| |
| |
|
Investing Information |
|
|
|
Your Portfolio and "Old Ironsides"
The USS Constitution first ventured into the waters in 1798. From there she became an icon of durability and success. In battle, the ship became known as "Old Ironsides" because the shots fired from enemy ships seemed to bounce off her hull. She may be best remembered for her service in the War of 1812. Today, the loyal ship may be found resting quietly in the Boston Harbor. During the week of the Fourth of July, at the Boston Harborfest, "Old Ironsides" makes her annual voyage down the harbor. This is termed the "Turn-Around" cruise. As investors, we can learn a lot from this old ship and its history. The first is longevity. It is easy to be influenced by the short-term direction of the market. A long-term perspective, if warranted, is best observed. Of course if you have a short-term goal, aggressive investments such as individual stocks may not be the best alternative. However, if you have many years before retirement, you should ignore the short-term volatility. As with "Old Ironsides," she fought many a battle, but more than two hundred years later remains afloat and above water. A second point to remember, just like the ship, your portfolio may require maintenance from time to time. Positions may weaken and require your attention. Other positions may grow to a point where profit taking is in order. As with the strong currents of the seas, the market will take its direction and you must adapt to it. Finally, you should consider periodic reviews (i.e. monthly, quarterly, annually) vital to your portfolio. Even the USS Constitution has an annual appointment, with America, where she makes her "Turn-Around" trip. This allows her to weather evenly while at dock during the year and to keep her on active commission. Onlookers, meanwhile, have the opportunity to view all sides of the ship. You, too, should be familiar with all areas of your portfolio. This Fourth of July, when you reflect upon our independence, remember to schedule a visit with your savings. Wardlaw's belief is that familiar life elements best illustrate practical investment strategies; not typical investment jargon. With that philosophy, the author assists financial planners/advisors, brokerage firms, periodicals, and other investment information syndicates create informative and entertaining articles. For comments and questions, please contact the author at tools2invest@yahoo.com or visit http://www.tools2invest.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Investing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Day Traders and Swing Traders and Options? Maybe! Typical day traders and swing traders look for stocks with quick, short term movements, and are not in the business of holding positions overnight let alone a week or two. So the use of options has not usually been a component of their trading strategies. Creating a Financial Future - Putting Your Plan Into Action Part 1 This column has previously discussed "picturing the future that we desire", and outlining a plan to achieve it. We mentioned that the plan must include goal-setting, measurement, and implementation. Guru Focused: Robert Olstein's Short Sells While it is rather rare that value gurus sell stocks short, Robert Olstein has been selling short in his Financial Alert Fund. The accountant-turned fund manager spots values by looking behind the numbers. Planning Starts with the Basics When developing a plan for your finances, the toughest question often is: "Where do I begin?" Before investing in stocks and bonds or buying life insurance, before implementing any change or making any decisions, you first need to analyze and understand your entire financial picture. Two documents allow you to do just that. Now is the Time to Invest for Your Retirement! Yes, it's the time we've all been waiting for?tax season! We know you've gotten a jump start and filed early this year, right? Of course not, but rather than dreading this part of the year, we should all look to it as a point for new opportunities. Many readers don't realize that even though the New Year has come, they can invest money as if it were still 2004! That's correct, it's not too late. Why You Need To Buy and Sell Gold Coins (Part 6) Pre-1933 Gold Outperforms Today's Gold Bullion.. A Safe Port For Mutual Funds But Not You! Soft dollars, a form of legal kickback, is a sly way you can get ripped off by mutual fund managers. Full service brokers give these kickbacks to non-indexed mutual funds in the form of a "rebate" to purchase research, software, and even computer equipment. Asset Location - Increase Investing Returns & Reduce Your Taxes Location - Once the holy grail only for real estate investors is fast becoming the mantra for every stock, bond, and mutual fund investor. Experts and studies now recognize managing asset location is second only to asset allocation in determining the success of your investment returns. Raising Capital Using a Public Company Going public in this manner is ideal for companies that may not be large enough to attract an underwriter for an IPO and those that don't need to raise capital immediately. They want to go public because of the many benefits that being a public company offers such as increased valuation, using public stock as currency to acquire other companies and assets, liquidity, prestige and to reduce the need for expensive venture capital and other financing sources. Creating a Financial Future--Putting Your Plan Into Action Part 2 Real Estate can be a useful tool for investing. The simplest real estate investment is not truly an investment, but a cost-reduction - that is owning your own home. Forex market offers opportunity and information The forex market is what is called an international exchange currency market, where currencies are exchanged on a daily basis. There are five forex market centers around the world - New York, London, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Zurich. Use this Simple Trick its to Buy $100 Bills Direct from your Bank for only $97 Most People just don't understand the power of using their home as a Wealth Creation Tool. How many people do you know who have lived in the same house for 10, 15 or more years and have virtually no mortgage, You know the Type 'House Rich Cash Poor'. Porters Five Forces Analysis If you've ever listened to Warren Buffett talk about investing, you've heard him mention the idea of a company's moat. The moat is a simple way of describing a company's competitive advantages. For Entrepreneurs A SIMPLE Plan May Be Best Q: I own a small decorating business and I'll be the first to admit that I don't know anything about taxes or retirement plans. I'd like to set up a 401(k) or an IRA or some other kind of retirement plan for me and my three employees. It's Never too Early to Start Investing! Remember the old saying, "never too late to start"? Well, try this on for size: when it comes to investing, it's never too early to start. Time really is of the essence here. Credit Scores = ROI Profits for Real Estate Investors Strong credit saves real estate investors money on mortgage finance costs. A good credit score, along with the other credit and mortgage qualifications, means that investors can pay lower fees for financing, such as points and interest charges. The High Price of Oil In less than four years, the price of oil has risen about 300%, or over $50 a barrel. The Light Crude Continuous Contract (of oil futures) hit an all-time high at $67. Chinas Great Missed Opportunity While a U.S. How Eating Bitumen Made Me a Better Stock Trader Stock market trading is a fascinating activity.There are so many layers to it. Online Trading Options Strategies - Rolling Rolling is defined in options online trading as moving a position from one strike to another either vertically in the same month, horizontally to another month or some combination thereof.Other times, you may have to buy your short call back so that you will not lose your stock.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
