22nd July 2006
We have all heard of the familiar indices such as the Dow Jones Industrials or the S&P 500, but we don't necessarily know how they relate to us as investors.
An index in a book helps us find a particular topic or subject within a big book, and similarl...
22nd July 2006
Because we live in a day and age when it is easy to instantly connect to other parts of the globe, our economy and financial world has become much more global in scope and significance. When investment abroad looks attractive, there are also numerous ways...
22nd July 2006
Travel is wonderful, and many of us would do nothing but travel the globe if we had the means to live that kind of jet-set life. And traveling to the far corners of the world is growing increasingly easy, with the Internet to connect us to friends and wor...
22nd July 2006
Teens were described by one parent as "hormones in basketball shoes". Indeed, teens can be wild and unpredictable. A popular old Beach Boys tune describes how a teenager skipped school to drive fast in her father's T-Bird convertible car, and many parents...
22nd July 2006
Online shopping was once seen as quirky and impractical, but it has proven that not only is it a viable consumer option, it is also a mega pipeline for billion dollar businesses. In fact, many experts expect to see the growth of the online shopping indust...
20th July 2006
You may want to be socially conscious and do the right thing, both in your own community and in the larger global community. Perhaps you are concerned about environmental issues or about opportunities for fair trade and human rights, or maybe you are pass...
20th July 2006
Investing in the stock market sometimes boils down to one essential element, namely good choices. No matter how well we do our research, how often we buy and sell, or how much we pay experts for their tips and advice, without choosing stocks that represen...
19th July 2006
When stocks are bullish – that is, when prices of the stock market in a steady rise – it is pretty easy for anyone to make money on Wall Street. Studies have any shown that in certain kinds of easy-money markets, novices did just as well as pros when it c...
19th July 2006
Almost every homeowner considers the possibility that they could go it alone and sell their own home, in order to save on real estate commissions. Selling a home without professional help is often a quick path to significant savings, because paying commis...
18th July 2006
For the moment, interest rates remain an excellent bargain. They hover near historically low levels, but as they begin what many experts predict will be a steady, continuous rise, many consumers are rushing to refinance and lock in those great rates. Seve...
18th July 2006
Many lucky homeowners are using equity they gained during the recent bull market in real estate to purchase second homes. Leveraging one property in order to acquire another can be a solid investment strategy, as you increase your investment portfolio one...
17th July 2006
Home equity loans are a great way to borrow, and although many homeowners use them for home improvement projects, they can also be used for other purchases, like car buying. Equity grows as the value of your property rises, and many consumers take advant...
17th July 2006
Because of general stereotypes related to what constitutes real estate value – perpetuated by advertising and media hype – most of us are led to think that the wealthy real estate moguls got that way through high-priced mansions and posh resort property. ...
17th July 2006
Real estate buyers and sellers are always looking for ways to time the market, and the ones with professional experience succeed because they do it by the numbers, not their emotions.
One of the primary indicators for the housing market is interest rat...
15th July 2006
Self-employed homebuyers generally have more difficulty getting a mortgage, because of the way their income is reported and because they are often perceived as not having the job security of others – if they get sick, for example, their whole operation ma...
