FINANCE NEWS AND TIPS FOR MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES: October 2009


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10:30 AM

A Quick and Easy Do-It-Yourself Investment Guide

Economic times are definitely tough now. However, if you have a little extra cash, there's never been a better time to invest than when things are down. Any investment guide will tell you that now is the time to invest; some stocks and real estate won't be this cheap again. That said, there's plenty of risk involved as banks continue to fail and corporations file for bankruptcy. You don't need an broker or financial services. The best investment guide is a little common sense and a little discipline.

The first step to any good investment guide is to make sure that you're paying off your debts first. In almost all cases, the interest rates on credit cards and some loans are higher than the potential return on your investments. There are some exceptions - monthly payments on mortgages and car loans can be paid at the minimum, and never pay more than the minimum on student loans, usually the most favorable interest rate you'll have. On the flip side, it's unlikely that you'll find the next Google. Possible, but unlikely. Don't plan on it, and besides, if you DO find it, you won't need another investment guide or worry about what debts to pay off when.

The next step is to have a 'cushion'. The FDIC will insure any CD or savings account in a FDIC-insured bank for the amount of $250,000. This money will return a modest amount, usually around 4% annually. This money is your lifeboat. There's no such thing as a "for sure" in investment, and if an investment guide or broker tells you otherwise, run. For this reason, guard yourself against potential losses by keep a substantial savings. I recommend 10% of your income. Of course, don't save 10% of your income instead of paying off your credit cards.

Finally, you're ready to invest. Again, there is no such thing as a "sure thing". It just doesn't exist. The key to investing is to balance the risk and the potential reward. I recommend investing in a mutual fund. I would avoid picking individual stocks or commodities - this sort of investing isn't that different than gambling. A mutual fund covers a number of different stocks and you gain or lose by the whole group. This protects you from collapses and gives you more chances at a "winner".
The best mutual funds, in my opinion, are a group of blue-chip stocks, such as Microsoft and Coca-Cola; these are proven companies that have reliable long-term growth. If you still want to try to "beat the market" that's your opinion; this is an investment "guide", not a investment "you-must-do-what-I-say". However, I would recommend something like a 85-15 split between a mutual fund and "playing the market".

Following these few simple steps, and you won't need an investment guide to save for your retirement, your children's education, or the life you've always dreamed of!

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10:28 AM

Ideas to Make Money

If money makes the world go around, then lately if feels like the world is spinning a lot slower. There are plenty of ideas to make money floating around but what really works? Is it a get rich scheme you find on the internet or maybe an “ol’ school” lemonade stand? Basically, there are two commodities you need to make money: time and other money.

One of the fastest ideas to make money is to sell something you already own. Rummage through closets, garages or attics and you’re sure to come up with a yard full of valuable “junk.” Naturally, you’ll need to advertise but this doesn’t mean a million dollar spot on the Super Bowl. A couple of well placed and easy to read signs posted at the end of your block should steer traffic your way. You can increase this traffic by pulling in a couple of other neighbors and their junk. The bigger the yard sale the greater chance you have of making money fast.

Consider this idea to make money from a yard sale and upload it to the internet. There are two viable sources for selling your stuff: Craigslist and Ebay. On Craigslist you post what you have for sale then wait for somebody to find it. The one drawback with this is that the ads cycle. So the “for sale” post you put up in the morning will be shoved down to the end of the line by lunchtime and might be ignored.

On Ebay, you get to auction off your item to the highest bidder. This could mean getting more then you expected to. You also reach a worldwide audience and can keep your auction active for as long as you want. You also can post the item as “buy now” with a fixed price. The drawback is that you’re in charge of shipping. You’ll be able to include the cost but you still have to pack it up and drag it to the post office. As an alternative, try to find an Ebay drop off site in your city. These are small shops that for a price of the sale, will handle all the auction business. Selling your stuff without the hassle is truly a great idea to make money.

Another one of the decent ideas to make money is to offer services to your neighbors. Maybe there are some senior citizens who have trouble getting to the store. You could set up an errand service where you’ll take care of their business for a small fee. Chances are you’re probably going to the same places anyhow so why not make money while you do it? Finally, there is the old fashion concept of mowing lawns as a good idea to make money. Hard work but it has to get done. You could call lawn work as the original “growth” industry.

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10:28 AM

Stay Informed with Credit Monitoring Services

With identity theft being such a big threat these days, it's very important to safeguard your personal information. But even those who are extra careful about revealing their bank account numbers and other data online can still fall victim to identity theft, as criminals think nothing of rooting through garbage cans to snatch up canceled checks, bills, and other financial paperwork. The only way to be 100 percent sure that nothing like this is happening is to monitor your financial activity like a hawk. But let's be honest here: how many of us have the time, energy, or inclination to actually do so? That's where credit monitoring services can come in handy.

A credit monitoring service is a company that routinely checks with the three major credit reporting bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian) to make sure that nothing's amiss. They look for red flags, such as inquiries about opening new bank accounts or requesting loans, which could be an indication that someone has illegally obtained your personal data. Once a red flag is noticed the credit monitoring service will alert you immediately so you can take steps to nip the problem in the bud.

Is this something that most people can do on their own? Well, sort of. It's true that everyone is entitled to a free report from one of the three agencies mentioned above, but you can only get it once every 12 months. A lot can happen in 12 months, so I wouldn't recommend relying on a once a year report to tell you if your identity has been stolen or not. Then if you want more reports than that, you'll have to pay extra fees. In that case, subscribing to one of the many credit monitoring services out there might be a better option. And of course, you can check your bank balances and charge card activities on a daily or weekly basis, which will tell you if anyone is illicitly accessing your accounts. But how would you know if someone has applied for a loan in your name? You ordinarily wouldn't -- unless you had a credit monitoring service working for you.

Most credit monitoring services operate in more or less the same way, so choosing one comes down to the details. Be sure to review exactly what's included in your membership and ask questions about anything you don't understand. Some credit monitoring services offer a basic package and then charge extra for additional perks, like on-demand reviews and things like that. If you're ok with just the basics, then go for the company that offers the lowest prices.

Credit monitoring services can be a convenient way to stay on top of what's happening with your personal finances. Identity theft can lead to a long, harrowing process of phone calls, paperwork, and red tape to clear your name, so this ounce of prevention is well worth your while!

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12:29 AM

Internet Marketing Course for Beginners

I always hear stories about people that strike it rich through one online venture or another. I don't mean the big boys here, though I'm sure we would all love to come up with the next hot web property like YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter. Instead, I'm just talking about regular folks like you and me who have been able to create a profitable online business through more traditional methods. In other words, they have a good product to sell, they get the word out about their product, they enjoy some positive buzz from satisfied customers, and they watch sales volume go through the roof. Sounds simple enough, right? But there's a lot of room for error here, so I recommend taking an Internet marketing course for guidance.

Obviously, if you're already raking in five figures per month from your online income streams, then there's no reason for you to take an Internet marketing course. These courses are geared towards beginners who need that push to get them going in the right direction, so the classes usually just cover the basics. Still, there's great demand for this type of entry-level Internet marketing course, and consequently, a lot of courses to choose from.

Most classes assume that you already have your key product or service idea in place and just need help with promotion and advertising. The class content reflects this, and won't cover anything having to do with the invention, design, or production of merchandise. Instead, the Internet marketing course you take will likely focus on website creation, search engine optimization strategies, advertising campaigns, and pay-per-click ad programs such as Google AdWords. Sure, you could learn all of this stuff on your own without taking an Internet marketing course, but you'd have to sift through mounds of information to get to relevant items. Why not just let an expert guide you along the right path?

Many people actually offer a free Internet marketing course that could be of some value to the greenest newcomers, but you can't expect these to go in-depth at all. If you want a more detailed explanation of how to promote your products and services to the masses, how to organize e-mail advertising blitzes, how to initiate positive blog buzz, and how to cash in on your idea, then you'll probably have to pay for an Internet marketing course offered by a true guru in the industry. I hate shelling out money unnecessarily, but sometimes the information offered is too valuable to pass up.

The bottom line here is that you can absolutely learn how to be a decent online entrepreneur simply by spending all day typing queries into Google and reading through all the results. But if you want to be a truly savvy marketer, then taking an Internet marketing course is a good way to start.