Investment Info Blog

Investment Scams and How to Avoid Them

Most people, especially those new to the investment arena, do not realize there are a number of common scams which are used to victimize investors each year.

The misconception about investing scams is that most smart investors believe they will “know one when they see one” - this is simply not true. Especially in the modern marketplace were criminals have all the resources of the world wide web to create realistic investing schemes which capture the investors attention as well as their money.

The anonymity of the world wide web is a breeding ground for scam artists targeting individuals who so desperately want to get rich quick. Many of these criminals will set up web pages with news letters, forums, and prospectus for companies which do not even exist.

These sites are design with information including success stories from other investors. This is used to lure new investors in. By following un-research claims an investor can easily lose his investments, retirement, and education funds.

Remember professional investors live by the mantra that customers buy products but investors buy securities. Do not be lured in but what merely sounds good. The key is to keep a keen ear for what sounds and is valuable. Major red flags include the use of emotional and subjective words in combination with an investing recommendation.

If you become interested in a stock there are several ways to check if it is a valid stock tip or not. The first place to start is research the company that the stock is for. Take a look at their financial statements to get an idea of how well the company is doing by checking both income and debts. If both of those are in order call the company and speak with human resources. Ask them to validate th claims in the newsletter, email or web page are true. These are great ways to check if a stock tip is fact or fiction.

Another great place to look for information about a specific company is the SEC. Public companies must register with and file yearly reports to the SEC to document their growth and development.

These reports are thoroughly checked to make sure they are truthful and accurate. This helps not only to confirm if you have a valid investment but will also document if the company’s profits are going to continue to increase or decrease.

Access to the SEC and public companies can easily be found on the world web wide. If the advertisements claim to have certain investors feel free to call those companies and confirm their investments and their satisfaction with the company.

Many scam artists will use high profile company names to make the document more alluring to potential investing victims.

Additionally the NASD can be contacted. This organization helps states’ regulate securities and has all the information needed to verify if a company is real or not.

Only through being an aggressive and educated investor can you utilize your money to it’s fullest potential. Take the time to do the research, ask the questions, and if something feels funny, go with your gut.

There are plenty of real investing opportunities out there if you take the time to look.
More Articles & Tutorials and a Free Investing For The Beginner E-Course at http://www.Global-Investment-Institute.com

21st Century Global

0percent APR Credit Cards Tips and Tricks

Credit cards can be considered to be one of the many basic necessities of the modern world. Credit cards are available nowadays in abundance. One type of credit card specifically is the so-called 0% APR credit card. 0% APR credit cards were introduced in the late 1980’s and to this day has still proven to be one of the most sought-after credit card types available anywhere. As with all credit card types, there are a certain tips and tricks surrounding 0% APR credit cards that all potential card applicants should be made aware of.

With the help of a 0% APR credit card, it means that you need not only pay the outstanding balance; and what more you could even charge up to the limits without having to sustain any monthly interest charges. However, sometimes, one tends to think just how these credit card companies can afford to provide 0% APR credit cards, and make a profit out of it?

Although 0% APR credit cards may not comprise any monthly charges, it is sure to come with annual fees which you are obliged to pay for the privileges of a 0% APR credit card. These annual fees usually run from $15 to $20 or sometimes, even higher. Having a 0% APR credit card doesn’t mean that you can pay your dues whenever and whichever way you intend to. It IS necessary to make your payments on time, or else, you will have to pay for high overdue fees. For each late payment, the 0% APR credit card holder has to pay fees that may range from $20 to $40. With habitual late payments, these meager amounts may accumulate to a hefty total!

It should be remembered that 0% APR credit cards are usually offered for only a stipulated period of time. This credit card interest may hold good for only a fixed period of time, usually ranging from 3 up to 15 months. On the completion of this period, a higher rate of interest may come in vogue, usually 12% or higher. You could easily transfer any existing credit card balances to a new 0% APR credit card to get 0% interest on the transferred balance. In this way, the credit card holder has to pay less interest for a stipulated period of time, and thus get a chance to clear outstanding balances as quickly as possible.

When applying for a 0% APR credit card, it is always better to read the terms and agreements of the credit card. Not to overstate an obvious question, but why should one do so? Simply because many credit cards may come with a default rate wherein late payments not only incur a late payment fee, but it would also include a default rate that will be added to the annual percentage rate. This in turn doubles the figures on the existing balances and on the new purchases made on the card moving forward. Ouch!

One very important point to take into account when applying for a 0% APR credit card is to read all paragraphs of the agreement, otherwise known as the fine print. This is because though it is illegal for a credit card company to hide their fees and charges, it is nonetheless legal for them to mention these points in small print! The 0% APR credit card companies thus usually announce in large and bold print about their 0% APR but hide the facts that this is only for a limited period of time and any extra fees which might be included are done so in very fine print.

Another trick that is up the sleeve of 0% APR credit card companies is to install sky-high APR’s right after the amount of 0% APR balance transfers are paid down. In other words, the money you first pay to the credit card company is applied to the transfer, and any other purchases you make will be charged a high APR. Sometimes, credit card companies may also go to the extent of sending you a different card than the 0% APR credit card you had initially applied for. In this way, you are not allowed the 0% APR but a different card offer with different terms and conditions. The card issuers typically rationalize this behavior based on the card issuer determining that you do not meet the qualifications for a 0% APR credit card. Qualifications for a 0% APR credit card is usually found in the small print of the agreement, and is usually overseen by applicants!

It can thus be seen that though 0% APR credit cards do seem to be rather inviting, there are some loopholes and tricks to their use. As always, it is highly recommended to read the terms and conditions on the card application agreement for the 0% APR credit card, or any type of credit card application, thoroughly in order to avoid any future problems, headaches or financial surprises.
For more information on 0% APR credit cards, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com

Emotions and Retirement

When it comes time to face retirement, many people find that they are extremely excited at first but over time, that feeling goes away a little. Many people find that they suddenly feel as though they do not have much to do with their life, as though it is almost meaningless now.

How to Find the Best Commercial Real Estate

For most people, jumping into the commercial real estate market is done with sights set on millionaire land owners who have made their fortune buying, renovating and selling properties over and over and over. One of the keys to this success is finding the right commercial real estate properties to turn over. Do you go with a high-priced property and just hang onto it for a few years, letting it gain in value and then sell it or do you take a more out of the way property, fix it up and make it valuable then sell it? These are all options available out there for a potential buyer, but which one is right for you?

The best deals out there will give the biggest return on your investment. It is not unrealistic to look for deals that could give you upwards of two to four times the profit of what you invested. The amount of paperwork and red tape you have to go through is essentially the same weather it is a big deal or a small one, so try to maximize each deal and make it as profitable as possible.

The methods you use to find the best deals are important. You can rely on your own two eyes and simply go scout possible real estate deals that could turn a huge profit or you could enlist the help of a professional. There are real estate brokers that specialize in commercial properties but since they are hired by the people looking to sell, you might not get a straight answer on a particular property since all they want to do is sell it. The best thing to do if you are going to seek the advice of a commercial broker is to make a firm list of qualities you are looking for and dont deviate from them. The broker may try to sell you something you are not interested in so be careful. One advantage in using a broker is getting listings that have not officially gone on the market yet. This can help you get a head start in placing a big for a unit since no one else will know about it yet. Another good tip is to utilize the Internet. There are many sites out there dealing with property values and commercial sites that are for sale and many sites have excellent search criteria that can help you find what you are looking for quickly and easily in a non-confrontational environment.

One final place that is a great source of commercial as well as residential properties is auction houses. You may have to register with these houses and pay a small fee, but it is a sound investment since the auction house will be offering properties as a significantly smaller cost to you than if you were to buy it normally. In addition, these auction houses tend to send out notifications of properties that are about to go on the trading block. This can give you the time you need to research the deal, see if it falls within your criteria and then you can decide if you are going to bid on it or not.

Overall, there are many different options out there available for those looking to find sound commercial properties to invest in. If you do the proper research, you can find the one that is right for you.
We will buy your house As Is Now in any condition including Ugly Homes. If you need to Sell Your Home Fast Orlando, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, For Lauderdale, Houston, Tampa and Fort Myers. Call 1-800-AS-IS-NOW (800-274-7669)

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Losing Your Identity and Your Good Credit

Identity theft has become a problem with the introduction of shopping online. Thieves set up
clone web sites much like the ones that are used popularly to make purchases so that they can fool unsuspecting victims into entering their personal information. You can also have your information stolen by not correctly disposing of bank statements and other mail that contains personal information, such as your social security number. It is important to always shred any trash that contains such information, because having your identity stolen can adversely affect your good credit.

Any woman knows that it is a nightmare to have her purse stolen. You lose any money and belongings, and then have to get all of your personal information cards either canceled or replaced. Your debit account could go into a negative balance merely by someone forging your signature. If you don’t have a credit card, the person who holds your personal information can easily open one and charge thousands of dollars worth of merchandise in a matter of hours. If you do not cancel your credit cards and freeze your bank account immediately you could drop from having excellent credit to bad credit sooner than you might think. Other necessary actions would be to file a report with the police and place an initial fraud report on your credit report.

On the Internet and telephone, you take a chance anytime you give out personal information. Prior to entering any personal information, such as your credit card number for making a purchase, be sure to check the web address to be sure that you are on the companies’ official web site rather than a clone with the same appearance but different address. This one thing is often overlooked and thieves have exploited it successfully many times. If you notice this, report the fake site to the official site so that you can help prevent some unsuspecting person from making a simple mistake that could completely ruin their credit.

The best thing to do if you feel that you may have been a victim of identity fraud is to get an up to date credit report and look for activity that you are certain is not your own. In the event that you do find a new account opened or activity that is not your own, contact any companies involved to try to obtain a signature that was not made by you. The sooner you file your identity theft report, the easier it will be when trying to keep your credit report from being harmed. Keep track of every action that you take, and make sure to ask lots of questions about your credit score to be sure that everything is correct.
Tom Ambrozewicz, mortgage and real estate broker since 1993, is one of the pioneers in using breakthrough audio technology on his web sites. You can read or you can listen to professional narrator reading to you. You can check all credit tips at Ask-How.info now.

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No Money Down The Benefits of Real Estate Joint Ventures

Investors are attracted to the real estate market because of the incredible potential it has to multiply their money. Appreciation rates of properties are very high and almost all property deals guarantee you certain amount of profit.

One of main reasons why many others are not able to invest in real estate is that they do not have sufficient cash to pay the down payment for the purchase. However, there are plenty of financial schemes with ‘No Money Down’ option available for small investors to enable them to sustain the costs of purchasing property.

New investors can consider joint ventures, wherein one person finances the project and the other does the actual work. As a result, the one who does all the work has to put no money down for upfront costs. If you are new to the real estate game, and do not have enough funds to bear the upfront costs, you can opt for a joint venture. It is legally binding, and both parties agree upon a certain percent of profit each would receive after the project is completed.

It is a mutually beneficial partnership, wherein profits are divided according to individual contribution in terms of labor and money. The joint agreement is drawn to provide legal protection to the concerned parties in case the project fails.

A joint venture is beneficial if you are in one of the following situations:

1. When you lack borrowing capacity

If you have some money to pay the down payment, but are not eligible for a loan, joint venture would be beneficial for you. You can enter into a partnership with someone who has the necessary funds or is eligible for a loan to support your project.

2. When you do not have liquid cash or equity

You may be eligible for a loan due to your income or credit score. However, you may not have the necessary cash required to pay for the down payment of property purchase. In such a case, you can enter into a partnership with a person who can take care of the down payment.

With literally ‘no money down’ towards down payment, you can begin your dream project. There are instances wherein the seller carried a certain amount of the loan as a second mortgage. In exchange, you are required to give him a certain percent of the profits as decided in the agreement.

3. You have the necessary skills

There are investors who have the expertise to carry out a project or who have skills required for renovation. They may lack the funds for the project or may not have the inclination to invest money in the project. If you are one of those, then you can find a partner who has the money but lacks the time and expertise to complete the project.

It is important to draw an agreement carefully including all minute details to avoid any form of dispute in future.
Discover exactly how Sal Vannutini combined two of the easiest (yet brutally powerful) real estate investing strategies and made an insane $31,510 Profit In Just 49 Days… And How You Can Do The Same!”. Visit http://www.FixerUpperFortunes.com

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Build Your Credit While Still in School

College is a great time to get into trouble with credit cards. It’s just so easy to apply for them, sometimes even on campus. But it’s also very easy to get into trouble with credit cards while you’re that young.

There’s nothing wrong with getting a credit card when you’re in college. It may even be helpful if you need just a little time to pay for you books and necessities. But many students just can’t handle it.

Credit card companies often have relaxed requirements for students. This is because they know that if they can get you as a customer as a college student, they can probably keep you for many years. They also know that many students run up high balances, and so will be paying for a long time.

In other words, it can be a bit risky getting a credit card while you’re still a student. There will be temptations to abuse it. But this is one of the best times to establish your credit, when the requirements in order to get a card aren’t quite so high as they may be later in life. The trick is remembering not to abuse your card.

That means no running up the bills. Sure, partying with your friends is fun and can add up fast, but how are you going to pay it off? If you can’t pay off such things promptly, I don’t recommend you use a credit card, even for convenience.

However, learning to use a credit card responsibly is a good idea. If you get one, go ahead and use it just a little. Not so much that you can’t pay it off. Get a job if you have to.

What you’re trying to do is show that you can be responsible for your credit card. This will help you to establish a nice credit score, which is very important at various times in your life.

A good credit score does more than help you to get good interest rates when you buy a car or a home. It can help you to get lower car insurance rates. Yes, many car insurance companies also look at your credit score. So do some employers.

Despite the “easy money” feeling some people get from having a credit card, there are some definite risks to owning one. It’s easy to go overboard and to spend more than you can pay off easily. But if you can learn to manage your money well early on, including a credit card, you will have skills that will help you throughout your life.
Stephanie Foster blogs at http://credit-blog.findcreditonline.com/ about credit related issues. Check her website for student credit card offers.

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Basic Investing Tips That You Have to Know

To limit the scope of this article, we will focus completely on the investing basics as they relate to you personally making investment decisions not giving money to a financial institution, which will make the investing decisions for you.

The first part of investing basics is knowing how to invest and where to invest. This can be answered quite simply: there are two ways in which to invest through an offline brokerage or through an online brokerage. Today, however, this is somewhat of a false dichotomy, as most offline brokerages also have websites. To invest, simply open up an account with either an online brokerage, such as ScottTrade or ShareBuilder, or open up an account with an offline brokerage or a financial institution; put money into the account; and then purchase shares based on an overall strategy. While you might be able to get better, more professional tips from an offline brokerage or financial institution, you will have better access to fundamental and technical information such as financial reports and graphs, respectively if you use ScottTrade or ShareBuilder.

The second part of investing basics involves knowing what it will cost. This, of course, will also depend on the brokerage you select. If you select an online brokerage, the cost of trading will probably be lower, since competition is stiffer and prices are easier to compare. Most online brokerages no longer charge commissions, but instead charge flat rate fees. This is important to take into consideration, especially if you plan on daytrading and earning small profits on multiple trades.

The third part of investing basics involves knowing what risks are involved. While there are some exceptions to this rule, here is the basic premise of a risk and investment: the more profitable a given investment could be, the higher the risk generally is. For instance, if you want attain 25% growth on your portfolio each year, you might have to risk losing 20%. But if you want to gain 10%, you might only have to risk losing 2%.

The fourth part of investing basics involves developing strategies. This part is important because it can make stock selection a predictable, mathematical process. This involves developing a list of requirements before you purchase any stock. For instance, you might determine that you want to make a diversified investment that includes two high-risk stocks, seven low-risk stocks, six medium-risk stocks. You will then want to determine what your goal is: to generate growth or to generate income via dividends. You will then want to begin sorting through stocks and choosing stocks specifically based on these goals.

The last thing you must know about investing basics is when to buy and when to sell. While this part of investing basics can get quite complicated when considering short and long positions, we wont go into that here. Instead, for beginners, it is more important to remember to trade based on specific pre-created goals, rather than basing each trade on emotion, which has lead many people into making poor financial decisions in the past.
Will King is the webmaster for 101 Investing Tips where you’ll find many resources and other articles on just about everything related to investing.

21st Century Global

Exercising Stock Options And Taxes How Do Taxes Work With Stock Options

Are you confused as to the question of how to deal with your incentive stock options? Or are you worried about owing a large amount of tax on options that you have not even exercised and do not have the cash to pay for it? Well, luckily, if you manage your affairs well and take on board some simple advice, you will be able to avoid owing too much tax on your stock options, and also postpone paying it until you have the cash to do so. Sounds complicated? Not necessarily so. In most cases, if you have a large amount of money tied up in stock options, then you should probably get some professional advice. Financial advisors can help you put together a strategy that maximizes the value of your options. This article is only intended to give you an idea of the steps that can be taken when tax planning with stock options.

First of all, you do not have to pay any tax owed immediately, if you do exercise your stock options. This is the case so long as you do not sell the stock you receive. If you exercise an option to buy some shares, then so long as you do not sell that stock, you do not have to pay any tax at that time.

The second piece of good news is that you can end up only paying 15 percent tax on the options when you do sell. This will apply if you hold on to the stocks for long enough to qualify for a long-term capital gain.

So things are starting to sound a lot better on stock options taxation. By postponing the tax owed until you sell the shares, you can avoid the hardship of having a tax fall due without any money coming in to pay for it. It is similar to the cases in the past where people received valuable paintings or other works of art in a will, and then immediately had to sell the painting in order to pay the tax that was owed on the inheritance. Also, 15 percent is quite a low rate of tax and it should also be remembered that this is the highest rate that can be payable on a long-term capital gain.

For more information, consult a qualified financial advisor. Financial advisors can help you better understand tax basics and tricks, and the withholding, reporting and filing rules governing your incentive tax options.
Check out http://www.trading-futures.org for eminis futures trading and commodity futures trading.

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How To Get Debt Collectors Off Your Back Permanently

Debt collectors are liars, cheaters, etc… They take advantage of every loophole possible and even break the law. They have been featured on almost every news program from CNN to 60 Minutes. There are laws in place to contain their harassment and collection efforts and to make this process more civil, but most figure the risk of getting caught is minimal and that the rewards of endlessly harassing and fleecing victims is far greater. We now have the power to take back our lives, stop them in their tracks and sue them for more than they are trying to collect.

First, lets start with what is actually owed and how most collection agencies work. Usually a unpaid debt is either sold or turned over to a collection agency. 95% or more of these debts are credit cards, store cards, gas cards, etc… These debts are then tiered according to age of debt, amount, credit, job history, etc… Generally most debts are bought for pennies on the dollar. Recent debt may go for $.15 to $.25 on the dollar whereas old debt that has had numerous collection attempts goes for $.05 or less and debt that is beyond the statues of limitations for the state the debtor resides in goes for less than $.01. So, for instance if you owed $10000.00 on a credit card, the debt collection agency paid at most $2500.00, but probably paid less than $1500 for it. Now, what’s interesting is that they will call and write you stating that you now owe $14000.00 or so stating that it has accrued interest and various questionable fees. This is all profit if you were dumb enough to pay that. A fair settlement would be $1700.00 or less. So, the point here is that you don’t ever owe what they are trying to collect from you - it is always far, far less.

Secondly, lets give you some more ammunition - The 1977 FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) gives you rights the debt collectors won’t tell you about. If you don’t want to hear from them again, its easy. Just write them a letter stating that you wish they cease all contact with you (make sure you put in the letter that - P.S. This letter is in no way an acknowledgement of the above listed debt(s) - that way they cannot even attempt to try and re-age your debt (add another 7years of collection and reporting to further harass). Send the letter registered return receipt requested mail and keep your proof of receipt. If they contact you after this for any reason other than to tell you they are either dropping the issue or taking it to court (99.99% won’t go to court as it costs them more money and their odds of getting anything are almost zero - even with a judgement) then you can sue them for each occurrence for $1,000. People win these suits every day - most settle out of court for a lot more than the original debt (just look this up on the internet under small claims court). You also have the right to question the debt and have the debt collector provide proof. Many debt collection agencies are being sued by many debtors for their failure to provide proof. Just look up Asset Acceptance on the internet - they are one of the biggest abusers of this federal law with thousands of outstanding lawsuits for harassing debt collection practices.

So, now you know how to stop debt collection agencies in their tracks. You know how to get relief - sue them! If enough people sue them things will change. Also use your state and local resources. State Attorney generals go after debt collection agencies that routinely break the law, Consumer protection agencies (the Better Business Bureau, etc…), the Federal Trade Commission goes after the worst abusers, and, of course, your state department of insurance and finance (whom actually licenses these agencies rto operate in your state). You state department of finance and insurance, or similar, has the power to fine, punish and even banish the debt collection agency from your state. Every state requires a debt collection agency to be licensed and put up a large financial bond (around $50,000) to operate in your state. Call these folks if you are having problems with a debt collection agency - they will get immediate results in your favor. Don’t threaten the collection agency that you have these rights - use them. Bring the collection agency to its knees if they are violating your rights.

The other problem is are these bills, debts even correct? Many hospitals, doctors, etc… have no ethics and will purposely double or even triple bill patients without insurance because they know they can get away with it. If you have a question about your bill demand a itemized bill and have this professionally examined. This will reveal things like overcharging ($100 tissue boxes, 1000 percent markup on medicines, etc…) We entrust these hospitals and doctors with our lives and then they screw us by double billing or worse. Right now there is no government policing on hospitals. Many times a debt collector will actually make up a debt or illegally pass one on to you from someone else (Asset Acceptance has been sued for this many times). Do not assume that you owe any debt and take them to task. If you do owe it, pay it, but pay the least amount possible, and pay it on your terms. If they break the law - make them pay!

If you have a problem with a bill make it known to your state politicians. If enough people do this things will change. Write to your local newspaper, tell a friend, do a press release. Tell others of their rights. Cigarette boxes come with warnings - shouldn’t debt collectors and debt collection agencies with their high propensity to skirt the law also come with mandatory warnings? The more the word gets out, the better the odds something will be done about it.
David Maillie holds numerous patents including his recently awarded patent for headlight repair, cleaner and restorer. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: MDwholesale.com Bestskinpeel.com

New York Car Rental

Mortgage Equity A Case Study

Wells Fargo is one of the leading firms that offer home equity loans with no closing fees; however, whether or not you pay closing fees will depend on the amount of loan borrowed and the state in which the property is seated. The “no closing” package also depends on the level of credit the borrower has established.

Some lenders offer a 7.00% APR variable rate on the loans and these rates are active on a set timeframe, but again, it depends on the amount of loan borrowed. The bank states if the borrower accepts the repayments; thus, direct deposit relations then the rates will remain in effect, but if the borrower opts to close his accounts and selects to pay by check, money order, or other method outside of a active direct deposit payment, then the rates will increase on the loan.

Furthermore, the bank states that the rates are “subject to change daily,” thus posing threats to the borrower. In addition, there are fees on a set time if the borrower elects to pay outside of direct deposit arrangements. Additionally, the bank stipulates that the borrower must pay “flood and hazard” insurance during the term of the loan. Other lenders offer similar but slightly different equity loans, which is why you should weigh out the terms between lenders to avoid significant loss.

We pointed out the terms in this article to help you to see that the advertisement for equity loans offering no closing fees or other upfront costs has stipulations in the loans. Therefore, read the terms and fine print to better understand what you are actually getting into when taking out home equity loans. In addition to this, you may also want to get quotes online, which can help you compare companies.
Emanuele Allenti is the owner of home equity loans and best home equity loans websites.

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