefore, it is never advisable to liquidate the long calls and stay with the short calls of the vertical spread. The position would turn into one of unlimited risk. It is far better to exit from a losing position and look for another more clear-cut technical situation.

Objective Met

When any classical bar charting measuring objective is met, it is prudent to realize at least some profits. In the case of the Head & Shoulders formation, profits on one-quarter to one-half of the position should be taken. Why only 25 percent? An H&S measuring objective is a minimum target. Although no specific maximum objective can be calculated, quotes often move far beyond the minimum objective. A trader should try to follow the old adage of cutting losses and letting profits run. This is what is being done in removing only a portion of the winning trade. The decision to exit from the remaining open positions should be based on usual support/resistance and volume/open interest considerations.

Fullback

In the long run, the most optimal path through the decision tree would flow. A price sell-off on declining volume back to the neckline would prompt removal of any remaining bearish positions. All short calls should be covered. The resulting position is simply long call options. Note that this is the technical situation in the options strategy matrix that results in the long call strategy.

Objective Met

A trader should begin to take partial profits when an objective is achieved. Removing 25 to 50 percent of all bullish positions is suggested. But this is, as economists are wont to say, all other things beingequal. This is not usually the case. For example, if the underlying instrument is a futures contract, open interest changes become important. In a futures contract, open interest declining as a price target is being achieved is a warning signal. The percentage of profitable positions removed would move up to 75 percent.

In general, protective mental sell-stops in the underlying instrument would follow the market up moving in fits and starts depending upon where support formed on the chart.

Symmetry Destroyed

If quotes move below the right shoulder low, the symmetry of the Head & Shoulders Bottom is destroyed. This does not automatically invalidate the pattern. The pattern is destroyed if the low of the head is taken out. But a trader must begin to mitigate the loss of the long call position. Removing approximately one-half of the long calls would accomplish this.

Another Chance

Since the Head & Shoulders Bottom remains valid, the original upside measuring objective is intact. A bullish stance should be held unless the low of this second pullback is taken out. The decision to add to bull positions is tricky. A close above the neckline once again would certainly revive the bullish look of the chart. Aggressive traders can then look to increase a bullish bias possibly with outright longs in the underlying instrument rather than long calls.

Pattern Destroyed

The worst path through the decision tree culminates, the H&S pattern has failed. Although the H&S formation is usually highly reliable, it does fail in up to 20 percent of the cases. If enough premium is remaining in the long call options, they can be liquidated. If so little premium remains, they can be held rather than paying commissions. May be the trader will get lucky and a price rally will occur. But a trader who uses the words luck or hope is in a terrible situation.

About the Author
Get the best stock market trading, finance and investing tips. For more stock trading related articles and information visit http://www.2stocktrading.com

Author: Guest

Not happy with your current state? Want more cheer, a better house, a stronger relationship, a job where you are respected and valued, or want to earn more, close more sales and buy that dream car?

Well, Quit dreaming. Just thinking about them and not taking any single step towards your dreams, your aspirations, and your desires is not going to bring them to you. That’s just wishful thinking.

The moment you decide that you want something, and surge ahead to take the next step in that direction, then providence moves too, in your direction. And the object of your desire comes a step closer to you.

Rather than just dreaming, when you focus on what you want, and take the time to write it down, it becomes permanently imprinted in your subconscious. Our brain has a problem solving mechanism. You give it a problem, and it starts to find a solution all the time, even when you don’t know about it. The power of the subconscious mind is limitless. The human mind has not been able to completely comprehend what our brain and our subconscious is fully capable of.

What is Goal Setting?

Goal Setting is a formal process of writing down what you wish for, what you desire, and what your truly want. Whether you want more money, or a better relationship, a new car or a better paying job, each of these is a goal. But just saying “I want more money” is not enough. The brain does not understand “more”. You must tell it how much more, by explicitly describing it.

Imagine if you were to asked to find a red house in the city. Without the suburb, the zip code, the address or location, you could roam endlessly till the evening, and not be any closer to your destination. But if you are given sufficient details about the location, suburb or address, sooner or later you will find it.

The better you define the object of your desires, the better it will be for your subconscious mind to be able to find it. So the first step in achieving your goals is to define them clearly. Write them down, break them down into smaller chunks, and divide them into categories.

For example you may have financial goals or career goals. That’s a category by itself. Similarly, you may want to organize your goals into these or similar categories.

Financial / Career
Social / Cultural
Family / Friends
Health / Physical
Personal Development / Educational
Spiritual

Once you have written down your goals in each category, group them into short term goals and long term goals. For example if you are earning $50,000 a year, and your goal might be to get to 500,000 a year later. Now I am not saying that it is impossible. Nothing is impossible! Unless you win the lottery, it will require a Herculean effort on your part to get to that figure in an year.

So chunking it down helps. Maybe, get to 80,000 in the next year,150,000 the year later, and get to 500,000 by the third, fourth or fifth year. Based on your goals, and how deeply and intensely you want those goals, work out your own blueprint to success.

Once you break it down to short term goals to attain in the next 6-12 months, you could lose 10 pounds, save $5,000 or plan for a vacation cross country. Take small steps, and get successful at doing the smalls steps. Nothing succeeds like success. As you attain small successes, you will get more confidence and more faith in your ability to attain your dream goals. Your motivation and inspiration will increase manifold, and you will be on a roll… going from peak to peak to reach your dreams.

Goal Setting Tips
1. Make sure your goals are SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound. This gives them power and clarity.

2. Take your 5 year goals, and split then into year by year goals. Then take your first year goal and split further into 6 months goals. Then work on the month by month increments. Work on how you will start updating your resume, or start saving $200 dollars each month, or find a book or video on Yoga or aerobic exercises.

You can even start jogging for 15-20 minutes a day, and then gradually increase it to about 30 to 45 minutes, and eventually take it to an hour of exercises. 6 months is not a very long period. You could have lost a few pounds by then, become a lot trimmer, and will have a new wardrobe of nicely fitting clothes that will give your personality an extra edge.

3. Use a Daily Checklist to remind yourself of the actions you need to take each day to achieving your goals. Don’t skip a single day. Even if you can spare only 30 minutes towards your goals, doing so consistently will soon add up, and you will begin to notice the difference it is making in your life!

4. Do a periodic Review of your long and short term goals. See what is working, and feel free to make amends to reflect what you want to change, and what you have already achieved. Keep in mind that personal goal setting is an ever evolving exercise. Your goals evolve dynamically based on the changes in nature, your self and your environment. So keep reviewing them regularly to stay on course.

What are you waiting for? Go ahead, get started now. Write down your goals now. When you look back in a few months time, you will cherish this moment of decision. It will take you towards getting that house, the car, be mortgage free, or find the loving relationship you are looking for.

About the Author
Goal Setting That Works is a Free Goal Setting service that automatically sends you your written goals on a weekly basbis. Keep yourself focused on your goals, and achieve them faster. For more articles on Goal Setting, visit the Achieving Goals Blog to get started in achieving your goals now. This article is written by the editor of GoalSettingThatWorks.com, Veronica Parker.

Author: Guest

IT’S RAINING DEALS!
Now is the Time to Buy!!!!

Arguably, the most accomplished investor of our time is the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffet. Fortunately for us, Mr. Buffet is not in the real estate business, or there may not be any property left for us to buy. The point is, when does Buffet buy his investments? Answer: When the market or asset is at the “bottom” and EVERYONE else is selling. Conversely, IF he sells, he sells when the market or asset is at the “top”, and everyone else is usually buying.

As real estate investors, while our assets are different than Buffets, the same principles apply…and that means really good news for us right now in our current market phase. That’s right GOOD NEWS! Across the nation right now we are experiencing a correction in the real estate market from the aggressive bullish market of the past 5 years. This correction is portrayed by the media and perceived by many as “the Bubble Bursting” with a very negative connotation. From my perspective, when “Bubbles Burst” it starts raining deals!

In order to truly understand this principle, in this article we will evaluate the four (4) distinct phases of the real estate Market Cycle. If you think of the real estate market as cyclical alternating between buyers markets and sellers markets, with the Buyers Market on the bottom and the sellers market on the top, each half can be broken into two clearly defined phases. In industry lingo, these phases are commonly referred to as Buyers Market Phase 1 (BM1), Buyers Market Phase 2 (BM2), Sellers Market Phase 1 (SM1) and Sellers Market Phase 2 (SM2).

Sellers Market Phase 1 (SM1) - Also called the Expansion Market - In an expansion market, population, incomes and employment is on the rise. Because of that, apartment vacancies are decreasing and rents are rising. New complexes are in the planning and construction phase. People are looking for units to buy and, because you have invested in a few, you have units to sell. It’s an excellent time to sell.

Sellers Market Phase 2 (SM2) - Also called the Equilibrium Market - Good news property buyer. Things have gone to hell in a hand-basket. Both unemployment and inflation are on the rise. Sellers have had a reality check and the market has slowed considerably, increasing the demand for apartments dramatically as people choose to rent rather and wait for home prices to adjust downward. Now, here’s the tricky thing about an equilibrium market. It’s a ripe time for buyers if, and only if, they can afford to sit on the investment for a while. Other markets have a somewhat more predictable lifespan, but the length of time an equilibrium market will last depends, largely, on how overbuilt a particular market might have become during Expansion and Absorption days and local lending policies.

Buyers Market Phase 1 (BM1) - Also called the Decline Market - There comes a time in every market’s life when it must put aside seller-friendly trends and cuddle up to potential buyers. After all, there can be no selling without initial purchase. During a decline market, trends that began during the last Absorption Market (BM2) have progressed to the point where it’s more appealing to buy than sell. Builders find that the properties planned during the expansion market and brought online during the last Absorption Market (BM2) are now sitting empty, making them difficult to sell. The higher interest rates introduced by the Fed are making holding onto property, particularly unoccupied property, a more expensive prospect. Vacancies and foreclosures are becoming a more common occurrence. It’s a good time to buy, but not nearly as good as a …

Buyers Market Phase 2 (BM2) - Also called the Absorption Market - Admittedly, the home in the valley is not nearly as sexy as the big house on the hill, and for a seller, looking to unload while in an absorption market doesn’t quite have the boomtown appeal of an expansion market. Still, there is potential money to be made. In an absorption market, the apartment projects that were planned in the expansion market are now coming online. Inflation is on the rise and, in an attempt to normalize the economy, the Federal Reserve will probably increase interest rates, causing a leveling of prices and a slowing in property purchases. Yes, there is money to be made, but it is out on the horizon. Now is the time to be buying.
Across the country we are currently sitting at nearly the bottom of this visual cycle in a Buyers Phase 2 Absorption Market. This phase has also been affectionately nicknamed “The Millionaire Maker Phase”. In this phase, there is an oversupply of properties on the market, unemployment is high, and foreclosures are peaking. The great news is…there is only one way to go from here…UP! As such, we as real estate investors should be capitalizing on acquiring as much property as we possibly can right now while it is raining deals.
As recently as one year ago in many cities, it was still extremely competitive finding and securing deals. Now that has all changed. Deals are everywhere. In fact, there are so many deals that for the first time in the last 5 years or so, we are actually able to cherry pick the BEST deals to shape our portfolios for the next 5 years.
In this Millionaire Maker Phase, the biggest money will be made by Rehabbers that can BUY and HOLD until we transition into the upswing of a Sellers Phase 1 Market where Job Growth is driving demand, and properties begin to become absorbed again into the marketplace. Since we make our money when we BUY, not when we sell, this is THE optimal time to buy, while prices are low, sellers are desperate, other investors are running for the hills and it’s raining deals! - Justin Anderson

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About the Author
Justin Anderson is a seasoned real estate investor with over 10 years experience in the real estate industry. He owns over 500 rental units, has rehabbed over 300 units in the last 5 years, and has an additional 170 units in the pipeline to be redeveloped or rehabbed in the next 12 months. Additionally, Justin has mentored and trained over 2000 students over the course of the last 3 years. For additional FREE Real Estate Resources, please visit www.artofrealestateinvesting.com

Author: Guest

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a specific formula for making millions of dollars? “If you want to become a millionaire, all you have to do is A, B and C.” You know . . . . “Go get a degree in small-business management, talk to Jim at the bank to set you up with a Subway franchise, and invest in Microsoft today because it will skyrocket tomorrow when they report earnings.” Unfortunately, life is just not that gravy. The good news is there are some defining characteristics, habits and belief systems that self-made millionaires share in common. Take this a step further, and I believe almost all self-made millionaires’ financial success boils down to one thing.

Now, I’m not talking about the 0.5% of “self-made” millionaires that hit the lotto or scored big on buying Microsoft at its lowest-low and selling at its highest-high. I mean the people that sacrifice, slave, and sweat their way to become financially free. I’m referring to the people that spent 20-30 years on a strict budget, giving up everything to build successful businesses – all the while living well below their means, and doing it happily at that.

What makes these people not want to spend the money they worked so hard for on a nice car or an extravagant dinner? Why would they choose to read Money magazine and study business over watching the NFL draft? This lifestyle just sounds boring and exhausting. After all, what’s the point then of being filthy rich?

The answer is Drive. But not only drive – the meaning behind the drive. If you peel back the onion, you will find that what makes millionaires become millionaires is an ultimate, singular factor that keeps them grinding away to accumulate so much wealth. How else can someone willingly sacrifice so much over such a long period of time? Because they have no choice.

The reason behind their motivation is so strong that there is no alternative. This is living life as they know it.

To become a self-made millionaire, without the big score or a grand inheritance, you will likely have to do it the hard way like most people in this class. If you are truly focused and determined to become a millionaire, you are far more likely not to succeed if you are unable to identify that element that pushes you through the pain. It is essential to dig down and find that “why” factor.

The reason behind your drive should be so strong that it makes you compulsive about becoming wealthy. Your “why” should establish your habits, attitudes and beliefs of money and wealth. It will invariably define who you are as a person.

Once you figure out the real reason you want to be rich, it is important to remind yourself frequently. The road to financial freedom has many ups and downs, good years and bad years, happy days and bad days. If you remember the why, the how does not matter. At least it doesn’t for those who have achieved their goals.This theory, by the way, holds true in business and life in general. It is what creates Olympic athletes, successful business leaders, great spouses and parents, etc. Those who have a relentless passion to succeed in order to fulfill their “why” are unstoppable. Discover your “why” and you have acquired the one, essential trait for becoming a self-made millionaire.

About the Author
Increase your financial fitness. Building Millionaire Money Habits at: http://www.I-Endeavors.com